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3. Mullahs and Company, Hands Off the Airport!

In 1973, Henry Kissinger refused to land at Beirut International Airport because it was under the control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He also avoided traveling by road to the airport for the same reason. At the time, President Sleiman Frangieh welcomed him instead at the Rayak military airport — an implicit admission that the Lebanese state no longer controlled its own borders. We all know what happened two years later.

As the saying goes, history repeats itself. Today, it is Hezbollah and its supporters who seek to turn Beirut’s airport and the roads leading to it into a legal black hole — one that serves the militia’s interests and those of its Iranian backers. The daily violence, road blockades and attacks on soldiers and UNIFIL forces all point to the same conclusion: the Islamic Republic will not tolerate any authority but its own over this so-called "liberated territory."

Faced with this dismal spectacle, which signals the potential for a larger explosion, some are more than ever tempted to push for the opening of alternative airports. While, in principle, it seems absurd that Lebanon has only one airport — especially when countries of comparable size have several — the timing is completely wrong.

Beirut International Airport (BIA) is Lebanon’s primary gateway to the world. Succumbing to this threat would be a grave abdication of sovereignty. President Joseph Aoun has recognized this and has made his position clear: there will be no tolerance for the abuses of recent days. The perpetrators will be arrested and brought to justice. He is absolutely right. The Lebanese Army must be able to deploy in full force along the roads and at the airport to restore the rule of law. If this proves insufficient, the area should be placed under international protection, supported by UN resolutions — most notably Resolution 1701. This airport belongs to Lebanon and its capital; it is not an outpost for the reckless schemes of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. They should focus on securing their own airspace, where their failures have been glaringly evident. They have already driven Lebanon into ruin. There’s no point in persisting down the same disastrous path. We’ve already paid the price, thank you. And as for their so-called great support front for Gaza, the results speak for themselves, and are painfully clear at the cost of the Palestinians.

By unleashing its mobs to riot and vandalize public and private property in the streets, Hezbollah is chasing a political victory. Militarily defeated, with no supply lines since Assad’s fall, the militia is cornered. To break its isolation, particularly financial, the BIA is its last bargaining chip. The Syrian border is becoming increasingly impenetrable. The ongoing battles show just how much the new masters of Damascus care for our ‘local bearded ones.’ Through fear and intimidation, Hezbollah is trying to delay its inevitable transformation into a mere political faction — a shift that, ironically, could serve as its best escape route.

The state must remain steadfast. Only then can we discuss alleviating air traffic congestion through other airports. “Let’s not put the cart before the scooters!”