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The Battle for Lebanon

Who's ultimately in charge in Lebanon: its prime minister, Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia?

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri shocked his country when he recently resigned while in Saudi Arabia citing fears for his safety. The move plunged Lebanon into a crisis as Lebanese leaders accused Saudi Arabia of forcing him to go. It has also stoked fears of major showdown between Lebanon’s Saudi-backed Sunnis and the Iranian-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah. On his return to Lebanon this week, Hariri agreed to withdraw his resignation and seek β€˜dialogue’. So who is ultimately driving events in Lebanon, Hariri, Saudi Arabia, or Hezbollah and Iran? On Newshour Extra this week Owen Bennett Jones and his guests discuss what Saudi Arabia wants in Lebanon and whether it's gearing up to take on Hezbollah at all costs.

(Photo: the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri with Saudi ChargΓ© d'Affairs Walid al-Bukhari during a ceremony in Baadba, Lebanon on November 22, 2017. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 25 Nov 2017 12:06GMT

Contributors

Azadeh Moaveni - former Beirut Correspondent at Time Magazine

Amal Saad - author of 'Hezbollah: Politics and Religion'

Fahed Nazer - consultant to the Saudi embassy in Washington DC

Lina Khatib - head of the Middle East programme at Chatham House

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Also featuring:

Basem Shabb is an MP with Saad Hariri's Future Movement bloc

Emad Chidiac is a Lebanese business journalist

Broadcasts

  • Fri 24 Nov 2017 00:06GMT
  • Fri 24 Nov 2017 09:06GMT
  • Fri 24 Nov 2017 18:06GMT
  • Fri 24 Nov 2017 23:06GMT
  • Sat 25 Nov 2017 04:06GMT
  • Sat 25 Nov 2017 12:06GMT

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