Electronic Intifada : Opinion/Editorial

Elections only fortify Lebanon's sectarian politics

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:45:55 PST

Lebanon's elections last month confirmed yet again that in this tiny Mediterranean country, sectarian politics are paramount. Long gone from the collective consciousness are the lessons of the 15-year civil war that began as a political and class dispute and descended into sectarian enmity. Forgotten also are the post-war years that led up to the recent elections and were characterized by the ebb and flow of civil strife. Sami Halabi comments for Electronic Lebanon.

Lebanon's empty notion of justice

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:10:43 PST

On 1 March 2008, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon came into effect pursuant to the request of the Lebanese government and United Nations Security Council resolutions 1644 and 1757. The trial is intended to bring to justice to those who carried out the assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. Sami Halabi comments for Electronic Lebanon.

Refugees to prime minister: End military siege of our camp

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:33:16 PST

While Lebanese officials were publicly denouncing Israel's war on the Palestinians of Gaza, the Lebanese cabinet was busy making sure the Palestinians of Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon never recover from the war waged on their community more than a year ago. On 16 January 2009, the cabinet approved a decision to build a naval base in the area. The decision was met with stern opposition by the people of Nahr al-Bared who wrote a letter of protest addressed to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and his ministers.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Gazing towards Gaza

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:21:39 PST

Like much of the world press, Israel's war on Gaza dominates the headlines in Lebanon. Massive protests in Beirut, particularly at the Egyptian embassy, took place. In an address to the tens of thousands of demonstrators, Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah called, among other things, for ordinary Egyptians to open up the crossing at the Egypt-Gaza border by force and in defiance of government security forces. Nasrallah's explicit condemnation of the Egyptian regime and the stern response by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit reflects the long-term impact of the Gaza war on the dynamics of regional alliances playing out in Lebanon.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Strategic defense or strategic shift?

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:59:22 PST

Civil strife usually ends when there is truth and reconciliation. In Lebanon, it subsides when a truce poses as reconciliation. Top Lebanese leaders are doting over each other, calling for a new pact of political rivalry that is confined to the arena of democratic and peaceful confrontation. Meetings between top March 14 and March 8 officials have calmed fears of further clashes on the streets. With the notable exception of Christian leaders, all sectarian heads are trying to unite their ranks in the run up to next year's parliamentary elections. Meet the Lebanese Press is The Electronic Intifada's regular review of what is making the rounds in the Lebanese press and the pundits' take on it.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Syria and the Salafis

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:23:08 PST

Lebanese-Syrian relations witnessed a turnaround this month. The visit by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to Damascus culminated in a declaration to establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time. Promises were made to intensify efforts to resolve long-standing disputes around delineating the borders and uncovering the fate of dozens of Lebanese who disappeared during the civil war and are believed to be imprisoned in Syria.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Free at last!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:34:06 PST

The petty politics of forming a national "unity" government in Lebanon will be overshadowed this week by a development with local and regional implications. All Lebanese political prisoners still held in Israeli jails will return home. Five in total, including Samir Kuntar, the dean of Arab detainees, who has spent close to three decades of his life in captivity. With the return of prisoners, another chapter of Hizballah's struggle against Israel has closed.

The Israel-Hizballah prisoner deal

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:23:39 PST

The Israeli cabinet's decision to strike a prisoner-exchange deal with the Hizballah movement in Lebanon -- on the eve of the anniversary of the war between the two sides of 12 July-14 August 2006 -- will not be remembered as one of Israel's most glorious moments. Amal Saad-Ghorayeb looks at the short-term and long-term implications of the deal.

Meet the Lebanese Press: All the prime minister's men

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:29:52 PST

Efforts to form a Lebanese government come against the backdrop of a surprise visit by US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and intermittent armed clashes between loyal and opposition groups in various parts of the country, mainly the central Bekaa region. Rice's visit, stalling the implementation of the Doha Accords, as well as regional developments including announcement of a truce between Israel and Hamas and Turkish-mediated Syrian-Israeli "peace" talks could be seen as efforts to sideline Iran's allies in the Arab world in preparation for a possible showdown between Washington and Tehran.

