Step Aside

The Minister of Interior should resign and the FBI should help with the investigations. The reasons have nothing to do with politics.


(Cartoon from Today's Annahar, it reads: "Dear Ghosts, Please leave some clues in your next attack, thank you")

When the Minister of Interior Hassan el Sabe’ took the podium on Tuesday to allay the people’s fears and to give them a sense of confidence and resolve, he failed miserably. He blamed the terrorists (whom he called “ghosts”) for not leaving any clues behind them. He was also visibly tense and defensive.
Of course it didn’t help that he was assailed by hostile journalists who felt personally touched by the May Chidiac incident, but still, his performance was a great sham. It actually made the people feel even less secure.

Today, the news is of a cabinet session where some ministers (Hezbollah and Amal) are going to protest P.M. Seniora’s request of the Technical Assistance from the FBI. They will claim that this would amount to “American interference in our matters”. Mr. Seniora should ignore them. Just today, the government of Trinidad and Tobago asked the FBI for teams to help “deal with a surge in violent crime.”

The two issues have one thing in common: They are both matters of technical nature that are being cheaply politicized. When minister Sabe’ found himself cornered, he started waxing poetics about our new independence and liberation. But this is not his job, his job is our security. The same goes to the Ministers of Hezbollah and Amal. They know that the FBI agents are just doing field work, this is why they should relax their political rhetoric a bit.

Saad Hariri has a great opportunity: The removal of minister Sabe’ can send very strong signals to all parties. It will show that the government is willing to do the right thing even if that thing is being demanded by the opposition (Aoun). It will indicate that the government is taking our security seriously. It will also tell all officials that if they don’t do their job well they will be sacked, no matter who backs them. Saad can start the accountability ball rolling by dropping his own man.
Saad already partly acknowledged official shortcomings by saying that all parties should double their efforts, but this is not enough. What is required is to change the culture of impunity so pervasive in Lebanon. There should be people who accept responsibility.

When hurricane Katrina hit the US, most Americans wanted to know whose fault it is that it caused such damage. The Lebanese I spoke to on the other hand found that bizarre. "How could you blame the officials for God’s actions?" most of them wondered.

Even You Elias?

Elias El Murr has finally blown the whistle. The President should be on very shaky grounds now; the fact that his own son-in-law has abandoned him doesn’t bode well for him.


When Elias El Murr was first proposed for the position of Interior Minister in a Hariri Cabinet a few years ago, I scoffed at the rampant cronyism that let a presidential family member become a Minister.

Yet Elias el Murr has surprised me by proving to be one of Lebanon’s best Interior Ministers. He showed a great amount of professionalism and it was he that introduced the tradition of a minister showing up personally to a crime/disaster scene.

When P.M Hariri was killed, Elias El Murr seemed visibly tormented. He had lots to say, but he also had lots of reasons not to say them.

Finally, his conscience has triumphed in a stance that could prove crucial to the Mehlis Investigation.

Chapeau Bas Mr. Murr.

Fleeting Glances

Hariri and Aoun stand to benefit a lot from each other, will it ever Happen?


Aoun’s website has a small side news story: Saad Hariri has met one of his delegates in Paris. In the demo yesterday, there were some orange flags amid the LF and Future ones. Yesterday, Aoun reacted differently to May Chidiac’s assassination bid than he did to Elias el Murr’s one. He is keeping noticeable distance from Lahhoud. Is anything happening that we’re not aware of?

The Footsoldiers of Aoun and of Hariri are deeply skeptical of each other. But the leaders seem to be aware how important it is for them to get together (remember the famous "we have 95% in common between us"?).

Will it happen? Not before the spoilers are silenced.

The Big Lie

Stop the hypocrisy. Lebanon is a terrible place for the free word.


My mother, a fan of May Chidiac, told me this today: “We Lebanese are used to the freedom of expression. This is why it’s impossible that the perpetrator be Lebanese”. This is a very common misconception. In fact, our politicians brag all of the time that Lebanon takes pride in its freedom of expression, and that (this is my favorite), the Lebanese will not be afraid of freely expressing their opinions.

To listen to all these people talk, you’d think that boldness and free speech is in the Lebanese DNA. With all due respect to all of us, it is not.

Take a look at our Lebanese Blogosphere. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it is the collection of all the blogs that have to do with Lebanon and the Lebanese people. You can find a nice summary of them here. See if you can find a single blogger who proudly wears his/her full name. Hardly any.

Why is it so? It’s because we DON’T have freedom in our DNA. What we really have is FEAR. The Reporters Without Borders can be “deeply shocked” at May Chidiac’s fate. The Lebanese on the other hand are upset, very upset, but they’re not “deeply shocked”. When I first put up my picture here on my profile, my friends and colleagues were “deeply shocked”. “Are you insane?” seemed to be their instinctive reaction.
It’s part of being Lebanese and it’s not only about politics. This lady writes mostly about social issues, but just because she’s a bit “open minded”, she thought it would be better to hide her identity. It doesn’t matter that she lives thousands of miles away from Lebanon, it’s just the way things are. Another Lebanese Blogger from the same list hides his identity because of his sexual orientation.

This is Lebanon, the country that banned “The Davinci Code”, the country where you could be arrested for “devil worshiping” if you were listening to Muse, the country that shutdown a TV station, the country where religious figures are sacrosanct, the country where journalists die if they side a bit out of the conventional.

Lebanon is a great and beautiful country, but we have a very long way to go before we understand the true meaning of free speech.

May We Help?

There are some ways you could be of use:

• Send May flowers or a letter of appreciation as indicated in the poster above.You can send flowers online from here, here, here or here
• If you’re a Blogger or you manage a website, please use the above poster in your site.

