LebanonissituatedinasensitiveareaintheMiddleEastandhasbeenlockedinprolongedturmoil.Itsdomesticproblemshavebeeninterwovenwiththeregion’sunderlyingcontradictionsfordecades.ThesituationinLebanonhasundergonesignificantchangessinceSyriapulledoutitstroopsfromSouthernLebanon.TheUnitedStateshasgotitselfmoreproactivelyinvolvedinthe