A dynamic of civil war settles in Lebanon

During the exchange of fire on October 14, which lasted for several hours, the Lebanese army remained powerless in the face of the escalation.

REUTERS - MOHAMED AZAKIR

Text by: Paul Khalifeh Follow

5 mins

Struck by a multifaceted crisis for two years, Lebanon moved dangerously close to civil war on October 14 after the death of seven supporters of Hezbollah and the Shiite movement Amal, killed by snipers during a protest hostile to the judge in charge of the investigation into the double explosion of the port, in August 2020.

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From our correspondent in Beirut

After the economic crisis - one of the worst in the world since 1850, according to the World Bank -, the financial ruin, the collapse of the national currency, the brutal impoverishment of 75% of the population, the unprecedented degradation of all aspects of daily life - marked by chronic shortages of fuels, drugs, a

-, political blockages and the tragedy of the port of Beirut (215 dead, 6,500 injured and the destruction of part of the capital) , Lebanon took a step towards civil war on October 14.

It is precisely the investigation into the explosion of the port that crystallizes all the contradictions.

of being “ 

 ” and “ 

 ”.

The magistrate brought proceedings for "

" and " 

" against a dozen political and security officials, including the former Prime Minister Hassane Diab, four former ministers of the Interior, Finance and Public Works, including three deputies, and the powerful director of the General Security.

His detractors wonder, among other things, why the judge refrained from taking legal action against all political, military and security officials who had been in office since 2014, when ammonium nitrate entered Lebanon, which has exploded, and mainly indicted people close to Hezbollah.

They also accuse him of focusing on the errors and administrative failures that caused the tragedy of the port, and of neglecting fundamental questions, relating to the origin of ammonium nitrate, the reasons why this cargo landed in Beirut. and who it was intended for. 

Strong political and religious polarization

After issuing timid criticisms, the two Shiite parties have raised the tone for the past four weeks, openly demanding the replacement of Tarek Bitar. 

Part of the political class, led by the Lebanese Forces (FL, Christians) led by Samir Geagea, for its part took up the defense of the magistrate, accusing Hezbollah of interfering in the course of justice and of wanting to impose by force his will, even if it means paralyzing the executive power by refusing to participate in the Councils of Ministers until the judge is dismissed. 

This case caused a strong polarization in the country.

What was supposed to be a political divergence has taken on a denominational turn with, on the one hand, Christians defending the independence and action of a magistrate and on the other Shiites who intend to hamper the judicial process.

The outdated army

Suspicious, Hezbollah fears that the investigation into the explosion of the port will be instrumentalised by its internal adversaries and its regional enemies, under the aegis of the United States, to weaken and isolate it politically, as is is produced in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.

The tribute paid to Judge Tarek Bitar by US Senators Bob Menendez and Jim Risch in early October reinforced the suspicions of the pro-Iranian party.

The two elected officials said they were " 

 " temporarily the investigation of the magistrate, which they also qualify as " 

". 

It is in this context that Hezbollah and Amal called for a demonstration to denounce the judge's action.

Despite the massive deployment of the army, the procession was targeted by snipers as it passed near a predominantly Christian area.

Christian and Shiite militiamen clashed for four hours with bursts of machine guns and RPG rockets under the helpless gaze of Lebanese soldiers clearly overwhelmed by the events.

Armed men take cover in Beirut on October 14, 2021. REUTERS - AZIZ TAHER

The old dividing line is set ablaze

These clashes awakened in the Lebanese the images of the civil war (1975-1990) especially as they broke out on the old demarcation line which cut Beirut into two sectors, Muslim and Christian.

Hezbollah and Amal blamed the FL for “ 

” the procession.

Samir Geagea's party has accused the supporters of the two Shiite formations of provocations and acts of vandalism in Christian neighborhoods. 

Weapons galore, spirits whitewashed, irreconcilable protagonists supported by foreign sponsors, a weak state: all the ingredients for civil war are there.

However, the chairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, Hachem Safieddine, hammered on Friday, during the funeral of the victims, that his party will not allow itself to be drawn into a new internal conflict.

He violently attacked the FL and demanded that " 

 " be brought to justice. 

Posing as the defender of Christians, Samir Geagea's party blamed Hezbollah and the Amal movement for the shooting. 

The guns fell silent but the fiery speeches on both sides maintained the tension, raising fears of other incidents.

The army, criticized for the slowness of its reaction and its lack of foresight, made about twenty arrests.

Most of the suspects are from the FL. 

Meanwhile,

, wonder if it is not too late to stop the dynamics of the civil war. 

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• Lebanon