Inside Story

Lebanon in crisis?

As the coalition government collapses, we ask what this means for the country and if violence will be rekindled.

Lebanon’s year-old national unity government has collapsed after 11 opposition ministers resigned over the UN tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister and father of Saad al-Hariri, the current prime minister.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly close to indicting senior members of Hezbollah for the murder.

Will this rekindle violence in the country? Will it lead to another period of political deadlock? Is the tribunal likely to cause the country more harm than good? And what does the future hold for Lebanon?

Inside Story discusses with guests: Kamel Wazne, a political analyst; Robert Fisk, The Independent’s foreign corrspondent; and Saleh al-Machnouk, a political analyst and columnist for the Daily Star.

This episode of Inside Story aired on Thursday, January 13, 2011.