How long will Lebanon last?

Wednesday's deal to settle Lebanon's long-running political crisis might seem like good news, but it's too good to be true. While it is true that the Lebanese government and Hezbollah signed the agreement, which allocates seats in the cabinet to the Shiite group considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the West, the way the deal is structured means either all-out war is coming or the Beirut government is destined to fall. The agreement was worked out after six days of talks under the auspices of the Arab League, and ostensibly has the support of Saudi Arabia and the United States. But the deal is too unwieldy to survive more than a few months. Lebanon will finally get a new president, after 18 months of drift, but the Lebanese government will not be able to do anything unless Hezbollah agrees to it. That is obviously a condition that should have been a deal-breaker, because the government will necessarily fall when there is a major disagreement. But the government in Beirut was barely hanging on after being routed by Hezbollah fighters in the capital and in Tripoli after a week of fighting that killed more than 80 people. The rout forced the government to back down from efforts to restrict Hezbollah's power and force the militant group to give up its weapons. The deal more reflects the government's desire to save itself than preserve the country.