Lebanon's slow-motion self-destruction: state institutions disintegrate under pressure of the conflict in Syria

Abstract

The conflict in Syria has already led to flare-ups of violence in Lebanon, but the worst may still be to come. As the Shiite Hizbullah fights alongside Syrian government troops, and Lebanese Sunni Islamists join the ranks of the rebels, sectarian tension is surging in Lebanon itself. At this point in time, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) provide the last buffer against all-out sectarian war. Yet their capacity to keep a fragile peace is now threatened by an accelerated erosion of Lebanon’s political institutions. Germany and the EU should provide equipment, training and financial support for the LAF, and impress upon pro-Western Lebanese parties the need for a minimum consensus that retains the legitimacy of the armed forces to act on behalf of the Lebanese state. (author's abstract)