Lebanon: Hezbollah's Next Battle After Qusair

As Hezbollah and Syrian loyalist forces have stepped up an offensive in the Syrian city of Qusair to strengthen their grip on the vital Homs crossroads, it is no coincidence that the volatile district of Tripoli in northern Lebanon is also witnessing a flare-up between Alawites and Sunnis. With backing from Salafists in Tripoli, Syrian rebels routed from Qusair could attempt to draw Hezbollah's attention away from the city by triggering sectarian clashes in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah will pick its battles carefully to preserve its strength and to pre-empt Sunni attempts to disrupt northern Lebanese supply routes into Syria. Both agendas point to increased violence in northern Lebanon.