Syrian occupation of Lebanon

Syria’s prolonged military and political dominance in Lebanon, beginning during the Lebanese Civil War and ending with the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005.

Lebanese Civil War: A 1975–1990 conflict in Lebanon involving rival Lebanese factions and regional and international powers. The war created the conditions for Syria’s military intervention and enduring influence.
Pax Syriana: A term for the Syrian-enforced political order in Lebanon after the civil war, especially during the 1990s. It describes the system of relative stability maintained under Syrian predominance.
Hafez al-Assad: Syria’s president from 1971 until his death in 2000, who built a durable authoritarian state and regional policy. He established the strategy that made Lebanon central to Syrian regional influence.
Assassination of Rafic Hariri: The 2005 bombing in Beirut that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri and 21 others. The assassination triggered mass protests and accelerated Syria’s withdrawal.
Syrian presence in Lebanon: The Syrian military and political involvement in Lebanon from 1976 to 2005, described by Syria and some allies as a legitimate presence. The phrase presents the same period without adopting the legal and political judgment implied by “occupation.”
Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War: Syria’s military involvement in Lebanon’s civil war, beginning in 1976 and shifting among rival factions. The intervention initiated the Syrian military presence that developed into occupation.
Lebanese security agencies: Lebanon’s state bodies responsible for domestic security and intelligence, including the Internal Security Forces and General Security. Syrian influence worked partly through close involvement with Lebanese security institutions.
Bashar al-Assad: Syria’s president since 2000, succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad. His government faced the crisis that led to Syria’s military withdrawal from Lebanon.
Cedar Revolution: A wave of Lebanese demonstrations in 2005 demanding Syrian troop withdrawal and political accountability. It turned opposition to Syrian dominance into a nationwide mobilization.
Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon: Israel’s military occupation of parts of southern Lebanon from 1982 until its withdrawal in 2000. It was a distinct foreign occupation in Lebanon that overlapped with Syria’s dominance.

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