Most importantly, let’s all stay calm, remain resolved, and be confident in a better future, Lebanon cannot be killed!

Amputated

May Chidiac will never walk again.


All over the world, the Lebanese got used to May Chidiac's smile. But it's now hard to see her smile again. This image-conscious lady has just lost an arm and a leg to another savage explosion.

Who did it?

May was definitely one of the first prominent journalists to start criticizing Syria. She's also a prominent Christian symbol (in other words, killing May would be the equivalent of bombing Ashrafieh or Kaslik).

But there's another interesting factor that makes May stand out. There has recently been a very public and virulent exchange between her and Mr. Hassan Nassrallah from Hezbollah. He was referring to her as "malicious media figures that distorted the facts", and she regularly attacked him for his comments over the majorities and minorities in Lebanon (he had said that the Christians in Lebanon are becoming a small minority). You could smell the mutual distrust.

This will once again divide the Lebanese. If you trust Hezbollah, you'll say that the perpetrators are trying to drag Hezbollah into something they don't have anything to do with. If you don't trust them, you just got them red-handed.

I personally don't know what to think. Let's wait to have more info. Let's also see how Hezbollah behaves.

Look Who’s Not Talking

As the cohabitation between Seniora and Lahhoud is officially dead, respected voices are asking for Patriarch’s Sfeir intervention to end Lahhoud’s tenure.


When P.M. Seniora said from Washington that President Lahhoud should resign, the presidential palace did what it does best: cling to the letter of the constitution: I have not committed treason and i have not violated the constitution, answers the president, hence "the President is bent on shouldering his responsibilities until the end of his term"

But whether or not Mr. Lahhoud is technically entitled to the presidency is beside the point. The matter in question is Lahhoud’s embarrassing effect on the Christian community. This is why the solution is for the influential Patriarch to intervene and take his mantle off President Lahhoud. Or so Argue The Daily Star’s editorial and Edmond Saab from Annahar today.

The Daily Star had this to say to the Patriarch :

The Christian contribution to Lebanon is vast and well appreciated, but it is now potentially damaged by the continuation of a presidency that has placed obstinacy above credibility. This failed presidency needs to be ended quickly, with the combination of dignity, composure and respect for the rule of law.

Edmond Saab, well known for his “Christian” positions has gone a step further.
In what sounds like a veiled threat to the Patriarch, he had this to say: “If a capable Maronite was not found to replace the current embarrassing president […] we will let (P.M.) Seniora drive the ship. Because he’s currently the most honest, courageous, loyal, and the one worthy of everyone’s trust.

In other words, find us a decent Christian President or we'll have to follow the Moslem guy.
That should get the Patriarch moving.

Bin Laden Loves Rita

Hurricane Rita will be Bin Laden’s strongest propaganda tool.


Albert Einstein once famously said: “God does not play dice with the universe”. So why is he making life so hard for us who are struggling to tell people that Bin Laden is not on God’s side?

Hurricane Rita, which is now a category 5, is expected to be the strongest that has ever hit the United States. This is just after 2 weeks from Katrina which wreaked havoc on the gulf coast.

Here’s a not-so-funny story line that I can already imagine fanatic mosque preachers telling: “The first Hurricane (Katrina) hit the biggest American oil producing area, as a punishment for their Iraq adventure. The second one is going straight to Huston Texas, George Bushes’ own turf . Allahu Akbar!”

A look at the expected path of Rita (above) can only make their case more plausible to their zealous audiences.

God, please have mercy on the victims of Katrina and Rita.

Cyber Dissidents

As a testimony to the growing popularity and clout of Bloggers (with all humility), Reporters Without Borders have published this Handbook:

The purpose of the book is to teach bloggers and blogger-wannabes to go around sensorship, remain anonymous and be heard. I'm not very sure if we need it as strongly in relatively free Lebanon. But an extra knowledge won't do any harm. Also, if you're thinking of entering the Blogging world but you're still afraid of having your identity exposed, this book can help you.
I haven't read it yet, i just found it here.

You can download the PDF version here

No More Mr. Nice Guy

The Future Movement is beginning to expose its assertive face.


So much symbolism in today’s Morning news. It seems the Hariri camp is no longer in an accommodating mood and they are starting to show their “ugly” face.
They’re losing patience, and now they’re in their famous counter-attack mode.

Hezbollah is bothering them? Put a big picture of Seniora shaking hands with Dick Chaney on the front page of their Almustaqbal Daily.
Nabih berri is grumbling? “the legislative branch should start getting used the separation of powers” shoots Seniora.
Walid Jumblat is making noises? Privately force him to retrieve his statements while publicly declare an “unflinching alliance” with him.
The terminology is also telling: “We will not be baited into a political crisis in Lebanon on the eve of the U.N. report about his father's assassination” Saad announces. In a first-of-its-kind statement, Seniora declares to the Washington post that Lahhoud was “Syrian imposed".
Finally, the fact that Saad Hariri made his statements to his own Almustaqbal newspaper (as opposed to alsafir or alnahar) is symbolic. It says: we are not in a reaching-out mood.

The Future Movement has to carefully tread their assertive tone though. A bit of firmness every now and then is helpful, but they have to remember that in Lebanon, you cannot shoot at everyone, even if everyone is misbehaving.

But for someone like Seniora to lose his patience, you have to know the kind of mess we are in.

Berri Goes French

Speaker Nabih Berri would say anything to maintain his interests and cronies in their positions.


