mproved
legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent
enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of
offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime
(including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and
prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Lebanon

Introduction
Lebanon

Background:

Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by
Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this
territory and separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920. France
granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war
(1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made
progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the
Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the
Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly
by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while
institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the
end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections.
Most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country.
Hizballah, a radical Shia organization listed by the US State
Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons.
During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if
Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly
east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from
southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in October 2004 of
UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon
and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some
Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 20
others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut
against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria
withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In
May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since
the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a
majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's
son. Lebanon continues to be plagued by violence - Hizballah