Blog # 1: Syrian War Test Unity of Lebanon's Military

The country of Lebanon's military is highly respected because it represents a plethora of the country's groups of people, which are usually divided elsewhere. The central government of Lebanon, much like its military is made up of Christians, Sunnis, and Shias. This way no group can overpower the other in ruling the country. The civil war occurring in Syria is now spilling over into Lebanon which is a major issue for the Lebanese military. The violence from Syria includes the surge of violence in Tripoli, which is the second largest city in Lebanon, political rhetoric between Lebanese supporters and members of the Syrian regime, and the threat of tit-for-tat kidnappings. The real issue is that many of the individual soldiers care more for their sect than for their country as a whole. A sect is a group of people with similar religious beliefs in which separates them from others or a larger group of believers. Sect loyalty is prevalent in Lebanon which makes the military weak because no soldier wants to fight their own people.  The main reason why the Lebanese Army cannot successfully intervene in the violence is because there is a lack of togetherness in the role of the military in the war. Separating the military from sectarian politics is nearly impossible because that is the way the institution has been created. The heated political heads put pressure on the military by using it as a political tool. The military is sometimes called the country’s protector but other times accused of furthering the tensions and violence in the country.  With minimal support from surrounding countries and its citizens, the Lebanese military is attempting to make the best decision to stabilize the country. As Lebanon is sucked into the violence of war, the cross sectarian institution is only highlighting its weakness and increasing its vulnerability.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/world/middleeast/syrian-war-tests-unity-of-military-in-lebanon.html?pagewanted=all