By IRNA,
Beirut : For a year, the main Lebanese political faction backed by the United States built a militia here under the guise of private security companies, Los Angeles Times said quoting Lebanese security experts and officials.
Los Angeles Times said that the fighters, aligned with Saad Hariri’s Future movement, were trained and armed to counter Lebanon resistance movement, Hezbollah.
But in a single night late last week, the curious experiment in private-sector warfare crumbled, it said.
The Future movement fighters quickly fled Beirut or gave up their weapons in an encounter with Hezbollah.
Afterward, some of the fighters said they felt betrayed by their political patrons.
“We are prepared to fight for a few hours but not more,” said one of the US-backed militia in the waning moments of the battle, according to Los Angeles Times.
“Where do we get ammunition and weapons from? We are blocked. The roads are blocked. Even Saad Hariri has left us to face our fate alone.”
The head of a conventional private security firm in Beirut told Los Angeles Times that the militia force was “not really ready.” “You can’t just spend millions of dollars to build an army in one year,” he said.
“They have to be motivated and believe in something. They have to be willing to die.”
Amid the political crisis that has sharpened differences among various religious communities, Lebanon’s army and Internal Security Forces had played a peacekeeping role, preventing clashes without confronting any of the different armed groups.
With speed that surprised observers, Hezbolllah last week took over West Beirut and crushed the Future movement’s fighters.
Hezbollah said its move was aimed at stopping the government, which had outlawed Lebanese resistance movement’s private communication system, from hampering its ability to confront Israel.
For months, Lebanese security officials in the army and the Internal Security Forces warily watched the growth of the Future-Secure Plus fighting force.
“We have thousands of young people in plainclothes working with us all over the country,” a company official said before the clashes started.
Los Angeles Times said quoting a high-ranking official with the Internal Security Forces that the militia has received $60 million in training and equipment from the US.
“On the other side, the Future movement has created security firms to protect itself.”
Secure Plus declined multiple requests from Los Angeles Times for interviews. It was the largest of dozens of security firms that have sprung up in recent years. Run by retired Lebanese army officers, it ostensibly provides security for banks, hotels and offices.