February 1st, 2022 - Lebanon is at a crucial crossroads. The people are suffering, starving, and distrustful that the government will come to their assistance. The economy, like the Port of Beirut, is in ruins due to mismanagement and in need of reconstruction. Stability and democracy are at stake this year as elections are to be held on May 15, 2022, and most of the candidates are those who are responsible for the current disasters in the country.
How will the international community, led by the US and France provide sufficient support so that free and fair elections are held on time? Will Hezbollah continue to interfere in the Port of Beirut investigation? Will the government of PM Najib Mikati find itself unable to implement any of the reforms required for assistance facilitated by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement?
Held on February 1st, 2022, the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) presented the official release of their latest collaborative policy brief, "Helping the Lebanese People Move Towards Recovery: Recommendations for US Policy," at a webinar featuring remarks from a number of the more than two dozen co-authors of this report.
