Quote:
|
2. Why is Hezbollah allowed to set up shop in Southern Lebanon? If the Lebanese goverment don't want them there, then aiding Israel in rooting them out would be the proper course of action; if they want them to stay, then they have sided with the enemy of Israel. There is no middle ground, no area of grey on this point. Destruction of the Lebanese infastructure is a means to the end of the elimination of Hezbollah.
|
Because Lebanon, who fought a very long and very bloody civil war, has never made ammends for the causes of the war.
They have a Constitutionally Split government, 60% Marionite Christian 40% Muslim according to the 1919 Census. The figures today, with the Palistinian fleeing and the effects of Black September put the population closer to 68% Muslim, 2% Druze, 30% Marionite Christian.
These are simply estimates, as the Marionite Christians refuse to allow more Census' because they would lose seats. It's a "form" of democracy, where the quotas are set by your religion. It worked well early on, but the rigidity left it open for Civil War.
The "government" wants Hezbolla out. By that I mean the 60% Marionite Christian government. However if they support Israel, which even the Christians hate, Civil War would undoubtably resurface.
It's hard for people to understand, I studied it for 3 semesters and I find it hard to explain, but absolutely nothing was changed at the end of the Civil war. There were no winners, no reforms followed, it just ended.
That left many, many, armed and highly trained militias after the war. Hezbolla was the only one who maintained and upgraded their training and arms afterwards. But because their aim, officially, was aimed at someone else the government was too tired and weak to do anything. Now, well, we'll have to see.