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Since the Hariri assassination, the subsequent Syrian withdrawal in 2005 and the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's political deadlock has transformed into an unprecedented institutional vacuum. In the meantime, both Western and regional interferences in Beirut's political quagmire are fueling tensions. Religious divisions between the Sunnis and the Shia, supporters of two different identities for Lebanon ”the pro-Western liberal vision and the anti-Israeli pro-Iranian one” seem to be heading towards uncontrolled violence.Nadim Hasbani, in charge of the relationships to Arab media at International Crisis Group (ICG), is a Researcher in Institut français de géopolitique (IFG, Université Paris VIII-Vincennes/Saint-Denis) where studies the defense policies of the Gulf. He founded the Middle East Political Risks Company, MidEastRisk.