Research

Conflict and Fragility

Reports and papers

Lebanon: elites, power and security

07 May 2015 - 12:06
Source: Flickr / Mighty Travels

How the organization of security in Lebanon serves elite interests

Despite the turmoil and the insecurity that is spilling over from the Syrian conflict, Lebanon is not a passive player or victim in the regional security situation. Although it is understand­able that the focus of much current analysis is on the implications of the Syrian conflict for Lebanon – largely out of fear that the country might be sucked into the regional vortex of vio­lence – it overlooks the fact that it is largely the interests of Lebanon’s political elites that determine how the country’s state security organizations perform. It is for this reason that the report analyses how the interests of Lebanon’s political elites influence the organization of security as a crucial perspective to understanding the focus and performance of the coun­try’s security organizations.

The key assumption that the report develops and substantiates is that Lebanon’s state security organizations largely exist to protect elite interests and that this is achieved through the provisions of the country’s elite pact, i.e. the arrangement between its elites on how to govern.

The full report can be accessed below.