A terrorist cell affiliated with Al Qaeda was uncovered in the ranks of the Lebanese Army this week, raising questions about the command of the army at a critical time in Lebanon and the region. The army's assertive response, and the full support it received from Lebanese officials as well as the international community, demonstrate an increased capacity to combat attacks on the institution, and serve as a national institution capable of defending the country.

The accused terrorist ring leader is Tawfiq Taha, an alleged member of the Abdallah Azzam Brigades, an Islamist organization with links to Al Qaeda. Taha, a Palestinian national who resides in the southern Ain Al Hilweh camp in Lebanon, allegedly led and trained a six-member cell to carry out attacks against the Lebanese army. Two of the trainees were army officers. The Azzam Brigades have reportedly been highly active in the Ain Al Hilweh camp as of late, transferring personnel in and out of the camp while purchasing weapons and observing a larger-than-normal influx of outsiders into the camp. The army took strict security measures outside the camp and asked Palestinian groups to turn Taha in, but the army's inability to access the camp limits its capacity to arrest him.

The Azzam Brigades recently announced that it had received an offer from Hezbollah and the Syrian regime to assassinate Jumblatt in return for the release of a number of jihadists in Syria jails. Hezbollah and the Syrian regime did not make any statements, but the recent release of an Al Qaeda operative from Syrian custody, combined with the Bridgades' history of launching rockets against Israel, some alleged to be on Syrian orders, have fueled those reports.

A closer look at the terrorist cell shows that another member of the six-person ring had a leadership role within Fatah al-Islam, a militant Islamic group which fought the Lebanese army during a four-month battle in the northern Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in 2007. Another claimed allegiance to Osbat al-Ansar, a Salafist fundamentalist group.

While Al Qaeda operations in Lebanon are not new, the fact that army officers were implicated in the terrorist cell sounds an alarm within the military establishment. The army has faced several challenges in recent years, including battles with terrorist groups and attempts to control the country's borders with Israel and Syria. Recent developments demonstrate that the attacks have not waned, and dismounting them requires a national effort and international support.

The international community retains strong faith in the Lebanese Army. This was voiced by French chief of defense Admiral Edouard Guillaud on his visit to Lebanon last week. France provides $2.6 million annually to the Lebanese army. Washington is equally supportive of the army despite a spat over cutting aid to the Lebanese army following Hezbollah's overtake of the government last year. In December 2010, Congress approved funding for the army, stipulating that the funds should serve to "strengthen border security and combat terrorism." This support proves crucial as more plots against the military are unveiled.

For the Lebanese, the military establishment represents the single most important institution that is able to unify groups of different sects and backgrounds. As the regional status quo starts to shake and new players take center stage in Syria and neighboring countries, the Lebanese army has a unique opportunity to assert its command over Lebanese territories. It is faced with challenges by several non-state groups, but with international support, continued training and guided leadership, the army can enhance its capacity and ability to guard Lebanon's sovereignty and stability.