After our minister of Economy announces on American T.V. that the Lebanese government is proceeding towards privatization (A measure required for reforming the public sector), Nabih Berri goes into attack mode: "Lebanon is not for sale!”.
How thoughtful, really. Thanks Abu-Mustapha; because of you, Lebanon will still belong to us. Do you take us for fools?

Let’s re-examine his statement: “We have heard about putting up for privatization basic sectors without consulting with anyone”. “without consulting with anyone”. This is the key sentence.
It seems Mr. Berri still doesn't understand the meaning of privatization

His particular stress on MEA is revealing. We know that the MEA is stuffed with his cronies and Hezbollah’s. We know that they will be redundant once the company becomes private and aims to maximize its shareholders’ value to be able to eventually grow and pay the government more taxes. But why should Mr. Berri care?

Besides, since when should the executive branch of government “consult” with the legislative one in government policy?

Mr. Berri: Le model économique Anglo-Saxon est supérieur.

Saad's UN Meetings

Saad Hariri’s meetings with international heavyweights has produced a big relief to a lot of Lebanese. What’s the significance of these meetings?


When Hariri the father was killed back in that black day in February, one of the immediate responses from a lot of Lebanese was a selfish one: With the death of Rafik Hariri, a man famous for his international contacts, Lebanon has lost the ears of the major world players. To these people, the sight of Saad Hariri rubbing shoulders with world leaders was gripping.

Mr. Hariri met a lot of leaders, but a careful look at whom he met reveals a great deal about Lebanon’s future strategic direction.
Hariri met with the Jordanian king, the Iraqi President, the Pakistani president and both the Turkish P.M and Foreign Minister (pictured).
Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan are what we can call American and European Ideological Moslem Allies. I.e. Moslem countries that are led by secular, modernizing, reformist and ‘pro-western' leaders. They together form a sort of ‘Axis’ of counter-terrorism in the European sense of the term (long term). Lebanon and Iraq are not quite there yet, but they are encouraged and cajoled to join the club. This is the context in which Saad’s meetings should be seen.
Compare that with President Lahhoud’s meeting with the Iranian President and you get the full picture about the options that lie ahead for Lebanon.

The other very important meeting (in addition to his meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Russia and The US) is the one Mr. Hariri had with Mr. Dominique De Villepin, the French (increasingly popular) Prime Minister. The Significance of this encounter is that it has the potential of replacing the famous Hariri-Chriac “friendship”. Mr. De Villepin, a youngish chap, is Chirac’s favorite successor for the French Presidency, and if the trend in France continues, he can even beat Mr. Sarcozi and actually become the French President in 2007.

A final word of caution Mr. Hariri: Your dad used a combination of luck, power and charm to maintain these contacts. Honestly, I think you’re lacking a bit in the charm department. I would advise you work on that, after all, your friends are our friends.

Iraqi Shiaas and Lebanese Christians

The scenes from Ashrafieh are reminiscent of those from Baghdad. That's because like-minded people are behind the attacks.


You have been forced out of power, but you know the country you ruled very well. There is an important community that was badly represented in your governments, and there’s another one that was sharing the wealth and power with you. They both hate you but you have a plan to get back in. You keep targeting the security of the first community over and over until they look to you as the lesser evil. This is when you make your staged comeback.

Whether your name is Saddam or Bashar is irrelevant. Whether the community you’re targeting is the Iraqi Shiias or the Lebanese Christians is irrelevant. Whether Saddam is in Jail or Lahhoud is in New York is also irrelevant. The plan is the same, Signé! Made by the Baath!
But sorry Gentlemen, Neither The Iraqis nor the Lebanese are that gullible.

The Verdict

So, What about those pins?


Guys, thank you all for your precious input. The debate was a real education for all of us.

When I decided to hang the pin of Bashir Jmayyel. It was because he and Hariri represent two symbols of two extremes that got killed because they decided to transform their allegiance into that of a unified and independent Lebanon. After Bashir got to power, he implicitly repented on his old ways by speaking of a unified Lebanon of Moslems and Christians.
Hariri, a man with no blood on his hand, was also perceived to have collaborated with the Syrians –although people like me would argue that he always had Lebanon’s best interest at heart-, but was also killed when he started working towards a unified and independent (Syrian-free) Lebanon. The implied message is this: you can kill as much people as you want, you can be corrupt, you can be whatever you want, but the red line is this: do not preach independence and unity.

The two pins next to each other would have been symbolic. They would have said: remember, the killings have nothing to do with the nature of the victim. It’s all about killing the idea of a unified and independent Lebanon. From Rene Mouawwad to Hassan Khaled to Moussa el Sadr, all visionaries who looked beyond the limited scope of their sects, to the wellbeing of one strong and unified country. The pattern seemed the same.

But on the other hand, you have made some very good arguments on why Bashir’s pin would be offensive to a lot of people. Some of you even questioned the whole idea of “worshiping” dead people.
I don't agree. Some people do represent visions and philosophies that still apply today and to which many people subscribe. To a lot of people, Hariri symbolized hope, a bright future, resurrection, international presence, growth…etc.

I will take the pin of Bashir Down, but I will also remove Hariri’s after the truth is known. I will keep the picture used in this post as a souvenir.
But we should always remember why those people died. This is why I’m going to add a “hall of fame” table to The Beirut Spring. It will carry the names of all the people that died, or disappeared for a unified and independent Lebanon.

(PS: Mabrook for the Lebanese Basketball team)

Bashir Jmayyel

In an attempt to convey the spirit of March 14, I hung up a pin of Bashir el Jmeyyel Next to that of Rafic Hariri (see above, next to beirutspring.com).
Many readers were offended and offered some good reasons.
To make myself clear, whether or not we "forgive" bashir Jmayyel is not the point here. The point is: should his pin be up there?

