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"thus, individuals with little or no Arabian ancestry (e.g., black Africans, Berbers) could be considered Arabs and self-identify as such by virtue of their mother tongue (see Who is an Arab?). "

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As far as Arab speaking Black Africans - no. They do not identify themselves as Arab unless they are Muslims as well. The Sudanese Africans I know identify themselves as Arab only if they are Muslim...those that are Chrsitn do not! And now with Darfur - therer's another twist: Muslim and Arabic speaking but not Arab! As well, this is not the case at all in Mauritania where for years Black African Mauritanians who are Muslim as well have been struggling against being called Arabs.

Berbers do not identify themselves as Arab. I know that for a fact having been in the region.

Therefore, the question of Lebanese being Arabs is certainly an open one IMO no matter what academia may say.

Technically, many Lebanese are not "Arabs". However, everyone has a different definition. It comes back to how one family identifies themselves. Practices and culture differ widely from similar people.

See post#48.

Some Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula do not identify themselves as Arabs but from whatever tribal roots they had.

When Bush, e.g., refers to the "Arab States", he is including Lebanon.

India is similar. You have the state language Hindi then you have regional languages, and you have a mixture of religions and different customs. Once can say they are Asian, Indian, Hindu, Mongoloid, Dravidian, Sikh or a ton of other definitions.