Lebanon is too divided along sectarian lines to really decide anything for themselves. They had hope during the “Cedar Revolution” when Bush Jr. was President. They managed to oust Syrian OCCUPATION forces but then, Barry happened and everything went into a tailspin all over the planet.
Lebanon's central government has a hard time controlling “Hizbollah-Land” in the south on Israel's border. Hizbollah is stronger than most NATO countries now. Before there was “Hizbollah-Land” there was “FATAH-Land” and the Israeli security zone. Lebanon has wonderful potential but is trapped on all sides. Left to their own devices, who knows, they might have made peace with Israel but were prevented in doing so by their throat-cutting brethren.
To be sure, Obama has done a lot to embolden groups like Hezbollah and fan the flames in the ME. However, the chance for Lebanon to finally rid themselves of this disease came and went after the assassination of Rafiqi and the 2006 conflict.....before Obama was even a candidate.
At the beginning of hostilities, Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman told his Lebanese counterpart that the time was now for Lebanon to choose between peace and terror. He was on MTP in July 2006 and said the following:
I still remember Lebanon 30 years ago as a thriving, vibrant, fun-loving entrepreneurial country. It’s been taken hostage by the Syrians in the north and by Hezbollah in the south. It’s been strangled. And what we’re seeing today is a direct result of the horrors which Lebanon is experiencing because it has allowed the Hezbollah to fester within itself.
True then and worse today.