The discussion started in my previous post, but i'd like it to continue here. The debate will decide whether or not I keep it.

The Shrinking President

Bored? Need to pass some time? Here’s something everyone is doing: Ridicule the Lebanese President.


A few months ago, Mr. Walid Jumblat had decided to stop calling our President “His Excellency the President (fakhamatou’l ra’ys)” , except when he’s being ironic.
He had resolved to call him by his bare name: Emile Lahhoud.
At the time, I was shocked at such bare dis-respect. But these days, everyone is doing it.
Last week, Future TV had a whole introduction in the news bulletin calling Emile Lahhoud by his bare name again and again.
Today on Nharkom Saeed, a TV program, Presenter Walid Abboud found it necessary to interrupt his guest every now and then to tell him: “Please, we’re talking about the President here, can you adjust your terminology a bit?”.

Yesterday, Gebran Tueini wrote a scathing anti-Lahhoud OP.Ed in the first page of Lebanon’s most widely read daily. "If everyone is doing it, why can’t we?" Seems to be the running logic. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, everyone is talking about Emile Lahhoud. It’s permissible, it’s (even more ironically) Halal!

And this is not just in Lebanon; the whole international community is ignoring him. Not only that, they are dodging internationally accepted protocol to make sure that everyone understand that they’re ignoring Emile Lahhoud.

Mr. President, don’t panic, when I said that you’re shrinking, I didn’t mean your biceps. I was just referring to your stature… nothing serious, really.

Lebanese International Activism

Should we, The Lebanese Diaspora, support people like Jeanine Pirro?


I have been checking the Lebanese Lobby’s Website for a while.
At first, I had my doubts that it followed an old fashion LBC-esque Maronitism, but it didn’t take me long to realize that, like Annahar, it has a real March-14 essence. It takes pride in both Bashir Jmayyel and Rafic Hariri, and it likes to collect News tidbits about the diversity of the Lebanese people.

But what caught my attention is that they have a “We support Jeanine Pirro” banner. Jeanine Pirro is an American of Lebanese Descent, who is running for the U.S. senate race in 2006.
Now the question is: “Should we support someone who is in a quest for power, merely for the fact that they are of Lebanese Descent?”

The obvious answer is: of course. After all, we keep on complaining about American “unfair” foreign policy that is “directed by the Jewish lobby”. We play the victim’s role instead of being proactive and play the American Game of Power, which is one that is not difficult to enter. Especially with our nature as Lebanese. We’re everywhere, we’re well connected, we’re well educated, we’re rich and we love our motherland. Rumors have it that the Lebanese in Ohio, who decided to vote for George W. Bush, made the little but important margin he needed to beat John Kerry.

But here’s the caveat: Once the Lebanese become powerful, they lose pride in their Lebanese-ness. This exacerbated a fellow Lebanese blogger who wrote extensively on this topic: Why, he asks, do public Lebanese-origin figures like Ziad Doueiry, Gibran Khalil Gibran, Shakira, Salma Hayek and others shy away from their Lebanese origin?. Some honorable exceptions like Carlos Ghosn do exist. But Jeanine Pirro, whom the Lebanese Lobby proudly supports, doesn’t mention anything in her biography that has to do with her Lebanese heritage. In fact, I have to take the Lobby’s word for it. There’s no proof that she’s Lebanese.

Perhaps March-14, after reaching all its conclusions and after the long, slow days of suspense are over, will instill a new sense of pride to the Lebanese Everywhere.

But for now, the question remains: should we support Jeanine Pirro?
Waiting for your input.

Fog Of War

Did Hariri have one of these?


If the rumors are to be believed, Ex-PM Rafic Hariri had recorded his whole conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad (the one where Assad had famously threatened him of “Breaking Lebanon on top of his Head”) using some sort of high-end recording pen device offered to him by president Jacques Chirac of France.

The Lebanese Man-on-the-street and housewives are buzzing with similar news.
Most of these largely unfounded tidbits are originating from sources like Elaph or Kuweiti newspapers, some respected (like alraialaam), and some not so respected (like alseyassah.)
Since in a war, the first victim is the truth, The Hariri Media is relaying those unproven rumors and is ignoring the foundations of responsible Journalism.

Take the Hariri pen for instance. All I had to do to find such a device was to google “James bond pen”. I realized that they’re widely available and they’re made in China.
So much for high-tech technology that can trespass its way across a President’s security system.

But I confess, since, as a Lebanese I am not isolated from this war, I find it very difficult to take a neutral stance. Besides, what’s so wrong about your mom telling you how cool Hariri’s gadgets are?

Let There Be Light

Mohammed Fneish, our Hezbollah Minister, is the best person to save EDL and boost Hezbollah’s reputation.


“It is very unfair that we regularly pay our electricity bills, whereas Hezbollah-ruled (Shiite) areas do not, because they are armed and zi3ran”
Most of us have heard at least a version of the above statement. The Hezbollah Areas have always provoked their Lebanese counterparts with their perceived impunity towards the law. Add to it the regular electricity cuts the Lebanese are suffering, and you have a formula for enormous resentment.

Of course, the law-breakers in question always retort by changing the topic into one between the haves and have-nots: “why is it that they (rich people)” goes the argument, “consume the enormous amounts of electricity on their pointless opulence in decadent resorts?”. Needless to say. This is not convincing. Lawbreakers are lawbreakers.

This is where Mohammed Fneish, our new soft-spoken Energy Minister, has an opportunity.
Ironically, the very fact that he is a Hezbollah honcho makes him the best person to reign on areas that don’t pay their electricity bills. By doing that, he uses a very important issue on the average Lebanese’s mind, to boost Hezbollah’s popularity. Of course, this has the potential to pay them very valuable political dividends.

