The overnight violence gave a preview into a worst-case scenario for Lebanon’s crisis, with the country’s U.S.-trained military increasingly caught between pro- and anti-Hezbollah factions.
Increasingly violent clashes between Lebanese protesters and supporters of the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah are putting Lebanon’s military and security forces in a delicate position, threatening to crack open the country’s dangerous fault lines amid a political deadlock.
By attacking the protesters Sunday night, Hezbollah sent a frightening message that it is willing to resort to violence to protect its political power, increasing the likelihood of more violence if the protests persist. Confronting the powerful Iranian-backed Hezbollah, however, is out of the question for the military — doing so would wreck the neutral position it seeks to maintain and could split its ranks disastrously.
The violence began when supporters of Hezbollah and the other main Shiite faction, Amal, attacked protesters who had blocked a main Beirut thoroughfare known as the Ring Road — a move the protesters said was aimed at exerting pressure on politicians to form a new government after Prime Minister Saad Hariri tendered his resignation Oct. 29.Carrying clubs and metal rods, the Hezbollah followers arrived on scooters, chanting pro-Hezbollah slogans. They beat up several protesters.
The nationwide protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful since they started Oct. 17. But that could change with no political solution in sight. Politicians have failed to agree on a new Cabinet since Hariri’s government resigned Oct. 29. Hezbollah and Amal insist Hariri form a new government made up of technocrats and politicians, but Hariri — echoing protester demands — says it must be made up only of experts tasked with tackling Lebanon’s economic crisis.
The army is one of the few state institutions that enjoy wide support and respect among the public as it is seen as a unifying force in the deeply divided country. During the protests, it has for the most part worked to defuse tensions and protect protesters, though on two occasions in previous weeks it allowed Hezbollah and Amal supporters to wreck tents at the main protest site in downtown Beirut.
That has raised concerns among some in the U.S. security community who see the aid — largely used to buy U.S.-made military equipment — as key to countering Iran’s influence in Lebanon. Others, however, including pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress, have sought to defund the military, arguing it has been compromised by Hezbollah, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization.
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