Road Trip, A Photo Essay...

“The drive is worse than torture!” “It’s not even worth the effort!”

These are some of the words of wisdom I received when I announced my intention to take my fiancé to Beirut for dinner. After exhausting all restaurants in Tripoli, Batroun and Jbeil, we decided it’s time we tackled faraway Beirut.

The Israeli bombings have made the trip from Tripoli to Beirut notoriously difficult for commuters. But honestly, I miss Beirut, so I decided to go for it. I also wanted to see with my own eyes (and camera), if life is coming back to normal in the Beirut Central District.

On the road, we found many ads on billboards for banks. The basic message is the same: We are going to survive this. We are strong. We are resilient.
Confidence or wishful thinking?


We hit the first diversion at the Madfoon Bridge (destroyed by you know who)


Which was the gateway into two major traffic congestions:
Amshit…


… And Halat


Two hours later, we arrive at Jounieh. We stop at Mc-Donald’s and grab a Mc-Flurry (Just in case you’re curious, we had Oreo and Kit-Kat. They ran out of Smarties)


It then took only 20 mins to reach Beirut. The sun was beginning to set.


We arrive at the BCD, it seemed (relatively) empty


We park the car and walk around.
Lina’s Sandwiches had a few munchers:


..But most other shops were empty



Spot the Irony:


Our initial choices for having dinner were both closed: Tamaris and Il Parlamento.


We searched for another place, and we found Scoozi.
Scoozi is one of Beirut’s Better restaurants. It prides itself with a picture on its entrance of the Ex-PM Rafic Hariri having Dinner with Jacques Chiraques, The French President, in Scoozi

The problem was: it was dead empty. Not a single person was having food inside.

Fortunately, it turned out that we were simply early for dinner. Later, more people started streaming in. (there was 7 busy tables by the time we left, including an actual Saudi family)


We get out, and to our relief, we find the district becoming alive again. It’s still way off its peak before the war, but it’s a start.


Starbucks seems to be doing well


Less lucky is Second Cup, a relative newcomer to Lebanon.


We drive to ABC, a mall in Ashrafieh. We parked where I always do, on the last floor (there’s a great view of Beirut from up there). The mall was very busy:


After some shopping (I’m glad they’re finally getting international magazines and newspapers), we drove back to Tripoli.

At 23:00 O’clock, the ride was very smooth. It only took 50 minutes.

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Eh il halawa di

Two Egyptian bloggers have a newfound respect for Lebanon’s “resources”

When two prominent Egyptian bloggers, The Big Pharaoh and The Egyptian Sandmonkey, simultaneously write today about Lebanon with titles like: “Only in Lebanon” and “God Bless Lebanon”, you’d think they uncovered some sort of Holy grail.

It seems our tourism season will not be as damaged as I originally feared.

PS: If you’re looking for an aggregator for Arab blogs in English, I seriously recommend Itoot. It’s stylish and comprehensive, and the featured posts are handpicked daily for quality.

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A Puzzling Disarmament

The way Hezbollah is disarming is odd. But it is very Lebanese.


If you’re a Lebanese soldier and you “found” Hezbollah weapons, light or heavy, you are allowed to confiscate them. But let’s suppose you get a tip-off that Mr. XX has a Katyusha launcher under his mattress, are you allowed to break into his house and seize it by force? Nope.

What seems like a bizarre hide-and-seek game between Hezbollah and the Government is simply another one of those political compromises the Lebanese have become famous for. Here's a couple of historical examples:

-When the Lebanese were fighting in the late 80s about whether or not Lebanon is an Arab country, a masterpiece compromise was reached: Lebanon is a “country with an Arab face”.

-A few months ago, when the Lebanese were arguing about “demarcating (tarseem)” the border with Syria, the pro-Syrians managed to engineer a less offending proposition: We will work on “determining (tahdeed)” the border with Syria.

Fast forward to Today. Nothing has changed: The odd disarmament process is yet another useful compromise: It shows that the Lebanese government is doing something about Hezbollah’s weapons. It also shows that Hezbollah are cooperating, without depriving them of their wiggle room.

Everyone is happy. There are no victors and no vanquished. Welcome to Lebanon.

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Sorry?

Hassan Nassrallah does'nt deserve the benefit of the doubt. Besides, he wasn't talking to you.

So I screwed up. What's the big deal?

Many commentators are making a big deal out of Hezbollah's leader's comment that he wouldn't have captured the Israeli soldiers had he known that Israel would retaliate this ferociously. Hmm, what's the euphemism for "bullshit"?

Nassrallah's comments were not in earnest for five reasons:

1. He saw what the Israelis did in Gaza just to release one captured Israeli Soldier
2. He understood Olmert's insecurity and overcompensation due to his lack of military background
3. He declared that whether the Lebanese like it or not, he's going to fight this war (which negates the argument that he's backtracking because the Lebanese are angry)
4. He received enough Israeli warnings and signals on the scale of the war before the operations begun
5. He always argued that he knew all along that the Israelis were preparing to wage a large-scale war on Lebanon
   

So, if Nassrallah is not saying sorry to the Lebanese, whom is he saying sorry to? Here's a hint:

Nasrallah [..] has accounts to settle with Iran. The regime in Tehran has not only seen its main reason for supporting Hezbollah go up in smoke in a largely futile endeavor, but must now dole out large sums of compensation money to Lebanese Shiites so the party can hold on to its base of support, even as Iran's poor complain their regime has left them by the wayside. Iran will probably pay out the money (though I've heard unconfirmed reports of delays), but of what value is this if Hezbollah cannot fire on Israel in the event of an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities? Or, to the contrary, of what value is the compensation if, by firing on Israel at Tehran's behest, Hezbollah only brings new destruction down on the heads of Shiites, who might then turn against Nasrallah?

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Never Say Die

There’s a reason why most advertising agencies in the Gulf are staffed by creative talents from Lebanon. The Lebanese are known for their openness, creativity, and most of all, their resilience.
This is how the creative class has responded to the Israeli bombings:

(Giant whiskey billboard on a major Beirut Highway)

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Tell Me Something..

Who are you people??


Alright, I know it’s none of my business but you guys have been around for a while, some of you reading The Beirut Spring for some time, some of you are new.
Sorry for being such a curious guy, but my stats show me where you're browsing from (see graphic), but I have no clue what your background is.
Could you please give me a hand by voting on the side bar? -->
(PS: you can only vote once)

Tripoli

Is Tripoli, the hometown of a suspect in a failed train bombing plot in Germany, a breeding ground for terrorists?

The two faces of Tripoli

A few days ago, a man by the name of Jihad Hamad surrendered to the Lebanese authorities here in Tripoli. The 19-year-old is a suspect in last month's failed bombing of two German trains. The fact has been all over the German media and Readers from Germany are sending me emails asking me about my native city.

Last month, Tripoli was the subject of a damning article in the Washington Post. The article painted a bleak picture of a city that “is one of the most visible manifestations of the war, a rough-and-tumble city being transformed by growing radicalism and religious fervor”. But is the situation in Tripoli really that dire?

