Despite promises of reform made by the Syrian President Bashar Assad, the demonstrations in Syria are still spreading across the country. Recent escalations have had repercussions in Lebanon, where pro-Syrian groups have accused the March 14 coalition of funding and arming the protestors - an allegation that the coalition has refuted. They further threatened that Lebanon will pay the price for instability in Syria.

In Syria, popular protests have forced the regime to make concessions. The newly formed Syrian government passed a draft decree to lift the emergency law, which has been enforced for decades, and a bill to dismantle the Supreme State Security Court. These measures, designed to appease the demonstrators, have not deterred them. In fact, protests spread to university campuses, where the security forces did not hesitate to shoot at students. Human rights groups estimate that more than 200 Syrians have died since the protests first erupted in Daraa.

Washington maintains a cautious attitude towards the revolts, "expressing skepticism" but stopping short of taking any diplomatic action. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her concern about the situation and the multiple reports of "violence and casualties among both civilians and government personnel." Clinton called on the Syrian authorities to end violence and respond to "the legitimate issues that have been raised by the Syrian people," adding that "the government must stop the arbitrary arrest, detentions and torture of prisoners."

Facing the biggest challenge to his rule, Assad is trying to discredit the dissidents by using the same ploys used by the Egyptian, Tunisian and Libyan regimes, namely, accusing the protesters of being driven by 'foreign forces'. In this light, last week the Syrian authorities accused a Lebanese Sunni Member of Parliament of funding and arming the opposition. The Syrian state television aired 'confessions' by members of a cell that allegedly received funding and weaponry from Lebanese MP Jamal Jarrah in order to fuel the protests.

Hezbollah called for the prosecution of Jarrah, claiming that the attempts to wreak havoc in Syria are aimed at weakening the 'Resistance.' Hezbollah's Nabil Qaouk pounced on the Syrian allegations and accused caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri of undermining Syrian stability, adding that the Lebanese judiciary should uncover "the extent to which the Future Movement (headed by Hariri) is involved in conspiring against Syria." Speaker Nabih Berri, another figure of the March 8 coalition, warned against betting on chaos in Syria, saying that Lebanon will be "the first to pay the price for instability."

Jarrah rejected the accusations and demanded that the Syrian authorities publicly present evidence incriminating him. Hariri's parliamentary bloc urged the caretaker cabinet to summon Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdulkarim Ali for talks on the allegations.

The March 8 group has thus far had the upper hand in forcing its agenda in Lebanon, but any potential change in the Syrian status quo, caused by the continuous protests, will undoubtedly alter the rules of the game. A change in the Syrian leadership would weaken Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies in Lebanon, as well as the broader Syrian-Iranian axis that continues to destabilize the region. It is imperative that international actors realize that silence may be interpreted as tacit support for the oppressive regime; given that the regime has not delivered on its promises to the U.S. Administration and the international community. The regime continues to threaten Lebanon's security and sovereignty, and as such, silence should no longer be an acceptable policy.