Origins & Early Life

Monte Melkonian (Armenian: Մոնթէ Մելքոնեան; 25 November 1957 – 12 June 1993) was an Armenian-American revolutionary and left-wing nationalist militant. He was a commander in the Artsakh Defense Army and National Hero of Armenia. Born in California, Melkonian left the United States and arrived in Iran as a teacher in 1978, amidst the Iranian Revolution. He took part in demonstrations against Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, and subsequently travelled to Lebanon to serve with a Beirut-based Armenian militia fighting in the Lebanese Civil War.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Melkonian was active in Bourj Hammoud, and was one of the planners of the Turkish consulate attack in Paris in 1981. He was later arrested and imprisoned in France. He was released in 1989 and acquired a visa to travel to Armenia in 1990. Prior to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, during which he commanded an estimated 4,000 Armenian troops, Melkonian had no official service record in any country's armed forces. Instead, his military experience came from his activity in ASALA during the Lebanese Civil War.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With ASALA, Melkonian fought against various right-wing Lebanese militias in and around Beirut, and had also taken part in combat against Israel during the...

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