Worldfocus correspondent Kristen Gillespie reported from Beirut for the signature story “Hezbollah heads into mainstream Lebanese life and politics.”
One out of four Lebanese citizens lives in the south Beirut area known as the Dahiya, or “suburbs” in Arabic. The war with Israel in 2006 hit this area particularly hard, with blocks and blocks of neighborhoods flattened. I covered the 2006 war from Beirut, and came back three years later to see how much progress had been made in reconstruction.
The overload of billboards, posters, Hezbollah souvenir shops and the oppressive security presence remind visitors that the Party of God is organized and ready for battle. It’s a war mode, even when there is no actual war.
This partially explains the secrecy and distrust of outsiders. The American government says Hezbollah is a terrorist group, but within Lebanon, it’s more complicated. The Hezbollah political party actively participates in the Lebanese government, while not only refusing to disarm but actively stockpiling weapons outside the scope of the state.
“Now they have a say in national politics,” says Timur Goksel, who liaised with Hezbollah for 20 years as a senior United Nations advisor. “They are not going to give that up, but they also know they got there with Hezbollah’s guns.”
- Kristen Gillespie
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- One of countless billboards in south Beirut of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, here waving and addressing his supporters: "Most honorable people, most pure people, most dignified people! Salam Alaykum ("peace be upon you," a standard greeting in Arabic).
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- These marble square tiles will be used to line the floors of new apartment buildings in south Beirut that were destroyed by Israeli air strikes during the 2006 war.
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- A member of Hezbollah's private security force directs traffic on the streets of south Beirut. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for all aspects of security in this section of Lebanon's capital.
Photos by Kristen Gillespie.