He has already started. On Monday, Electricité Du Liban (EDL), announced that it will cut by half its subscription and connections rates for new subscribers. The initiative aimes to encourage electricity thieves to become legit.
But according to Minister Fneish, this is not only a “carrot”. There is –and this is the most important- also a “stick”. The threat of tracking down those who will not make use of this offer starting next year.

Against all my instincts, I hope that Mr. Fneish will still be Energy Minister by next year.

On Berri And Aoun

If the Shiaas chose their man, why can’t the Maronites?


I’ve been thinking about this and I wanted to know what you think. Everytime Aoun supporters or other pundits explain why he should be President, they use the following logic: Since the Shiaas chose Nabih Berri for Speaker, despite the objection of the rest of the Lebanese, why can’t the Maronites chose their own guy?

But if one makes an equivalence, isn’t Nabih Berri’s AMAL movement in the Shiaa camp the equivalent of the Qornet Shahwan movement in the Maronite one?
The Shias could have insisted on a Hezbollah guy for the Speaker’s position, but they instead opted for a man who belongs to a party that is more “moderate” (more acceptable to others) but less popular among the Shiaas themselves.

If that logic applies to the Christians, then it’s a Qornet person (or a LFer) that should be president, not Michel Aoun.

The Syrians Have a Plan

Why can’t the Syrians get it?

On a T.V. program about Mehlis’ visit to Damascus, a Syrian member of the People’s Parliament laid out his ‘understanding’ of the Mehlis’ investigation's outcome: “We know ourselves, we know we didn’t kill martyr Hariri. So unless Mehlis is politically motivated, we are confident that Syria will be exonerated”.
You don’t need to be a genius to know that this guy knows nothing about legal procedures.

The Syrian ‘plan’ to thwart Mehlis seems to be the following:
-Keep mentioning that Syria has a vital interest in knowing “the truth”, because they are confident that they will come out guilt free.
-Keep praising “the great martyr Hariri” to show that they mean what they say
-Repeat again and again that Syria is the target of an American/Zionist plot to subdue the last fortress of Arab-ness. The plot’s agent is no other than Mehlis himself, who is going to use his investigation for political reason.

What will the Syrians achieve this way?
Well, the prodigy behind this plan seems to have the Lebanese Syrian allies in mind. Keep pumping this nonsense into their heads while they relay it to their constituents. This way, once the report is out and blaming the Syrians for Hariri’s murder (nothing’s certain yet) the Lebanese will be once more divided into people who trust the investigation, and people who look at it as an American tool.

The same prodigy had planned to extend President Lahhoud’s term in office, and maybe, just maybe, kill ex-PM Hariri.
Why can’t he get it?

Welcome

Armand Homsi explains to us why President Lahhoud took such a large group with him to the UN trip.


Cartoon By Armand Homsi, Annahar Newspaper, September 12, 2005 (Cartoon slightly modified by The Beirut Spring)

Harb For President

The Beirut Spring wholeheartedly supports the candidacy of Boutros Harb for the Lebanese Presidency.


It is perhaps ironic that, for the first post-Syrian peace era, The Beirut Spring endorses a man whose last name means “war”. Yet Mr. Boutros Harb, although not the most handsome of men, is the best candidate in Lebanon for the presidency.

In a previous post, I have concluded, by elimination, that the only two reasonable candidates for the presidency are Mp. Michel Aoun, and Mp. Boutros Harb. That was regardless of my personal preference and affinity for Ex-MP Nassib Lahhoud.
Michel Aoun is a man that this blogger greatly respects; I even think that he would make a good president. But, not least because he’s a less polarizing figure, Butros Harb will make an even better one.

To say, however, that Mr. Harb deserves to be president only because he’s passable among a mediocre bunch of politicians does not do him (nor the other candidates) justice. Mr. Harb is a man of character, a unifying figure and a veteran politician.

Mr. Harb is no one’s stooge. His legislative history shows a remarkable degree of independence and a deep seated concern for the General good of Lebanon.
He’s a bridge builder. He has firm positions on issues like the disarmament of Hezbollah and the independence from Syria, but he’s also keen on operating carefully and incrementally. He cares for Patriarch Sfeir’s opinions but also listens those of Hassan Nassrallah and Saad Hariri.
Furthermore, a President Butrous Harb would insist on monetary accountability, but he would not have a pre-disposition to prosecute politicians who are widely perceived among certain groups to be “corrupt”.

Mr. Harb seems to be the only political compromise in the prevailing political environment. The fact that none of the Lebanese parties will fully support him is the best indication of that. Hariri and Jumblat would have wanted someone of less caliber to order about. The Shias fear his disarmament and anti-Syrian stances. The Christians think that he’s too close to the other parties.
The only party that might support his candidacy, in addition to a big part of the Lebanese population and this blog, is the international community.

In short, The Beirut Spring can predict with a fair amount of certainty that Mr. Harb will make a good president. Whether or not he becomes a great one is up to him.

Death By a Thousand Cuts?

Against the backdrop of the scandallous UN trip, the demands for the president to resign are snowballing.
Malek, a Lebanese living in California, pitches in with his own version of "Lahhoud Should Go": A letter from a Lebanese citizen to President Lahhoud. (Illustration by Malek)


Dear Mr. President,

Mr. President, we are not judging you on your past behavior, or on your performance in office. We have respected you no matter what. Everyone has refrained from attacking the Presidency, any person who loves Lebanon and your community respects too much this institution and whom it represents. We respect the role it has to play in a modern democratic government, for its community and the whole of Lebanon. Now, you are stepping out of bound, violating the constitution, and acting against the will of your community leaders, and that of world leaders. You have abandoned the presidency. We have no choice but to ask you to vacate the House you are occupying, and stop the damage you are causing to your community. Your time is over.

