IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2013 196 Geographical Overview | Middle East and Turkey Panorama other “war of the others,” the of “war other to prevent from becoming the stage for an- dsore n eieae nqaiis ewe reli- between inequalities deliberate on (discourse the political and security issues that are being stoked mention to not unemployment, / employment vices, celona, IEMed.www.iemed.org/observatori-en/arees-danalisi/arxius-adjunts/anuari/med.2012/Karam_en.pdf for the government: the for entails increasingly this problems specific population), the Lebanese with the of 10% is, that 2013, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on 15 May by 469,970 thou- at (estimated refugees Syrian of the sands by also but multiplying, are abductions and skirmishes where ofcourse borders), shared of km its borders, (400 at all of first disrupted is It . in place taking wars the by shaken creasingly 2 1 war” used before the Civil War (1975-1990) civil “cold phrase the that degree a such To crisis. from Lebanon, the latter has been in troops a state of permanent Syrian of withdrawal the and istiqlâl) Since 2005, the Independence Uprising (intifâda al- Aix-en-Provence Centre nationaldelarecherche scientifique(CNRS), et Musulman(IREMAM) Institut deRecherches etd’EtudessurleMonde Arabe Senior Research Fellow Myriam Catusse on theLebaneseCrises When theSyrianCrisisShedsLight Geographical Overview|MiddleEastandT 6 5 4 3 Tueni, whopassedawayin2012,haslongprospered.Cf. “dissociation” vis-à-vis the Syrian regime, of doctrine so-called a of stage international the on assertion the Despite observers. by regularly used This phrase in reference to the mechanisms of the , by the renowned politician, diplomat and newspaper publisher Ghassan C V P I K nternational erdeil icard aram harara K., 2012, “The Fragile Balance in Lebanon: Domestic Tension and Foreign Pressure,”TensionForeign Domestic and Lebanon: in Balance Fragile “The 2012, K., E.,“Decriseencrise, l'horizonproblématiqueducouple Liban-Syrie,” Carnetsdel’Iremam,2013.http://iremam.hypotheses.org/2056 E.,“Électricitéetterritoire :unregardsurlacriselibanaise,” RevueTiersMonde,No.198,pp.83-99, 2009. W., 1976,Lapaixcivilefroide , ,Centred'étudesarabes[inArabic]. C risis G roup 4 housing, health and social ser- social and health housing, , “Too CloseforComfort:SyriansinLebanon,” MiddleEastReport,No.141,13May2013. 3 Lebanese society is in- is society Lebanese 2 expected T 1 ueni is now Gh.,Uneguerrepourlesautres,Paris,Lattès,1985. urkey coming more fragmented from within. be- their also is society with Lebanese Yet victims). regime, of share Syrian the against or for tions mobilisa- of intensification and communities gious ample ex- eloquent most the is rationing electricity drastic of case (the utilities and services public infra- structure, of terms in behind and protection social as insofar poor extremely GDP), capita per of terms in ile economic situation (despite relatively good scores country,frag- the highly by a expected in policies lic to adapting pub- essential the off putting indefinitely continues while date, but folding not is Agreement (1990), Taif the by updated which, and 1990 to 1975 from lasting war civil the prevent to failed limits the logic of a consociational democracy,the which to pushed has it words, other In violence. and force to recourse having or laws with dispensing by than other conflicts internal its regulating in regime the Lebanese by encountered difficulties profound the – se per generates it than more much – bates exacer- and reveals term, short the in horizon the on resolution no with conflict, bloody Syria’s forecast). recently was Syria of “Lebanisation” a as just non, “importation” Leba- an to cially conflict Syrian the of superfi- too evoke we (today another one to spread wars their that than rather battlefields certain share societies Syrian and Lebanese that said be can it political violence on the one hand, and governance and hand, one the on violence political of forms various to Recourse issue. to regime the 6 ). Lebanon is thus beset by tensions that put that tensions by beset thus is Lebanon ). IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook:Mediterranean Bar - IEMed Med.2011, 5 In this regard, observatori-en/arees-danalisi/arxius-adjunts/anuari/med.2011/Safa_en.pdf aii clan) Hariri Sunni the of Movement Future the by (dominated Alliance 14 March of those and ) Shiite by (dominated Alliance 8 March of forces military para- between 2008 May in Beirut in combat street to be disarmed