To Lebanon or Bust?

Money is tight, politics are always on my mind and the minds of Lebanon's masses, but I miss having mezze. I really want to head over to Lebanon this summer, but I feel that between work, finishing school assignments, and writing quasi academic pieces for X journals might be a tough feat to pull off. Should I go? It would mean escaping for a week sometime (when airfare is expensive), then I would have to hit up one of my Lebanese friends for a place to stay...Might get complicated. Then add the "mother factor" into the equation. The, "Phillip, it's not safe over there" clause to my proverbial son contract always stares at me in the face, no matter how factually lacking that statement is. Top that off with the fact that I am but a lowly poor student surviving on scraps.

Woe is me...

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So Long Beirut, Hope to See You Again!

I have really fallen in love with Beirut. The people are as sweet as sugar and as hospitable as can be. The politics are enthralling, interesting, all with a slice of danger. I truly love Beirut and love Lebanon, they will maintain a special place in my heart. The culture, is a mix between the ancient East and the worst parts of the West, nevertheless it makes for a great time, and an interesting study. Many bad things happened, but so did many good things. I met a wide range of people, some radicals, others mainstream, while others were apathetic to what went on around them.

Many Americans look at me as if I had 10 eyes when I say, "I love Beirut," to them Beirut is something out of a 1980s action film with crazed bomb makers running around decapitating Westerners. Of course, Lebanon does have a small minority of such people, but I have honestly felt safer here than anywhere I have ever lived.

Politics and violence aside, the architecture, natural wonders, religious heritage, and general melee that is Lebanon is something only the best story book writer could come up with. While "I love life" has become a popular political expression here in Lebanon, the people do truly LOVE life, it is evident in the food they eat, how they dance, the clothing they wear, the way they drive, and how they act.

A Jewish prayer that ends the Passover Seder dinner goes, "L’shana ha’ba-ah b’Yerushalayim." meaning "next year in Jerusalem." While I am not a Jew, I can relate to Jewish urning to visit a place they feel close to their roots. The place I feel close to is also in the Middle East, and oddly enough just north of Jerusalem, I have been thinking "next year in Beirut."


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The Lebanese Middle Class: Gone and Out

Many countries have marked their stability by the size of their middle class. American democracy and power was spurred by growth in the middle class. Even in Communist China the new burgeoning middle class of 200 million wants more stability and rule of law. To quote Ayn Rand, "upper classes are a nation's past; the middle class is its future." However, in Lebanon a middle class is almost nonexistent. Beirut is a have or have not world; if Rand was correct, the Lebanese are definitely retrogressing.

Lebanese people are like peacocks, they love to display their tail feathers. Only, in Lebanon they usually cannot afford the plumage they have bought.Everyday I see at least 3 high end Mercedes or BMWs, and that's just in Hamra. While I've been in Lebanon, I've seen everything from Hummer H2s, $90,000 BMWs and Maybachs, to Armani shirts, designer jeans, and $400 Gucci sunglasses. Regardless of the fact that 28% of the population lives below the poverty line (remember Lebanon has a population of almost 4 million).

I asked one of my Lebanese friends why so many Lebanese find it necessary to get cars and clothing they can't afford, the answer, "to get girls." Attracting the opposite sex aside, there is an underlying cultural current that makes Lebanese go and get extravagant things and live far beyond their means. Because the culture is one of "haves and have nots", all in this country, even the poorest Shi'ite from Dahiyia finds the need to live beyond his means.

Before the Lebanese War (1976-1990) Downtown Beirut was a place for the middle class. Neighborhoods thrived, and so did small shops. Following the war and Rafik Hariri's Solidere project the new downtown is one of high end boutiques, million dollar apartments, and one devoid of Lebanese. Who has moved into downtown? Arabs from the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait. All of the Gulf's oil oligarchs (I call them oilgarchs) who need a place to pass through, own property and cruise around in their BMWs in the downtown. Beirut has passed from being "Paris of the Middle East" to "Grand Central Station of the Levant." The oilgarchs use Beirut as a little resting stop before they head to Geneve, or go back to their own countries.

I wondered where the money came from for Lebanese to buy all of these luxury goods, some have bank loans up to their ears, others turn to a different source of cash: expatriates (in Africa, South America, Europe, and the US) or the Lebanese "mafia". I use the term mafia to describe thugs in Lebanon that peddle drugs and knock people off. expatriates returning to Lebanon aren't the doctors, lawyers, or the educated middle class, they are the super rich who want a house in their ancestral village. The others who return are the thugs who see Lebanon as a new place to peddle his goods.

Recalling history, the first people to leave the British Mandate of Palestine in 1947-1948 were the Arab middle class followed by the extremely wealthy. Without the leadership of an intellectual community that wanted and needed stability, the remaining Arabs in the Mandate were put at an extreme disadvantage, and eventual failure. Here in Lebanon the only two groups of (Lebanese) people left are the zuama (sectarian feudal lords) and the poor hard working Lebanese. Everyone wants to be a zuama, only in this place that is impossible. The next best thing is to try to put on a facade. Just remember, no matter how beautiful a facade is, if its covering something that is disintegrating, it too will eventually be destroyed.

