New Lebanese government must deal with terror

On Feb. 19, shortly after the new Lebanese government was formed, a horrible explosion shook the southern suburbs of Beirut, killing seven people and leaving more than 100 wounded. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. Only a few days after the explosion, on Feb. 22, the Lebanese army was also targeted by an explosion in the town of Hermel in the Bekaa Valley, killing two soldiers and a civilian.

Terrorism has become a daily occurrence for the Lebanese, and the main questions today are: How can this death trap be stopped? And will the long-awaited government and the return of Sunni moderation to power and to the head of the sovereign security ministries be enough to stop the jihadist terrorism that is seeping into this small country?

There is no doubt that Hezbollah has made essential concessions for the sake of the formation of the government. The party aimed to keep up with the Iranian openness policy, but was first and foremost driven by security reasons. Hezbollah likely feels that ruling alone would isolate it, especially since it has decided to stick with its military support of the Syrian regime. Hezbollah also realized that a one-sided government would be a burden. It would likely further agitate people — especially the Sunni crowds — and deprive the party of all political and security cover. For these reasons, Hezbollah settled for a partnership with the moderate Sunnis, represented by the Future Movement, after it had excluded the movement from power in 2011. Openness to former enemies might contribute to extinguishing the sectarian fire, which has turned into terrorism that is ripping through the party’s regions. In fact, Hezbollah pushing the Future Movement to the forefront is nothing but an attempt to hold it equally accountable. 

Hezbollah led a forceful campaign against Saudi Arabia and accused it of sponsoring terrorism and being responsible for the Iranian Embassy bombing in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Nov. 19. This bombing left 23 dead and more than 150 injured, and the Abdullah Azzam Brigades released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. Yet, despite this animosity between Hezbollah and Riyadh, the former is cooperating with Saudi Arabia’s first ally in Lebanon, the Future Movement. The party agreed that the Future Movement would occupy the main security position.