Tripoli, like many Arab mainly Sunni cities (Amman, Cairo, Aleppo, Abu Dhabi) is characterized by a dichotomy of character; a duality built on two main pillars: The tolerant, rich bourgeois traders, and the poor working class and unemployed Islamists.

While the Islamists can be loud and violent sometimes, it is the moderates that are really holding power in the city. When our last free and fair parliamentary election was held, not a single Islamist from Tripoli came close to parliament. The moderates are also in control of security and the Armed forces, and, like Mr. Hamad's story shows, the extreme elements are kept in check.

That said, the Islamists wield considerable leverage on the “cultural” image of the city. You can’t hold a “wild” party in Tripoli, or open a shop that sells alcohol, without getting threatening phone calls. Both ends of the city are emblazoned with statues of the five pillars of Islam, "boyfriend" is a dirty word and people with headscarves are the majority. Tripolitans, like many arabs, are advised to be hush-hush in their pursuits of pleasure or romance. The result is a city with 400,000 people, half of which are under 25, with zero nightlife.
Still, people with enough means can simply drive to more “exciting” places (usually with a Christian majority), like Batroon, Jbeil or even right next door, in El mina.

Hypocrisy? maybe, but this is how a lot of Muslim cities work, so don't be threatened by us.

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Fallout In Canada

Israel's war on Lebanon has created some spirited debates in Canada.


A bunch of Canadian politicians come to Lebanon in a fact finding mission. They are amazed by the amount of destruction they see and describe Israeli Actions as "state terror".
They go back to Canada, one of them dares ask the conservative government to remove Hezbollah from the Canadian list of Terrorist groups, and then suggests, in what a Canadian editorialist termed "musings", to hold talks with them.

What happens next? An uproar between those who are shamed by what they see as an "uncanadian" foreign policy of their new conservative government, and those who are now in power and support an internationally more assertive Canada

To be sure, two thirds of Canadians don't support talks with Hezbollah, but I must give to you, the other third is pretty noisy.

Heathen Aid?

Why are they helping us?

A lebanese newspaper, Albalad, reported this morning that the Hezbollah leadership is genuinely surprised by the amount of humanitarian aid their strongholds are receiving from western countries and NGOs.
Why am I sensing an opportunity?

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Border Prostitution

The Syrian President is yet again threatening to close Syria's Lebanon borders. It is time we start thinking of long-term alternatives.


Remember just over a year ago when the Syrians were so pissed off they banned Lebanese trucks (most of them were land bound for the gulf countries) from crossing our common borders? Bashar seemed to have enjoyed the economic suffering so much that he is threatening a redux. Bashar likes being partners with Israel: They impose a blockade on air and sea, and he imposes one on land.

Assad’s excuse was that spreading UNIFIL soldiers alongside Lebanon’s borders with Syria would be an “act of aggression”. Does this look like the behavior of someone with nothing to hide? Our P.M did the right thing by responding forcefully that Lebanon will only look after its interests, and that it’s not in Syria’s interests to upset the international community.

Assad’s wickedness aside, the Lebanese should start thinking about long-term structural adjustments for their economy to rely less on the Syrian borders. Economists will say that the other available trade routes are prohibitively expensive. The answer is that as long as the Syrian regime is in power, we have no reliable way of getting our apples to Kuwait and the Syrians can abuse us whenever they feel like it.

What we can do now is try to convince Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan to threaten to shut their borders with Syria if it shuts its borders with Lebanon. With a little American help, all three countries can be convinced. But longer term solutions should be found.

When I wrote the incidence last year, a reader suggested that we start thinking of our country as an island, like Cyprus. What a shame.

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Change Of Looks

The Beirut Spring has just had a facelift.

The new logo is inspired by the diversity of the Lebanese people. The Lebanese social fabric is often referred to as a mosaic. Morover, the Lebanese political arena was all about color coding last year (Orange for Aoun, Blue for Future, Green for Amal, Yellow for Hezbollah).

The over-all look is cleaner and I added the picture of Gebran Tueni next to that of Rafic Hariri.

The facelift also solves an important technical issue: People who live in the UAE and Saudi Arabia can now see the design, since the images are no longer hosted on Flickr.

It might take some getting used to but I'm sure the new look is more in line with the spirit of my blog.

I hope you enjoy my new face, both that of the blog and that of my profile :)

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Lebanon Tidbits

Various small stories from inside Lebanon.

After the announcement that all flights bound for Beirut will pass through Amman (a not-so-comfortable trip according to hilal), Stavro, a Lebanese Caricaturist, decided that it’s time for a MEA (Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s flag carrier) rebranding. Inspired by Bush, The new name would be: New Middle East Airlines.



Speaking of the MEA, Ex P.M Salim El Hoss declared: we’d rather keep our airport closed than having our planes checked by the Israelis. It seems Mr. Hoss doesn't have loved ones abroad.

=====

The billboards below are seen all over Tripoli. Shabab el Azm are Najib Mikati’s answer to Hariri’s Shabab al Mustaqbal.

Tripoli is in the enviable position of having three billionaires (in order of wealth: Saad Hariri, Najib Mikati, Mohammed al Safadi) competing for our hearts and minds (and pockets I would add). The three of them are now busy fixing the Northern bridges, two of them from their own pockets.

I admit I’m a sucker for Mikati but I think “Amalouna La Shifa’a minhou” is a great line. (Translation: There’s no cure for our hope.)


===

Albalad reported that Future TV no longer refers to the Syrian President as “Bashar Al Assad”. They now speak of “Bashar Assad” (spot the difference). I will watch tonight’s bulletin to double check. I can’t understand why they’re doing this. Perhaps a way to further disrespect him?


===

Another very small piece of news. A Lebanese newspaper has written an article about me. Only check it if you're a die-had fan of The Beirut Spring ;)

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The Magic Word

We haven’t heard this word for some time. But it’s now making a strange comeback. Could it be?


I was surprised to hear our President’s statement before entering today’s council of Ministers. He said: “we all want peace. Peace is what everybody has been waiting for, because we’re all tired of war, but it has to be an honorable peace”.

Lahhoud’s statement was (naturally) an echo of the Syrian President’s “fair peace deal” statement made a few days ago. The Prince of Qatar, who is visiting Damascus and Beirut also said “Peace is what we have all wanted since the Beirut Arab Summit,” more crucially, he said (my translation): “Now is the best time to be talking peace because the Israelis have discovered that military might is not the answer”

On the other side, the Israeli Foreign Minister is said to be putting together a team to negotiate with Syria. But there are mixed messages: the Israeli Prime Minister announced that no peace talks would be held with Syria as long as it harbors Terrorist groups.

The P word again.

It’s too soon to tell, but it seems the Qatari crown prince is up to something.
The tiny gulf state has always managed to combine populist rhetoric (by sponsoring Aljazeera) with a pragmatic pro-American alliance (Qatar hosts the largest American military bases in the region). Syria might reconsider its alliance with Iran if it gets the Golan and a peace deal with Israel, and it seems Qatar is working as a link between the two (yes Qatar does speak with Israel despite what you might think from watching Aljazeera). Noises are starting to be heard in Damascus about a “Qatar sponsored conspiracy” for a Syria-Israel Peace deal.

What’s more important is that Iran doesn’t seem to be playing ball. On the eve of the deadline for Iran to respond to a western proposal to stop its nuclear program, Iran's supreme leader Ali Kaminei is as defiant as ever. He declared Iran’s intention to “forcefully” proceed with its nuclear program. By extension, here in Lebanon, none of the Hezbollah figures have so far uttered the magic word: Peace

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Wrong Move From Bush

How The Lebanese will react to Bush’s money pledge.

President George W. Bush has just pledged $230m to Lebanon. To be sure, we are a people with a good sense of decorum, so I can’t but start by saying “thank you.” But that doesn’t mean that the step was a right one.

What Mr. Bush did was understandable. “Experts” and pundits were screaming for the last two days in his ear: “Iran is pouring money into south Lebanon. If we don’t do the same, quickly, they’ll beat us to the hearts and minds of the Lebanese.” It is perhaps the rush that prevented Mr. Bush from taking the wise course.

You see Mr. Bush, I don’t know how it works in the US, but here in the Middle East, you can’t drop bombs and aid at the same time. We all know that you were shipping high-precision bombs to the Israelis, bombs that could have been used to kill Lebanese children. We all know that America was behind postponing the ceasefire until the “objectives” of the Israelis are met. Honestly Mr. President, no matter how much money you throw at us, you can’t undo the bad press that gave you.

Still, you are correct. We do need to counter the Iranian money flow. But couldn’t you have shelved the ego just for now and passed your money via common allies? Why embarrass our politicians who have a favorable view of the US by forcing them to make their position public on whether or not they want your money?

I can see it now: Anti US forces campaigning noisily for the government to reject your haram (the opposite of hallal) money. I can already imagine Hezbollah figures shaming our leaders for taking your “tainted” money.

I am not surprised Mr. Bush. Finesse was never your thing.

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Revolving Door?

The Government should quit playing games with the international community.

Now we can die together

Lebanese pundits are talking about a dangerous vagueness in the Lebanese official position. Take M.P. Samir Geagea and Commentator Charles Ayyoub for instance. One is a proud anti-Syrian, the other is a Syrian megaphone. Yet they both agree that placing the Lebanese army in the middle between Hezbollah and the Israelis is tantamount to suicide.

I argued before that the current Lebanese position is the best possible outcome. But that doesn’t mean that the best possible outcome is good enough.

According to UNR 1701, The Lebanese Army’s job is to disarm Hezbollah. What we got instead was an army that was sent to stand "alongside your resistance and your people who astonished the world with its steadfastness and destroyed the prestige of the so-called invincible army after it was defeated"” according to an internal army statement circulating among forces. Doesn't sound like disarming to me.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the international community, notably France, significantly downgraded their promised military backup for the New UNIFIL (the 200 strong symbolic force they decided to send is not the same as the originaly promised 10,000). They feel backstabbed by the government and they don’t want their troops to be endangered by an unclear mandate.

We all know that Israel agreed to resolution 1701 because they believed it would disarm Hezbollah. If the Israelis and the international community start sensing deception from our side, the Israelis might decide to take things back into their own destructive hands.

The signs are beginning to show.

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The Economist On Who Won The War

The Verdict:


Excerpts from the Article (emphasis mine):

HASSAN NASRALLAH and Ehud Olmert both say they won. But in asymmetrical warfare, the test of victory is asymmetrical too. Israel's prime minister set himself an absurd aim—the complete demolition of Hizbullah's power in Lebanon—and failed to achieve it. The shrewder Mr Nasrallah said victory would consist merely of surviving, and Hizbullah, however battered, did survive. On the last day it was not just standing, it also fired a record 246 rockets into Israel.

Hizbullah being what it is, Mr Nasrallah lost no time claiming that this was “a strategic, historic victory”; crowds in Tehran chorused that Israel had been “destroyed”. Did Hizbullah not kill 159 Israelis, including 116 Zionist soldiers? Israel being what it is, Mr Olmert's political foes lost no time denouncing the prime minister's failings as Israelis sank into a collective despond about the disappointing showing of their army and the blunting of their country's long-term deterrent power.
[..]
Within days of the ceasefire, Mr Nasrallah said it was “too early” to discuss disarming. Syria's president, Bashar Assad, said so too. And the likelihood of the Lebanese army or a UN force trying to disarm Hizbullah against its will is zero. Two years ago, the UN passed a splendid resolution, 1559, demanding the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon. If Hizbullah did not comply then, why should it do so now, flushed with self-declared victory and with Israel's army still inside Lebanon?

In my opinion, this is the most important paragraph:

The plain fact is that if Hizbullah is ever to give up its weapons and become just another political party, it will be through the pressure of the other Lebanese, not as a direct result of Israel's war.The diplomacy should therefore not be built on the pretence that Israel won a war it didn't. The more that Israel and America claim otherwise, the less able the caught-in-the-middle Lebanese government of Fouad Siniora will be to extract favours from Mr Nasrallah. A better idea would be to deprive Hizbullah of the pretexts it has invented for keeping up its war. It would be useful, for example, if Israel gave up the Shebaa Farms, the bit of Syrian territory Hizbullah says is Lebanon's, and accepted a prisoner swap.

On Israel looking weak:

However, Israel needs to save face too. Mr Olmert has no interest in concessions that reinforce the idea that he led his warrior nation to defeat. Israelis feel they dare not let their country look weak. And now come ominous signs that it does. Mr Assad has started talking again about liberating the Golan Heights. Having previously denied arming Hizbullah, Iran this week started to boast about the weapons it sent. If Israel is to give up Shebaa at such a time it must have something big in return, such as the actual removal of Hizbullah's arms—not just their concealment—in the south at least. Since America is not seen as an honest broker, closing such a deal may well require some new mediator. France? Turkey? Germany? Without an agreement, the war could resume at any moment.

On what Israel can learn:

If a deal is done, what lesson will Israel take from this war? Probably something along the lines of: more infantry, fewer tanks. Those who preach sagaciously from afar that Israel should learn something bigger—the necessity of making peace instead of relying on force—have not been paying attention.

The hubris that blinded Israel after its great victory of 1967 cleared decades ago. Since the 1980s at least two prime ministers, Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak, gave their all in the search for peace. The first paid with his life and the second with his job.

The trouble for Israel is that in peacemaking, as well as in war, the enemy gets a vote. What the well-meaning protesters who have been marching in Europe in praise of Hizbullah refuse to acknowledge is that today, as in the 1940s, Israel still has some neighbours who continue to deny its very right to exist as a Jewish state.

This is not to say that Israel is blameless. It has made mistakes aplenty down the years. This war was probably just that: a mistake after a provocation and not a plot cooked up either by Israel and America against Iran, or by Iran against Israel and America, as the rival conspiracy theories go. It followed a bigger blunder: Israel's failure after Yasser Arafat's death to work seriously with his moderate successor, Mahmoud Abbas.

