ABSTRACT
Syria's involvement in the civil war may be roughly divided into three stages: indirect involvement; limited direct involvement; and the Syrian invasion of Lebanon. Syria's involvement in the civil war forced it to deal with the local factions in Lebanon: Their submission was a necessary precondition for its domination of Lebanon and the imposition of Syrian authority over the country. Even more surprising than the confrontation between Syria and the Muslims and leftists was the confrontation between the Palestinians and Syria, their traditional ally in the Arab world, which developed into an armed conflict. Whereas the Palestinians sought to place the Palestinian problem at the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Syrians related to it in accordance with their own changing interests. Between the Christian camp and Syria there was a historic conflict, fundamental and deep-rooted, which derived from differing outlooks and opposing interests.
