Steven Simon and Jonathan Stevenson argue that demilitarizing Hezbollah is crucial to rolling back Iranian influence in the Middle East and shaping an environment more conducive to Arab-Israeli accomodation.

Elliott Abrams argues that if indeed Syria is supplying Hezbollah with SCUD missiles, Israel's right to self defense as well as the relevant UN resolutions allow military action against this threat--and the United States should make this clear.

Mohamad Bazzi writes that the U.S. and Europe must ensure that the most volatile border in the Middle East--Lebanon's southern frontier with Israel--stays under control.

Although Lebanon has a new U.S.-backed Prime Minister, Hezbollah remains the dominant military and political force and it holds the key to both domestic and external stability, writes Mohamad Bazzi.

CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says while a new unity government in Lebanon after months of political uncertainty is welcomed by Washington, inclusion of Hezbollah poses potential challenges.

Deep seated sectarian differences are the root of political instability in Lebanon, writes Mohamad Bazzi.

"What is wrong with Lebanon and why is it so hard for elected politicians to form a government?" asks Mohamad Bazzi, citing an obsolete political system as a reason for government instability.

Mohamad Bazzi reviews The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday, by Neil MacFarquhar.

Elliott Abrams argues that Lebanon's recent elections can be considered "free," while Iran's elections should not.

Following the Lebanon's parliamentary elections, CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says a crucial question for the new government is whether it can operate without allowing Hezbollah and its allies to retain their veto power in the cabinet.

A pro-Western coalition appears to have defeated Hezbollah in Lebanon's parliamentary vote, but analysts say the group will likely continue to be a power broker in Lebanese politics.

Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections, pitting pro-Western political elements against a coalition led by Hezbollah, will test the country's ability to manage political change among many factions.

In this New York Times Op-Ed Tzipi Livni, a former vice prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Israel, writes about Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections and comments that voting alone does not constitute democracy, but rather the values of participating parties must also be taken into account.

Listen to CFR experts Mohamad Bazzi and Steven Cook discuss the June 7, 2009 parliamentary elections and the future of Lebanon.

In this teleconference with Steven A. Cook, Mohamad Bazzi provides an overview of the upcoming elections in Lebanon, and puts forward several post-election scenarios.

Michael Young, opinion editor for Beirut's Daily Star, says the Obama administration has indicated it does not favor a victory for the Hezbollah-led opposition in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Should they win, Lebanon would likely lose economic support from the United States and key Arab states in the region.

Max Boot argues that the Obama administration's desire to reach a deal with Syria or Iran should not compromise a flourishing Lebanon's independence.

This monograph assesses the claim that future warfare is a matter of nonstate actors employing irregular methods against Western states through a detailed analysis of Hezbollah’s military behavior, coupled with deductive inference from observable Hezbollah behavior in the field to findings for their larger strategic intent for the campaign.

Two years after the UN-brokered cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah gunmen in southern Lebanon, lasting peace remains elusive.