4, the status of the
Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to
Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Lebanon
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 a region of Lebanon in 1920. France
granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil war
(1976-1991) 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 Shi'a 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. Damascus justified its
continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests
and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from
southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese
groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage
of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria
to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese
affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's
presence in Lebanon. 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"). Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its military
forces from Lebanon 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. Hizballah kidnapped two