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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 June 1999 Issue No. 433 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 June 1999 Issue No. 433
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Books Living Travel Sports Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters What next in Jezzine?
By Zeina KhodrChildren roamed the streets of Jezzine carrying the Lebanese flag days after the Israeli-allied militia, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), completed a pullout from the 200-square kilometre enclave. Adolescents gathered in front of the municipality building to catch a glimpse of Lebanese officials who were visiting this scenic town for the first time in 14 years.
"We are very happy, we used to live in a prison but now we can move around freely," 14-year-old George Karam said. But not many shared his euphoria. Um Tony was apprehensive. "What comes next? Who will take control of the area and who will ensure our security?" she asked.
The government has refused to dispatch the army but is instead relying on security forces already stationed in the district to maintain order.
"We have police forces (ISF) who have been stationed here who will keep the peace," said deputy Bahaedine Itani who was paying a visit to Jezzine . "The army will not enter for the moment as that is what Israel wants and besides we will not be a border guard for the occupiers. The government does not want to turn the army into a barrier between the resistance and the enemy."
But residents want the army to take control to prevent any unrest that might erupt between the mainly Maronite Christian residents and the Shiite Hizbullah which is waging the resistance war against Israeli occupation troops in south Lebanon.
Jezzine's Christians, many of them members of the now defunct Lebanese Forces militia, have a history of conflict with the armed militias during the civil war (1975-90), particularly with the Shiite Hizbullah Al-Amal party, Palestinian groups and the militia of the Druze community. However, neither Hizbullah nor the Palestinians wield the same degree of influence today as they did during the civil war.
During his high-profile visit to the area early this week, Prime Minister Selim El-Hoss assured the local population that he was there to assure them "that the government is committed to the protection of the interests of Jezzine and its residents." He refused to say whether the army would tighten its grip on the area. Asked whether additional ISF personnel would be deployed to back up the 33 police officers in the town, El-Hoss would only say "if the need arises".
Former deputy Edmond Rizk, who hails from Jezzine, said, "The police here are too few to fill the security vacuum."
The local inhabitants also fear the area will be used by the resistance as a launching pad for attacks against Israelis still in the occupation zone. This, say the residents, would provoke retaliation against them. Hizbullah said it would not enter the town and played down fears there would be a "dangerous vacuum" if the army did not beef up its presence. Hizbullah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said, "Jezzine will just be like other southern areas where the cease-fire understanding with Israel will apply. That means Israeli attacks on civilian areas will provoke retaliation by the resistance against northern Israel." The cease-fire prohibits both sides from launching attacks from or on civilian targets but permits the resistance to attack Israeli forces.
Sharing this uncertain future are the 203 SLA militiamen who decided to stay behind after the pullout. They risk facing charges of treason for collaborating with the "enemy" - an offense punishable by death under Lebanese law.
Local officials have asked the government to show leniency or offer clemency to the deserters. "The government has not yet said what it plans to do with the former members and this is dangerous ... leaving their future undecided," Maronite Bishop Boutros Khawand said. "Israel could use that as a pretext to destabilise the area and incite sectarian violence," he added.
President Emile Lahoud, who paid a visit to Jezzine in a gesture of solidarity, promised "in liberated Lebanon justice will be fair". But the locals wanted more explicit assurances. "How can the government just say they (SLA militiamen) should hand themselves in to face justice?" former deputy Rizk asked. "They must issue a clear, detailed statement regarding their fate."
Bishop Khawand also demanded guarantees for their safety. Hizbullah dismissed fears it would exploit the withdrawal of the Israeli-allied militia to murder collaborators but criticised moves to offer leniency to those who had worked with Israel. "The militiamen must face Lebanese law. Why should we give guarantees?" Nasrallah said.
Charges against the men range from murder to working in the civil administration branch of the militia.
Jebran Tueni, editor-in-chief of the daily An-Nahar's supplement, defended the militiamen and argued: "Many were coerced into joining. If they were collaborators they would not have surrendered. I hope the government understands their situation." Tueni went further and warned of a plot to destabilise the situation in Jezzine in a bid to depopulate the area. "We have to be careful. There are plans to resettle the 350,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon here in Jezzine. We cannot allow this to happen. There are many forces that could cause a crisis."
Some 75 SLA militiamen are now in the custody of the Lebanese authorities. Security sources said others who had turned themselves over to the army were released since "they did not have blood on their hands".
One of the former militiamen in Jezzine, speaking anonymously, said that he intends to surrender. "But I don't know what will happen to me. When I joined the militia, things were different. Back then I was protecting this area from roadside bombs and attacks by Hizbullah. Politics have changed the situation."
In this he is right. The SLA took control of Jezzine in 1985 when Israeli forces pulled back to the occupation zone following the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Many of the men who had fought for the Lebanese Forces (LF) during the war when Israel had strong ties with the LF later joined the militia.
The withdrawal from Jezzine was welcomed by Lebanon as a victory over Israel. Some see the pullback as a tactic by Israel to extract security guarantees from Lebanon for a more secure border, but an army source said that Lebanon's policy will not change.
There is a delicate phase ahead for Jezzine. The ingredients of sectarian strife exist within the community which means that the government must tread very carefully if it is to avoid further problems.
