Testing Received Wisdom: Perceptions of Security in Southern Lebanon

Abstract

The people of Southern Lebanon have survived protracted sectarian conflict, Israeli occupation, and, in mid-2006, a devastating war. The 2006 war between Hizbollah and Israel killed approximately 1,000 people in Southern Lebanon, decimated its infrastructure, and led to the displacement of an estimated one million people in both countries. It also illustrated the region’s continuing volatility. Although many have written about the situation in Southern Lebanon, a number of questions remain unanswered. Namely, in the wake of the 2006 war, how do the people of Southern Lebanon feel about their security? Whom do they look to for protection against local and external threats? Which political parties do they support? How many households own weapons, and what are their views on arms control, including the regulation of non-state armed groups? This chapter presents the results of a household survey conducted in Southern Lebanon in March–May 2008 to explore these and other questions. It begins by outlining key elements of the history that led to the 2006 war, describing the central players and principal dynamics of that conflict. It then presents the findings of the Southern Lebanon Armed Violence Assessment, devoting particular attention to those relating to insecurity during and after the 2006 war, attitudes towards security provision, party affiliation, and gun ownership and control.