But peace does not depend only on Israel. Six years ago Israel withdrew from Lebanon to a border painstakingly demarcated by the UN. Hizbullah fought on anyway. Like Iran, it says its aim is Israel's destruction. Though an authentic political movement with a domestic agenda in Lebanon, it is also blatantly anti-Semitic. Mr Nasrallah once reflected that collecting the Jews in Palestine made them easier to wipe out. Its al-Manar TV station is a beacon of hate: one series purported to show Jews murdering Christian children to use their blood for Passover bread. Whether Hizbullah and Iran seriously propose to destroy Israel is hard to tell, but it is what they keep saying—and they have imitators. The Palestinians' ruling Hamas movement has not yet dared to say out loud that it accepts even the principle of sharing Palestine with a Jewish state.

Following Mr Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza, Mr Olmert hoped to follow his example by uprooting Israeli settlements from much of the West Bank. Hizbullah has now killed stone dead the idea of Israel giving up territory again without cast-iron security assurances. So there will be no leaving any of the West Bank until there is a deal. Israel must find some way to re-engage with the Palestinians. But right now it is not even talking to Hamas—and Hamas, after the Lebanon war, is in danger of subscribing anew to the old illusion that Palestine can be liberated by force.

And finally the scary conclusion:

Black days ahead for the Middle East.

Trust Us

One man’s vagueness is another man’s finesse.


Our army is finally deploying in the south after half a century of absence. Many Lebanese are cheering the significant event, but to others this is simply another extension of an amorphous blob of vagueness.

The skeptics don’t know how the Lebanese army will deal with Hezbollah’s weapons. Even Lebanese Ministers like Pierre Jmayyel and Joe Sarkis (representatives of Christian parties) thought the process was too “vague.”

The Lebanese government's position is that the Army will deploy in the south and that it will be the sole barer of weapons. The Government nevertheless assures us that no confrontation will happen between the army and their “brothers and families in the resistance.”

To a lot of people there’s a big “You’ll have to trust us” vibe coming out of the Government. People and international bodies don’t like that. They want clarity, guarantees, checks and balances. Why would they otherwise trust the south with their soldiers? Why would the Lebanese invest again in the south if there’s no assurance that the skirmishes won’t happen again? A lot of people are threatened by Hezbollah’s “hidden weapons” position.

For those familiar with the Lebanese intractable politics however, the picture is much clearer. This is the best possible outcome for anyone wishing for the Lebanese government to spread its authority southwards. The Lebanese political landscape is so filled with nuances and landmines that the government is run like a family business: Any important decision has to be taken with absolute unanimity, or else we’re in trouble.

But that doesn’t mean that underneath the broad smiles and vows of brotherhood, there isn’t a huge power struggle. The Machiavellian dynamic can be summarized as follows: Hezbollah is trying to catch its breath by pretending to collaborate with the government, while cementing its popular base with construction efforts. The Lebanese government on the other hand is trying to create facts on the grounds by establishing the army in the south. Once it secures its presence, it will work on slowly building up its clout.

The Lebanese Army is not as benign as it is always portrayed to be. When the Israelis started their campaign on July 13, a zealous Tripoli Islamist positioned antiquated artillery on the roof of a building in Tripoli and declared he wants to “resist”. It only took 2 hours for the army to confiscate his “equipment” and punish him severely.

Perhaps this is the ultimate goal of deploying the army down south.

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Hot Air From Bashar

Bashar’s speech today was full of smokescreens. The real purpose of it was to talk peace with Israel.

Stiff face, stiff speech

What was Bashar thinking? In one breath, he attacked Arab Leaders, the Americans and The Israelis and called the Lebanese March 14 forces Israeli agents. The speech was so hard-line that the German foreign Minister cancelled his trip to Syria in protest.
You can’t shoot at everyone when you’re as weak as the Syrians. Where’s the catch?

A shallow reading of Bashar’s speech makes you conclude that he made up his mind regarding his country’s strategic direction: He would forever break from the “Arab fold” and join the Iranian hardliners in a holly matrimony that would eventually wipe Israel off the map. But is that really the case?

In his carefully choreographed speech (random children popping up from an elderly crowd interrupting him with poetry and praise) he seemed convinced that the “culture of resistance” is the next big thing in the Arab world and he wanted to associate himself and his regime with Hezbollah’s “victory”. He wants to send the message that he's siding with an Arab moral high ground (unlike “defeatist” regimes who “call themselves realists”)

The speech, as usual, was very insulting to the Lebanese people, but this blogger won't care less about what comes out of that man’s mouth and will focus on its significance.

Bashar is simply listening to his friend Ahmadinejad’s advice: “listen buddy. With the Americans and Israelis, the stronger you are, the noisier you are, the more attention you will get.” Mr. Assad uttered the word “peace” at least 10 times in his speech. One political analyst said that Assad was emboldened by the many voices in the American commentariat who are calling for Bush to talk with the Syrians.

The Israelis got the message. Emir Peretz, the Israeli Defense Minister suggested today that one of the outcomes of this war could be diplomatic talks with Syria.

Sorry, I will make this one short. The Israelis are not paying as well as they used to.

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Lebanese Reaction To Nassrallah’s Speech

The Lebanese blogosphere was insulted by Nassrallah’s speech tonight.

It seems I wasn’t the only one who decided to call things by their names from now on. After Nassrallah’s speech tonight, the unconvinced Lebanese bloggers unleashed a scathing attack on him. Here’s a glimpse:

Rampurple: Fuck Off Nassrallah!

That should be the answer of every Lebanese to this asshole after tonight’s speech.
Who does he think he is ? threatening everyone and teaching us what to do ?

He claims to have won over the Israelis, You and your Umma and Masters in Iran and Syria won, we all know that, but the Lebanese people lost and Lebanon lost, and do not wanna see your face anymore.

Raja: Nassrallah: Enough!

You are not my leader. You have just been handed your “epic battle” with the Israelis and you could not have wished for a better outcome. Of course, the price WE ALL had to pay for that “victory” of yours was astronomical. Your insistence on keeping your weapons and stubbornly tagging the Syrian-Iranian foreign policy line has brought our country to the brink of oblivion. ENOUGH, Nasrallah. ENOUGH.

Beirut To The Beltway: The Decapitator’s Speech

The most dangerous aspect of his speech, by far the most frightening of all, is his reference to Lebanese politicians who spoke out against him during the battle. He played on sectarian sensitivities highlighting the fact that most of the casualties and destruction were in Shia territories. He stressed that these politicians made a “mistake” by publicizing the internal debate in time of conflict, affecting the psychology of civilians being slaughtered and of the fighters.

Desmond: The Battle Begins

All those who were pro-Hezbollah remain so, perhaps even more now that it has promised to rehouse them and feed them. Those who were against Hezbollah are now being subjected to threats and intimidation to stop them trying to disarm the militia, to delay any attempt to rid the country of this "state within a state".

Alarabiya readers' comments:


(Rough Translation:
First commentator: My Deepest Respects, Mr. Nassralla
Second: Go to Hell Nassralla
Alarabiya is a Pan Arab TV station)

My personal view (The Beirut Spring)

The point that bugs me most in Nassrallah’s speech is that he thinks that the natural place for a debate among the Lebanese is behind closed doors among leaders. This is very telling and it shows how much respect he has for democracy. “Let us the leaders discuss your destiny behind closed doors, you just shut up and listen,” seems to be his logic. The leaders in question would do well to ignore him and keep the debate public. We want to scrutinize every point and we want to ask questions. If Mr. Nassrallah doesn’t like it we can vote for someone else.

