LEBANON: AT THE EDGE OF ANOTHER CIVIL WAR

Year 2008, Volume: 13 Issue: 1, 21 - 36, 01.06.2008

Almula Türedi

Abstract

As the 2006 Israel attack divided Lebanese people into pro-Hezbollah and pro-Western lines, Lebanon has fallen into chaos among its sectarian groups for the first time after the 1975 Civil War. As the eruption of violence in May 2008 left at least 81 people dead and as Lebanon was politically paralysed, the opponent parties decided to withdraw from step back the Gulf Emirate of Qatar. To manage the inherent problems of a country having 17 religious minorities, a weak central state built on power-sharing and a violent history, it is essential to determine the internal and external factors influencing the country’s political situation. In this context, this article argues that any agreement reached by the outer forces for Lebanon’s peace and stability ignores the Lebanese reality and lacks an enduring solution to the long unresolved conflicts in the country. To understand the underlying factors causing conflicts in the country, it is crucial to note internal and external dynamics constituting modern Lebanon’s politic structures’ weaknesses

Keywords

The 1943 National Pact, the 1975 Lebanon Civil War, the 1989 Taif Agreement, the 2006 Israel attack, Syria, Hezbollah.