upon conclusion of the civil war. The not party only the power, military Hezbollah’s of sue but it also reactivated in Lebanon the inextricable is- occupant, Zionist the against resistance its of tige pres- the party political Shiite the the lend world, of Arab scale the on and time a for indeed, did lah tinian refugee camp in the outskirts of Tripoliof outskirts the in camp refugee tinian of forces Salafist the and army Lebanese the between 2007 of summer the over confrontations violent The dent. evi- more Muslims Sunni and Shiite country’s the 8 7 bourhood, who have been clashing since the 1980s, neigh- Mohsen Jabal the of Alawi the and bourhood the Sunni inhabitants of the Bab al-Tebbaneh neigh- often older. In Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city, roots are Buttheir intensifying. been have conflict Syrian the by fostered clashes deadly 2011, Since 2006 2005- in perpetrated attempts assassination and assassinations political yet-unsolved of wave The Violence The UbiquityandHistoricityofPolitical on socialandeconomicissues. debate of upsurge the by demonstrated as patent, more basis daily a on with deal to have Lebanese the uncertainties and impasses serious the render and the management of everyday affairs on the other emergencies by justified as laws with dispensing by 11 10 9 mer of 2006 of mer varying of weapons to sum- the in war the syriana”: “pax the of End scope. recourse of forms other Fatah al-Islamentrenchedatthesecond mostpopulatedPalestinianrefugeecampinLebanon. Beirut, Daral-saqi [in ],2007. ing the growing power of Jihadi groups in Lebanon. tered the country’s support for its army while expos- Adozenattacksfrom2005to2007 targetedpoliticalleadersandjournalists. M S B. of members against soldiers, own its for even deadly offensive, major a out carried army Lebanese the 2007, September 2 to May 20 From afa ermier R O., “Lebanon’s Stubborn Resistance to Change,”to Resistance Stubborn “Lebanon’s O., ougier 7 has been followed over the past few years by F., at the Nahr al-Bared Pales- al-Bared Nahr the at al-Islam Fatah P , Le jihad au quotidien, Paris, Presses universitaires de France, 2004; F. icard 9 edrd h pltcl iie between divide political the rendered 8 between the Israeli army and Hezbol- and army Israeli the between E.(dir.):Liban :uneguerrede33jours , Paris,Ladécouverte,2007. , Barcelona, IEMed, 2011. Yearbook:IEMed, Mediterranean Barcelona, IEMed Med.2011, 10 mus- 11 iitr i claoain ih h Seil Tribunal Special the with collaboration in Prime Minister, former the of assassination the into inquiry rity Forces, General al-Hassan was leading an active Secu- Domestic the of services intelligence of chief also but Hariri) R. for protocol and security of head A Tripolitan close to the Hariri Sunni clan (and former 2005. in Hariri Rafiq of assassination the after sified relations and settling of political accounts that inten- power the of episode additional an as interpreted be also can 2012 October in Beirut in al-Hassan Wissam General of assassination bombing car The respectively regime, Syrian ArmyandtheAssad fighting inthenameofFree arenow clashing sincethe1980s, neighbourhood, whohavebeen the AlawiofJabalMohsen and al-TebbanehBab neighbourhood In Tripoli ofthe theSunniinhabitants mining thedoctrineof“dissociation.” armed support for the Syrian regime, thereby under- in- an and is Iran of ally Shiite the as emerging creasingly Hezbollah Arabia), Saudi and Qatar tween be- rivalry regional of backdrop the (against groups ment, led by , is overwhelmed by Salafist more and more openly. army While the main Sunni Syrian party, the Future Move- the for support ty’s tion, the leaders of Hezbollah are displaying the par- opposi- Syrian aid to jihad a for calling are (North) al-Rafii Salem and (Sidon) al-Assir Ahmad Sheikhs Salafist the of partisans the whereas country: the sation and militarisation observed in other regions of precedented scope and reveal a process of radicali- rivalry,long-term a of part clashes, un- on taking are bloody These respectively. regime, Assad the and are now fighting in the name of the Free Syrian Army I tani , Les jihadistes au Liban: de Quwat fajir à Fath al-islam, www.iemed.org/

IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2013 197 Geographical Overview | Middle East and Turkey Panorama IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2013 198 Geographical Overview | Middle East and Turkey Panorama boell.org/downloads/Electoral_Reforms_by_Robin_Moger.pdf with the registration of the first civil marriage in Leb- in marriage civil first the of registration the with 2013 in breakthrough a been has there case, any In collapsing. are region the in others while system attest to the strength of the country’s extant political to if as circle, certain a beyond people mobilise to managing without divided became and steam of out ran itself rumuzihi) wa al-ta’ifî al-nizam (isqat bols” the sym- for its and regime uprisings confessional the of “overthrow Arab of wave the during 2011 in began that movement the Certainly, solve. longer regime, Lebanese the which is bending but not breaking, cannot or can no that problems the tuates accen- crisis Syrian The politics. governmental and parliamentary of made be can diagnosis same The Enduring PoliticalCrises warrant ofarrestinFebruary2013). a issued Lebanon which (for services intelligence Syrian of chief Mamlouk, A. General of the complicity with Damascus, for plots assassination tered men of the Syrian regime in Lebanon, for having fos- strong- the of one considered Metn, North for MP August 2012 of Michel Samaha, former minister and in arrest fantastic the to contributed all above had al-Hassan Wissam 2011-2012, in Lebanon in work net- Mossad a this of dismantling the of in Involved move. discussion of absence the on Lebanon in debate revived causing without not renewed, tacitly was 2012, February in expired officially which date, man- Its regime. Syrian the to close and pathisers” 2011, of convicted four individuals summer who were “Hezbollah the in public made indictment, as well as Lebanon’s contribution to its work: its first tions (case of the false witnesses, media leaks, etc.), legitimacy and international legality and its investiga- Lebanese partisan arena, regarding both its national in the divide operating to ceased not has began STL the 2009, March and 2007 June in instituted Rafiq Minister Hariri and 22 other people. Since even before Prime it was former of assassination the with associated Resolution acts criminal the UN trying with by 1757 entrusted (STL), Lebanon for 14 13 12 Director-General of HomelandSecurityForces(hehad reachedretirementage). In this case, the veto consisted of Hezbollah and its allies not wanting General , with affinities to the Hariri clan, to be reinstated as reinstated be to clan, Hariri the to affinities with Rifi, Ashraf General wanting not allies its and Hezbollah of consisted veto the case, this In K K aram aram K.“TheFragileBalanceinLebanon...,” IEMed,2012,op.cit. K., “Missing Questions in the Debate over Electoral Reform,”Electoral over Debate the in Questions “Missing K., sym- , No. 6, Oct. 2012, translated from the Arabic at: Arabic the from translated 2012, Oct. 6, No. Agenda, Legal ay gemn o te lcoa law. electoral the on agreement nary prelimi- a of lack for suspended still date, appointed the before weeks three are, timetable institutional the to according 2013 June in held be to elections parliamentary the And 2013. April in resigning up ended 2011, June in Minister Prime appointed kati, government led by Tripolitan businessman, Najib Mi- The context. current the in exacerbated be but not define a common defence policy – a factor that can- to inability the as well as power, military Hezbollah and STL the regarding positions diverging to due discuss Hezbollah and its weapons, was suspended to designed primarily and Republic the of President the to entrusted 2008), (May Doha in reactivated process Dialogue National The budgets. ernment gov- any on voted not has Parliament Lebanese the 2005, since that however, remains, fact The anon. sign. Sunni leaders that eventually chose to re- and Movement “veto”Future a the to from due was it right to veto for religious community leaders. the reintroduced he term, his during since istrations, not really differ from preceding “national unity” admin- did operating of form its Alliance, 8 March the by ed dominat- “majority”government a was administration Najib though even Thus, decisions. political flicts, in terms of both designating leaders and making con- internal its regulating institutionally of way a find in 2005, the Lebanese political system is stumbling to In other words, since the departure of Syria as arbiter tionally ineligible,tobeelectedinMay2008. former commander in chief of the Sleiman, armed forces and constitu- Michel President, new the for ing, warn- major a represented which 2008, May of tions confronta- the and months six took It communities. religious of interests contradictory the defending to negotiated, balances that rapidly break when it comes bitterly been