Karim Makdisi discusses the Doha Agreement and Lebanon's economic crisis

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:18:42 PST

Neo-liberal economic policies adopted by successive political parties since Lebanon's 15-year civil war came to an end in 1990 have left the country in economic ruins. All of the main political parties neglect the growing poverty rates, crumbling economy and staggering emigration in Lebanon today. Karim Makdisi, a professor in the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration at the American University of Beirut, spoke with Stefan Christoff about Doha and the economic and social policies of the government and opposition forces in Lebanon.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Deal struck in Doha

Mon, 26 May 2008 06:00:19 PST

The Lebanese are deal-struck: in one day, their parliamentarians were to ratify decisions agreed upon in Doha, Qatar that will lead to the installment of a new president, the formation of a national partnership government, and the holding of parliamentary elections in one year's time under a resurrected electoral law of the 1960s with some amendments. The speed and suddenness of the deal were a direct consequence of the change in the balance of power on the ground in the wake of the Hizballah military operation that exposed the weakness of the loyalist camp.

Journalist Anthony Shadid discusses Qatar talks

Thu, 22 May 2008 03:46:49 PST

As negotiations in Doha, Qatar take place between Lebanon's political leaders in an effort to reach a settlement to the current internal conflict, Ola Hajar spoke with veteran journalist Anthony Shadid. Shadid spoke about the impact of US-driven policies in the Middle East within the context of the "war on terror" and their specific impact on Lebanon, and he also commented on the US position towards Hizballah's role in Lebanese politics.

In the wake of the Doha truce

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:27:13 PST

With the army deployed throughout key areas, Lebanese citizens once again resumed their everyday activities under the more familiar conditions of a devastated environment, massive traffic jams, unregulated construction and urban planning, electricity and water shortages, state-sponsored theft or abuse of public lands and resources, rising poverty, inflation and unemployment, and one of the worst budget deficits per capita in the world. The illusion of normalcy has returned for the time being but the real question is: for how long? Karim Makdisi comments from Beirut.

Bush tour diminished by Hizballah show of force

Tue, 13 May 2008 11:10:23 PST

WASHINGTON, 12 May (IPS) - While this week's trip by US President George W. Bush to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt was never conceived as a triumphant "victory lap" around the region, the swift rout of US-backed forces by Lebanon's Hizballah Friday has provided yet another vivid illustration of the rapid decline in Washington's influence in the Middle East during his tenure.

Lebanon in crisis: an interview with editor Samah Idriss

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:37:00 PST

Lebanon is currently facing a major political crisis, as armed battles have erupted in multiple districts of Beirut between pro-government and opposition forces forces led the Lebanese resistance movement Hizballah. Hizballah-led opposition forces took control of West Beirut, and handed certain areas over to the Lebanese army as the political standoff in the country continues. Stefan Christoff speaks with editor Samah Idriss in Beirut about the tense situation in Lebanon.

Meet the Lebanese Press: From dialogue to declarations

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:42:26 PST

The merry-go-round of dialogue sessions between the government loyalist and the opposition camps just got a fresh push when persistent parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri called for yet another set of roundtable negotiations after several months' hiatus. The press is abuzz with weighing the pros and cons, as well as gauging the chances of success or failure, of such talks.

The "humanitarian" sidelining of Nahr al-Bared

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:50:49 PST

On the rare occasions the media have covered the situation of destroyed Nahr al-Bared camp's more than 30,000 inhabitants, they have done so with only a narrow focus on the humanitarian problems they face -- ignoring the glaring political questions that only the camp residents seem to be left asking. Ray Smith analyzes such a report for Electronic Lebanon.

Meet the Lebanese Press: Post-summit syndrome

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:37:43 PST

What's next for Lebanon after the Arab Summit that concluded last weekend in Damascus? Marx said history repeats itself first as tragedy, second as farce. Arab summits tend to repeat themselves as tragedies and farces at one and the same time, and the latest summit in Damascus was no exception. Summit soap opera moves by top and low-level delegates over closing statements, the tone of speeches, and other trivialities were the norm.

Meet the Lebanese Press: US military "tourism"

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:31:06 PST

Supporters of Lebanon's March 14 movement tend to complain about the damage to tourism caused by the current status quo in Lebanon. Many of them cheered recently when the wheels of fortune seemed to swing their way as the US destroyer USS Cole approached Lebanese shores.

The killing of Imad Moughniya

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:53:19 PST

Imad Moughniya's death, like his life, will remain shrouded in mystery and secrecy, but what few things we can learn for certain about this person's life we already have. Before Moughniya, Carlos "the Jackal" and Abu Nidal were featured stars in the sensational news-entertainment industry. As a result we do not have an accurate picture of Moughniya (which may not be possible anyway), but more importantly, we have been presented with a distorted reality of the decades-long, bloody struggle between Israel and Hizballah.. Raid Khoury comments for Electronic Lebanon.