Help Lebanon, help Mideast democracy
Despite the political deadlock, uncertainty, and violence that have plagued Lebanon since 2005, the governing March 14 coalition managed to preserve its parliamentary majority in the June 7 elections. Though the coalition”s slim majority will not facilitate wholesale change, the elections nonetheless breathed new life into the Cedar Revolution. Washington”s efforts to stabilize the Middle East and improve its relations with the region also stand to benefit from the March 14 victory.
Irrespective of the ambiguities of politics in the Levant, the United States should move to bolster the "precarious republic" that is Lebanon by increasing economic, development and security assistance. This will allow the Lebanese state to more swiftly consolidate the fragile gains it has made since the withdrawal of Syrian troops four years ago.
Lebanon faces several challenges that have broader regional implications. For example, the danger of a Sunni-Shiite confrontation lingers. Hizbullah will continue to receive funds and weaponry from Iran (with Syria”s logistical support). This will keep the Arab states and Lebanon”s Sunni community in a perpetual state of anxiety, and it will continue to complicate regional efforts to make peace.
In the long term, strengthening the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) can eventually help pave the way for incorporating Lebanese Shiites into the political system. One of the most significant divisions in Lebanese society is over whether the army can, or should, be the sole guarantor of security with respect to Israel. Increasing the operational capacity of the army and the ISF will go a long way toward ameliorating that fissure in Lebanon”s political system.
As of yet, Lebanese Shiites remain supportive of – and often dependent on – Hizbullah for security. The party has repeatedly stated that it will not surrender its arms until the Lebanese military is capable of defending the nation from external threats. Should the army demonstrate that it is capable of providing security, part of Hizbullah”s narrative would be undermined. Additionally, strengthening Lebanese state institutions would help improve security along the Israel-Lebanon border and provide a stronger negotiating partner in Arab-Israeli peace talks.
Another reason to increase American assistance to Lebanon – particularly security assistance – is to address the Sunni Islamist threat in the country. Extremist activities have produced two bloody conflicts over the past decade, the most recent being in 2007, when the army fought Fatah al-Islam. US security assistance can help the security forces prevent militant organizations from reconstituting or otherwise expanding their activities in the North, as it can help them in other areas of the country where militant Islamists are present, including the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp and a host of smaller camps throughout the Bekaa Valley.
In the past, Syria has sown discord in Lebanon to maintain its sway over the affairs of its smaller neighbor. Instability in Lebanon has provided Syria with leverage over issues such as peace with Israel and domestic reform. While eliminating the extremist threat is a legitimate goal requiring regional and international cooperation, efforts to confront extremism would assist in affirming Lebanon”s sovereignty.
Ensuring that the Lebanese military is able to effectively deal with extremists operating within its borders will deprive Syria of one justification for interfering in internal Lebanese affairs. This, in turn, will remove an important card that Damascus has long held at the negotiating table with the United States and Israel. Moreover, security assistance would help Lebanon”s armed forces in their efforts to control the country”s borders with Syria and effectively police its ports, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
Greater American assistance to Lebanon would demonstrate Washington”s commitment to the Lebanese people and support for Lebanon”s sovereignty and resilient democracy. Yet, US assistance to Lebanon has averaged about $300 million per year since 2006. While this is no small sum, this level of assistance is not commensurate with Lebanon”s regional role or influence. Congress should increase, or at the least sustain, aid to Lebanon and enable the State Department and Pentagon to improve cooperation with their Lebanese counterparts.
As evidenced by the tenuous post-election situation in Iran and by the March 14 coalition”s renewed mandate in Lebanon, the winds of democracy are blowing across the region. The United States must strengthen democratic governance wherever it is likely to succeed. Lebanon is such a place: the elections proved to be a stable democratic exercise; they also ushered again into power a pro-American coalition.
Building on this result and enhancing economic and security assistance to Lebanon will reaffirm America”s commitment to the Lebanese people and to democratic principles throughout the Middle East.