Sent: 11.11.09 21:35:33


Colleagues,

I am interested in organizing a panel on post-2005 Syrian-Lebanese
relations.  Please find below the proposed panel abstract.  If you are
interested in participating please email me (abboud@susqu.edu) an abstract
by December 1st.

Take care,
Samer

Post-2005 Politics in Syria and Lebanon

The withdrawal of the Syrian military from Lebanon in 2005 precipitated
political and economic shifts in both countries.  During the decades of
Syrian military presence in Lebanon, cross-border socio-economic networks,
Lebanese political actors, and elements within the Syrian regime developed
interdependent relationships that satisfied both political and economic
goals. Indeed, this interdependence shaped the Lebanese political system,
wherein Syrian officials became the primary interlocutors between political
actors in the country.  The decades of Syrian presence would thus have
considerable influence on the Lebanese sectarian system, particularly in the
post-Civil War period.  However, the Syrian regime and domestic actors
within Lebanon were equally shaped and responsive to Syriašs hegemonic role
in Lebanon.  Clearly, domestic actors within Syria benefitted from this
role, whether in their influence on Lebanese political actors or the ability
to exploit economic opportunities unavailable in Syria.  Thus, the aim of
this panel is to understand and evaluate how this period shaped different
political actors, structures and processes in both Lebanon and Syria.  In
doing so, the panelšs underlying objective is to explore the relationships
of various actors to Syriašs presence in Lebanon, and in turn, how these
actors have responded to the 2005 Syrian withdrawal.

In Lebanon, there was a dramatic shift in domestic political alliances that
created new debates about the orientation of the countryšs domestic and
foreign policies, simultaneously reinvigorating old debates, particularly in
regards to Syrian-Lebanese relations.  As a result, the period since 2005
has been one of instability in Lebanon.  Thus, key questions the panel will
ask include: How have domestic political actors negotiated the political
sphere since 2005?  What was the economic impact (broadly understood) of
Syrian withdrawal?  How have sectarian politics unraveled post-2005?  How
has the Syrian withdrawal facilitated the (re)entry of regional actors in
the Lebanese political and economic systems? Similarly, the strategic nature
of Lebanon in Syriašs recent political history raises questions about the
impact that withdrawal has had on the durability of authoritarianism in
Syria. As such, further questions asked by this panel include: How were
socio-economic networks impacted by the withdrawal?  How has the Syrian
regime continued to negotiate relations with Lebanese domestic political
actors? What impact did the withdrawal have on the speed and scope of
economic reforms in Syria?

Panel organizer:
Samer N. Abboud, Phd
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Susquehanna University
abboud@susqu.edu

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