The Lebanon Working Group was launched in 2007 (concluding in 2014) following the 2006 war with Israel in an effort to facilitate knowledge-sharing between Lebanon experts from both inside and outside the government and served as a platform to help inform U.S. policymakers and U.S. engagement in Lebanon.
In 2011, USIP partnered with the Stimson Center to broaden the scope of the working group to engage Stimson’s experts. Members of the working group met regularly for off-the-record discussions with a focus on:
- Potential for further spillover of the Syrian civil war, particularly given the unresolved sectarian tensions that fueled Lebanon’s own civil war
- Humanitarian and security implications of the Syria crisis
- The prospects for renewed cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel
- The role of Lebanon as a perennial proxy battlefield for US-tensions with Iran
Guest speakers included:
- U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Maura Connelly;
- Former ambassador to both Egypt and Israel, Daniel Kurtzer;
- Lebanon analyst Randa Slim;
- Registrar for the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Herman von Hebel
In addition, the group sponsored the following public events:
- Lebanon and the Arab Spring: A Congressional View
May 10, 2011 | Congressman Charles Boustany spoke about the current situation in Lebanon and how it is fairing in the Arab Spring. - Crisis in Lebanon: Sectarian Politics, Regional Dynamics and the UN Special Tribunal
December 8, 2010 | The Institute assembled a panel to examine the series of issues created by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon. - Lebanon's Municipal Elections: Prospects for Reform
May 7, 2010 | This congressional briefing addressed the anticipated results of Lebanon's May 2010 municipal elections. - Promoting Political Reform in Lebanon (Part I and Part II)
September 29, 2010 | USIP hosted a panel of experts on Lebanon to discuss the impact of electoral reforms passed in 2009 and 2010.
Publications
Hezbollah’s Nuclear Option
January 13, 2011 | Foreign Policy | by Steve Heydemann
The Other Shoe Drops in Lebanon
January 17, 2011 | Foreign Policy | by Mona Yacoubian
Cairo, Heed the Lessons from Algiers and Beirut
February 23, 2011 | Foreign Policy | by Mona Yacoubian
The Syrian Uprising’s Impact on Lebanon
May 9, 2011 | USIP Blog Post | by Mona Yacoubian
Regional Dynamics of the Syrian Uprising: The Impact on Lebanon and Hezbollah
October 18, 2011 | USIP Peacebrief | by Mona Yacoubian
Syria Conflict Rattles Lebanon
October 22, 2012 | Olive Branch Blog Post | by Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen
The Syrian Civil War: Threatening Lebanon's Fragile Stability
September 2012 | Conflict Prevention Newsletter Spotlight | by Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen
