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LEBANON
This page was last updated on 03/09/2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHO'S WHO

Fouad Siniora
Lebanon's Prime Minister. Supported by Sunni Arab governments and the United States.

Michel Aoun
Maronite Christian former general, (once a mortal enemy of Syria).

Hezbollah
Syrian and Iranian-backed Shi'ite Islamist party.

Hassan Nasrallah
Leader of Hezbollah

Rafik Hariri
Former Prime Minister assassinated in 2005. It's believed that Syria was involved.

Amal
Shiite party - more moderate than Hezbollah.

Nabih Berri
Amal leader.

Shebaa Farms
Disputed patch of land in southeast Lebanon.

IN A NUTSHELL

Opponents of Lebanon's government have accused Prime Minister Siniora of being an American puppet and demand a greater share of power. The opposition has been trying to undermine the government by staging angry protests, setting up road-blocks and generally disrupting the country.

Officials in Lebanon's government claim that the Hezbollah-dominated opposition is just an army of thugs acting on behalf of Iran and Syria, Hezbollah's main supporters. It has dismissed the demonstrations believing they have been artificially engineered by outside forces.

The clash has taken on a sectarian tone since the government is mostly run by Sunni Muslims and the opposition is overwhelmingly Shi'ite (as is Hezbollah's backer, Iran).

Christians in the country are divided between the two groups.

SHEBAA FARMS

Israel captured the Shebaa Farms along with the Golan Heights in 1962 during the Six-Day War. Israel claimed that the area was part of the Golan Heights and imposed Israeli law the in the region. The United Nations declared the occupation illegal (UN Resolution 497).

Israeli troops withdrew from the occupied territories in Lebanon in May 2000, but, according to Syria and Lebanon, the Israelis didn't completely withdraw from Shebaa Farms.

Hezbollah has used Israel's continued occupation of Shebaa Farms as justification for maintaining an armed militia along Israel's borders.

Lebanon and Syria have disputed the route of the Lebanon/Syria border demarcation line that cuts through Shebaa Farms.

LEBANON AND SYRIA

Syria claims that Lebanon is part of Greater Syria and hence part of Syria.

 

 

 

 

 

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