What's going on in Lebanon?
What's going on in Lebanon?
It has become an annual season for violence in Lebanon. Every year when summer approaches and the Lebanese people are waiting for their revenues of tourism, the country would become a theatre for planned escalations and suspicious developments.
The small country is rich in natural assets which support a strong tourism industry. However, tourism is deeply connected to security and stability.
So, what is standing behind these developments? Is it true that some foreign powers are deliberately instigating instabilities in Lebanon prior to the "yield" of tourism season? Or are there some components in Lebanon's "structure" that provide hospitable soil for these instabilities and "reproduce" them on national level?
On national level, and I mean the official decision-making entity, I cannot understand the reasons behind unjustified delay in dealing with many issues.
The first issue is the need to tackle the situation in Nahr Al Bared once and for all and to entirely uproot the criminal gang in the refugee camp. Half-measures will lead to further fronts against Lebanon's army to dilute the concentration of its forces and, by result, compromise its effectiveness.
The country's security forces were expected to end the confrontation within two days. I do not know why it has taken all this time.
Secondly, Lebanon's government needs to stop futile meetings and discussions. It needs to leave behind all these pointless negotiations, consultations, settlements, compromises and political arguments about uprooting those criminals in Nahr Al Bared to deal with the matter as a serious act of aggression against the national security of the country, which provides no space for any bargaining.
Third, Lebanon must take a historic and courageous decision opening the door for the emergence of actual nation. Lebanon needs a decision to properly defend it at a time when many foreign powers are planning against the nation.
Fourth, leaders in Lebanon must understand the value of their country. They must act to actively defend the foundations upon which it is based.
Leaders in Lebanon need to regulate political activity and to challenge political chaos instigated by the many political parties, groups, alliances, societies and movements that do not give priority to the national interests of Lebanon.
In many cases these political entities are only agents of foreign powers that do not want the good of Lebanon.
Political activity
Regulating political activity requires political activists to make their loyalty to Lebanon before any thing else. In essence, it means that no political entity can make itself an agent, reflection, proxy or extension for foreign powers' politics or cultures.
Fifth, Lebanon needs the help of the Arab League to try and find solutions for miseries inflicted upon Palestinian refugees in the country for more than half-century by now.
Regarding the crisis of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon I have many questions.
- Why the government does not relief the refugees' hardships by reconsidering the ban preventing them from working in certain professions? The West does not have such a ban on Palestinians. Here in the GCC member states they are treated like brothers, partners and natives.
- Why no one does work to improve the situation of the refugees in their camps and provide them with dignified living?
- What is the reason behind restricting the freedom of movement for Palestinians? Why they are not allowed to cross border in a safe and dignified way? Palestinians are the cause of Arabs. They have lost their homes because of the Arabs' disability, if not because of something else much deeper... And I have a lot to say.
- Why do some Palestinian leaders live luxurious life and leave their people to suffer in their camps. Who is responsible for this huge gap separating Palestinians from their leaders in terms of life standards?
- Why did the major factions in PLO leave refugee camps in Lebanon to be infiltrated by terror groups, especially Nahr Al Bared?
- Are the reports about sending fighters, arms and ammunition to the terrorists in Nahr Al Bared by some Palestinian factions true?
- Who is responsible for turning Nahr Al Bared into a haven for terrorists and outlaws?
- Why do Palestinian factions insist on keeping their arms - heavy or light? Did their arms make any difference other than internal fighting?
- Do not our Palestinian brothers know that their security can be achieved only through collective work among Arabs on this front and that arms do not achieve security nor peace, or return to the homeland? Do not they know that they should not be turned into closed spots and consequently compromising their presence by such a stifled frames?
There are many points but I want to stay close to the issue - protecting Lebanon and Palestinians. And this issue requires strict, defined and final decision by Lebanon.
Khalaf Al Habtoor is a businessman and chairmanof Al Habtoor Group.
