Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Hezbollah

Lebanon: Challenges for New Government

February 25th, 2011 by Naureen

Majdoline Hatoum, writing at the Arab Reform Bulletin, discusses the difficult road ahead for Lebanese PM-designate Najib Mikati as he attempts to form a new cabinet strong enough to endure the political turmoil expected to following the release of the UN’s Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)’s report. Former PM Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition has labeled Mikati as a tool of Hezbollah, placing Mikati in a difficult position as he attempts to form a national unity government. The coalition has refused to join the cabinet unless Mikati commits to respecting the STL’s findings, which he has thus far refused. General Michel Aoun, Hezbollah’s main Christian ally, is also insisting on choosing a new interior minister, which until now has been the prerogative of President Michel Sleiman.  Hatoum notes that if Aoun’s request is met, it could mean a new era for the ministry which has been independent under Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, who is regarded as a champion for civil society and democracy.  Hezbollah, which has supported Mikati, has been adamant that it wants the memorandum of understanding signed with the STL revoked. However, Mikati’s views on the tribunal and commitments he has made to Hezbollah remain unclear. Many Lebanese fear that failure to cooperate with the tribunal may lead to economic sanctions, which is especially concerning given the country’s $53 billion debt.  Mikati will need to address the country’s economic concerns with a series of reforms; however, as Hatoum states, “passing such reforms requires political stability…which is likely to remain elsuive in light of the deep political polarization in the country.”


Posted in Civil Society, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Reform, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »

Lebanon: Hariri To Join Opposition, Commemorates Father’s Assassination

February 14th, 2011 by Alec

In a speech on Monday commemorating the 6th anniversary of his father’s (former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri) assassination, outgoing PM Saad Hariri announced that his party would be joining the opposition.  He also directly challenged Hezbollah, accusing the group of having used the threat of violence to assume power: “Those who are in the leadership position now used their weapons to get there. So good for them. Congratulations on the stolen position.”  Hariri spoke to a crowd of about 6,000 people.

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, released a statement calling Rafik Hariri a symbol for Lebanon“He transcended sect and stood with the people of Lebanon, giving hope to his country after 15 years of ruinous civil war.”  The statement also called on the new Lebanese government to honor its obligations to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and promote justice for the Lebanese people: “Those who would try to block Lebanon’s cooperation should desist and show a measure of human decency. Ultimately, without justice, there can be no peace and stability for Lebanon.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Islamist movements, Lebanon, Political Parties, US foreign policy | Comment »

Lebanon: Hariri’s Debates Next Move as Mikati Moves to Form Government

January 27th, 2011 by Alec

Lebanese Prime Minister-elect Najib Mikati, backed by Hezbollah, is holding talks to form a new government.  Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he will not join the new government while Mikati pledged to seek good relations with the United States and “consensus” on how to handle the U.N.-backed special tribunal.  Michael Young of Lebanon’s The Daily Star posits Hariri’s options as the talks get underway.  The first option, he points out, is to make good on his current rhetoric and not join the Mikati government.  This would deny it “Sunni legitimacy” and would force Mikati to form a cabinet of “one color” that would reject the tribunal.  This would cause damage to Mikati’s legitimacy and strengthen Hariri and his March 14 coalition.  However, Hariri’s participation in the government may actually open up more opportunities for him and his coalition.  Young argues that Hariri, as the dominant Sunni in the government, still has the ability to impose certain conditions in negotiations thereby limiting Hezbollah’s power.


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon | Comment »

Lebanon: Will Hezbollah-Backed Government Be Iran Proxy?

January 26th, 2011 by Alec

Jennifer Rubin writes that a Hezbollah-controlled government is essentially an Iranian “conquest” of Lebanon and represents a “horrible setback” for U.S. attempts to counter growing Iranian influence in the region.  She quotes Tony Badran of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies who says that the current situation shows that the “main driver is Iran” along with Elliott Abrams who said that the U.S. may still be able to effectively back anti-Hezbollah opposition in Lebanon.  Zvi Bar’el argues the opposite, that Lebanon is not more Iranian or “Hezbollian” than it was before the crisis.  He points out the new Prime Minister Najib Mikati is not a a representative of Hezbollah, had served in the government of slain former PM Rafik Hariri, and has received foreign backing as well: “If Mikati has the support of Saudi Arabia, Syria and France, the United States will have a hard time opposing him.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Iran, Lebanon | Comment »

Lebanon: Hezbollah Nominates Candidate for PM, Calls for Protests From Hariri Supporters

January 24th, 2011 by Alec

The militant group Hezbollah has won backing from a majority of Lebanese MPs after Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and six other members of his Progressive Socialist Party switched their allegiance from Saad Hariri and the March 14th movement.  The group nominated Najib Mikati, a former billionaire businessman and Prime Minister, with support from 65 of the 128 members of the Lebanese Parliament.  A Hezbollah-dominated government may signal a realignment of Lebanon away from the United States and would likely denounce forthcoming indictments from the STL.  Hariri supporters have accused Hezbollah of launching a coup and have called for “day of anger” protests on Tuesday.  State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley stated that a Hezbollah-controlled government would complicate ties between the two countries and it would be difficult for the U.S. to continue to assist Lebanon.


