The Middle East Institute is proud to host Aram Nerguizian and David Schenker for a discussion about the pros and cons of US support to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). In 2005, after the withdrawal of Syrian military forces from Lebanon and the subsequent election of a pro-Western Lebanese government, the Bush Administration pledged to help the LAF bolster domestic security and to strengthen state institutions. Since then, the US has provided more than $530 million in security assistance to the LAF and other Lebanese security forces. But since elections in 2009, Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies are wielding greater influence in Lebanon’s current government, leading some to question the long-term prospects of US programs in support of the Lebanese military. What is the future of US assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces given US regional objectives and Lebanon’s changing political landscape? What can the US achieve in a Lebanese political environment that has been historically resistant to meaningful political or security reform?