Even as reports indicate increasing involvement of Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict, the Party of God recently took the risk of engaging Lebanon's Southern neighbor. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last Thursday confirmed that his group had dispatched an Iranian-made reconnaissance drone which was shot down by the Israeli air force. The move, deemed adventurist by many Lebanese politicians, further tarnished Hezbollah's image and pushed the Lebanese President and Prime Minister to critize the militant group.

Though for long, the involvement of Hezbollah and Iranian fighters was suspected, it wasn't until recent months that its precise role was revealed. In September, Hezbollah lost a colonel and three of its fighters in Homs. Reports of its involvement in training Syrian soldiers as well as engaging in battle against the Free Syria Army (FSA) have been increasing. Even U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said at the UN Security Council that Hezbollah leaders are working with Iran to keep Assad in power.

As more events reveal its deeply entrenched role in the conflict - something that Nasrallah denied but said would consider should the Syrian regime demand it -

Hezbollah has come under fire domestically. Even Lebanese political figures who had for months shown a reconciliatory attitude towards the Party are starting to criticize its unilateral behavior. Hezbollah's recent launch of a drone into Israeli space provoked a harsh response from Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who stated that any such action requires national consensus. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman also reiterated the need for a national defense strategy, hinting that Hezbollah must come to the table and discuss such decisions. Future Movement leader Saad Hariri and the March 14 alliance said that Hezbollah is turning Lebanon into an "Iranian shield."

Hezbollah's actions are reportedly even drawing criticism from its own community, who are becoming wary of the recent developments in Syria. Shiite families who may be supportive of the anti-Israeli resistance do not want to give up martyrs for the fight in Syria. Should Hezbollah continue to lose members of its party in Syria, it may start to lose the trust of its own supporter base. This would be alarming for the part, with elections on the horizon.

Equally ominous for Lebanon's stability is the FSA's threat to retaliate against the Party's interference in the Syrian conflict. Last week, the FSA said that it had captured 13 of the Party's fighters in Syria (something Nasrallah denied) and threatened to strike South Beirut. As each side threatens to escalate, shelling continues at the border, and the more corpses continue to arrive from Syria. Analysts warn that Sunni support for the FSA at the Lebanese border, Hezbollah's fighting against it in Syria, may eventually draw the conflict home.