The Lebanese army : a national institution in a divided society

Oren Barak sheds new light on the major political and social developments in Lebanon since its independence by focusing on the emergence of the Lebanese Army, its paralysis during the civil war from 1975 to 1990, and its reconstruction after the war. He discusses the remarkable transformation of a military dominated by one sector of society--the Christian communities, and particularly the Maronites--into one that is characterized by power sharing among Lebanon's various communities, large families, and regions. The book develops a new approach to the study of the role of the military in divided societies by examining military institutions from three intertwined angles: first, as major arenas for social coexistence and conflict; second, as actors that are involved in politics but are also affected by political processes; and third, as actors that promote the process of state formation. This comprehensive look at Lebanon will inform the discussion of other divided societies, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, that face the dual challenge of restoring the political system and the security sector after state failure and intrastate conflict. "This book focuses on the emergence, decline, and reconstruction of the Lebanese Army in order to explain the causes for Lebanon's weakness, 'failure', and resuscitation in recent decades. It examines the Lebanese Army as a major arena for coexistence and conflict among the major sectors of Lebanese society (communities, large families, and geographical regions); the different roles that the army had played in and out of politics since independence; and its efforts to promote the process of state formation in Lebanon"--Page xi.