Lebanon’s army so far seems to have been impressively successful in keeping at bay Islamist radicals who threaten to turn the country into another Syria. It is, therefore, refreshing to see gains by an army that only in the recent past stood back as an enemy’s military pounded its territory, leaving the fight for a non-state militia to win.
It is also important that Lebanon ensures that the fight remains one of the army, not non-state groups like Hezbollah. Any attempt by Hezbollah to repeat its adventurism in regional affairs is likely to play into the terrorists’ hands by becoming a sectarian conflict and alienate a large proportion of the population whose support in this fight is vital.
The army may have been ineffective in its primary role as a defender of the nation from foreign aggressors, but it has so far been successful in being a unifying factor in an otherwise fragmented and fractured country. The irony of this conflict is that in an effort to break apart Lebanon, the radicals have had the contrary effect: They have united the people in an unprecedented manner. Further, they have inadvertently bolstered the army’s image, with the entire country rallying around it.
Even Israeli attacks on Lebanon did not unite the country enough to push the army into fulfilling its duties. Today, few politicians in the country would dare to publicly voice even the mildest expression of support for the extremists who are rampaging in the north of the country. Lebanese television channels have been running repeats of patriotic songs in praise of the army. The Lebanese know well that the significance of the army lies not only in its ability to repel a group of bandits bent on imposing their ideology on the country, but also in its status as the last anchor of the country’s unity.
Lebanon is one of the few Arab states that can boast true plurality and diversity. As small and apparently insignificant as the country may seem, its fall to radicals will carry symbolism of a much larger magnitude that will reverberate across the region. Lebanon’s unity is in the entire region’s interest.
