Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karameh has resigned from office following massive peaceful protests in Beirut. Protestors called for an end to Syria's involvement in Lebanese politics and the withdrawal of some 14,000 Syrian troops. Syria has come under a tremendous amount of pressure from the US, Israel, and France to withdrawal from Lebanon since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. This week Syria's President Bashar al-Assad promised that Syria would withdraw its troops sometime in the next few months.
The international community has expressed a desire to see Lebanon become a truly independent and sovereign nation, however there are many obstacles and uncertainties remaining. Perhaps one of the most difficult issues to resolve will be the role of Hezbollah in the future of Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which occupies southern Lebanon along the Israeli border, is a group of radical Shiite militants that opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled after Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah and its affiliates have planned or been linked to a lengthy series of terrorist attacks against America, Israel, and other Western targets. Their activities include a series of kidnappings of Westerners in the 1980s, the suicide truck bombings that killed more than 200 US Marines at their barracks in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983, and the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847 as well as numerous other attacks. According to the US State Department, Hezbollah receives "substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria."
Hezbollah is an important player in Lebanon's politics and a major provider of social services to thousands of Lebanese Shiites. Hezbollah has 8 seats in Lebanon's 128-member parliament. It also operates hospitals, schools, orphanages and a television station. Its base is in Lebanon's Shiite-dominated areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. In addition, U.S. intelligence reports say that Hezbollah cells operate in regions including Europe, Africa, South America, and North America.
Despite Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in May of 2000, Hezbollah continues to shell Israeli forces at a disputed border area called Shebaa Farms. Shebaa Farms is located where the borders of Lebanon, Israel, and Syria meet. Israel and the UN consider Shebaa Farms to be part of the Golan Heights (thus it is considered occupied Syrian territory), while Hezbollah and Lebanese officials claim it belongs to Lebanon.
While proponents of democracy have pushed for the withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon, others fear that their efforts could backfire and Lebanon could become unstable or revert back into civil war. As Syria withdraws, Iran and organizations such as Hezbollah will undoubtedly attempt to fill the void.
