A Complex Country
A Complex Country
Once Lebanon was known as one of the most liberal and modern societies in the Middle East. Now it is predominantly known as one of the complex countries in the heart of the region, with a mix of Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Druze, Palestinians, and others among its 3.7 million inhabitants. During the first half of the 1970s, the social fiber of Lebanon began to unravel and it became increasingly unstable. Thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters had set up bases in Lebanon after they had been evicted from Jordan, and their presence contributed greatly to the increasing instability. PLO fighters launched attacks against Israel from their Lebanese bases, the Israeli military retaliated with attacks against PLO interests in Lebanon, and efforts by the Lebanese government and Lebanese army to reassert control led only to greater tension among the various Lebanese communities. With the increasing instability, numerous militias were established, not only within the various communities but also by political parties and other elements of Lebanese society. By 1975, the PLO had established a virtual "state within a state." In April 1975, factional fighting broke out, at first between Palestinian fighters and the Lebanese army, but subsequently, more generally, involving the militias of most of the other communities as well. In subsequent years, the civil war drew Israel, Syria, the United States, and France into a conflict that defied resolution. Finally, in 1989, with the Arab League playing a crucial role, a agreement was signed at Taif, Saudi Arabia, leading to a tenuous peace and the beginning of a reconciliation process. While some shelling and acts of terror did take place between 1989 and 1991, the Taif agreement formed the basis for the restoration of calm, with a new parliament installed in 1990, and the dissolution of most militias by May 1991. By then, more than one hundred thousand people had died in the war and nine hundred thousand people had been displaced.
