Trust Us

One man’s vagueness is another man’s finesse.


Our army is finally deploying in the south after half a century of absence. Many Lebanese are cheering the significant event, but to others this is simply another extension of an amorphous blob of vagueness.

The skeptics don’t know how the Lebanese army will deal with Hezbollah’s weapons. Even Lebanese Ministers like Pierre Jmayyel and Joe Sarkis (representatives of Christian parties) thought the process was too “vague.”

The Lebanese government's position is that the Army will deploy in the south and that it will be the sole barer of weapons. The Government nevertheless assures us that no confrontation will happen between the army and their “brothers and families in the resistance.”

To a lot of people there’s a big “You’ll have to trust us” vibe coming out of the Government. People and international bodies don’t like that. They want clarity, guarantees, checks and balances. Why would they otherwise trust the south with their soldiers? Why would the Lebanese invest again in the south if there’s no assurance that the skirmishes won’t happen again? A lot of people are threatened by Hezbollah’s “hidden weapons” position.

For those familiar with the Lebanese intractable politics however, the picture is much clearer. This is the best possible outcome for anyone wishing for the Lebanese government to spread its authority southwards. The Lebanese political landscape is so filled with nuances and landmines that the government is run like a family business: Any important decision has to be taken with absolute unanimity, or else we’re in trouble.

But that doesn’t mean that underneath the broad smiles and vows of brotherhood, there isn’t a huge power struggle. The Machiavellian dynamic can be summarized as follows: Hezbollah is trying to catch its breath by pretending to collaborate with the government, while cementing its popular base with construction efforts. The Lebanese government on the other hand is trying to create facts on the grounds by establishing the army in the south. Once it secures its presence, it will work on slowly building up its clout.

The Lebanese Army is not as benign as it is always portrayed to be. When the Israelis started their campaign on July 13, a zealous Tripoli Islamist positioned antiquated artillery on the roof of a building in Tripoli and declared he wants to “resist”. It only took 2 hours for the army to confiscate his “equipment” and punish him severely.

Perhaps this is the ultimate goal of deploying the army down south.

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