Posts About Lebanon
Prophetic Middle East Poetry
Somalia/UAE - By delving into the Arab literary wisdom one stumbles on the prophetic manner in which Arab and Muslim poets and philosophers through history have predicted the present situation with precision.
Why No Action in Darfur? Race
Somalia/United Arab Emirates - Looking at the prolonged suffering of the people of Darfur, one wonders why the world fails to act? There is a nagging explanation that comes to the African's mind: The question of race....
The Next Fight: Who'll Rebuild Lebanon?
Somalia/United Arab Emirates - With the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south, the role of Hezbollah has been greatly diminished. The future of the group, however, hinges not on its arms, but on its capacity to use aid to win the hearts and minds of the Lebanese people....
Big Asian Economies Will Boom While Small Ones Suffer
Somalia/United Arab Emirates - A prolonged Middle East conflict will have a serious security impact on Muslim majority Asian and Saarc countries. Violent mob demonstrations and terrorist attacks may scare off foreign investors in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh. However, there is no indication that Asia's fastest growing economies in China and India will be affected as long as their traditional energy, labor and trade markets in the wealthy GCC states remain robust....
Syria Holds the Key to Peace
Somalia/United Arab Emirates - In the Arab psyche, every defeat is converted into a victory. Hezbollah is already seen as victorious, having achieved what regular Arab armies could not in more than fifty years of war with Israel....
Quiet Diplomacy Needed
United Arab Emirates/Somalia - Dr. Rice should first stop her exhausted sound bites and second, engage in quiet diplomacy instead, keeping her agenda for the region to herself until she sits down at the negotiating table....
Don't Try to Destroy Hezbollah, Stop Fighting First
London, England - The war in Lebanon, like all wars, is making the world more dangerous. The right question is not about "the war" itself but about how it is being conducted and what exit strategies are being explored....
Lebanon, A New Stronghold for Iran
Paris, France - Whatever the outcome of this war, Hezbollah will be seen as the only Arab force able to win over Tsahal. Its hold over Lebanon will give Iran and the Shias more leverage than ever, weakening the neighbouring regimes, strengthening Iran's capacity to be the sole Muslim superpower and enhancing its nuclear ambitions. Lebanon will suffer from more internal conflicts and will be an easy prey to even tighter Syrian-Iranian control....
Scantily-Clad Arab Reality TV
People often joke about the Lebanese Broadcasting Network by pronouncing it's initials like the Arabic word for "get dressed" -- in reference to scantily dressed women on the network's shows. It seems Arab television copies the West in more ways than one.
UN is a Farce; Empower Moderate Arab Leaders Instead
Amman, Jordan - The war on Lebanon showed us the inability of the United Nations to take responsibility for world peace. Instead, the U.S. uses the UN when it wants and blocks it when it doesn't want. As such, the new UN force will have little chance of success if the Israelis and the Lebanese don't want it to work....
Israel Cannot Isolate Itself
Amman, Jordan - Many in the Arab region believe that Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah demonstrates political integrity and a willingness to fight for his issues. The end of this conflict will strengthen their beliefs....
A New Balance of Terror?
Amman, Jordan - There is no doubt that the war on Lebanon will make the Middle East and the world much more dangerous. On the day of the ceasefire, which will one day come, Israel will find itself where they began the moment their soldiers were captured....
Peacekeepers Need a Peace Plan
Amman, Jordan -- Having a larger and more powerful peace force in south Lebanon can work provided it comes after a clear understanding of some outsanding political issues. These include a swap of prisoners that will end the ordeal of Lebanese prisoners, a political mechanism that will ensure the resolution of the border dispute in South Lebanon, and a serious commitment to work on ending the 1967 occupation of Syrian and Palestinian lands....
Protect Migrant Labor in Arab Nations
At a time when many Arab immigrants in Europe and America protest against discrimination, we must address the terrible treatment of migrants on our own soil.
U.N. Boots and U.N. Ideas
Mexico City, Mexico -- Granted, a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon might be the best available option to persuade Hezbollah to disarm and de-escalate the Israeli military response. Still, as experience undoubtedly has proved, little can be achieved if U.N. boots are not tied to U.N. ideas or other aggressive diplomatic efforts....
Hezbollah, Syria and Iran Will Emerge Stronger
New Delhi, India - Sand shifts fast in the Middle East so discussing the region's future isn't easy. But the increasing strength of Hezbollah and importance of Syria are safe bets....
Look Beyond Failed Formulas
New Delhi, India - My first suggestion is do not travel without a destination. At the moment, the U.S. Secretary of State's journeys are more in the spirit of Marco Polo or Ibn Batuta: We shall find what we can when we reach....
Peace Should Not Be Left to Peacekeepers
New Delhi, India -- A peacekeeping force is a good idea that often has given the United Nations a bad name. There is a U.N. force in Lebanon right now -- the U.N. Interim Force -- but where and this force is engaged is anyone's guess....
