Will the conflict move from Syria to Lebanon?

There are plenty of divergent views surrounding the unprecedented escalation in violence between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Hezbollah, after Lebanese fighters were killed in Syria and FSA officers threatened to wage war on Hezbollah strongholds in Baalbek and Hermel. According to Hezbollah, there are 23 Syrian villages near the border inhabited by Lebanese citizens, most of them Shiites, which are vulnerable. They’re worried about statements made by the Syrian opposition, who have recently attacked the “aggression against the Syrian people” – they claim carried out by Hezbollah with the help of Iran, to defend President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. While each side trades insults – there’s always the risk that firing accusations could turn into firing missiles – there is now a real threat that Lebanon could get dragged right into the middle of the Syrian crisis, forcing the government to abandon its isolationist policy. Some believe Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria comes from a realisation that the regime’s days are numbered. Others claim that harassing Hezbollah is an attempt by the FSA to push the crisis outwards because of its inability of overthrowing the regime itself. Whatever the case is – truth or propaganda – the outcome is the same. And so international intervention becomes a kind of safety net while other Arab countries contribute to the escalation. Information suggests that Washington and Brussels have already given the Syrian opposition (particularly the FSA) a little pep-talk about avoiding clashes with Hezbollah. But how long will the international community be able to push the lines as tensions increase and the likelihood of a sectarian war in the region grows ever larger? --- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.