for the atlantic. and state correspondent for the about. bc, and author of the secretary. you re watching richard engel there in beirut, obviously where you grew up. lebanon is now caught at the heart of the exploding syrian crisis. it was inevitable. i think i was on your show a few weeks ago warning about the possibility that hezbollah and iran would decide to go all in in the fight to help prop up president assad in syria, make sure he doesn t fall. they made the calculation they could do this, not necessarily to win in the traditional sense, but at least make sure he stays there and doesn t lose. additionally, they feel hezbollah feels that it is important for them to maintain what they call the axis of resistance, the supply of arms to them in lebanon.