We understand that you have reservations about stepping into a prison cell out of Baabda. This is no easy task for anyone who has enjoyed spreading his legs and sun tanning at the Mzaar, we saw you there by the way, you were too flashed to see us. You also have to understand that the investigation and everyone else is stopping short of damaging the Presidency. Every Great Man has sacrificed for what he stood for, every Great Man has sacrificed for his community. One common thing about these Great Men, they stood up high, their chest wide open to receive the bullets, because they believe. They have shielded their community with their chests, their lives, they refused to hide behind their actions.

It is now your time to stand up, accept the blame, and preserve the institution that is most vital for your community’s role in Lebanon. Your own backyard is on fire, your backers have evacuated. You might still have something to say, some evidence to provide to world leaders. We cannot believe you, because you would have helped the investigation. You might be attempting to deliver your last man standing speech to world leaders, we know you are no poet. You might be trying to strike a deal, it would not have taken so long if it were ever feasible. The only thing we all know is that you are the last man standing in the face of reform. Why have you allowed for such irony to settle in? We are still reflecting upon you first presidential speech.

Mr. President, you are a thug. Anyone who forces himself into a house where he is unwelcome, and invites his friends along an experience of lavishness, is a thug. But this time Mr. President, you are forcing yourself upon foreign soil. This might be your idea of a last dream vacation before enduring mayhem, you might even plan on committing suicide in a lavish New York hotel while living your last dream and believing you were going to give the most important speech of your life to eager to listen world leaders. That might be the only explanation for such a criminally stubborn move, costing your citizens half a million dollar. It was never their money in the first place, it has been yours to give for a while.

Whatever you have done with your presidency, your home country would still care about you more than world leaders. So we urge you to listen to what it has to tell you. It is asking you to not look straight into the sun, it is hoping you did not obliterate what is left of your sight. Showing slight vision can blind others from your criminality.
There lies your last hope Mr. President, not in New York. It won’t give you a Twin Tower farewell. It is here at home that you can make a difference and save the Presidency.

Yours cordially,

Citizen of Lebanon


The Ideas above reflect the opinion of their contributor (Malek) and do not necessarily represent The Beirut Spring's point of view.

The Beirut Spring Had invited readers to publish their own pieces. You are welcome to contribute.

Meet The Alarmists

They might be malicious, paranoid or just naïve, but their message is simple: Christians, be afraid.


In a comment to a previous post about the necessity of the resignation of president Lahhoud, a person by the name of “Maroun Khaouaja” said what amounted to this:
The Christian President is being attacked by a handful of Muslim thugs who want to rule the country and deprive the Christians from their right to the presidency.
When another commenter replied that the incompetent President has to go, Maroun rushed to volunteer the URL of some Saudi Wahhabi TV program that basically says that Christians suck.

Maroun’s hidden message is simple: “The Christian we know is better than the Moslem we don’t know”. A more elaborate variant would be: “Hariri is teaming with the Saudis (and Americans) in a “Crusade” (ironically) to achieve a hegemonic Moslem control over Lebanon.”

Maroun’s comments might seem like an aberration to most Lebanese. Who in his right mind will believe such lunacies? Unfortunately, they’re not. Maroon’s logic is commanding a growing number of Christian followers, the most famous of which seems to be May Shedia’ from the LBCI.
Why is this happening?

To say that intelligent Lebanese people are believing fictions being spread by Lahhoud associates is simply naïve. The problem is that some people in the other (non Christian) camp, might indeed have ulterior motives. This is causing a troubling crisis of trust.
Also, the Lebanese Christians, a minority in the region, are famous for their existential paranoia (unlike say, laid-back Sunnis). A lot of them, like this blogger, go out of their way to announce that they do not want to be what they call “second class citizens” in a country that was originally created for them.
Also, Images from Iraq and from Saudi Arabia and from the rest of the world, of bearded men cutting off heads, blowing themselves up and forcibly veiling women are not sitting well with the Lebanese Christian Psyche.

But all that does not mean that President Lahhoud (or previously Sleimen Franjieh) is the Christian fortress that is withstanding vicious Moslem bombardments. Defending Lahhoud because he’s Christian is the moral equivalent of defending Mustapha Hamdan because he’s Moslem.
Remember, the Moslems were more than happy when Omar Karami, a Moslem Prime Minister, was forced to resign

Christians have to be very careful not to fall back on their instinctive fears, and they have to be clear-minded enough to separate their friend from their enemy.

Little Green Armed Men

The citizens of Tripoli are meeting an alien species: The Lebanese Army

News and rumors from Tripoli, North of Lebanon, have it that a large investigative operation is taking place to reign in on figures whose names still send shivers down every Tripolitan spine.

As someone who grew up in Tripoli, I understand why this is necessary. Until recently, Tripoli has been cowed by a handful of billionaire oligarchs who made their fortunes by cutting deals with the Syrian authorities over fuel contracts. They had squarely bypassed the Lebanese system and made their own fortunes with total impunity, and in the process built their small albeit-private armies.

The Mehlis investigation seems to be much more far-reaching than we had all thought. Its purpose, as Annahar’s N’oula Nassif had suggested, is not just to know who Hariri’s killers are, but also to expose the whole Syrian security network in Lebanon. In the process, the Syrian protégés are all being exposed.

