Description
This policy paper examines the U.S "Peace Through Strength" approach in Lebanon following the 2024 ceasefire agreement with Israel through a postcolonial lens. While a cornerstone of US foreign policy across the Middle East, history has shown the approach’s consistent failure to deliver peace, fuelling regional instability instead. The paper argues that following October 7th, 2023, a distinct discourse has emerged within both the US and Israel, transforming the approach from a traditional deterrence-based concept into a broader political agenda focused on regional dominance and strategic reshaping. Using postcolonial theory and critical security studies, the paper focuses on Lebanon to reconceptualise "peace" as a contested process rooted in local agency rather than external coercion. The analysis further deconstructs how this approach preserves neocolonial power structures, establishing the US as the ultimate guardian over Lebanese sovereignty while pursuing its own strategic interests. Further, it demonstrates that the rhetoric of "stability" masks underlying ambitions to maintain American dominance and protect Israeli security interests at Lebanon’s expense. This intervention contributes to international studies scholarship by illustrating how postcolonial critique can reveal limitations of Western-centric theorisations and provide alternative frameworks through which we can better understand peace, security, and sovereignty in the Global South.
