In Monday night’s third and final presidential debate, which is focused on foreign policy, the escalating crisis in the Middle East will be sure to dominate. The violence in Syria, and now nearby Lebanon, seems to be heading to a full blown crisis. In Lebanon, clashes broke out in several regions throughout the country after senior security official Wissam al-Hassan was killed on Friday. It’s unclear whether the Syrian regime was behind the attack in Lebanon or whether the violence there is a sign that the crisis is spreading throughout the region. Rami Khouri is the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.