Many Lebanese Sunni Muslims sympathize with the fifteen-month-old uprising in Syria. Syria's majority Sunnis have led the uprising.

The Lebanese government has an official policy of neutrality in Syria. But Lebanese Sunnis have been holding weekly demonstrations in Tripoli to protest what they say is support by their government for the Syrian government. The Sunnis are also angry about cross-border raids by Syrian troops.

American University of Beirut Professor Hillal Khashem says he does not believe the Syrian conflict will explode into Lebanon.

HILLAL KHASHEM: "I don't expect the security situation to reach an alarming level because the various factions in the Lebanese political system understand the implications of insecurity."

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.