Lebanon's militias rearm before vote
Weeks ahead of presidential elections, black market weapons sales are soaring as factions prepare for street battles.
from the November 7, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Hizbullah trains reserve force
The exception is Hizbullah, which does not disguise the fact that it has undergone a large-scale recruitment and training program since the end of last year's 34-day war with Israel. However, Hizbullah's leaders say the role of the military wing is to defend Lebanon from Israeli aggression, not fight fellow Lebanese.
Still, in recent months Hizbullah has recruited former Shiite street fighters and marshaled them into a reservist force in the event of civil war, leaving the well-trained and disciplined guerrilla fighters to face Israel.
A source close to Hizbullah additionally confirmed that the Shiite group has given weapons to supporters of allied opposition groups – a charge made recently by the government, but denied by Hizbullah's leadership.
On the other hand, the opposition has accused the anti-Syrian March 14 parliamentary majority, which forms the backbone of the government, of arming supporters, undergoing paramilitary training in Lebanon and Jordan, and creating new militias in the guise of private security companies.
"Go to the mountains and see how the [Druze] PSP [Progressive Socialist Party] is patrolling their areas. Their behavior alone is driving the situation close to civil war," says Nawaf Mussawi, Hizbullah's head of external relations.
Following a deadly Sunni-Shiite riot in Beirut in January, local PSP party leaders contacted cadres and summoned them for weekend small-arms training in their Chouf mountain stronghold, according to a member of the PSP. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the training has since stopped.
Walid Jumblatt, leader of the PSP, admitted that some Druze had purchased weapons after the January riot, but insisted that there was no formal military training by his party.
"I visited the villages and told them it's useless to have weapons. We can't win against Hizbullah, they are too strong," he says.
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