Police Presence

On the way to class the other day, I witnessed another lowlife dirt bag getting hauled into the police station by some plain-clothes detectives. I have no idea the circumstances of the arrest, but I like to make up scenarios in my head that match what I am seeing. (you'll never take me alive, copper!!) Was the guy really a lowlife? I have no idea. But he was wearing dirty jeans and was sporting about a four day growth. Actually, he was Arab, so he might have shaved that morning, so who knows (sorry Arabs).

Recently, I read about gun battles in the deep south of the country involving drug barons and Lebanese soldiers. This is Hizballah country, and I am not sure how they reconcile their squeaky clean image with the trafficking of drugs, but they do. To me, it either means that they benefit in some way from the drug trade or they are against it but are powerless to stop it. Its probably a bit of both. The south has the reputation for being a bit of a lawless, wild west-type place. There is little government involvement there and the area is run by powerful clans and families who decide who is welcome and what is lawful.

So if its between a stronger government presence and putting up with drug baron-protecting clans, the choice is clear. While weak government presence means an easier time for the traffickers, it also means that Hizballah can maneuver down there with less interference. And when the government comes down and leaves with a bit of a bloody nose, it benefits Hizballah even more because it makes the Lebanese army look weak. This was the case last week, when four Lebanese soldiers were machine gunned to death in their patrol SUV in retaliation for killing one of the barons who, with a load of hashish and heroine, refused to stop at a police check point. When the government looks weak, Hizballah benefits because it adds to the belief that only they can protect Lebanon from Israel.

But Hizballah, the Lebanese Shiite resistance movement, walks a fine line. They are very conscious of their image in the world and always try to appear straight forward, upfront, and forthright. This is important, because it enables them to maintain the moral high ground in a lot of ways.* They want to come off as an honest resistance movement helping a marginalized group of people (the Shia) and defending Lebanon from their ultra-aggressive downstairs neighbor (Israel). But, if I worked for their PR department, I would tell Hassan Nasrallah to beware. It may be nice to operate in a atmosphere of lawlessness in the south, but associating with drug barons can't be a good idea in the long term. It wouldn't be that hard for Israeli or rival Lebanese interests to mount a PR campaign focusing and hyperbolizing on Hizballah's involvement and connection with these people. It would surprise me if they weren't aware of this, and just the other day they released a statement declaring that they had nothing to do with the killing of the soldiers and that they would neither hide nor harbor those responsible.

*The Hizballah that existed in the mid-1980's is not the same group that exists today, and the turning point seems to come with the appointment of Hassan Nasrallah as Secretary General. If you don't include it's interactions with Israel, and I don't because Lebanon is at war with Israel, Hizballah has been on pretty good behavior. The group no longer engages in international terrorism and they have become invested in the Lebanese political system. Their last kidnapping was in 1991. They shouldn't be mentioned with the al-Qaida or even the Taliban.

Back in Beirut, six weeks before the election, everything seems quiet. A little too quiet. There is not much being said by the US, Iran, Syria, or Israel. There has not be any noticeable shows of force by any of the various internal political groups, such a Hizballah, AMAL, the Maronites, the Druze, etc. At first it seemed like the elections on June 9 might go off smoothly, without a hitch or incident, but now feels like that quite is evolving into an uneasy silence. As in a calm before a storm. So we'll see. This country has been ripped apart inside and out for the last thirty years, but he last couple have been prosperous for Lebanon. The reconstruction is booming and the powerful banking sector seems unfazed by the economic crisis (because of its strict regulation). People are feeling good about the country and about their future in it, which hasn't been the case for decades. It would be a shame for them to suffer another setback at this point.

Walking around the city, you encounter police and soldiers everywhere and I don't know if it makes me feel more safe of less safe. Actually, I do know. It makes me feel less safe. What's with all the barricades? Why is there a tank parked in the street? What is with that contraption that looks like a mirror on a skateboard attached to a broom handle? What? You slide that thing under cars to look for bombs? Huh. Oh ya, this place was a war from 1970 to 2000 and then again in 2006. And then there was that wave of bombings and assassinations that took place around 2005. Oh ya!

It is not clear that if the police and soldiers went home if the country would resort to its past ways or not. I do know that every time I see one of the barricades or checkpoints, it makes me consider what this place could be like. And maybe that's a good thing, maybe people should be constantly reminded of how things can be if they don't all work together. But having all the police and soldiers around doesn't make me feel any better. To be honest, they don't instill a lot of confidence in me.

Its not like in Syria. Syria is a strong state. Before I went there, a friend told me that every cab driver in Damascus is either a pimp or and intelligence officer, and sometimes both. In Syria, the roads are nice and the army is well funded, but the people are largely uneducated and poor. The "president" is in power for life. Much of the country's resources are allocated to keeping the current regime in power, which mean money for infrastructure, the military and especially, the Syrian intelligence. So the government has a strong presence. It's palpable. It may not be the right way to run a country, but there, at least you feel safe.

In Lebanon, its the same only the exact opposite. Here, the state is weak and a lot of power is retained by rich businessmen and powerful clans. The state maintains a conspicuous presence, but the effect is just not the same. You feel "safe" but it also feels like something could "happen" at any moment. You're not sure how much help the ubiquitous police presence would be in that case, but they are there just the same and let's hope they are not put to the test anytime soon.