Men burning tires during clashes with armed Hezbollah fighters in Tayyouneh on May 7, 2008. (Credit: Mahmoud Tawil/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Is the specter of another May 7 armed takeover looming over the country? Ahead of the highly anticipated Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday to debate the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, figures close to the party have not hesitated in recent days to raise the threat of a new show of force, 17 years after the events of 2008.At the time, Fouad Siniora’s government attempted to dismantle Hezbollah’s grip on the security front, prompting the group to storm West Beirut and the Mountain area.But many observers agree that such a scenario is unlikely today, as the party has been weakened by last fall’s war with Israel and has little interest in alienating a broad array of national actors.Moreover, it would provoke an untimely shock to a government that, despite mounting international pressure, continues to offer Hezbollah valuable...
Is the specter of another May 7 armed takeover looming over the country? Ahead of the highly anticipated Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday to debate the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, figures close to the party have not hesitated in recent days to raise the threat of a new show of force, 17 years after the events of 2008.At the time, Fouad Siniora’s government attempted to dismantle Hezbollah’s grip on the security front, prompting the group to storm West Beirut and the Mountain area.But many observers agree that such a scenario is unlikely today, as the party has been weakened by last fall’s war with Israel and has little interest in alienating a broad array of national actors.Moreover, it would provoke an untimely shock to a government that, despite mounting international pressure, continues to offer Hezbollah...
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
