The LAF – In Need of a Target

Lebanon’s military spending, relative to the size of its economy, is among the highest in the world. Given this, it is only right and proper for` the Lebanese to ask: What am I getting for my tax dollars? The skirmishes in North Lebanon recently did well to highlight what the Lebanese are not getting from their money, with the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) stating that he would not deploy his forces in Tripoli until he was certain they would not have to exchange fire with gunmen in the area. This policy of ‘soft action’ throws in doubt the image the LAF fosters for itself as a cross-confessional entity that is the single most important unifying force in the country, the ‘heart of the nation’ with no sectarian affiliation, loyal only to mother Lebanon. Were this the case, though, shouldn’t the army be able to intervene when sectarian