The fractured state of Lebanon’s defense strategy, the Lebanese Armed Forces and Hezbollah’s jockeying for defense supremacy, has come under greater scrutiny in 2012, as the conflict and Syria threatens to spill across Lebanon’s boarders, and potential regional conflict with Iran looms large.

This event invites experts to discuss multiple facets of Lebanon’s national defense strategy. It will delve into the current status and role of the Lebanese Armed Forces, highlighting both domestic and external threats resulting from the Syria crisis. The discussion will also touch on the question of Hezbollah’s arms and the greater issue of Lebanese state sovereignty. The panelists will shed light on the evolving US-Lebanon military relationship and offer recommendations on devising an effective security strategy that promotes state sovereignty and stronger relations with the US defense establishment.

Featuring:

• Aram Nerguizian, Visiting Fellow, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for Strategic & International Studies
• Matthew Spence, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense
• Colin Kahl, Senior Fellow, Center for New American Security & Associate Professor of Security Studies, Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Moderated by:

• Mara Karlin, Principal Director – Strategy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense