The political and social threads that have kept Lebanon from entering another civil war are quickly fraying, with rival factions now struggling to contain violence amid the country’s deepening economic and humanitarian crises. On Aug. 27, clashes between supporters of the Sunni-dominated Future Movement party and the Iran-backed, Shiite-dominated militant group and political party Hezbollah broke out outside of Beirut, killing two and forcing the army to intervene. The skirmish erupted after Hezbollah supporters reportedly tried to unveil a banner marking the Shiite Ashoura religious holiday in a traditionally Sunni area. Days later on Aug. 31, the Shiite, Sunni and Maronite political parties in Lebanon's parliament settled on Mustapha Adib, a former diplomat with little political following, to replace former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who stepped down in the wake of the Aug. 4 Beirut explosion....