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Parties | Comment »

Lebanon: Renewed Attempts to Mitigate Tension Amidst Crisis

January 19th, 2011 by Kyle

Following the release of sealed indictments by the United Nations Tribunal and the collapse of the Lebanese Government, Saudi King Abdullah has declared an end to the Saudi-Syrian initiative due to lack of progress. However, the Turkish and Qatari Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, respectively, are attempting to mitigate tension by meeting with Hezbollah and other high-ranking officials in the Lebanese Government. Fears of potential Hezbollah actions in response to the indictments and renewed sectarian violence remain rife. The group conducted a show of force that began early Tuesday in which Hezbollah members silenty patrolled the streets of Beirut in black uniforms, causing fear and panic among city residents. The US State Department responded to recent events stating: “We do have ongoing concerns that various elements within Lebanon – both inside Lebanon and outside Lebanon – will continue to try to politicize this process.”


Posted in Civil Society, Diplomacy, Hezbollah, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Lebanon, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Nations | Comment »

Democracy Not Necessarily America’s Ally in the Middle East

January 18th, 2011 by Naureen

Writing at The American Conservative blog, Patrick Buchanan argues that “in the Middle East, democracy is not necessarily America’s ally.” Buchanan criticizes the Bush Administration for its zealous calls for democracy in the region and points to the gains of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and most recently Muqtada al-Sadr’s party in Iraq as evidence that “when elections are held or monarchs and autocrats overthrown, the masses will turn to leaders who will pull away from America and stand in solidarity with the Palestinians.” He goes on to say that the kings of Morocco, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak have been “more reliable friends than any regime that might come out of one-man, one-vote elections.”


Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia | Comment »

Lebanon: U.S. Leaders React to Government Collapse

January 13th, 2011 by Alec

In a readout from Laura Rozen of President Barack Obama’s meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the White House remarked that Hezbollah’s efforts to collapse the government in Lebanon demonstrated, “their own fear and determination to block the government’s ability to conduct its business and advance the aspirations of all of the Lebanese people.”  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the collapse was a deliberate effort by Hezbollah and its allies to disrupt the U.N. tribunal and “subvert justice” in Lebanon.  State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley called for a new government to form peacefully in accordance with the Lebanese constitution.  He reiterated that the U.S. does not want “outside parties” to take advantage of Lebanon’s internal crisis.  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, blamed the “Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis” for the crisis and reiterated the U.S. must support pro-democracy forces in the country and, “stand up to those who threaten Lebanon and all free nations.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon | Comment »

Lebanon: Government Collapses With Hezbollah Walkout

January 12th, 2011 by Alec

As Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with President Barack Obama today in Washington, Hezbollah resigned from the government in protest of the U.N. tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.  Hariri, however, pledged to continue efforts to resolve the political crisis despite the apparent collapse of the recent Saudi-Syrian initiative to break the political deadlock.  Elias Muhanna, writing at Qifa Nabki, suggested that the walkout might have been planned well in advance and stated: “all they’ve done is ensure that when the indictments do become public, there will almost certainly be no Lebanese government in place to formally denounce them.”  Elliott Abrams claimed that the resignation is another way for Hezbollah to hold the nation hostage with support from Syria and Iran.


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Parties | Comment »

Lebanon: Khamenei Dismisses STL, “Justice is More Important” Than Stability

December 21st, 2010 by Jason

Speaking during a meeting with the Qatari emir yesterday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) “‘a rubber-stamp one whose verdict is null and void whatever it is.’” The Daily Star reports that the statement from the leader of Iran was not well received by many in Lebanon. “Labor Minister Butros Harb criticized Khamenei’s remarks, saying that it was up to the Lebanese to decide, ‘and not for others to dictate to them how to deal with the tribunal.’” Also in The Daily Star, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir worries about a possible take over by Hizbullah: “The way Hizbullah is acting and their talk about becoming a significant force leads us to believe that if the party continues to pursue its plan it could seize power.” The patriarch also contradicted the recent assertion by Roger Cohen that stability “trumps” justice, saying “‘Justice is justice and if we sacrifice it once, we could sacrifice it many times. Stability is important but justice is more important and guarantees stability.’”