Tripoli, or Trablos, is buzzing with accounts of scandals and the role the Karamis seem to have. The Army is securing Tripoli after a long and notorious absence from the Fayha’. Don’t be surprised if they gain some weight, people will be giving sweets away.

The King is Naked

Can President Lahhoud be shamed into resignation?

The Americans, French, English and Germans have all decided to ignore him. At first, they tried to give him subtle hints, but subtlety is not our president’s strong point: he insisted that he personally represented Lebanon in the UN. His scheduled meetings with other heads of states are a laughable handful with presidents of countries we never knew existed. Even president Bashar el Assad of Syria decided not to go.

The Obstinacy of our president is legendary; he has long lost his legitimacy and the respect of the people. Recently, he also lost his tools of intimidation and the precious little support he had from the Maronite Bishops. But does Mr. Lahhoud care? What is he waiting for to resign? Is he waiting till the day where you could buy a farting doll that looks like him? For the sake of the presidency Mr. Lahhoud, Just go.

The president has long given the impression that he lives in a different planet. He always seemed to be living in his own bubble. He has a great ability of shutting off all the woes of his countrymen, He smiles when everyone is crying, swims when everyone is drowning and sunbathes when everyone is burning (inspired by a March 14 banner).

There are some jobs in the world where people can’t be sacked; they have to resign or die. The US Supreme Court judges, the Italian Bank Governor, the Lebanese president…

When one such person becomes a public mockery, it is our job to beg, shout, and cry for them to feel shameful and step down

**Update** The invitation that president Lahhoud had recieved from the American president, for a protocol dinner for all heads of states in New York, has been withdrawn. Also, The Parliamentary Majority Leader, Saad Hariri is said to be invited to New York, to meet the same VIPs that will shun the President.

Elaph

A mysterious source of propaganda


Did you know that, “according to Baabda palace sources”, President Lahhoud is trying to make deals with the Americans? Did you know that he’s offering to resign in return of being left out of the Mehlis clenches? Did you know that André Lahhoud, the President’s wife, has begun packing for a “long stay outside of the palace”?

Unless you watch Future TV or read Almustaqbal newspaper, both Hariri-owned media, you won’t. The “source” Future TV is using is a website called elaph. What kind of website is it?

The Beirut Spring did a bit of research and It smells something fishy. Elaph describes itself as “The first Arab online newspaper”, yet it has surprisingly no information whatsoever about its editorial board, where it is based, contact information…etc

Still, Elaph seems to command a certain amount of authority. According to Alexa, a web ranking service from Amazon, it ranks 1337 in the world. Much better than, say, Naharnet (12,890), but much less than Aljazeera (275). It is used as a source of news from newspapers like “The Daily Star” , “Alshark al Awsat” and TV stations like Future TV (and sometimes LBCI). Ha’aretz says that it’s Saudi funded, but it’s odd that this is not written anywhere on the actual website. (Please point it out in case you do find it)

Yesterday, President Lahhoud has officially attacked Elaph and Future TV.
Elaph’s response to him, written by a certain Fida Itani, shows that Elaph has a clear political direction, one that is not very far from the Hariri-Saudi alliance.

Message From the UN...

...To President Lahhoud

Prisoners’ Dilemma

Suspect Ali el Haj is isolated from the rest of the suspects. Is it for security reasons, or is Mehlis playing games?


The economist John Nash (portrayed in the movie Beautiful Minds), invented what is known as “game theory”. One of the best ways to explain the dynamics of that theory is through the example of “The prisoners’ Dilemma”. A situation that might be taking place with Gen. Ali El Hajj and the others right now.

The prisonners’ Dilemma goes as follows (see source):

Imagine two criminals arrested under the suspicion of having committed a crime together. However, the police does not have sufficient proof in order to have them convicted. The two prisoners are isolated from each other, and the police visit each of them and offer a deal: the one who offers evidence against the other one will be freed. If none of them accepts the offer, they are in fact cooperating against the police, and both of them will get only a small punishment because of lack of proof. They both gain. However, if one of them betrays the other one, by confessing to the police, the defector will gain more, since he is freed; the one who remained silent, on the other hand, will receive the full punishment, since he did not help the police, and there is sufficient proof. If both betray, both will be punished, but less severely than if they had refused to talk. The dilemma resides in the fact that each prisoner has a choice between only two options, but cannot make a good decision without knowing what the other one will do.

The thing with the four captured generals is that, although they might be partners in crime, they don’t trust each other. So it’s interesting to see what will come out of this. The question is: can the interrogators develop a decent set of incentives/threats to make them talk?

Dreams of Glory

Ghassan Tueni thinks he found the founding father of a new Arabism. He should think again.


When Ghassan Tueni, one of Lebanon’s veteran journalists writes an article like this one, a lot of people will stop and take note.

It is understandable that Mr. Tueni sees hope in the new Saudi King for Saudi Arabia, but to ask him to carry the torch of Arab nationalism in the face of what he terms “an increasingly accepted federalist culture” is a little too much.

How about asking his highness a few questions, like for example, why is it that he, the unelected king, is the one that makes strategic decisions? Where does he derive his legitimacy from? If the king can’t manage women’s rights in his own country, how can he manage a collective polity of multi-racial peoples?

Ask the King Mr Tueni, why has the GDP per head of the average Saudi citizen declined so sharply in the last two decades? Why are 19 of the September 11 hijackers Saudi Citizens?

Ask the King Mr. Tueni, why didn’t he make an official statement of grief concerning the 1000 Iraqis that died a few days ago? Or Arabism doesn’t include Shias and kurds? Ask the Iraqi President why he's upset.

Mr. Tueni, we know that the King was very hospitable and showed you some good time, but that is not a good reason to dig some old ideas from the grave.

