Lebanon
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Mona Yacoubian, director of the Lebanon Working Group at the U.S. Institute of Peace and special adviser to the Institute’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, discusses recent developments in Lebanon, and their broader impact on the region as well as prospects for peace in the Middle East.
Latest from USIP on Lebanon
- September 3, 2012 | Publication
Read about USIP’s on-the-ground and region-specific work aimed at the prevention of conflict in North Africa, the Middle East, South and Northeast Asia, and our special project on atrocity prevention.
- July 2, 2012 | Publication
Read about USIP’s on-the-ground and region-specific work aimed at the prevention of conflict in North Africa, the Middle East, South and Northeast Asia, and our special project on atrocity prevention.
- May 1, 2012 | Publication
Read about USIP’s on-the-ground and region-specific work aimed at the prevention of conflict in North Africa, the Middle East, South and Northeast Asia, and our special project on atrocity prevention.
- March 16, 2012 | Publication
The United States Institute of Peace proudly recognizes the ongoing work of the State of Texas in growing connections ranging from young people and technology to women in peacebuilding.
Overview
July 1, 2011 - The United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) delivered its long-anticipated indictment and related arrest warrants to Lebanese prosecutor Said Merza yesterday. The UN tribunal was established in May 2007 to try those responsible for the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others in a massive car bomb attack. Click here for an interactive timeline of the event surrounding the investigation.
While the contents of the indictment remain sealed, Lebanese media report that four individuals,including at least two connected to the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, were listed in the indictment. According to STL rules, the prosecutor has 30 days to execute the arrest warrants. In naming a Shiite organization as the prime suspects in the murder of a prominent Sunni leader, the indictment could spark renewed sectarian tension in Lebanon.
June 13, 2011 - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati announced a new cabinet today, ending a five-month political stalemate that increasingly threatened Lebanon's stability. The new government is dominated by members of the Hezbollah-allied March 8th coalition which has 18 of the cabinet's 30 portfolios, including the ministries of defense and interior. Hezbollah retains the same two relatively minor cabinet portfolios it held in the previous government. Meanwhile, the Western-allied March 14th bloc has opted not to participate in the cabinet, preferring to remain outside the government as a key opposition force. According to the Lebanese constitution, the Cabinet has 30 days to submit a policy statement to the parliament for its approval. The statement must pass by a majority in order for the government's formation to be finalized. In an indication of Lebanon's continuing political volatility, one minister, Talal Arslan, has already resigned from the cabinet. His resignation, however, does not threaten the cabinet's viability. | Read more: USIP Lebanon expert Mona Yacoubian tracks the situation in Lebanon.
"Life is Complicated in Lebanon"
Bloggingheads Interview with USIP's Mona Yacoubian and Elias Muhanna
June 18, 2011
Latest Analysis
- Lebanon's Hariri Tribunal Hits Its (Anti?) Climax
Foreign Policy | July 1, 2011 | Mona Yacoubian - New Government Announced in Lebanon
June 15, 2011 - USIP’s Mona Yacoubian examines the implications of the recently announced cabinet in Lebanon.
Explore
- On the Issues: The Syrian Uprising's Impact on Lebanon
May 9, 2011 | Mona Yacoubian - "Cairo, Heed the Lessons from Algiers and Beirut"
Foreign Policy | February 23, 2011 | Mona Yacoubian - "The other shoe drops in Lebanon"
Foreign Policy | January 17, 2011 | Mona Yacoubian - "Hezbollah's Nuclear Option"
Foreign Policy | January 13, 2011 | Steve Heydemann - On the Issues: Lebanon's Government
January 13, 2011 | Mona Yacoubian assesses Lebanon's recently collapsed government.
Learn more about Steve Heydemann
See all USIP publications and tools on Lebanon >>
Multimedia
- Listen Now: A Congressional View: Lebanon and the Arab Spring
May 10, 2011 | Congressman Charles Boustany at USIP - Watch Now: USIP expert Mona Yacoubian discusses the challenges facing Lebanon on Viewpoint with James Zogby
February 11, 2011
- Listen Now: Mona Yacoubian discusses Lebanon's political crisis on The Kojo Nnamdi Show
January 26, 2011 - Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics and the U.N. Special Tribunal
Audio | December 8, 2010 - Promoting Political Reform in Lebanon - Part I
Audio | September 29, 2010 - Promoting Political Reform in Lebanon - Part II
Audio | September 29, 2010
The Lebanon Working Group
First initiated in 2007 to respond to Lebanon’s vast reconstruction needs following the summer 2006 war with Israel, the Lebanon Working Group (LWG) has evolved significantly over the past few years. | Learn more
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