BEIRUT: Looming indictments in the United Nations probe into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has led to a resurgent Beirut weapons trade, with political parties as well as individuals arming themselves in the event of renewed civil unrest, according to media reports Sunday. The pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, quoting an unnamed arms dealer, reported that scores of guns and rocket launchers were flooding the capital, with the market rising again following a two-year fall in demand. M4, M16 and K47 rifles are among the most popular firearms, the paper wrote. “Today, prices are going up where the M4 with a launcher was being sold for $12,000 an M16 [for] $1,500 and the Kalashnikov [for] between $750 and $1,000,” said the dealer. He added that most of the weapons, particularly the M4, were being channeled into Lebanon via smuggling routes from Syria and Israel. August clashes between Hizbullah fighters and the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects – better known as Al-Ahbash – which left several dead in the Burj Abi Haidar district of Beirut reminded a country used to civil strife of the dangers created from open arms possession. The incident even prompted some politicians to demand an “Arms Free Beirut,” although little progress has been made on this front. The report comes amid a backdrop of potentially violent disagreement over the fate of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), established to try Hariri's killers. Hizbullah had previously claimed the court to be an “Israeli project” and last week vowed to block the probe's Lebanese funding, due to be discussed in an extraordinary cabinet session Monday. Current Prime Minister Saad Hariri has vowed not to be intimidated by threats of fighting on the streets and insists the court will be allowed to issue indictments – many assume against some Hizbullah members – no matter the consequences. The dealer also fuelled speculation that many political parties are training partisans in anticipation of armed clashes, similar to those which took hold in the capital in May 2008, when pro-government and opposition gunmen battled for control of Ras Beirut's streets. “[Opposition] March 8 forces are being trained in the Bekaa [Valley in east Lebanon],” he said “while the others are being trained in the Cedars on the use of the Russian BKC and the American MAG and small mortars.” Retired Lebanese Army General Elias Hanna told Bikya Masr that the possibility of political bickering boiling over into violence was still present. “I don't think that they need more weapons in Beirut, having small weapons here is a cultural thing,” he said. “Everybody is watching everybody and as we saw from Burj Abi Haidar, in one second hell can come up. “The situation can turn from a something political to something military very quickly,” Hanna added.