Iran's Own Manifest Destiny
Cairo, Egypt - Middle East nations perceive the U.S. and the West trying to dominate the region through economic, political and military means. Iran's nuclear challenge to the West then becomes a welcome relief for many....
UNIFIL: A Short to Medium Term Solution
Cairo, Egypt - To begin answering this question, it would be a good idea to review the terms of the ceasefire and the extended mandate for UNIFIL under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, August 2006....
Lest We Forget Al Qaeda
Cairo, Egypt - The significance of this latest terrorist plot is in its timing. Hezbollah's successful efforts at confronting and surviving Israel's military onslaught in Lebanon over the past six weeks has provoked Al Qaeda to attempt to divert attention to itself....
Symmetrical Balance And Intransigence
Egypt - U.S. policy has weakened its alliances with democratic and moderate Arab regimes in the Middle East. The U.S. is completely ignoring their concerns, and most importantly U.S. pro-Israeli bias is compromising Arab defensive strategic policies....
Don't Put them in Harm's Way
Cairo, Egypt -- Unless Tony Blair and the European leaders are contemplating sending a military force comparable to the one that the UN sent into Korea at the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 with several full scale divisions with supporting equipment and air power, then such military forces would be definitively sent into harms way....
In a Fragile Situation, Engage Hamas
This Middle East crisis is different from many before. Israel's decision to engage Lebanon's fragile state and carry out strikes deep within the country is serious. A good first step to defusing what could otherwise be a climactic showdown between regional powers is to talk to the Palestinian leadership, Hamas.
Arabs May Quarrel, But Never Really Divorce
The conflict in Iraq is primarily one of comparative torment, with different groups trying to right past suffering or avoid it in the future. Yet I do not predict that Iraq will partition. Arab states are sometimes like Arab households: one may suffer but never truly breaks free.
Syria's Demands, Hezbollah's Mistakes
Beirut, Lebanon - Minister Pierre Gemayel assassination in Lebanon must be understood in the context of the ongoing effort by Syria to undermine the tribunal currently being set up to try those accused of killing late prime minister, Rafiq Hariri.
In Praise of Lebanon's Cacophony
Beirut, Lebanon - Compared to the abysmal standards for press freedom in the Arab world, the Lebanese media comes out looking relatively free. The paradox, however, is that this is often the result of an abnormality.
Hezbollah's Coup d'Etat
Beirut, Lebanon - There is real danger today that Hezbollah will inherit Lebanon after the war. If it does, an uncontainable civil war will probably ensue....
Break the Shiites Away from Hezbollah
Beirut, Lebanon - Secretary Rice should ensure that any future peace plan offers an route for the quick return of Shiite refugees to the areas which Israeli bombs forced them from while leaving open the possibility of Lebanese constitutional reform in the Shiites' favor. She should also open lines to Iran, even if it means pinching her nose in disgust....
Then a Stopgap It Is
Beiruit, Lebanon -- International peacekeepers are indeed often stopgaps, but in Lebanon an expanded United Nations force might be the only way to help disarm Hezbollah....
Wastes Sometimes Work
Tokyo, Japan -- Mr. Shimon Peres, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, told our colleague in Tel Aviv on Tuesday that he didn't think any UN force would work to disarm Hezbollah. He may be right, but there is no viable alternative. So let's waste money on another unworkable mission....
Palestinian Camps -- Frontiers of Dreams and Fears
By Rima Fawaz The brutal murder of Lebanese soldiers by Fateh el-Islam factions near the Nahr-el Bared camp three days ago is not only an attack on Lebanese sovereignty, it is an assault on the hopes and aspirations of a young Palestinian generation desperate to live in dignity and respect on Lebanese soil....
Lebanon May Mirror Malaysia
Paris, France - Lebanon's problem is that its political system is based on sectarian affiliations. On the positive side it obliges the three dominant communities (Christians, Shi'as and Sunnis) to compromise. It also preserves the religiously neutral nature of the Lebanese state. On the negative side it prevents real democracy with "one man, one vote" from taking place....
Regional Powers Cannot Achieve Victory
Paris, France - The war is making the world more dangerous because no protagonist will achieve any of its goals. Moreover, each might be tempted, at worst, to extend the war or at best to achieve a temporary peace agreement in order to prepare for future battles....
PostGlobal Bloggers
M. J. Akbar, New Delhi, India Mubashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He's the founder and editor-in-chief of The Asian Age, a daily multi-edition Indian newspaper with a global perspective and editor-in-chief of The Deccan Chronicle, a news daily based in Hyderabad. He has written books including Blood Brothers, Nehru: The Making of India, Kashmir: Behind the Vale, Riot After Riot, The Shade of Swords, and India: The Siege Within. Kyoko Altman, Hong Kong, China Kyoko Altman is a writer based in Hong Kong. She has worked as a correspondent and anchor for CNN and...
Exhibitionists and Conservatives Walking Hand in Hand
In Lebanon, girls parade their bodies publicly, holding the hands of their conservative mothers as they do so. Lebanon is perhaps the last truly cosmopolitan part of the Arab world.
