Divided Cities: Belfast, Beirut, Jerusalem, Mostar, and Nicosia

Chapter 3: Beirut

Chapter  Beirut Introduction A Shi‘ite sniper named Taha spent fourteen years on the top floor of the high-rise Shmona Building in West Beirut, firing Russian B107 artillery shells at nearby targets as part of an ongoing campaign to kill Phalangist militiamen. During the Israeli invasion of Beirut, Taha suffered severe injuries to his hands—the most vulnerable part of a sniper nested in a heavily fortified position. Though his brother was killed during the seventeen-year civil war, Taha seems to bear no grudge against his former rivals in Lebanon . He assigns blame for the violence to the unwelcome intervention of outside forces like the Syrian and Israeli armies. He moves freely between formerly separated sectors of the city. He claims that Beirut is no longer physically or psychologically divided, and that former enemies now live their lives in a forgiving manner with an air of good sportsmanship. Another Muslim Beiruti citizen named Salma lives not far from the Shmona Building where Taha was employed. She remains angry, confused, and resentful about the war. Her home is located just behind the former Green Line, and since she was unable to leave her house and children during the hostilities she was forced to experience the battles at close range. She witnessed rival militias fighting across the demarcation line and lost a young daughter in the process from sniper fire. Her family often went without electricity, water, and food. She has no explanation for the war. In her estimation it was fought for nothing and settled nothing. She said that during the war it became impossible to differentiate between friends and enemies . She laments that her youth was stolen and that the time lost spoiled her future. She believes that as long as there are militias tied to specific religions , the war will continue and the city will remain divided. The shells have stopped falling but the war goes on. Salma is convinced that, even after  Chapter  Table 3.1. Basic Facts Regarding the Physical Partition of Beirut Antagonisms Christian v. Muslim paramilitaries; Lebanese Front v. Lebanese National Movement; Nationalist v. Pan-Arab factions; pro-Government v. rebel factions Names Green Line, Damascus Road Location The Green Line corresponded roughly to Beirut’s main north-south traffic corridor, splitting major roads and public spaces starting at the historic harbor and Martyrs’ Square, then following the Damascus Road southward beyond the suburbs. In addition, numerous minor boundaries fragmented the East and West sectors created by the Green Line in accordance with ever-shifting territorial acquisitions of assorted paramilitary groups active within the city. Context The primary partition constituted a near perfect crosssection of the city, cutting through its historic core and the Phoenician archaeological ruins before passing through prominent commercial and residential zones and continuing through refugee camps like Shatila and semi-autonomous suburbs like Chiyah and Ghobeire. Size The Green Line was a fortified path approximately 9 km long and 18–90 m wide, protected on either side by solid barricades of various dimensions. Throughout the city, enclaves were likewise defined and protected by semipermanent walls usually less than 3 m high and 1.5 m wide used to block important roads fully or partially; in addition, snipers’ view sheds projected invisible ‘target cones’ onto the city, thus creating very effective physical obstacles to civilian movement. Porosity Passage of pedestrians and vehicles across the Green Line was hindered by several elements: physical barricades, checkpoints, gates, exposure to sniper fire, mines, debris, and intimidation. Three ‘‘official’’ crossings existed throughout the duration of the war: the Port Crossing near the old harbor and Parliament building, the Museum Crossing next to the Hippodrome and National Museum, and the Gallery Crossing nearest to the Beirut River and airport. Since paramilitary guards interested in the ethnicity of travelers controlled them, these were used mainly by paramilitary commanders, diplomats, and foreigners. Materials Partitions were constructed in a spontaneous manner using barbed wire, sandbags, abandoned vehicles, cement block, and nearby debris. Beirut  Status All barricades have been dismantled along with structures associated with paramilitary activity and military occupation. The central business district is fully rehabilitated and several outlying sectors significantly reconstructed. Large sections of urban fabric remain abandoned and decrepit along with hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed during the war that still await repair. Actors Paramilitary combatants were the primary builders of Beirut’s partitions; based on...