A comprehensive American strategy towards Lebanon

The visit came at a time when regional pressure on Lebanon escalated, especially with regard to the state’s plan to disarm. Washington’s support for the Lebanese army and the people was clear, but any future aid is linked to the state’s commitment to the steps to restrict weapons and monopolize the security decision. Senator Jin Shaheen indicated that the Lebanese army is the main pillar of stability, and that the state’s commitment to disarmament is a prerequisite for any American support. It can be considered that the delegation came out with summaries that can be shortened in three basic documents: a document to support the disarmament plan, the barter document with Israel, and the conditional economic support document. However, the visit also produced a fourth unwritten document: the media crisis document.
Through what the visit carried, the most prominent messages can be summarized:
– The introduction of Lebanon in a new regional equation, as the file of arms is no longer an internal affairs, but rather part of a regional deal with Israel and the Gulf.
The army has become the key to the solution, where any American support is linked to the capacity of the military establishment to impose its sovereignty.
Support is conditional on sovereignty and reform, not financial aid without practical steps in the weapon file.
The American diplomacy stumbled by the press conference crisis, highlighting the importance of understanding the Lebanese national mood.
– The internal division is clear, between those who considered the visit a historical opportunity and who saw it as a direct intervention aimed at hitting the station.
Certainly, Beirut today is at a new turn, but the final decision is still pending the will of the interior and the pressure of the outside. Will it write for this visit to be the beginning of a changing path, or will it join a long archive of uncompromising initiatives?