Mohanad Hage Ali

Good point Karim. SDF is politically active in Lebanon. Their primary focus is Syria itself, this is why they're mostly focused on developing their Druze and Alawi links. Lebanon needs to balance these activities with its neutrality/non-interference policy.

Is Türkiye Lebanon’s New Iran? Ankara may seek to annul a maritime deal with Cyprus and expand its influence in the next parliament.

This comes amid pressure on Lebanon's government to normalize relations with Israel, a move which could, in Turkey's eyes, cement Beirut's alignment with the opposing east mediterranean camp. More in my Diwan article carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/...

Throughout the past year since the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, and most imp since @Lebanon signed its demarcation deal with Cyprus, Turkey has shown increased interest in consolidating its leverage to influence Beirut's alignment. 1/2

Zaiter’s arrest is part of a broader pattern. Over the past months, the military has stepped up operations against major kingpins, using heavier tools than before, including targeted raids and, notably, deployment of the Air Force to strike criminal strongholds

That’s precisely why this moment matters. When someone who was long seen as “untouchable” is finally detained, it chips away at the public’s deep-rooted sense that the state can’t enforce the law. It restores a measure of trust, however fragile, in state institutions.

Lebanon’s army arrests drug kingpin Nouh Zaiter Lebanon’s army has arrested Nouh Zaiter, one of the country’s most notorious drug lords, a source confirmed to Al Arabiya English on Thursday.In a post on

Many in Lebanon believed Zaiter’s arrest would never happen. He is the face of impunity, collected arrest warrants but appeared openly on TV, moved freely, symbolized a state too intimidated to confront the big players. english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-...

A few thoughts on the arrest of Nouh Zaiter, a major event in Lebanon today, amid all the other news.

Lebanon arrests alleged drug lord linked to Hizbollah [FREE TO READ] Noah Zaitar, sanctioned by US over ties with Shia militant group and Syria’s Assad regime, detained in crackdown

“Noah Zaitar was the face of impunity in Lebanon, a drug trafficker who appeared openly in television interviews and made public appearances without ever being arrested,” said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

on.ft.com/3X8nVQR

Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah and the Captagon Trade | Babel: Translating the Middle East | CSIS Podcasts Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s involvement in these drug networks, as…

In the @mideast.csis.org 's newest Babel episode, Jon Alterman speaks with
@mohanad.bsky.social about how Hezbollah's involvement in drug trade networks has evolved over recent years.

It's a special episode, and Mona Yacoubian's first Babel appearance. Tune in:
www.csis.org/podcasts/bab...

Day 600 missing Daddy
#BringOmriHome to Roni and Alma and Lishay while there’s still time.
End this cruel neglect and abandonment, as you call for aid into Gaza, you must not neglect the remaining hostages held in the most hellish conditions.
#BringThemAllHomeNow 🎗️
Stay alive Omri. Survive.

Double Dealers: Lebanon and the Risks of Captagon Trafficking Lebanon’s financial collapse and the Syrian conflict have allowed for the growth of an illicit economy, giving rise to a new breed of drug traffickers with ties to Lebanese parties and influence in th...

Great to see PM Nawaf Salam announce the start of the cannabis commission formation process (for medical use), a key recommendation in my @CarnegieMEC paper earlier this year.
News: nna-leb.gov.lb/en/politics/77…
Paper: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

In the 2nd panel of the “War and Peace in the 21st Century” conference, Merissa Khurma, @mohanad.bsky.social, Sanam Vakil and Gérard Araud analysed how the international community can promote dialogue and solutions to a lasting peace in the Middle East #WP2025

“The war in Lebanon came on top of half a decade of financial and economic crises, and was accompanied by a new geopolitical reality,” @mohanad.bsky.social, Deputy Director for Research at @carnegiemec.bsky.social, discussed the sociopolitical situation in Lebanon after Israel's attacks #WP2025

Israel pushes on with strategy to keep neighbours weak in Lebanon and Syria Israel has repeatedly bombed both Syria and Lebanon, experts say it is no mood for peace.

Analysts, experts and diplomats told me Israel wants Lebanon and Syria to stay weak and divided. They feel they can manage the chaos via their military and technological superiority.

featuring @aronlund.bsky.social @ayoub.bsky.social @mohanad.bsky.social

www.aljazeera.com/features/202...

واضح اليوم ان صدورا كثيرة تضيق برئيس الحكومة نواف سلام وخياراته السياسية. لكن المفاجئ أن واشنطن باتت اليوم ممن يسارع لانتقاده

Interesting 🧵 worth the read, especially in connection to recent events at the Syrian-Lebaneese borders
#Lebanon

Double Dealers: Lebanon and the Risks of Captagon Trafficking Lebanon’s financial collapse and the Syrian conflict have allowed for the growth of an illicit economy, giving rise to a new breed of drug traffickers with ties to Lebanese parties and influence in…

@mohanad.bsky.social delves into how the conflict in #Syria allowed for the emergence of #captagon traffickers in #Lebanon in this excellent report.

Double Dealers: Lebanon and the Risks of Captagon Trafficking Lebanon’s financial collapse and the Syrian conflict have allowed for the growth of an illicit economy, giving rise to a new breed of drug traffickers with ties to Lebanese parties and influence in the security forces. To address this, the country must adopt a comprehensive approach.

📌 Read the full paper here: carnegieendowment.org/research/202... 4/4

Tackling Captagon requires more than crackdowns. Any real solution must address security sector reform, the expanding cash economy, and broader economic recovery. These structural issues must be central to any serious strategy. 3/4

The weakening of Hezbollah and Syria’s regime presents a window of opportunity to contain the Captagon trade. But this shift alone won’t end it, new actors will adapt to the challenge if the transitions in Lebanon and Syria fail. 2/4

Captagon networks consolidate wealth among a select few, enabling them to expand their political influence & better infiltrate security services. Hashish clan-based networks have more limited political reach due to the fragmented nature of their bus & interconnected supply chains 1/4

🚨 Thread: Lebanon’s Captagon Networks & Their Political Implications 🚨
My latest paper explores how Captagon trafficking fuels power structures in Lebanon. Three key takeaways: 🧵👇

Nir Oz and Nahal Oz are names engraved in sadness and grief. Nothing justifies Hamas’s crimes there.

جيد أن هذه الحكومة حصلت على الثقة وبدأ عداد العمل فيها. لكن على هذه السنة المقبلة أن تكون مثمرة ومؤشراً لمسار مختلف لو قيض للبلد أن يسلكه. السنوات الماضية اتسمت بقدر هائل من القسوة والعنف واللامبالاة بحق الناس على أيدي الطبقة السياسية، ولا بأس ببعض الضوء في نهاية نفق مظلم طويل.

سريالي اصرار الثنائي على اسم إضافي هنا او هناك، فيما يتوالى القصف الاسرائيلي والخروقات الفاضحة للاتفاق، على وقع اشتباكات الحدود اللبنانية السورية، ناهيك عن الأزمة الاقتصادية الخانقة. الحفاظ على السلاح يبقى اهم من الناس وأرواحهم وممتلكاتهم ومستقبلهم، هذه الحقيقة المرة التي علينا تجرعها عند كل استحقاق

Syria's dwindling Jewish community can visit one of the world's oldest synagogues again Syria's civil war left one of the world's oldest synagogues partially destroyed

AP’s Bassem Mroue investigates the state of Syria’s near-extinct Jewish community, now numbering nine individuals.

@bmroue.bsky.social
@apnews.com

abcnews.go.com/Internationa...

A half apology

Hello, sure thing. Acc to the piece, KSA is not adamant on Palestinian statehood. Israel will compensate that with a ceasefire in Gaza and a vague promise of Pal statehood. From the looks of it, the ceasefire agreement would be sold as a Saudi achievement in return for normalization

Some anxious Syrians in Damascus are reflecting on the next phase, saying it’s hard to imagine an era both worse and longer than the current one, a bittersweet consolation, perhaps.

Israel and Saudi Arabia reach normalization breakthrough, clearing path for hostage deal ***

Israel and Saudi Arabia reach normalization breakthrough, clearing path for hostage deal

Israel and Saudi Arabia reach normalization breakthrough, clearing path for hostage deal www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...