The question being asked by many Lebanese today is whether the country is heading toward a new civil war. The reply to that question is no, it is not. Not a new war, but perhaps a continuation of the old one.

In fact the 15-year civil war never formally ended, it just fizzled out. The Saudi-brokered Taif accords, which helped douse the flames of the conflict stopped short of extinguishing the fire altogether. Taif failed to provide the basis for reconciliation between the various Lebanese factions.

There never was any official recognition of "the events," as the war was often referred to, nor was there ever any recognition of the sacrifice of the more than 150,000 innocent victims of that tragic conflict.

There is not a single monument dedicated to the memory of the victims. Nor was there ever an attempt to officially reconcile the warring parties, as for example did the South Africans when they introduced - quite successfully one may add - truth and reconciliation committees. These committees probed deep into the heart of the nation's problems, examined the issues, bringing them out in the open and confronted them face-on.

In contrast, Lebanon's politicians tried to sweep the ashes and memories of the conflict under the rug. The problem in doing so is that whatever is pushed under the rug has a tendency to come out again.

Lebanon needs to face the reality that only the Lebanese can solve the country's problems. The solution to the Lebanese crisis is to be found in Beirut; not Damascus, Tehran, Paris or Washington.