The German Role

Germany’s not-so-invisible hand


To a lot of Lebanese, Germany is becoming more than a favorite soccer team and a flag they raise once every four years. It is becoming a player in their other favorite game: Lebanese politics.

Germany is showing an active interest in our affairs and its fingerprints are becoming increasingly clear. It started its Lebanese venture as a broker between Hezbollah and Israel, but after February 14th, it seems to have taken a strong interest in our “Cedar Revolution”. Der Spiegle, a German magazine, is particularly active. Today, according to LBCI, it wrote an article about strong evidences in the Hariri case that could eventually implicate Syria. This comes just a few days after an interview with Bashar al Assad, the Syrian President, where he announced that he is willing to cooperate with the UN investigation team, led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis.

Detlev Mehlis himself is becoming a divisive figure. The majority see him as a hero, but some are more skeptical. Most see his calm smile as a sign of firm confidence, but others are dreading it as schadenfreude (incidentally, a word of German origin).

So the question is: What does Germany want?
The Germany-Lebanon bilateral relationship website hasn’t been updated since March, so it seems they don’t want to tell us. Their foreign policy objective in the Middle East is summed up by “peace and freedom”, no kidding.
The lack of official German policy for Lebanon is giving ample room for doubters in Lebanon to speak of “special interests”, and for those with fertile imaginations to include German-Jewish history in their conspiratorial “analysis”.

A simpler answer is this: Germany wants a permanent seat in the security council. This is why it wants to have more influence in the world’s hotspots. One of those hotspots is Lebanon.

The Sunni-Shiaa Relationship

A very fragile bond, but one with a lot at stake


The relationship between Hassan Nassrallah and Saad al Hariri has no shortage of drama. First you have the declaration of friendship, when Hassan Nassrallah stood on march 8th in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and told everyone that he, and ex-PM Hariri saw eye-to-eye on most vital issues. They had conducted, he said, secret high-level meetings to discuss Lebanon’s future, “in an atmosphere of trust and friendship”.
Then came the reciprocation, “we should be proud of our resistance” shouted Bahia Al Hariri on March 14th in front of a million Lebanese, most of which were pre-disposed to hate her newly declared object of affection.
The two parties had lived some good times since then: they were partners in the elections and in the government, and they relatively trusted each other. Most importantly, they were willing to talk about their differences…

But rumors started spreading, causing a chill in the relationship. A bird whispered in Hariri’s ears that Hezbollah has been involved in the killing of his father; they were the tools the Syrians used to kill him. The bird then went to Hassan Nassrallah’s ears: The Mehlis team is just an instrument the United States is using to implicate you in Hariri’s murder, and Saad Hariri, who is emotional and inexperienced, is bent on disarming you after the report implicates you.
The “bird” then started distributing leaflets all over Beirut: Sunnis are getting armed. They want to kill the Shiaas for killing Hariri. Sunni Jihadists are coming from Iraq to kill Shiaa leaders. Shiaas want to form a “Shiit crescent”…etc

Of course, usually, rumors remain rumors, unless there are fertile grounds for the rumors to grow. The fertile grounds in question are in one part historical, and in the other Geo-strategic: The Lebanese Sunnis and Shiaas have very different outlooks for the future of Lebanon. The formers, city dwelling pacifists with a tradition of trade, want Lebanon to be part of the international community, for a free flow of goods and goodwill. The latters, a minority (in the wider region) with a history of oppression and a tradition of militancy, see the future with an existential lens. A future filled with threats. Threats that we have to be constantly preparing to face.

It is in this context, that we have to look at the sudden rapprochement now taking place between the two parties (and by extension, Jumblat). They were all waiting for Mehlis’ press conference: will he mention Hezbollah?? Thank God he didn’t.
We could almost hear the huge sigh of relief on all sides. Hariri-owned Almustaqbal newspaper quickly mentioned the lack of any Hezbollah connection in the first page in broad letters. Nassrallah started giving interviews, stressing “the need not to succumb to rumors”. In a statement yesterday, he said that the Lebanese should be more responsible, and "place a hundred filters between their ears and anything they hear". His comments were also quickly showcased in the first page of Almustaqbal, and given a big chunk of today's Future TV news bulletins. Sanioura called him to commend him on his "excellent and responsible speech". Seniora and Jumblat are both planning on visiting Nassrallah soon.

They can now focus on removing Lahhoud without any side concerns. What will the Christians do about this? A comment on a previous post by a certain doctor gives an Aounist perspective, but I will expand on that in a future post.

Bush and Katrina

Caricature by Armand Homsi, Annahar Newspaper, September 3rd 2005


You can find a larger version here

A Stern Message

President Lahhoud sends the Lebanese Judiciary a veiled threat...



(vintage poster used here is not designed by The Beirut Spring but it was slightly modified for the purpose of this entry)

If Katrina Were Lebanese

If the Americans were as politically centered as us Lebanese, they would have quickly skipped the terrible humanitarian disaster caused by Katrina and jumped straight into the politics:


Liberals would have swiftly blamed president Bush for the storm because he didn't sign the Kyoto protocol

Religious conservatives would have said that new Orleans was punished by God. First for being of French origin, and second because of their notoriously exuberant Mardis Gras annual festival

Liberals would jump back and blame all the looting and shooting that is taking place on the lack of gun control in America. They would also maintain that the soldiers that are now in Iraq could have helped with the evacuations instead of their "pointless" war. The conspiracy theorists will also ask why is it that blacks always get the disasters.

Just the fact that I can even think of that shows how wrong our tendency as Lebanese to politicize everything is.