ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the civil war in Lebanon, followed by a discussion of the Taif Agreement and the political order it established. The Lebanese civil war was the product of both long-standing political tensions and more recent economic, political and regional pressures. The chapter explains five 'lessons from Lebanon' for Arab Spring states making their own transitions from authoritarianism and/or civil war to new systems of government. These include: cosmetic changes are not enough; foreign sponsorship comes with strings attached; blanket amnesties are risky; militias can choose to change; and memory and memorialization matter. More importantly for the post-war transition and the prospects for transitional justice, however, external sponsorship can have unfortunate domestic political consequences. It increases the chances that regional rivalries will translate into local conflict and stands to increase distrust between local parties, thus damaging prospects for local dialogue and reconciliation. The last of five lessons Lebanon offers its neighbors is perhaps the most cautionary of all.