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Time To Be Righteous

The time is right for liberal forces in Lebanon to speak with force and belief.

Before July 12, the debate between Hezbollah and the rest of the Lebanese had a classic pattern: When a Lebanese party reproaches Hezbollah for their weapons, they respond with a barrage of intimidation, bullying and self-righteousness. “How dare you question us?” “You sound exactly like the Israelis,” “Who are you to judge us?” sweetened by an assurance that the weapons are only for deterrence and will only be used against the “Zionist enemy,” followed by veiled (and not so veiled) threats: “we shall cut the limbs and heads of those who will try to disarm us and pull their souls out of their bodies”

The problem was not Hezbollah’s responses per say. The problem was the fact that a lot of Lebanese (mainly the Sunnis) actually felt a hint of shame for criticizing a force that appeals so much to populist Arab public opinion. Especially if you watch Aljazeera and the way they insinuate that the Lebanese who don’t support Hezbollah serve the interests of Israel.

At this junction, we need to be more righteous than Hezbollah, because our cause is, in fact, more just.

We should cast aside the shame we feel every time we pressure Hezbollah. We should have an internalized belief that our cause is righter than theirs. Our dream of a prosperous, pluralist, democratic Lebanon is much worthier than their narrow-minded medieval dream of an Islamic resurrection; our culture of life trumps their culture of death and martyrdom. A mother bragging about her son being a doctor is better than a mother bragging that her children are all “martyrs”

We should have an internal belief that modern wars are fought economically, by competing in production and innovation. A prosperous, plural Lebanon is a stronger foe than a militant, xenophobic Lebanon. Prosperity is about uniting families by preventing immigration. It’s about dignity. It’s about prestige and influence. A militant Lebanon will only create destitute, wretched and scattered citizens who feed off other people’s charities.

When we argue with Hezbollah, we should be firm in our beliefs: We are right. They are wrong.

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What Hezbollah Wants

How serious is the leader of Hezbollah in supporting the Lebanese Government?

You can't take that away from me

After successful diplomatic efforts from the government of Lebanon, lead by the fit Tarek Mitri, resolution 1701 saw light in a much better form than its initial inception.
Later, Hassan Nassrallah, the Leader of Hezbollah announced that he backed the Lebanese governments in its decision to send 15000 soldiers to the south. (A startling U-turn, considering his initial position that the Lebanese soldiers would be used to protect Israel and would do best to stay away from the south.)

There must be a catch. Mr. Nassrallah did express reservations over the resolution. Mohammed Fneish, the Hezbollah minister called it “unfair” and “insolent”. So why then did they back the government’s decision? What does Nassrallah want?

If I had to use just one word, I’d say “time”.

You see, Hezbollah was taken aback by the ferocity of the Israeli reaction, and, frankly, didn’t want this war. If you subscribe to the belief that Hezbollah is serving Iran’s interests, you’d understand the strategic importance of the ceasefire. Remember, Nassrallah, Syria and Iran were the most aggressive, from the very start, in demanding an “immediate ceasefire.”

The Logic is simple. The Missiles in the south were not meant to fight this trivial war. The purpose was to stack as much long-range missiles as possible to be used later as a deterrent in the Nuclear-confrontation between Iran and the US.

As Thomas Friedman put it:

Iran gave Nasrallah missiles to deter any Western or Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program. By frivolously playing their missile card now, Hezbollah and Iran have exposed and weakened Iran’s deterrent. Really dumb.

I never believed that Hezbollah was “hiding behind innocent civilians”. What I believe in however, is that Hezbollah is hiding behind an innocent civilian government. What Nassrallah needs right now is breathing space that only Mr. Seniora could provide.

The Idea is to go back to Iran’s favorite game of slowly stacking missiles. Who cares about when these will be used? As Walid Jumblat, referring to Iranians, puts it: “People who weave carpets have a very long patience”.

The challenge for us, the Lebanese, is to make sure that no public sweet-talking is taking place while another deadly time bomb is slowly being assembled under our noses, missile by missile.

(PS: Sorry for the irregular posting. My internet connection is giving me a hard time. Thanks for the concerned emails)

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Litani, Never Stop Dreaming..

A couple of weeks back, when I wrote that Israel has designs on the Litani River, many readers cried conspiracy. An American Journalist in the Los Angeles Times is taking it from here.


When I wrote about Israel’s desire for our water, one reader from Israel wrote sarcastically:

Oh, how I love a good conspiracy theory! Let me add that you forgot to mention that Israel wants also to put poison in Lebanese waters -- you know, a hi-tech poison, that attacks only Shiite DNA, and doesn't do anything to non-shiites. Or even better, a posion that specifically attacks the DNA of Nasrallah only... After all, it was the Israeli Mossad who took down the world trade center, wasn't it...?

Another wrote:

Seeing how stupid Lebanese are I actually start to believe they deserve bombs and Hezbollah

One American Blogger, a friend, wrote this:

It is with great regret that I see that, given enough time back in the village, the most urbane, sophisticated, and educated Lebanese will begin spouting the same old conspiratorial claptrap that makes their discourse so ridiculous. I couldn't be more disappointed.

But is the idea as conspiratorial as these readers make it sound?

You Judge. Kim Murphy, from the Los Angeles Times, conducts an investigation and asks some tough questions. She concludes: "Israel's airstrikes on canals renew enduring suspicions that it covets water from the Litani."

Read the article, It has a good historical overview and provides a balanced coverage of both perspectives.

Let's hope the comments section is easier on me this time ;)
(P.S: Thanks Anne.)

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Discriminating Bombs

If you are Shiaa, wherever you are, we are going to bomb you, say the Israelis.
If that’s not ethnic cleansing, I don’t know what the expression means.

I was reading a newspaper article (Arabic) this morning that made me smile. The writer’s friend was telling him about Israel’s “diabolic plan” for Lebanon. The plan would be to turn the Lebanese against each other by targeting the Shiaas only. Since the Israelis are finding it so difficult to take Hezbollah out, the argument goes, they would “outsource” the job to the rest of the Lebanese.

It was a fun idea, a creative conspiracy, I thought.

But before my smile was over, I got breaking news on my phone (I’m subscribed to LibanCall and Naharnet. LibanCall is better). The text read: Israel jets throwing warning leaflets into Shiaa villages in Koura (here in the North).

My first thought was: We have Shiaas in Koura?? (A predominantly Christian place).
My second thought was: the writer’s friend doesn’t seem so stupid after all.

Why on earth would you bomb Shiaas for their sheer religious affiliation? The minority Northern Shiaas have never thrown a stone at Israel! What gives?

The Israelis have a real problem here. Our politicians might fight, there might be tensions between Shiaa refugees and locals, but Shiaas are not a different Lebanese species. My brother is married to a Shiaa, we are much more intermingled than the Isreali superficial intelligence-reading minds must think!

Ethnic cleansing is the only way I can think of this. Shame on the Jews who are doing this. Of all peoples, they should know better. Disgraceful!

