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Regarding the political system, are the Lebanese citizens capable of real and absolute change? Not Likely 50.0% Probably 34.4% Not Sure 15.6% Total Votes: 96

Playing Chess with the Lebanese Counterparties: Why Lebanon is the Board
By Shadi Tabbara, Editor-in-Chief

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – Around 3000 and 2500 BCE (Before Common Era), the Phoenicians were traced in the region covering Lebanon. These significant people did not establish larger kingdoms unlike most of the other civilizations; rather, they chose to limit their states to single cities that accepted compromises with stronger neighbors and paying for peace and freedom so that they had autonomy to trade. Thousands of years later, the Lebanese people kept the roots of their ancestors with their influence but sadly kept the same strategy of paying for their peace and liberty on their people’s account.

The Board

The History of Lebanon confirms the status of it being the skirmish area between many civilizations and today, between the different countries:

Basically, the table above shows that Lebanon and the region was and still is the favorable arena for foreign intervention and ruling. This was long before the discovery of the biggest reserve of oil and gas in the world and other natural resources.

The Material of “The Board” was taken from Lexic Orient

The Game

While many of us fail to explain the factual reasons behind Lebanon’s recurrent political deadlock, we look at the problem as one-dimensional and directly put the blame on neighbors (Syria and/or Israel). On the other hand, investigative journalism forces us to look at all the facts and alternatives in order to reach a more efficient and planned answer.

After relentless research and tens of interviews with renowned journalists and political analysts from counter sides, the answers to “Why Lebanon is having all these problems?” are not one but many, as the following alternatives show:

The Iranian threat to Arabs and the Arab fear of Iranians

The Arab World and the Persian Empire have had many clashes in history and today, Iran is growing more powerful and more influential, especially after it built up strategic alliances in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria and following the deals it closed with China and the Russians. This creates, in return, a sense of anxiety on the Arab World especially now that Iran has nuclear capabilities and potential future nuclear threats, something the Arabs fear of happening soon.

The Iranian-American/Israeli conflict

On another level, Israel has no alliances or real diplomatic relationships with any of the Arab surrounding countries; the main supporter of Israel is the U.S. and so, to guarantee Israel’s security, the current American administration is pushing hard on enforcing new sanctions on Iran that aim at slowing the pace of the newly-established Iranian power, in the hope that this will force it to stop its nuclear program, even if, so far, and for the time being, it is a peaceful program. Iran seems to be heading towards becoming a super-power very soon, something that threatens Israel’s existence in the Palestinian territories.

The American-European Cold War

The European Union is ever growing and is starting to include new member states; it is turning into a very influential economic and political community and becoming more and more established. This poses a direct threat to the United States of America. While both are in need of further natural resources to grow, the best way to slow the E.U. is by grabbing control of the oil reserve in this particular region, something the U.S. has already set up. Then comes the question: “But what has Lebanon to do with it?” A short “Everything” can answer. Everything means instability in the region: a lost case in Palestine, a war in Iraq, another war in Afghanistan, a civil war in Sudan and instability in Lebanon. The Americans are today in control of the region; they create problems, divide and then conquer. By implementing this strategy, the U.S. is hitting the Euro and is thus slowing the growth of the European Union and its influence across the World.

The Saudi-Syrian dispute

The strategic alliance between Syria and Iran has affected the relationship between Arabs and Syria in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Both countries’ allies form more than 90% of the Lebanese population (March 14 coalition vs. March 8 coalition), and one of the fastest solutions to the Lebanese scene is a good relationship between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which ultimately results in synergy between the two Lebanese counterparties.

The potential Syrian involvement in Hariri’s assassination

Although the Syrian regime is still not convicted of ex-Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri’s murder, and although this alternative might be irrelevant unless the international tribunal proves otherwise, many of the Lebanese and other Arab and western countries believe that Syria was directly or indirectly involved in the crime. If it were the case, then the most basic idea that comes to our minds is that the Syrian regime will aim at hitting the roots of the Tribunal by getting control, through its allies, over the Ministry of Justice and thus keep any potential threat to the regime and/or to the seniors of the country at stake.

The Lebanese influence across the region

Due to the many wars that the Lebanese have experienced and because of the opportunities abroad, the influential Lebanese are scattered everywhere from the Middle East to Central Africa, to Europe, Asia and both Americas. As important as it is for the West to promote democracy in a region that lacks any type of human rights and the people’s voice, the best and fastest tool to changing the Arab authoritarian regimes to more civilized democratic systems is through dispersing the high-standard Lebanese into these countries and supporting them support change.

Check Mate: The Lebanese-Lebanese matter

Finally, we reach the origin and direct cause of the Lebanese political deadlock. Why Lebanon? Simply because the two coalitions are each supported by larger countries that pay for their survival and get in return their plan(s) implemented; simply because each party fears that the other one will take over and change the current system; simply because some people mistake the partner as an enemy and the enemy as a partner; but most importantly, the answer remains simply because we became so vulnerable that we opened the doors for the intelligence agencies, foreign armies and countries to intervene and become the solution providers we resort to in times of need.

On the Lebanese grounds, not until we will have all these issues tackled and not until we split our ties with the neighboring and foreign countries and learn how to fix our problems instead of standing still − not until then will we have stability, growth and security in Lebanon.

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