The Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, the Middle East Institute and the American Task Force of Lebanon are pleased to host the launch of Ambassador David Hale’s book: American Diplomacy Toward Lebanon: Lessons in Foreign Policy and the Middle East. Ambassador Hale, a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center and former Ambassador to Lebanon, examines several key episodes in US diplomatic history with Lebanon, starting with the country's independence in 1943 up until the present moment. Crucial events, such as the Lebanese Civil War, the Cedar Revolution, and, more recently, the spillover from the Syrian Civil War are examined within the context of the respective US government administrations of the time and their foreign policy strategies. Hale asks whether policy-makers had realistic and compelling goals, the right strategy, sufficient means, and capable diplomats in their diplomatic approaches towards Lebanon through the years.