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An Environmental Disaster

The Long-term effects this war is having on our environment, tourism and health.

According to our Minister of Environment, we are at an increased risk of cancer because of the oil leak on our coasts.

It also seems that we won't be seeing this kind of pictures before 10 more years. Yes, you heard correctly, TEN MORE YEARS:


(more jieh pictures here)

Below is a picture I took in Jbeil just a few days ago (the day before Israel bombed the bridge that took me there)


Minister Sarraf also said that the more we wait, the less we'll be able to save our environment.

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Wir sind alle Libanesen

Pictures from The protest that took place in Berlin, Germany, on August 7 (Thanks Walid)






(PS: Apology to my readers in the UAE who can’t see the pictures because they’re hosted in Flickr. If you want to see them, you can email me and I’ll send them to you)

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"No" In All Languages

People all over the world want the bombing to stop.


Istvan in Budapest, Hungary, wants us to know that even by the beautiful Danube, people are still thinking of us.

Are you one of the 100 people who bought the T-shirt so far? are you planning on doing so?
Because if you do have a "Stop Bombing Lebanon" T-shirt, you are kindly invited to wear it and take a picture next to a landmark in your country. I will then gladly publish it on The Beirut Spring.(kind of like that statue from the movie Amelie Poulin.) The purpose of this is to show that the entire world wants this bombing to stop.

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The Walid And Saud Show

Is Syria being ostracized?


TV reports are rife with news of tension between the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and his Arab counter-parts in Beirut. The Arab FMs had agreed to come to Beirut in a gathering of solidarity, but Mr. Muallem came before everyone else and made a regal statement from Lahhoud’s presidential palace reminiscent of the old days of Syrian dominance.

The entrance Mr. Muallem made was that of a peacock. His exit however one of
disgrace. He left early for Damascus without making any statements. He was being treated like a pariah among the Ministers. Mr. Sanioura had all but ignored his request to replace the word “resistance” with the word “Hezbollah” in the final communique, which refused that be Lebanon be used as a stage for external conflicts. Reports have it that Mr. Muallem has also verbally clashed with the Saudi F.M.

The symbolism of Mecca being the location of the next emergency Arab summit can’t be missed. Will the Syrian president attend the event in the Sunni heartland? The Arabs are now visibly hostile towards Syria. The message seems to be:
Make your choice, do you want to side with us or with the Persians?

**Update**
Anton has a very good detailed post on the topic

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The Last Year

To understand the socio-political environment in Lebanon, read Micheal Young's excellent piece in the New York Times (Hat tip dougjnn). The article is lengthy but worth every sentence. It is essential read for everyone who wants to understand the background in Lebanon with all its social and political simmerings.

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Correspondence

I'm getting a lot of emails. Some of them very fascinating, relevant, personalized and thoughtful. Unfortunately, I can't keep up with the volume, my internet access is not perfect. I hope you understand

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The Entire Piece

Sorry, I didn't know that the piece by Chibli Mallat was part of TimeSelect. I'm going to abuse my subscription and paste it here. Just don't tell anyone, ok?

Who Is Really at War? The Patterns So Far.
By Chibli Mallat, Lebanon

Three weeks into the war between Israel and Hezbollah, some patterns have emerged. In the first week, Israeli security officials declared that they wanted to bomb Lebanon back 50 years, and indeed destroyed over 40 bridges across the country in the first few days, as well as a large number of factories, over 30 according to the Association of Lebanese Industrialists. Then the targets changed radically.

Clearly prompted by the United States, the Israeli government announced an objective alliance with the Lebanese government on the latter’s exclusive sovereignty over its territory and borders. Israel then acted accordingly in its warfare. On a handful of occasions, which have puzzled the observers, Lebanese army points were targeted, but non-Hezbollah areas were rarely hit. The map of destruction was characteristically Shiite; only few missiles were fired in other areas. In Beirut, destruction was limited to a perimeter of about one and half square kilometer, now known as the security quadrangle, which consists of a small, poorer section in the Shiite suburbs, where Hezbollah’s sway has been historically dominant.

I went on Tuesday to see for myself that area of Beirut where I had been a guest on the Manar TV station a few times before 2004. Some of the neighborhoods have been bombed to Ground-Zero-like lunar places, with ten-story buildings reduced to rubble. It is hard not to feel sad at the sites.

Much destruction can also be found in the south of the country — from Tyre to the Blue Line, and various parts of the western Bekaa, close to the border, and in the historic city of Baalbeck, which lies much further north.

This is a Hezbollah-Israel war, but sociologically it is a Lebanese Shiite-Israeli Jewish war. Probably 90 percent of the people who fled their homes in Lebanon — some 800,000 people by United Nations accounts — are Shiite. This represents nearly a quarter of the Lebanese people. I suspect close to 95 percent of the more than 800 Lebanese killed so far are Shiite. Camp Palestinians also have remained outside the main war zone. So have Syria and Iran.

Consequences of this glaring split on the domestic Lebanese situation are difficult to fathom, and all politicians have rightly endeavored to manifest a patriotic sympathy for the plight of Shiite Lebanese. Politically, such contradictions will in time be more difficult to paper over.

For my part, I do not find it healthy to carry on with a dual language, which is deafening in most Lebanese political circles — wishing wholeheartedly for Hezbollah’s military defeat, while professing in grand speeches a desire for unity. I feel strongly about the suffering of my Lebanese compatriots, as I do about Israelis’ suffering by-and-large. And I take pride in non-Shiites opening their homes and offering hospitality to the refugees. I prefer, however, to voice my open disagreement with Hezbollah over the start of the war and the way it is being prosecuted. I think that candidness in times of violence and death on such a scale is needed, and that the narrowing of the gap between private and public talk in politics will yield a far healthier result in due course, and will help accelerate a workable cease-fire.

On Friday morning, Lebanon awoke to the destruction of one power plant four bridges north of Beirut, all outside the Shiite areas, cutting the capital off from the north. Concern will grow high: is a new pattern emerging?

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Outside The Flock

Chibli Mallat, A Lebanese Presidential candidate who has ties to the March 14 anti-Syria movement, wrote a piece in the New York Times that can be considered a break-through.


He describes this war as one between the Lebanese Shias and Israel and he seems to have a tacit approval of what Israel is doing “against Hezbollah.” The most important part of his piece however is his critique of the Lebanese political class’ discourse:

I do not find it healthy to carry on with a dual language, which is deafening in most Lebanese political circles — wishing wholeheartedly for Hezbollah’s military defeat, while professing in grand speeches a desire for unity. I feel strongly about the suffering of my Lebanese compatriots, as I do about Israelis’ suffering by-and-large. And I take pride in non-Shiites opening their homes and offering hospitality to the refugees. I prefer, however, to voice my open disagreement with Hezbollah over the start of the war and the way it is being prosecuted. I think that candidness in times of violence and death on such a scale is needed, and that the narrowing of the gap between private and public talk in politics will yield a far healthier result in due course, and will help accelerate a workable cease-fire.

Chibli's thinking represents what today is the biggest yet most prevalent taboo in Lebanese non-shia Society: an unexpressed desire for Israel to defeat Hezbollah.

