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Lebanon - A Reassessment

[Jerusalem Post] Asher Susser - A cursory perusal of the Arab press reveals that Hizballah's status in Lebanon has changed for the worse, as many Lebanese come to the realization that the south of their country had been transformed into an Iranian and Syrian launching pad against Israel posing an existential threat to their own country. Hizballah is now on the defensive, trying to protect its political assets against a more assertive Lebanese domestic majority that seems more determined than ever to contain Hizballah's "state within a state" so that they are not drawn again into a destructive war with Israel without a word of consultation. Many in Lebanon, especially non-Shi'ites, but also some important Shi'ite spokespersons, are calling for an end to the armed phase of Hizballah's development and its integration into the Lebanese political system. In other words, they are demanding the disarming of Hizballah. Nasrallah now has to contend with his newly constructed image as the destroyer of Lebanon rather than its protector. The writer is director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.
2006-09-14 01:00:00
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