Lebanon

Syria has decided to cut ties with Fatah al-Islam, a murky Islamist militant group operating in Lebanon, according to Stratfor sources. [more]

The head of Lebanon's parliamentary majority is looking to start a bidding war between the United States and Russia. [more]

With Lebanese Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah back on its side, Iran has an additional Shiite asset to promote its interests in the region. [more]

Major Arab powers are reaching out to select Hezbollah figures to exacerbate rifts in the Shiite movement, constrain Syria and undermine Iranian influence in the region. [more]

The following is an internal Stratfor document produced to provide high-level guidance to our analysts. This document is not a forecast, but rather a series of guidelines for understanding and evaluating events, as well as suggestions on areas for focus. [more]

Syria's agenda for Lebanon may have Turkish and Israeli backing. [more]

Syria reportedly has increased the number of its troops on the Lebanese border. [more]

A car bomb exploded in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sept. 27, killing 17 people and wounding 14 others. [more]

Syria moved troops to the northern Syrian-Lebanese border, making militant Lebanese movement Hezbollah very concerned. [more]

A troop buildup could be a sign that Syria is moving to reassert physical control over Lebanon. [more]

A reported increase in the presence of Russian intelligence officers in Lebanon provides a hint of things to come in the Middle East. [more]

Hezbollah is considering changing the name of its armed wing in a bid to rebrand itself as a Lebanese nationalist movement. [more]

Rumors of the recent death of a Hezbollah leader indicate a nasty fight within Lebanese Shiite militant group's top ranks. [more]

A bus bombing in Tripoli, Lebanon, was a message from Saudi-backed Sunni militants that they will resist a coming crackdown. [more]

U.S. Gen. David Petraeus' surprise visit to the Lebanese capital comes at a critical time for Middle Eastern geopolitical dynamics. [more]

To attack? or not to attack Israel? That is the question that may well determine the future of Hezbollah and its status in Lebanon. A look at the fractures within the Shiite movement. [more]

Hezbollah has reason to launch an attack on Israel, but such a strategy involves big risks. [more]

Hezbollah and media commentators alike are treating the July 16 prisoner swap with Israel — which has received only the remains of slain soldiers in return for five living prisoners — as an unmitigated victory for the Shiite militant group. But less public events indicate that the walls are closing in on Hezbollah. [more]

Hezbollah has taken positions on Lebanon's strategic Mount Sannine, a sign that the militant group is growing increasingly desperate. [more]

While the July 14 Mediterranean Union summit might appear something of a bust with respect to Israeli-Syrian peace talks, appearances can be deceiving. [more]