"... whatever happens in the elections, is not because we sold the Lebanon out."

LR at the Cable, here

"They're afraid of random militant groups that could cause trouble," said Benjamin Ryan of the Aspen Institute's U.S.-Lebanon dialogue. "The issue is not so much, is Hezbollah bloodthirsty, but that the Lebanese government does not have a monopoly on violence and can't guarantee the security of areas."  ...

A visit from Biden would help show that Washington under the Obama administration "continues to show a good faith effort to support the Lebanese government, and to show the Lebanese and their allies that the U.S. is not selling Lebanon up the river," Ryan said. "That whatever happens in the elections, is not because we sold the Lebanon out." Such concerns have grown in the wake of the departure of the Bush administration, which squarely allied itself with Lebanon's ruling March 14 coalition, and amid the Obama administration's efforts to engage the Iranian and Syrian governments....

"I think there is probably some realism that March 14 could end up in the minority in the new government," said Andrew Exum, a Lebanon expert and fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "So we're seeing the [Obama] administration trying to reposition itself and talk about investing in institutions in Lebanon -- specifically in the Lebanese armed forces. And I think there is an understanding in the administration that it's going to be a tough sell to Congress and to our friends in Israel why we should invest in the Lebanese armed forces when Hezbollah is in the ruling coalition in Lebanon. Having said that, the election could still go either way and the vice president's trip there much like Secretary of State Clinton's understated visit expressed support for our allies, but not to the degree where we are throwing drafts at the March 8 coalition," which includes Hezbollah. ...

Washington Lebanon hands said they believe that David Hale, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs who traveled to Lebanon earlier this month, is taking the lead on Lebanon issues for the team led by U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell. Obama's nominee to be assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, was a U.S. ambassador to Lebanon during the Bush era. 

On Tuesday, Feltman's nomination was voted out of the Senate Foreign Relations committee for a vote by the full Senate expected as early as later this week..."