Lebanon has long struggled to recover from its disastrous civil war. Now there are signs that the country may be heading for a repeat, one that would erase all of the gains of the past two decades and once again make “Beirut” a global synonym for violent chaos.
The international community should step in to more aggressively bolster Lebanon’s weak government. Otherwise, the world might as well just turn over the keys to the country to Syria and Iran, the rogue states that have long sought to destabilize Lebanon.
The Iranian and Syrian regimes rely upon the violent extremists of the Hezbollah organization to keep the Lebanese government on the ropes. Damascus also sends assassins across the border to target some Lebanese political leaders and terrorize the rest.
Other Arab countries could help the situation by forming a united front against Syria and Iran.
Such a front would make it easier for the broader international community, including the United States, to play a helpful role in Lebanon.
At Saudia Arabia’s urging, Arab leaders are to confer this weekend on the Lebanese crisis.
The Lebanese have shown in the past that, despite their religious and ethnic differences, they can live, work and prosper together in peace. As with any other country, however, bad things happen when the government lacks the strength to assert its authority.
Much of that authority has been usurped by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and his Hezbollah organization. They seek to dictate what the government can and cannot do.
Two years ago the United Nations Security Council solemnly declared that the organization should be disarmed and that the elected Lebanese government should exercise authority over the entire country.
Those were appropriate goals. Unfortunately, the U.N. has yet to accomplish them.
