[Institute for Counter-Terrorism/IDC-Herzliya] Gary C. Gambill - Lebanon is a unique amalgam of 18 officially recognized religious sects. Lebanon's weak state, acute socioeconomic and political inequities, and experience of pervasive external intervention converged to create an unusually permissive environment for Islamists. There is a code of understanding among Salafists in Lebanon that accepts the formation of underground armed networks so long as they do not antagonize the authorities. Persuading them otherwise will be virtually impossible so long as Hizbullah remains armed, which clearly will be the case for the foreseeable future.
2008-01-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive