Bangladesh, July 14 -- Lebanon stands on a precipice. The warning issued by US Ambassador Tom Barrack during his recent trip to Beirut was blunt and urgent: the region is accelerating toward change, and Lebanon risks being left behind. Barracks words struck a nerve, revealing the countrys central, unresolved dilemma – the disarmament of Hezbollah – and the growing international impatience with Beiruts slow response.

At the heart of Lebanons stagnation lies Hezbollahs continued armed presence, which has long prevented the consolidation of state authority and the countrys reintegration into the regional and international order. Despite the promising emergence of a new political leadership under President Joseph Aoun and the hop...