Spoils of Truce: Corruption and State-Building in Postwar Lebanon

289 Pages·2012·1.303 MB·English

by  Reinoud Leenders

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Spoils of Truce
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Spoils of Truce
Corruption and State-Building
in Postwar Lebanon
Reinoud Leenders
Cornell University Press
Ithaca and London
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Copyright © 2012 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or
parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University
Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 2012 by Cornell University Press
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leenders, Reinoud.
Spoils of truce : corruption and state-building in postwar Lebanon /
Reinoud Leenders.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8014-5100-3 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Political corruption—Lebanon. 2. Lebanon—Politics and
government—1990– I. Title.
JQ1828.A56C65 2012
320.95692—dc23 2012018067

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible sup-
pliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its
books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-
free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed
of nonwood fi bers. For further information, visit our website at
www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Acknowledgments vii
List of Abbreviations ix
1. Corruption: A Window into the State of Postwar Lebanon 1
2. Assessing Corruption 18
3. Public Institutions and Bureaucratic Organization 72
4. The Political Settlement of the Second Republic 122
5. The Politics of State-Building and Corruption 164
6. Corruption and the Primacy of Politics 223
Epilogue 242
References 251
Index 267
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Acknowledgments
This book took over a decade to materialize, and as might be expected, many
individuals and organizations provided indispensable insights and assistance. Fi-
nancial support came from the U.K.’s Economic and Social Research Council
and from its Dutch counterpart NWO, which provided a grant to fi nance an
additional fi eld trip. My special gratitude goes to Anko Beldsnijder, who made it
possible for me to embark on my studies in London.
During my years at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and indeed
beyond, I received inspiring and dedicated attention from Eberhard Kienle in
addition to the support and insights of Charles Tripp, William Hale, and Graham
Dyer. I was privileged to receive comments from Michael Johnson, author of the
seminal work Class and Client in Beirut. In Beirut I was hosted for some time by
the Center for Behavioral Research at the American University. I especially thank
Samir Khalaf, who never tires in his efforts to create a platform where Lebanese
and foreign researchers can discuss their work. Rima Nour Ed-Din generously
shared her knowledge and experience of the frequently mesmerizing complexi-
ties of Lebanese politics and society, of which she remains a keen observer despite
longing for a different universe. Jihane Sfeir offered me her own useful insights
as well as her boundless encouragement and a lasting friendship. Thanks also to
Bassam Fattouh, who was a constant source of inspiration and refl ection. Mona
Harb, Hussam Itani, Amal Sa’ad-Ghorayeb, Fawaz Trabulsi, Kamal Hamdan, Paul
Salem, Sami ‘Atallah, Maroun Kisirwani, Antoine Haddad, Carole Hakim, Farid El
Khazen, Nadim Shehadeh, Abdu Sa’ad, and Jawad ‘Adra were among the many
wonderful Lebanese academicians, researchers, and journalists who generously
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viii Acknowledgments
granted me time, refl ected on my questions, crushed my assumptions, and helped
me fi nd data. My book would not have been possible without the help of Nohma
Khairallah, librarian with the daily A n-Nahar, whose encyclopedic knowledge of
Lebanon’s politics and elite society continues to amaze me. I also wish to com-
memorate the late Yusuf Sayigh and thank Rosemary Sayigh and their son Yezid
Sayigh for taking an interest in my work and for providing kind encouragement.
Steve Sherman, editor of Middle East International before fi nancial constraints re-
grettably forced this unique magazine to close down, cheerfully provided feed-
back on my reports from Beirut. In doing so he inadvertently helped frame the
focus of my research.
During my time as an analyst with the International Crisis Group in Beirut
between 2002 and 2005, I had the chance to improve my analytical skills thanks
to Robert Malley, newly gained qualities that I hope he will recognize in this
book. My thanks also go to the staff at the Lebanese Transparency Association,
who hosted me at their offi ces in Beirut. Jim Quilty added his own encourage-
ment by jointly exploring Beirut’s nightlife and incessantly quoting my elusive
book on Lebanese corruption in his excellent and inspired reporting from the
country. Yet most important, I owe Lebanon a great deal of gratitude because it
was there that I met Eva, my partner and mother of our son, Finn, and daughter,
Zoe. My gratitude to her for enduring the less pleasant moments of preparing
this book falls hopelessly short in compensating her for what she has had to put
up with. Finally, I thank Roger Haydon, my editor at Cornell University Press, for
his support and his gift for rephrasing in two sentences what I had needed two
paragraphs to express.
This book is dedicated to Samir Kassir, a friend and a rich source of inspiration
until his life ended abruptly and violently on 2 June 2005. I learned tremen-
dously from his always erudite and thought-provoking perspectives on Lebanese
and Middle East politics. Yet his brutal assassination continues to stir doubts in me
whether I understood anything at all.
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Abbreviations
AA Al-Anwar
AD Ad-Diyar
AH Al-Hayat
AL Al-Liwa’
AM Al-Mustaqbal
AN An-Nahar
AS As-Safi r
ATHC Arab Tripartite High Commission
AW Al-Wassat
BCD Beirut Central District
BOT build-operate-transfer
CA Court of Accounts
CDL Le Commerce du Levant
CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction
CDR-PR Council for Development and Reconstruction Progress Report
CEGPB Compagnie d’Exploitation et de Gestion du Port de Beyrouth
CFD Central Fund for the Displaced
CIB Central Inspection Board
CPD Council for Planning and Development
CPI Corruption Perceptions Index, Transparency International
CSB Civil Service Board
DPA Dubai Port Authority
DS Daily Star
ECGP Executive Council for Grand Projects
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