Lebanon: A Syrian Hand in Political Instability

A car bomb exploded in an upscale market in a predominantly Sunni district of west Beirut, Lebanon, on May 21. The blast came shortly after deadly clashes died down between Lebanese forces and Sunni militants in northern Lebanon, in which at least 71 were killed. The standoff in the north, along with this latest bombing and a May 20 bombing at a popular Beirut shopping mall, likely are the result of Syria's politically motivated fostering of a jihadist-oriented group known as Fatah al-Islam. With Lebanese presidential elections and the fate of an international tribunal to try Syrian suspects over the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri looming, political stability in Lebanon will continue to remain hostage to the negotiations Washington holds with Damascus and Tehran over Iraq.