Posted in Hezbollah, Iran, Lebanon, Political Parties, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Stability “Trumps” Justice

December 13th, 2010 by Jason

Roger Cohen, writing in The New York Times, describes Lebanon as a “gravity-defying…country with two armies, a ‘unity’ government too divided to meet, a wild real estate boom and a time bomb called the ‘international tribunal.’” Attitudes in Lebanon about the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) have changed significantly since its inception. This change is embodied by Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze community: “A recent meeting between Jumblatt and Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, did not go smoothly. ‘He told me I’m a national leader and should back the tribunal,’ Jumblatt said. ‘I said, no, I prefer to be a tribal leader, I’m downgrading! And I asked what the use of tribunal justice is if it leads to slaughter? It’s better to drop justice for stability.’” Jumblatt’s notion of stability over justice is echoed by Cohen. “Lebanese stability is precious and tenuous: It trumps justice delayed, flawed and foreign.”



Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »

Lebanon: Names of Indicted to be Withheld for “Several Months”

December 9th, 2010 by Jason

The Daily Star is reporting that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will not announce indictments for “several months.” The article also reveals that “acting registrar Herman von Hebel said the budget had allocated funds to hold trial proceedings ‘toward the end of next year.’” Meanwhile, at a press conference Wednesday, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad described the STL as “rushed by the illegitimate cabinet of Fouad Siniora without being constitutionally ratified and placed within constitutional norms. The agreement was not signed by the president and it was not endorsed by Parliament as well.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Judiciary, Lebanon | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics, and the U.N. Special Tribunal”

December 8th, 2010 by Jason

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a panel discussion Wednesday titled “Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics, and the U.N. Special Tribunal.” The speakers were Aram Nerguizian, a scholar with the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Randa Slim, an independent consultant and a board member of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue and the Project on Middle East Democracy, Andrew J. Tabler, a Next Generation Fellow in the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, and Mona Yacoubian, head of the Lebanon Working Group at USIP and special adviser to USIP’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention.

 (To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.)

Read the rest of this entry »


Posted in Civil Society, DC Event Notes, Hezbollah, Israel, Judiciary, Lebanon, Military, Political Parties, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »

Lebanon: STL Indictments are “Precursor to Strife”

November 26th, 2010 by Jason

According to a report in the Daily Star, MP Hussein Moussawi, from Hibzullah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, said that “the impending indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was a precursor to strife in the country.” Another MP, Walid Jumblatt (an influential leader in Lebanon’s Druze community), said the Tribunal “‘is aimed at destabilizing Lebanon rather than rendering justice,’” and that “‘[i]t is clear that this probe is being used for political purposes […] It is clear that the investigators are leaking information and are working for countries that have accounts to settle.’” Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri voiced support for the STL saying “‘We have to put dialogue ahead of tension. No strife will happen and no one will drag us into strife.’”


Posted in Civil Society, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Tensions Over the STL Continue to Build

November 9th, 2010 by Jason

Sami Moubayed writes at the Asia Times Online that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has pushed Lebanon to the “verge of a major explosion.” According to Moubayed, Hezbollah has been attempting to block the tribunal by removing the “state financing of the United Nations-backed court in parliament, claiming it had become politicized.” Saudi Arabia, an ally of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, has also been working to stall the STL using “its heavyweight influence in the world community to secure a postponement of the indictments until next March.” The legality of the STL has been questioned as well, an issue that recently reemerged when Italian judge Antonio Cassese, President of the STL, said that “in his capacity as a law professor and not as president of the tribunal, he acknowledges that the agreement to establish the STL was not concluded in compliance with the Lebanese Constitution,” but that the Lebanese government’s staffing of the tribunal means that it is nevertheless “bound by the agreement.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia | Comment »

POMED Notes: “19th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference”

October 22nd, 2010 by Jason

The National Council on US-Arab Relations held its 19th annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference on Thursday. Opening remarks were made by Dr. John Duke Anthony, President and CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations and Rear Admiral Harold J. Bernsen, chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Council on US-Arab Relations. The first talk on the agenda was entitled “Arab-US Relations: Misadventures Past and Present,” and was given by The Honorable Chas W. Freeman Jr., former Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of Defense.

 (To read full notes, continue below the fold or go here for pdf.)

