With the Assad regime itself facing intense international pressure for its brutal suppression of domestic protests, Damascus and its allies in Tehran felt the time had come to cement their influence in Lebanon. Syria and Iran have helped Hezbollah, the Party of God, build up its muscle and strengthen its political position. The new cabinet, which still requires parliamentary ratification, will have 18 Hezbollah or Hezbollah-allied members, a majority so strong that political observers say the man exercising the real power in the government will be not Mikati, but Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah. (by Frida Ghitis)

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/9185/world-citizen-lebanons-new-government-faces-uncertain-future