Marred by violence, ravaged by terrorism: A brief history of (in)security in Lebanon

The first 200 words of this essay...

Marred by violence, ravaged by terrorism: A brief history of (in)security in

Lebanon

In its brief history as an independent and sovereign republic, Lebanon has experienced an almost never-ending barrage of political violence, terrorism and outright warfare, ranging from car-bomb assassinations and gang-style shootings, to kidnappings and hostage-taking. Recently Hezbollah, terrorist group to some and freedom fighters to others (as is often the case with most armed militias) have made headlines linking them with a slew of the latest political assassinations. While they are certainly culpable for much of the dissention that has troubled the country since its inception, they are not alone in being responsible for the aforementioned acts of terror that have plagued the country's short history. Other groups- both nationalist and sectarian in structure and ideology- as well as neighboring nation-states (Syria and Israel, to name just two) are also as much to blame. As are the various Lebanese governments - whose meek responses to countless violent incidents and lack of punishment in response to said incidents- has allowed terrorism to prosper in an already volatile region. Thus, the argument this paper hopes to present is two-fold. Firstly, it will aim to outline