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{
  "authors": [
    "Julia Choucair-Vizoso"
  ],
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  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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  "programAffiliation": "DCG",
  "programs": [
    "Democracy, Conflict, and Governance",
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  "regions": [
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Lebanon’s New Political Moment

The assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has forced the Lebanese to confront one another on the question of Syria’s role in the Lebanese political system and has pitted pro-Syria politicians with vested interests in the status quo against an increasingly vocal opposition movement backed by popular demonstrations.

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By Julia Choucair-Vizoso
Published on Mar 9, 2005
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Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

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Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

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The assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in a bomb blast in Beirut on February 14, 2005, has forced the Lebanese to confront one another on the question of Syria’s role in the Lebanese political system. The loss of such a prominent figure and the circumstances surrounding his assassination have pitted pro-Syria politicians with vested interests in the status quo against an increasingly vocal opposition movement backed by popular demonstrations.

Click on the link above for the full text of this Policy Outlook.

About the Author
Julia Choucair is assistant editor of the Carnegie Endowment’s Arab Reform Bulletin and project associate of the Carnegie Endowment’s Democracy and Rule of Law Project.

About the Author

Julia Choucair-Vizoso

Former Editor in Chief, Sada

Julia Choucair Vizoso is editor in chief of the online journal, Sada. Her research interests include Middle Eastern politics, authoritarianism, and identity politics.

    Recent Work

  • Commentary
    Elections Highlight Lebanon's Confessional System

      Julia Choucair-Vizoso

  • Paper
    Illusive Reform: Jordan's Stubborn Stability

      Julia Choucair-Vizoso

Julia Choucair-Vizoso
Former Editor in Chief, Sada
Political ReformDemocracySecurityMiddle EastLebanonSyria

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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