Ali Abdel Karim Ali has been accepted as Syria’s first ambassador to Lebanon. The two counties gained independence from France in the 1940’s, but hadn’t established formal diplomatic relations until just five months ago. Part of what is considered Greater Syria for over 400 years, Lebanon was occupied by Syrian troops up until 2005. That […]
The financial crisis that is gripping the rest of the world seems to be seeping into Lebanon. A country once thought to be insulated from the economic issues seen everywhere from New York to London to Dubai to Moscow is now beginning to see problems of its own. One of the main concerns is Lebanon’s […]
More than most countries, Lebanon exists at a perpetual crossroads. Crisis and conflict seem to wait around every corner. Powerful foreign entities weigh in with their own agendas, sometimes with guns, sometimes with money, and sometimes with both. At the time of this writing, less than three months before the parliamentary elections, the country is […]
Lebanon’s June elections are shaping up to be a referendum on who the Lebanese people want to meddle in their affairs less: “Our course is justice, independence, freedom, sovereignty and most importantly — Lebanon first,” Hariri told AFP in an interview, referring to his coalition backed by the West as well as Saudi Arabia and […]
With the new American administration, the global financial crisis, and the intra regional wranglings much is happening in the broader Middle East. The very presence of Israel within the region remains a major problem for some. Lebanon tries hard to be an independent state; as much as it can in the regional and international context. […]
There has been a lot of chatter lately regarding Hizballah’s relationship to the West. The Lebanese political/social/guerrilla group has been meeting with British officials for the past two years. Such meetings have led people to suspect a possible thawing in the relations between the United States and Hizballah, an idea that the U.S. is quick […]
The Lebanese Embassy in Damascus opened today. What does that mean in practical terms? Not much if Syria continues to meddle in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Time will tell if the exchange of diplomats is more than a (short lived) PR stunt.
Those interested to follow and /or contact the Tribunal can do so here. SOLIDA has a blog that will keep an eye on the Tribunal. The Daily Star editorial ‘ With all eyes on Syria as Tribunal begins, Damascus would do well to act with care’ “Although indictments have not yet been issued in the […]
I invite you to read at Blacksmiths of Lebanon two recent posts that caught my attention. Election Anxiety – Part I Liars at Least Election Anxiety – Part II Perceiving Defeat And while you’re at it, don’t forget Jeha’s Lost in Translation.
Italy gave the UNDP 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) for Nahr el Bared, Palestinian camp, and the surrounding areas. “[The Nahr al-Bared] region went through the most dramatic events, and its reconstruction needs to be based on an integrated approach which takes into account … the needs and expectations of both the Palestinian refugees and […]
“If the political and security situation is stable then we expect a real growth of 4 percent and 4 percent inflation. We also expect to have surpluses in the balance of payments,” said Riad Salameh, the Lebanese Central Bank Governor. Salameh did a great job not dragging Lebanon into the global crisis downs. Lebanon was […]
Haaretz reports that Hizballah has a tough time finding another Imad Mugnyeh. The guy was a genius. There is no point to negate that Hizballah is a strong local and regional non state player, and in this context, it is better to have Lebanese instead of Iranians for whatever it is they want to do […]
“Detlev Mehlis, former head of the U.N. commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination, said that he has a “very clear picture” of the murder, stressing he has evidence of Lebanese and Syrian involvement in the bombing attack.” Read more here. “An administrative committee has been formed to “ward off” any pressure on the Special Tribunal […]
While the Christians felt the Syrian regime hassle and abuse, the Sunnis minded their own business and the Shias had to deal with Israeli aggressions and the lack of state involvement in their areas. That was the general framework and things moved within this paradigm for too many years. In 2005 it was Sunnis turn […]