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Posted in DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Military, Neocons, Political Parties, Sectarianism, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED Notes: “The Ayatollahs’ Democracy: An Iranian Challenge”

October 14th, 2010 by Jason

The New America Foundation (NAF) held an event today marking the release of Hooman Majd’s new book, “The Ayatollahs’ Democracy: An Iranian Challenge.” Majd was introduced by Steve Clemons, Senior Fellow and Director of the American Strategy Program at NAF.

 (To read full notes, continue below the fold or go here for pdf)

Read the rest of this entry »


Posted in DC Event Notes, Elections, Freedom, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Political Islam, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »

Lebanon: Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

October 7th, 2010 by Jason

The anticipated UN Special Tribunal on Lebanon indictments are stoking tensions in the Levant. Mona Yacoubian writes at the Middle East Channel that the situation “embodies all the complex challenges that confront Lebanon: Sunni-Shiite sectarian tensions, Hezbollah’s weapons, confessional power-sharing, the influence of regional players particularly Syria […] and broader proxy battles between the West and the Hezbollah/Syria/Iran alliance.” Yacoubian argues that, of all the concerns, the reaction of Hezbollah to the possible indictment of several of its members is the most worrying because it has the most to lose: “…Hezbollah’s culpability in the Hariri assassination will deal a fatal blow to Hezbollah’s professed raison d’etre of ‘resistance’ against Israel, instead reducing the organization to nothing more than a sectarian militia among many in Lebanese confessional politics.”

A main point of contention in Lebanon presently is the issue of “false witnesses”–those who initially testified that Syria was responsible for the assassination. “(M)inisters loyal to Berri’s Development and Liberation bloc announced on Wednesday they would suspend their participation in future Cabinet sessions if a session scheduled for Tuesday did not tackle the issue of false witnesses,” Nafez Qawas reports in the Daily Star. Several members of the Cabinet, including Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Shami, refused to participate in sessions until the subject was addressed and warned that not addressing the issue would lead to “civil strife.”


Posted in Civil Society, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Hezbollah Still Ahead in Governance

September 15th, 2010 by Anna

Marlin Dick, a freelance journalist based in Lebanon, profiled the evolving nature of Hezbollah in a piece for The Middle East Report Online on Monday. He asserts that, among other successes, the group’s partial reconstruction of some of Beirut’s southern suburbs after the July 2006 War demonstrates that “the party remains ahead in the governance game compared to the woeful Lebanese state,” which remains fragmented and weak. Dick suggests that the party’s domestic reputation has only been improving in recent years, especially in areas where law and order are kept by the party, not the state. Dick describes Hezbollah’s social service provision to its Shiite base as “large-scale and usually efficient,” and adds that its reconstruction projects have been run with considerable professionalism. In contrast, Dick writes, the government has been widely accused of fund mismanagement, corruption, and overall incompetence. Although the party’s performance “has not been spotless in the eyes of its base,” its leaders have cultivated a “domestic political aura of seriousness and anti-corruption” and have engaged in domestic political debates about how to conduct elections, reform, and privatization among other issues.

Dick concludes: “For now, the party is benefiting from its expanded civil, political and state responsibilities [and] has managed to run its ministries without becoming tarred with accusations of corruption and squandering of resources.” He dismisses accusations that the party’s Islamist inclinations threaten the “Lebanese state and political order.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Political Islam, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Sectarianism | Comment »

Lebanon: Unclear U.S. Policy Toward Beirut

August 19th, 2010 by Farid

Writing in The National, Michael Young says that while the Lebanese government “reacted with bravado” after several members of the U.S. House of Representatives decided to cut off military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Hezbollah is continuously gaining influence in the country. Nevertheless, Young writes that the State Department has “declared that the US would not re-evaluate plans to supply the Lebanese army.” The administration is taking a risk by failing to acknowledge the wishes of Representative Howard Berman and the Foreign Affairs Committee, Young explains, since future allocations must be approved by the committee before being executed. The extant fear in the U.S. is that if the U.S. cuts military assistance to the LAF, Lebanon might seek assistance from elsewhere — primarily Iran and Syria. However, Young dismisses this concern as a misconception, stating, “The army is equipped mainly with American hardware and is therefore reliant on American ammunition and spare parts.” While some analysts argue that isolating Lebanon would only benefit Hezbollah, Young says that Prime Minister Saad Hariri “is partly responsible for this state of affairs,” adding that he has “paid lip service to the resistance” because of his “patrons in Saudi Arabia” and a lack of “clear American policy toward Lebanon.”


Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »