Alia Awadallah
Monday, September 11, 2017 - 07:36
The report focuses on the Lebanese government’s ability to mitigate threats from Salafi-jihadi groups, and explores aspects of U.S. policy toward Hezbollah. It argues against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and suggests additional steps that it and Congress can take to strengthen Lebanon’s counterterrorism capabilities, including continued Foreign Military Financing for Lebanon and leveraging U.S. assistance for better counterterrorism coordination.
Thursday, September 7, 2017 - 11:45
During the last week of August 2017, the Lebanese government completed its largest counterterrorism operation in years, pushing Islamic State (IS) militants from the group’s stronghold along the Lebanese border with Syria. As many as 7,000 soldiers from the Lebanese army and special operations forces took part.1 The offensive underscored Lebanon’s contribution to the global counter-IS coalition and the key role that its military and security services have played in blocking the expansion of Sunni militant groups in the region.