So is Chibli's comming out an act of courage or an act of treason? You decide

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Real Peacekeepers

So much for my rose tinted wish-list on who should keep the peace in Lebanon.


The Economist weighs in on the nature of the peacekeeping force:

Behind the scenes, France is emerging as the lead nation in the scheme (see article). Turkey, which has longstanding relations with Israel, may be a leading contributor too, putting a Muslim face on the peacekeeping force.

So a new UN force in Lebanon may risk looking like a Frankenstein's monster, with French leadership, a mandate from the UN, Muslim legitimacy from Turkey, logistical support from NATO, and money and diplomatic backing from the United States and Britain. In any event, a plan has yet to be agreed that would either disarm Hizbullah or fold its militia into Lebanon's official army. No country sounds keen to tell its troops to fire on Hizbullah if it disobeys. A UN official says that this question must be settled before an international force can be agreed upon.

Two comments:

I think this whole “Moslem Legitimacy” that the Turkish Army supposedly grants the force is a farce. Doesn’t everyone know that the Turkish army is the upholder of the secular regime in Turkey? The Turkish army protects Turkish nationalism by heavy-handedly suppressing all signs of religiosity in public offices. How are they supposed to grant the peacekeepers so-called Moslem legitimacy? The Turks can come but stop insulting our intelligence.

Don’t mess with the French. The French might have a reputation for fine wine and sophisticated cuisine, but they are ruthless on the peacekeeping front.
The French peacekeepers are preventing the two parts of Ivory Coast (The Northern Moslems and the Southern Christians) from getting at each other’s throats (something similar to what it would be required to do in Lebanon). When an Ivorian bomber “accidentally” killed nine French soldiers, the peacekeepers bombed and destroyed the entire Ivorian Air-force.

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Madness

This is unbelievable!

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Israel Bombs Northern Bridges

Just now, Israel bombed 4 important bridges that link Beirut to North Lebanon. I used 3 of them just Yesterday


The bombing targeted two bridges in Maameltein, one in Batroon and one in Halet.
I actually used 3 of those bridges when I took my fiancé to Jounieh yesterday. I could have been killed like that family that was in a car and fell in the hole formed in the Batroun bridge.

Land access to Beirut from the North is now completely destroyed.

For the record, those bridges link the Sunni North to the Christian Center of Lebanon. There are no Hezbollah supporters whatsoever in those areas.

This proves the point that Israel is using Hezbollah as an excuse to destroy Lebanon.

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A Face For Your Rallies

A little visual help for your rallies.


A Lebanese in the US sent me pictures of a silent candlelight vigil they held in New York City in Union Square Park Yesterday. As you can see from the picture, they used my T-Shirt's artwork "Stop Bombing Lebanon". The art used was taken directly from the website and was probably very low-resolution.

For people who might still want to use the art in the future, I prepared a PDF version that can be printed on any size without loosing its sharpness. In other words, you can use it to print large billboards if you chose to.

You can download the high-resolution PDF file by clicking on the image below:


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Who Blinks First?

On brinkmanship, détente and mutually assured destruction.


Hassan Nassrallah just made a speech in which he said:

If you bomb Beirut, we will bomb Tel Aviv and we’re capable of doing so. I would like to make it clear that bombing Israeli settlements and cities are a reaction, not an action. You are attacking our towns, our cities, our civilians, and our capital. This is why we react by bombing similar targets. The day you stop your attacks on our cities, towns, civilians and infrastructure, we will stop sending missiles to your cities, towns and settlements. We naturally prefer that our fighting remain in the battlefields.

I don’t know about you, but I sense a hint of contrition in Nassrallah’s speech. There’s perhaps some public opinion pressure concerning the random killing of Israeli civilians, and he’s trying to deflect it by saying that it’s Israel who started the random bombing. It’s actually the same tactic the Israeli used when they said that Hezbollah was behind the Qana Massacre.

I believe it’s morally wrong to target innocent civilians and terrorize them the way Hezbollah is doing. But I doubt it if Nassrallah shares my position. Nassrallah is rather trying to create an Israeli public opinion that pressures their government into keeping the fighting with Hezbollah in the field to spare the civilians on both sides the collateral damage. Nassrallah knows that they have an upper hand in the open Lebanese fields, and their objective is to restore the situation to what it used to be before July 12.

Israel apparently doesn’t want to play Hezbollah’s game, so it raised the stakes in its reaction to Nassrallah: If you Bomb Tel Aviv, we will destroy all of Lebanon’s infrastructure.

Nassrallah, will you raise or fold?

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Inside Hezbollah

How a Hezbollah fighter’s old crush is helping him conduct this battle


Al-Arabiya, which is an Al-Jazeera for moderates, carries on its website a fascinating account on how Hezbollah guerrillas operate.

Apparently, the fighters have been preparing a long time ago for this war. They identify themselves by three-digit codes, they eat from cans and they hide their rings to avoid being revealed by the sun’s reflection. An otherwise normal geography teacher would replace his books with two Motorola talkie-walkies and a Kalashnikov machine gun.

Hajj Abu Hussein, 40, A.K.A (#103) says that he listens to the radio station for hidden instructions, but so far his only mission is to launch as much missiles as he can into Israel. He is now wearing civilian clothes, but when he’s on the field, he puts on the military Uniform. “It’s not wise to wander among civilians in military clothes” he says.

His childhood friend, Abu Muhammad, A.K.A (#121) explains how the two of them communicate: “we used to play together in these fields since we were kids”, “when we exchange information, we refer to little anecdotes that only we understand.”, “for example,” he continues, “when I was 20, I had a crush on this girl. I simply tell Abu Hussein: let’s meet at this girl’s neighborhood. The Israelis will never figure that one out”

Abu Hussein tells Alarabiya’s correspondent: We don’t like killing. We think all peoples are our brothers, no matter what religion they follow. But we want to defend our land and our honor. We love martyrdom, but we also love life and we don’t want to die in vain.

Comments

In order to keep the discussion civilized and constructive, I decided to create a commenting policy.

I openly embrace all points of view, no matter how little I agree with them; what I will not tolerate however, are:

-Profanities

-Links to other websites or pasted articles unless relevant to comment or post (for exceptions, email me and I’ll decide if I want them published or not. And I’ll do it in an appropriate context)

-Hate statements. My standards for hate statements are slightly different than CNN’s. “Jews want to control the media” and “Islam and Terrorism are not compatible” are NOT considered hate statements on this blog. “Jews are idiots” and “Muslims are Terrorists” are considered so.

-Calling other commentators names

-Posting the same comment (or the same idea in a slightly different format) again and again

Two more things:

-I will not delete large comments but please understand that those are skimmed over quickly due to the volume of the comments. This is why the shorter, more up to the point, the better.

-Anonimity: Please provide names. It will make it easier to communicate with each other. You don't have to have a profile to do so. All you need to do is chose "Other" in the commenting list and put a name or a nickname. You don't even need to put a website.

Let’s hope this forum remains a civilized place for sharing opinions.