Historical Facts and the Current War
Damascus, Syria -- A common argument heard in the Middle East, advocated by many Israelis, is that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah must disarm and join the political process in Lebanon and Palestine. They argue that all of the Jewish military groups that operated in the 1940s were forced to disarm after the creation of Israel in 1948 and were incorporated into the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Prime Minister David Ben Gurion did not tolerate that armed groups exist within Israel, effectively becoming a "state within a state."...
The Real War and Prospects for Peace
Damascus, Syria -- Anybody in the Arab world who believes that Hezbollah will win this war, liberate the Sheba Farms or destroy Israel is simply nurturing a fantasy. I am amazed at the number of people who argue that "miracles can happen, because God is on our side!" God has nothing to do with this war. Had God been involved in the Middle East, then so much bloodshed would have been avoided over the past 100 years. And if God was involved in the Middle East, then he definitely was not on our side of the conflict since 1948. I...
Conspiracy Theories and Nasrallah's Fate
Damascus, Syria -- Some observers, who believe in conspiracy theories, argue that some outside party convinced Hezbollah into this offensive. The purpose was to give Hezbollah enough rope to hang itself and commit "political suicide." The objective, at a very high cost for Lebanon, was to destroy the Lebanese resistance....
Lebanon Rising from the Ashes -- Again!
Damascus, Syria -- The world is divided on Nasrallah. Did he miscalculate and drag Lebanon into a senseless war? Or has he prepared a strong Iran-backed army that he plans on unveiling today? Regardless of the outcome, patriotism was the objective.
Muslim World Under Siege?
Islamabad, Pakistan -- In Pakistan, public sentiment is outraged by televised images of Lebanese civilians killed in Israeli raids. A headline in a major English-language daily reads: "Israel goes berserk". The Pakistan government has condemned the loss of life and property in Lebanon. And the country's many jihadi organizations will likely make hay, exploiting popular perceptions that the Muslim world is under siege....
World Community Must Pressure Siniora Harder
Jerusalem, Israel - As Mahmoud Sabit notes, because of the way the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is constructed the government of Lebanon needs to ask UNIFIL to help it with the two key demands: disarming Hezbollah and preventing its rearmament. But while the UN force takes its cues from Lebanon, Lebanon is taking its cues from Hezbollah itself....
To Beat Terror, Defeat Iran
Jerusalem, Israel - Five ounces (150 milliliters) of nitroglycerine, a liquid explosive, can bring down an airplane. This does not mean it is impossible to secure an airplane but it does mean it is impossible to secure wide open, target-rich, democratic societies from suicide bombers solely with defensive measures....
Defeating Hezbollah Gives Lebanon a Second Chance
Jerusalem, Israel - Michael Young gets at the key point: who will gain the upper hand among Lebanon's Shiites? Will it be the nationalists who hate what Hezbollah has done to their country or Hezbollah itself? I can see why Michael is pessimistic but two factors could turn the tables....
A Vote of No Confidence?
New Delhi, India - I'm afraid the record of the UN, either in peace-making, or peace-keeping does not inspire a great deal of confidence. It is becuse of this history as well as some factors peculiar to the current middle-east sitution that the proposed new UN peace keeping force in Lebanon is unlikely to be any more successful than the present UNIFIL in bringing stability to southern Lebanon....
Hezbollah: the Mideast Vietcong
Seoul, South Korea - Israel's destruction of Lebanon has created a second Palestine. Now the militants have a new symbol to unite behind and moderates will be pushed out....
Talk to the Devil
Germany - My memo to Secretary Rice: a. get invested in Lebanon's future, b. start talking to the bad guys while thinking about incentives to get Syria to cooperate....
Ready for a Protectorate?
Germany -- The other day I met a man who believes an international force in southern Lebanon could do some good. His name is Lokman Slim, a democracy activist, author and filmmaker from Lebanon....
Immediate Ceasefire Without Terms Needed
Johannesburg, South Africa - U.S. Secretary of State Rice should have pushed for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire rather than insisting on complex terms. She should have demanded an international military force be sent in immediately to create a "sterile zone" in southern Lebanon....
Report Could Derail Mideast Peace Process
Today’s report on the Israel-Lebanon war will sound the death knell for Olmert and Middle East peace.
Iran Cannot Dominate
Tel Aviv, Israel - Iran is trying to create a "Shiite Crescent" but Sunnites will prevent Iranian hegemony.
Pulse of Israel Tonight
Tel Aviv, Israel -- Except for the areas in northern Israel, which are within the range of Hezbollah missiles so residents are in shelters, life in the rest of the country is as usual. Tonight, for example, I will go to a theater in Tel Aviv. People are worried, of course. The stock exchange took a plunge of nearly 5% (mostly because foreign investors withdrew money from Israeli banks while the U.S. dollar went up -- making it probably the only place on earth). People's concerns focus on the future. What will happen next? How can escalation be prevented?...
