Hezbollah didn’t invent Lebanon’s corruption, but it’s now the biggest obstacle to reform

The state-within-a-state that Hezbollah has built over the last four decades is the one entity that faces an existential threat from a transparent and well-run Lebanon, writes Borzou Daragahi

The port where ammonium nitrate was irresponsibly stored for years is likely one way Hezbollah brings in its massive arsenal of rockets (AFP)

There’s an apocryphal joke that illustrates the depth and scale of corruption in Lebanon, where incompetence and institutional rot contributed to the Beirut disaster last week that killed at least 150 people, injured thousands, made hundreds of thousands homeless, and levelled much of the capital in damage estimated at more than $15bn.

The story begins with a Lebanese politician who visits the stately home of a counterpart in France.

“Wow,” says the Lebanese politician. “How can you afford a villa like that on a public employee’s salary?”