A Peacekeeping Dream Team

The countries that the Lebanese most trust for peacekeeping in Southern Lebanon are Canada, Brazil and Japan.


No matter how this crisis ends, there will be without doubt some kind of peacekeeping force that will assist the Lebanese army in the south of Lebanon. Here are my ten cents on why they should be Canadian, Brazilian and Japanese.

We won’t trust the neighboring countries to send their soldiers because they might never leave. This discounts Syria and Jordan. Turkey brings ugly colonial memories, so they are out too (sorry, I know you want the job, but we’re not comfortable with it). The Arab countries and Iran are too involved and partial. Sub-Saharan Africans won’t scare anybody (with my deepest respect to Ghanaian peacekeepers in the UNIFIL).

The force should have unanimous support from the Lebanese people; this immediately discounts Israel, the US and the UK. France is admired by some Lebanese (The Maronites and the Sunnis), but to others (like President Emile Lahhoud and the Shiaas) it represents a colonial past and is an unwelcome influence. Spain and Italy are too Catholic, Germany still needs time before it could send soldiers abroad, the Scandinavians and the Swiss are too pacifist, Eastern Europe is too pro-American.

The Russians are too eager to spite the Americans and the Chinese are too willing to bargain for oil. Besides, both are too heavy-handed. Pakistan is too Muslim and India is too anti-Muslim. Australia is too pro-American and New Zealand is too far. Argentina has a history with Hezbollah and Venezuela is too anti-American. Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile are too poor.

Which brings us to the most trusted, most independent countries in Lebanese eyes: Brazil, Canada and Japan.

Aside from the Soccer fans who raised Brazilian flags all over the country during the world-cup, Brazil has the right mixture of independence, thirld-worldism and clout. It also helps that Brazil has more Lebanese descendents than Lebanon itself.

Canada is the most respected and neutral country in Lebanese eyes. I remember once going to the south, in a Hezbollah controlled area. There was a hotel that wanted to portray an international image; so it raised the Canadian flag next to the Iranian, Saudi and Syrian flags. Canada has been very sympathetic to Lebanese Immigrants and Canadian Universities are having special measures to help Lebanese students follow their studies there. There are no Lebanese who consider Canadians their enemies.

Japan is associated here with nothing but hi-tech, robots and gizmos. A peacekeeping force will definitely need assistance with their computers and laser-guided missiles. The sushi (which we’re beginning to terribly miss here) will be a plus.

Two Micheals

A lot of Americans don't quite understand the relationship between Hezbollah and the rest of the Lebanese. They find it difficult to understand that my previous post is mainstream thinking here in Lebanon. Americans who lived in Lebanon on the other hand understand the complexity of the sometimes irrational relationships in this country.

Two Americans, both named Micheal, shed further light.

Micheal Totten, who blogs about Lebanon wrote:

The (second in a decade) attack on Qana that killed scores of civilians has all but cemented the Lebanese public and Hezbollah together.

Cable news reports that 82 percent of Lebanese now support Hezbollah. Prime Minister Fouad Seniora – whatever his real opinion in private – is now closer to openly supporting Hezbollah in public than he has ever been.

Hezbollah was popular while Israel occupied South Lebanon. When Israel left Lebanon it finally became possible for Hezbollah's power to be strictly relegated to it own little corner because support for the organization evaporated.

Now that Israel is back, Hezbollah's support is back.

It doesn't matter if this support is reasonable or not. (It isn't reasonable. Israel wouldn't even be in Lebanon if it weren't for Hezbollah.) But it was entirely predictable.

Support for Hezbollah will drop again after Israel leaves. But Israel can't (or won't) leave until some kind of arrangement is hammered out. And Israel will now have to deal with a manifestly more hostile Lebanese public while working out that arrangement.

This is a disaster for Lebanon, a disaster for Israel, and a disaster for the United States. It is a tremendous boon to Syria and Iran.

Another Micheal, from Oklahoma city, wrote a comment on my previous post. I Thought it's worthwile publishing:

Your latest post explains very clearly the relationship between most Lebanese and Hezbollah. I cannot understand why this concept is so difficult for westerners - especially my fellow Americans - to understand.

I am truly fed up with listening to the talking heads on television who claim that this is Lebanon's fault for not disarming Hezbollah (not to mention their blind justification of just about anything Israel does). How quickly they forget that Hezbollah had six years of Syrian protection and support in the south. The Lebanese army doesn't even go into the armed Palestinian camps! The world throws 1559 into the face of the Lebanese government and says: "Do it!" without any understanding of the political climate and culture of the nation and region. Having lived in Beirut before, during and after the Hariri assasination, I can honestly say that the U.S. government - and the public - is totally ignorant of the nuances of Lebanese politics.

I support the right of all people and all nations to live in peace and without the fear of terrorist attacks or the wanton and reckless targeting of civilians in military actins. Whether it is U.S. Marines in Iraq, Hamas suicide bombers, Israeli airstrikes and artillery, or Hezbollah's Khaibar rockets the willful and intentional targeting and killing of civilians is morally reprehensible and should be considered a crime against humanity.

Lebanon is in a no-win situation. If the army throws in with Hezbollah, they invite more massacres and destruction at the hands of Israel. If they do nothing the innocent still suffer. If they resist Hezbollah it's back to civil war. I hope and pray for a quick cease-fire though I know the U.S. will not demand one of Israel. I also hope that both Israel and Hezbollah will be held accountable by the global community and Lebanese voters for the ruin that they have jointly brought down on the wonderful people of Lebanon.

On Supporting Hezbollah

Why is the world so surprised that we have chosen Hezbollah over Israel?

Old readers of this blog know how critical of Hezbollah I have always been. So much so that my criticism was often dismissed as downright racist and sectarian. In fact, I have no shame declaring that Hezbollah is still my sworn political enemy up to this day.

But the fact remains that, to all Lebanese, Hezbollah is a Lebanese party. It is part of our political system, it can get elected and un-elected. It is taking part in the Lebanese “cultural war”

Israelis and Americans keep wondering why we’re not “rising against” Hezbollah.
To most Lebanese, this is a ridiculous proposition. All the editorials and Lebanese pundits here agree that right now, Israel is the number 1 enemy. Even those, like me, who still wish Hezbollah never existed. There’s a consensus here that Israel is adopting a “divide and conquer” strategy, and we should all unite to face it.

Here’s a little comparison to my dear American readers:
Abortion is one of the most divisive political issues in the US. The discourse on the topic gets so venomous sometimes that people on both ends of the spectrum call each other terrible names. Nevertheless, if you’re someone who believes Abortion is a crime, and Mexico, a heavily catholic country, invades Liberal areas to get rid of the pro-choice people, whom would you support? The Mexican aliens who have your same political agenda or your fellow Americans? I leave that one to you.

The Israeli propaganda machine likes to paint Hezbollah fighters as cowards who hide behind innocent people and children, but even that fact is disputed. (Hat tip Corinne)
As one commentator asks: why doesn’t Israel have pictures of dead Hezbollah fighters next to destroyed rocket launchers?

To Us, Hezbollah remains a Lebanese party that has gone astray, but we will never allow foreigners to discipline them! This is the essence of sovereignty which is as important as democracy.