The curious and terrible case of Salah Ezzedine — Lebanon’s Bernie Madoff — is only the latest example of the dangers of having Hezbollah’s state operating within, but off limits to, the state of Lebanon. The political party that has segregated its followers from the rest of Lebanese society, and from legal oversight, allowed a con man to befriend its most senior officials and use his connections to lure people into trusting him with their savings and investments. Ezzedine capitalized on Hezbollah’s secrecy and its closed system, which kept his activities hidden from the regulatory framework of the state. No one could see into the con man’s bubble until it had already burst. Hezbollah’s massive stock pile of weapons, and reputation for honesty, couldn’t help protect the party’s supporters against the financial devastation some in the south compare to the 2006 war with Israel. Had Ezzedine’s $500 million venture (the
