American President Barack Obama's nomination of his second-term Cabinet has stirred controversy in Washington, with political analysts disagreeing on the direction US foreign policy would take should they be confirmed by the Senate. U.S. policy towards the Middle East has been featured in most debates, given Iran's nuclear timeline, the transition in Afghanistan, and the raging Syrian conflict.

The new team, if confirmed, brings in former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel as U.S. Secretary of Defense, John Kerry as Secretary of State and John Brennan as CIA director. Many say the secretary-nominees will bring fresh thinking on a number of complicated issues - being more likely to achieve progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and to bring Iran to the table for negotiations on its nuclear program. Others, however, attacked Hagel for his political stances on Israel, accusing him of making anti-Israeli statements. He has also been criticized for a perception of being soft on Russia as well as rogue states like Iran, citing his opposition to bills imposing sanctions on Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya under Qaddafi, and Cuba.

Critics argue that Hagel's advocacy of open engagement with Iran will allow the regime to advance its nuclear program. One Middle East analyst argued that in his negotiations, Hagel would also grant countries like Iran and Syria a "free hand in Arab affairs."

Similar criticism is leveled at Secretary of State nominee Kerry, with the latter receiving sharp backlash for his close relationship with Syrian President Bashar Assad. This denunciation is highlighted by Kerry's several visits to Syria before the revolution, and his claims that Assad was a reformer. If Kerry is confirmed, he would have to make a clear break with the past and display more of the pragmatism and leadership he is commended for in order to restore US foreign policy in the region.

As for CIA chief nominee John Brennan, he recently advocated for the European Union labeling of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This is a departure from his position in 2010, when, after a visit to Lebanon as assistant to the President on homeland security and counterterrorism, he stated the U.S. is looking for ways to "build 'moderate elements' within Hezbollah," and referred to the militant Shiite group as an "interesting organization."

Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State (then at the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs), at the time denied any change in US foreign policy regarding Hezbollah, confirming that the U.S. did not distinguish between a political wing and a military wing.

Obama's new team will have to make tough decisions on imminent issues in the Middle East, such as the question of Iran's nuclear weapon and post-Assad Syria. Given the huge impact those have on Lebanon and the region as a whole, many are waiting to see whether the advent of the new team will bring about the change promised in the first term, or whether the Middle East will be an afterthought - something many perceive was the case during Obama's first four years in office.