MIRROR OF THE ARAB WORLD

The security of the West is threatened by escalating turmoil rising out of the Arab world. Among the region's fractured states is Lebanon, a small, tortured country poised uneasily between East and West. Improbably, this most unique of Arab states has much to teach about the Arab world. Like many Arab countries, Lebanon's population possesses little sense of common identity and no strong central government. The tumultuous history of Lebanon illuminates not only the challenges that Arabs pose tothemselves but also the fear and hostility that arise in response to perceived threats from the West. Awareness and understanding of the Arab world's unique circumstances and pressures are the first steps toward resolution, cooperation, and solidityon all sides.