The Syrian Involvement in Lebanon : An analysis of the role of Lebanon in Syrian regime security from Ta'if to the death of Hafiz al-Asad.

This study analyzes the Syrian involvement in Lebanon following the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1989/90 and until the death of Syrian President Hafiz al-Asad, which marked the end of an era. I argue that Lebanon's geo-strategic position, not Syria's ideological orientation, has been central in explaining the Syrian involvement since the Syrian intervention in 1976, and especially in the 1990s. I further argue that Syrian foreign and security policy has been mainly driven by concerns for regime stability and security. I have defined security broadly to encompass concerns by the Asad-regime to ward off threats to 1) the legitimacy of the rule of the Asad-regime (political security), 2)military threats from mainly Israel (military security), and 3) threats to the allocative political economy (economic security). I also very briefly discuss the importance of water. In all these sectors of security, Lebanon has had a pivotal role. Thus, mainly security concerns, not 'Greater-Syria' ambitions have defined Syria's involvement in Lebanon in the 1990s