The Middle East has a militia problem

Both incidents raised fears of Christian-Shia fighting. They also spoke to the same underlying problem: the state’s inability to control militias, specifically Hizbullah. The villagers in Rmeish could not seek help from the army, which has little authority in the south. And if Hizbullah was behind the murder in Byblos, it would never be held to account: the group has enjoyed impunity for decades of killings.