"Reigning in Amal's hoodlums..."

In the National, here

"BEIRUT // At the Cola intersection in West Beirut, the front line of three political-sectarian zones of influence meet. To the south is the Sunni area of Tarik Jdedeh, controlled by the Future Movement. Beyond the bridge to the north is Moussaitbeh, a Druze stronghold controlled mostly by Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party, and within Moussaitbeh is the Lebanese University area, historically controlled by the Shiite group Amal but increasingly sporting the yellow flags of their coreligionist allies Hizbollah.

Working class, religiously mixed areas such as this are a tinderbox of tension and have seen several clashes since the assassination of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005.......... 

While Lebanon’s opposing factions have found it useful in the past to keep their supporters charged up, in a new era of reconciliation since the signing of the Doha Accord last June, they are determined to keep a lid on street tensions.....

“At the moment, the politicians don’t want any problems. We are under order not to confront,” said a Hizbollah volunteer unit leader, speaking on condition of anonymity behind a wall at the Cola intersection...........

And in the areas traditionally controlled by Amal, that is increasingly falling to Hizbollah. 

“Hizbollah is trying to discipline the Amal kids,” said Walid, a young Palestinian from Tarik Jdedeh who has friends in Hizbollah. “Hizbollah started taking responsibility because they were getting a bad reputation for the Amal boys.”

Timur Goksel, an expert in Lebanese security issues at the American University of Beirut, said: “Hizbollah are now responsible for everything the Shiite do, and Amal are becoming less and less organised......“They are a bunch of hoodlums,” said one leader of an Amal unit, who asked to remain anonymous. 

“They go on the streets like gangs, destroying properties.” ......He said he was glad to have Hizbollah’s assistance in calming down the streets, although admitted that some Amal supporters do not like being told what to do by Hizbollah...........

Another way in which Hizbollah is trying to promote social discipline – and build ideological support – is through its targeting of drug users. Hashish and prescription drugs such as Benzeksol, which cost around 15,000 Lebanese pounds (Dh40) for a pack of 16, are hugely popular in the economically marginalised neighbourhoods of Tarik Jdedeh and the Dahiyeh........

Hizbollah has a network of informants in drug circles in the Dahiyeh. “If people are caught they will be beaten up, taken to hospital and sent home,” said Mahmoud. “Then they [Hizbollah] will try and talk to them, supervise them, start putting religion in to their brain.”

............“Hizbollah is very careful not to be seen to be taking over the complete functions of the state,” said Mr Goksel. “Also they don’t want to make themselves unpopular.”

Although Hizbollah appears to be expanding its role at Amal’s expense, the relationship between the two parties, who fought each other during the civil war, is said to be mutually beneficial, according to political analysts. For Amal, once the main Shiite party in Lebanon, the alliance offers an opportunity to remain politically relevant. ..."