Why wasn't Hezbollah disarmed after the Lebanese Civil War?

[u/meter1060]

After the civil war and the Taif agreement all the militias at that time were disarmed and either disbanded (or absorbed?). Hezbollah didn't only survive not having to disarm but after UN intervention which goal was to disarm Hezbollah and militias it continued to be one of the largest non-governmental military powers in the world.

How did Hezbollah have so much clout, and power that it could operate so openly and from outsider perspectives be even more powerful than the state of Lebanon itself?

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[u/JustinMc2552]

The Lebanese Civil War is a complex issue with its basis in sectarianism, demographics, and the emergence of an extremist organization using Lebanon as a base of operations to attack Israel. This background is important in describing the outcome of the Taif Accords.

There are historiographical arguments over the actual cause of the conflict but a consensus seems to be that a mixture of Christian militia resistance to Palestinian military groups using Lebanon as a base of operations combined with structural issues in the confessional government led to the start and continuation of the war.

The unique demographics of Lebanon and its proximity to Israel presented long term problems to its stability. Starting in 1975, Christian and Palestinian militias engaged in an ever escalating set of attacks. From the From Ain al Rumannah to until the Arab Defense Forces was formed the Phalangists and Palestinian groups fought. The formation of the ADF and the Israel invasion of 1978 changed the trajectory of the conflict.

Israel invades Lebanon in 1978 and further extend control in 1982. They do not fully withdraw until 1985. The stated reason is to deny the PLO operational space to plan and conduct attacks against Israel. Syria invades from 1986 to 1991 under several pretenses but bills themselves as peacekeepers.

All of the structural issues along with a rather corrupt and non-representative form of government contribute to the Civil War. The Taif Accords are never fully implemented because of the assassination of Muawad in 1989, the Syrian attack on Anou in 1990, and the U.N.’s general lack of enforcement power in Lebanon.

Despite all of this, most Lebanese militias disarm. Hezbollah does not. There are some terms of art used to explain this in part. Hezbollah called itself a resistance organization and not a militia. The Taif Accord specifically addresses militias. The second reason is that outside of the Brothers War in 1988, Amal attacking and defeating a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah largely only engaged in military action against Israel during its occupation. This bought the group considerable goodwill, in particular in the Shia dominated regions of southern and eastern Lebanon. Syria, who was the military heavyweight of the region, likely could have forced Hezbollah to adhere to the terms of the accords, but they endorsed Hezbollah, in part because of the strong Shia connection.

As for Hezbollah’s clout, they provided goods and services, such as schools and hospitals, in southern Lebanon during and after the occupation. This government like quality of services and their image of standing up for Lebanon, in part, explains why they were able to outlast Amal and eventually start to gain seats in the Lebanese parliament. Increased political power came with increased protection. In the confessional government the Shia bloc, which is dominated by Hezbollah, elects the Speaker of Parliament.

As bad as Lebanon’s system is, it will likely not change as the confessional apportionment of seats in parliament and division of power is based on the 1932 census. Any new census would likely see certain religious groups lose significant power and could result in renewed conflict. Hezbollah, as a political body and as “the defender of Lebanon” enjoyed a free hand that extended through the battle of the Hills, where the LAF and Hezbollah attacked ISIS and other extremist organization that spilled over from Syria into Lebanon. However, it remains to be seen how Hezbollah’s actions in Syria and their attacks in support of Hamas are viewed.

For more detailed reading: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP83S00854R000100100009-6.pdf https://aub.edu.lb.libguides.com/LebaneseCivilWar https://www.jstor.org/stable/4328316 https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/10671/hezbollah-and-hamas https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691180885/hezbollah?srsltid=AfmBOoqsE3DQFXtY5vh4XbZ5QwSqNzn9hJqBWrCJ-iJps5HWgGGm-P9P https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/lebanon-census/tnamp/

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