Archive: lebanon

By: Brian Whitaker
I won't say much about Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon, which is being extensively covered elsewhere. But I was delighted to see that Memri, the "media research institute" described by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman as an indispensable tool, has got another scoop.  Yesterday… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Some reactions to Nasrallah's press conference in Lebanon on the assassination of Rafiq Hariri.  Writing in the Daily Star, Rami Khouri says the Hizbullah leader had four related aims when he made his statement accusing Israel: Deflect attention from the widely expected… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Hassan Nasrallah's statement tonight was every bit as dramatic as his broadcast during the 2006 war when he announced than an Israeli naval vessel, hit by Hizbullah, was ablaze off Beirut. The drama this time came from his revelation that for a number of years Hizbullah has been able to intercept… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Good fences make good neighbours, according to an old proverb – the idea being that friction is less likely if those on both sides of the line know exactly where they stand. On that basis, the border fence between Israel and Lebanon is a bad one ... Read my full article at Comment Is Free… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Following recent debates about the use of gay rights to "pinkwash" Israel's image (Toronto Pride, Madrid Pride, US Social Forum, etc), Aeyal Gross, associate professor of law at Tel-Aviv university, has written an interesting and level-headed essay: "Israeli GLBT… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Three people in their twenties were arrested in Lebanon yesterday for allegedly defaming President Michel Sleiman on Facebook.   A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a fourth person,AFP reports: The justice ministry said the case met the requirements for a slander and defamation… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
The International Crisis Group issued a strongly-worded reportyesterday on the Sunni community in Lebanon and the Hariri family's Future movement. In order to combat sectarianism, it says, prime minister Saad Hariri will have to "relinquish his de facto position as Sunni leader" and… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
In Baalbek earlier this month, the Lebanese army got into a battle with the members of the 20,000-strong Jaafar clan, noted for its involvement in the hashish trade. At least 10 people were wounded – six of them soldiers.  Now, Mitchell Prothero of The National has been there to take… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
Several thousand people joined the march for secularism in Beirut yesterday. Reuters notes a banner saying "Civil marriage, not civil war" and adds that many of the demonstrators "wore white T-shirts with 'What's your sect?' written on the front and 'None of your business' on… Read more
By: Brian Whitaker
The execution of Ali Sabat, the Lebanese TV fortune-teller who was arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of witchcraft is reported to be imminent. Mr Sabat, 46, hosted a phone-in show on the Lebanese Sheherazade channel where he gave advice and predicted the future. The Saudi religious… Read more