Nabih Berri and Lebanese Politics pp 53-89 | Cite as
A Fight for Survival: Leading Amal and the Shi‘ites in the Jungle of the Civil War
Abstract
The uprising of February 1984 (Intifadat Shbat) was the peak of Berri’s meteoric rise, turning him into a key figure in the Lebanese political system. In the years that followed, Berri faced difficult challenges, which decreased his power in that system as well as in the Shi‘ite community. Three major factors affected Berri’s actions during that period. One was the genuine fear among Lebanese elements of the growing Shi‘ite power after February 1984, resulting in the establishment of political alliances to restrain Berri and Amal. The second was the reinforcement of relations between Berri and Syria, along with the “quiet takeover” of Lebanon by the Syrians. Since the mid-1980s Berri has been the most prominent Lebanese ally of the Syrians, mainly because of his central position in the political and military arenas. The third factor was the weakening of the moderate wing in the Lebanese Shi‘a under Berri’s leadership, while the pro-Iranian radical wing, represented by Hizballah, gained strength. The struggle between the two wings, which turned violent in the late 1980s, forced Nabih Berri to take extreme stands regarding issues on the agenda in order to minimize the drift in public support.
Keywords
Refugee Camp Parliamentary Election Southern Suburb Israeli Army Assassination AttemptPreview
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Notes
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