have cabinet each in representation of by balances complex which during vacuums power long interrupted governed, have administrations five 2005, February in assassination Hariri’s Rafiq Since Michel Sleiman’s termcomingtoanend. with indefinitely, off put also is Parliament the organisation of new presidential elections by the 14 This was accentuated with the debates on the 12 ih them, With 13 Mikati’s Mikati’s In fact, www.lb. 2009, Beirut,Pressesde l’Ifpo,2011. The consequences of Lebanese public policy’s ten- policy’s public Lebanese of consequences The by other emergency arrangements of any magnitude. supplemented been date to not has – (HCR) gees Refu- for Commissioner High UN the by countries other in co-ordinated refugees, these of neediest the at aimed work humanitarian difficult more ders ren- term short the in which – policy This together. refugees the grouping avoiding is government nese Leba- the camps, refugee Palestinian the of ence experi- the repeat to not order In country. the into refugees Syrian of influx unprecedented the garding re- policy concerted a of absence the by illustrated significantly yet punctually is This level. international the on including tanks, think active mention to not various Councils of Ministers and Parliament, the by work innovative despite suspended, remain ment Agree- Taif the since announced etc.) retirement, nationality, of transmission system, electoral tice, jus- (decentralisation, projects reform different The affairs. everyday with dealing to limited often tive, tenta- are endeavours policy public context, this In political decisions designating leadersandmaking internal conflicts,intermsofboth way ofinstitutionallyregulatingits political systemisstumblingtofinda arbiter in2005,theLebanese Since thedepartureofSyriaas Muslim constituencythatvotesinChristianMPs). a is it that fact the deplore groups Christian (certain community religious their of representatives for vote would individual each which in Lebanon, in district electoral single a instituting proposed who orthodox leaders, Greek by initiative the with case the was reflecting a radicalisation of community positions: this 2012, throughout stagnated that law electoral new 15

C atusse M., K aram K., L aml oum O., Métamorphose des figures du leadership au Liban. Champs et contrechamps des élections législatives de 15 ganisation ofthespherelabour. rity felt by Lebanese as citizens), well as a timid reor- insecurity (in parallel to the political and civil insecu- social of sense a of generalisation the all of first ing reveal problems other than partisan balance, indicat- they organisations, labour by relayed easily not and contained are movements these Although sector. banking the in strikes after chain) supermarket neys Spin- (the channels distribution private of workers among movement significant a been also has there Électricité du Liban, and finally and most surprisingly, company,electricity public the of and employees among education) private and public both from staff teaching of coordination sector unprecedented an education (with the in salaries regarding years few past the in protests labour exceptional of arena the been has country the Moreover, economy. nese Leba- the by generated inequalities and comings notion of “social wage,” bringing out the major short- the on reflection towards interests community gious eternal issues of weapons and the protection of reli- the from away debate public moved momentarily it 2012), February in resigned (he failed implement to reform that Minister of Labour wished the though all, of First move. to beginning are things but country, the mobilising decisively from far are regardless of their confession or political sympathies Lebanese all by shared issues economic and social ele- ments in 2012 emerged in the innovative sphere of labour. The most the however, context, this In for oragainsttheSyrianregime. Lebanon in mobilisations of multiplication the of that Syrian refugees,whoareprimarilySunni;andfinally, the various proselytising activities carried out among of that tourism); in decline the and countries Arab to routes former the via importing and exporting of of the constant rise in real estate prices, the difficulty issue the particular, (in difficulties social and nomic eco- growing country’s the of that levels: of number a on considered be can – response to impediments tative responsiveness – or the structural and political

IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2013 199 Geographical Overview | Middle East and Turkey Panorama