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How Lebanon Can Avoid Another Civil War

Amal Mudallali writes that the Arab Spring has changed the landscape in Lebanon and brought back a sense of empowerment to the Sunni community, especially its Islamist component. However, Lebanon has thrived only when compromise and accommodation guided decisions, and not when its communities tried to militarily overcome each other.
Tyres set ablaze by residents to protest against the kidnap of a hardline Sunni Lebanese supporter of the Syrian revolt against President Bashar al-Assad by Lebanese Alawites, block the main entrance of the northern Lebanese village of Wadi Khaled June 11, 2012, At least seven Lebanese and Syrian citizens have been kidnapped in northern Lebanon near the border with Syria, the first such reported abductions fuelled by tensions over the uprising in Syria that have spilled into its small neighbour.  REUTERS/Ro

Recent deadly violence between Alawis and Sunnis in Tripoli, Lebanon, is raising fears of full-scale Sunni-Shiite war in the country. But Lebanon is not at the cusp of civil war, because if there is a consensus on anything among its quarreling parties, it is their rejection of a new war.

Weapons, money and will are needed to start a war. The only party in Lebanon with sufficient weapons and money is Hezbollah, but a civil war is not in its interest.

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