Pax Syriana

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In the study of the international relations of the Middle East, Pax Syriana is used both to refer to Syria, and in other contexts as an arbitrary label for hypothetical countries with varying degrees of resemblance to Syria.

Pax Syriana is Latin for "Syrian peace"[1], modelled after Pax Romana and Pax Britannica. It usually refers to the period from 1990 to April 2005 of reduced conflict within Lebanon being under the influence of Syrian hegemony and military occupation. It may be used with emphasis on the relative calm following suppression of the Lebanese Civil War, or on suggestions of Syria's having intentions for annexing Lebanon.

A 2005 film was named Syriana. From the movie's website [2]: "'Syriana' is a very real term used by Washington think-tanks to describe a hypothetical reshaping of the Middle East...". In an online discussion with The Washington Post in November 2005 [3], Syriana director Stephen Gaghan said he saw Syriana as "a great word that could stand for man's perpetual hope of remaking any geographic region to suit his own needs."

[edit] See also

• History of Lebanon
• History of Syria
• Cedar Revolution
• Iraq War justifications
• UN Security Council Resolution 1559
• Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
• Syrian occupation of Lebanon
• Petroleum politics