The Islamic Republic of Iran

Lieutenant Ahmad Khatib mutinied to form the Arab Army of Lebanon in protest against the use of the Lebanese air force. South Lebanese Army (SLA) was formed to fight against Palestinian and National Movement militias in the south of Lebanon. Lebanese members of parliament, as the two formal blocs, were intensely divided over support and opposition to the al-Assad regime as it waged an increasingly existential struggle for its own survival. In spite of the popular efforts of the March 14 Movement and the Cedar Revolution&s;s mass appeal for the assertion of Lebanon&s;s sovereignty, many Lebanese remain tied to their neighbors through sectarian and ethnic identities, family relations, and the modalities of political order. The internationalization of the challenges facing Lebanon and Syria peoples require recognition that both patron and proxy will need to refrain from attempts to achieve maximalist goals. Syria has a unique position in Middle East politics as the epicenter of the modern Arab.