François Picard welcomes Bilal Saab, Senior Managing Director of Trends Research Group and a close friend of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Saab offers a cautiously optimistic view of a pivotal diplomatic moment, describing President Aoun’s Washington visit as a crucial opportunity to strengthen international support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and state institutions. While acknowledging serious challenges—including Hezbollah’s influence, regional tensions, and complex Israeli‑Lebanese security issues—Saab argues that progress will rely not on military coercion but on the gradual reinforcement of the Lebanese state. He emphasizes that Lebanon serves both as a testing ground for U.S. regional diplomacy and a fragile experiment in state‑building, requiring sustained political backing rather than symbolic gestures.
