evidence: The battle that pitted the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) against Islamist extremist groups led by the Islamic State (ISIS) in the border town of Arsal in early August 2014 has exposed a web of intertwined problems in Lebanon. Those problems have been exacerbated by the continued unrest in Syria, and the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq following the rise of ISIS. [...] Secondly, the battle in Arsal has shed light on Hezbollah’s role. The battle in Arsal was compared to that of Naher Bared Camp (NBC) in northern Lebanon, where the LAF fought the terrorist group, Fateh al-Islam, in 2007. The scenario in Arsal is quite different, however. In NBC, the LAF tightened their grip on the camp and deterred Fateh al-Islam. In Arsal, the LAF won the battle, but not the war. ISIS fighters have not only maintained a foothold on the outskirts of Arsal, but have also infiltrated the country’s fabric, thereby becoming a security time bomb for Lebanon. By pursuing its fight against opposition groups alongside the Syrian regime, in a flagrant violation of the Lebanese Government’s official disassociation policy, Hezbollah also provides Syrian-based extremist groups with a pretext to pursue their anti-Hezbollah operations on Lebanese territory.