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The Christian Heartland: Identity, History, & Politics

Traditionally the north of Lebanon, on Jabal Libnan, has been the home of the Lebanese Christian community. On the map the area forms triangle, with al Habba forming the tip of the triangle, East Beirut forming the bottom left side of it and Zahle forming the right side. Interestingly enough the triangle has much significance to Lebanon's Christians, both in religion and politics, so it was quite fitting that the region in which they lived formed such a shape. To the religious Christians, the shape represents the "father, the son and the holy spirit." Politically the Delta shape was adopted by the mainly Christian Lebanese Forces (whose commander, Samir Geagea, and much of their support lies in Bcharre) during the war, in addition the right wing, mainly Christian party, Kataeb, has as its symbol a triangular shaped cedar tree. On LebaneseForces.com their reasoning for adopting the symbol is this:

"1] The delta (triangle) of resistance refers to the 3 areas; Ain el Roumeneh, Furn el Chebek and Ta7weeta. Because the war started in these 3 areas and all the Christian militias had soldiers located there, the three areas formed a triangle of resistance. Since all these Christian militias became Lebanese Forces, the delta (triangle) became there logo.2] The delta represents the cedars, while the circle represents the circle of resistance3] The delta means 'in the name of the father, son and holy spirit'

2] The delta represents the cedars, while the circle represents the circle of resistance

3] The delta means 'in the name of the father, son and holy spirit'"

Even in the 21st century the area is incredibly isolated. The roads through the mountains are long and winding. Red roofed villages cling to green and brown colored hillsides, churches dominate the skylines of these villages. Because the area is so isolated those escaping persecution have quite literally "head for the hills." Many Christian aesthetics and hermits hid in the regions numerous caves, including the famous St. Charbel. The isolation also gave ground to a movement in Christianity called Maronism.

Founded along the Orontes River in Syra, the incredibly independent minded Maronites are a group of Christians that follows their own patriarch (who is considered a Cardinal in the Catholic Church), yet receive communion from the pope. Technically they are Catholic, but technically they are not. Usually, to call a Maronite, "Catholic" would garner an answer, "no I'm Maronite!" This independent streak led many Maronites to seek refuge in Mount Lebanon following the Muslim Arab conquest of Syria. The Maronites self and outside imposed isolation caused them to turn to their religious leaders for guidance both in the realm of politics. The Patriarch and his fellow clergy members usually handled affairs of "state" and of religion. Even in modern times Cardinal/Patriarch Sfeir (head of the Maronites) is called Abu Hakim (father of the doctor). Al Hakim (or the doctor/learned man in Arabic), is the name given to Dr. Samir Geagea (leader of the Lebanese Forces) by his followers. Sfier received this name because he was one of the few voices in Lebanon to rally to Samir Geagea's side when he was imprisoned for 11 years by Syria in Lebanon.

The Maronites have been both oppressed and the oppressor. They have felt, for at least one thousand years that they are surrounded on all sides by hostile Muslim hordes who want nothing more than their elimination. They have many reasons to fear the Muslims. Because of their affiliation with the Vatican the Mameluk Muslims felt the need to cleanse the area of them following the Crusades.

The Mameluk occupation of the area was ended by the Ottomans. The Ottomans in turn gave relative autonomy to Jabal Libnan and its Christian majority, but nonetheless saw them as a thorn in their side. Because the Maronites could seek outside protection from Catholic states such as France, the Ottomans had to keep a more lassies fair stance with them. When Europe was occupied with with her own internal wars, the Ottomans would in turn strike the Maronites. For example, in 1860 the Ottomans encouraged the Druze to massacre many Christians, killing up to 10,000 of them. Recently it was mainly Muslim forces (mostly the PLO, Syria, Druze groups, Leftists and Islamists) who were fighting the Christians during the Lebanese War.

In terms of "oppression," the Maronites are the sole religious group allowed to hold the Presidency of Lebanon. Essentially, Lebanon was founded for them when the French carved much of it out of Syria. The Muslims absorbed into the new Lebanon ( Shi'ites, Sunnis, and Druze) led at the time by a Christian majority, felt disenfranchised. In addition, many Maronites held lucrative businesses while many Muslims didn't, especially the Shi'ites.

In the eyes of many Maronites (and other Christians) counter massacres against their enemies are justified. One such massacre that has garnered much press was the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camp massacre of 1982. Following the SSNP's assassination of President-Elect Bachir Gemayel (who was also head of the mainly Christian Lebanese Forces), Israeli troops surrounded the two Palestinian refugee camps. Christian forces under Elie Hobieka were let into the camps by the Israelis to clear out any remaining PLO militants. Instead of soley mopping the camp up of its Palestinian militants, the Phalangists forces exacted their revenge on the populace of the camp, killing anywhere from 600-1200 people. While the massacre, its motives, and who really took part in it are subject to much heated debate, some Christians found the action tolerable, if not justified. In the words of a Christian friend, "all you hear them [the Western press] talk about is Sabra and Chatilla, they never mention Damour or Chekka [two massacres committed by Palestinians], if you ask me they had it coming." In the Middle East the climate has been either "eye for an eye" or "head for an eye." Essentially, no crime goes unpunished, and punishment for the crime is usually handled by committing another crime.

Today some Christians push for federalism in Lebanon. They feel a stronger central government can reign in renegade elements, and help preserve Lebanon as a whole. However many Christians feel the only way to stop being Arabized is through forming more autonomous zones for certain sectarian groups within Lebanon. In a Washinton Post article, head of the NLP (National Liberal Party) Dori Chamoun (son of former Lebanese President Camille Chamoun) said, "I don't see Lebanon surviving as it is today, It is inevitable that the Christians will have a smaller share of the country. I only see one solution, cantonization. Everybody wants it. Nobody says it out loud."

The question of Arabization has caused many problems within Lebanon's Christian community. Many Orthodox Christians consider themselves Arabs, while many other Christians, mostly Maronites consider themselves to be Phonecian. One of my Christian professors noted, "I consider myself Phonecian first, Arab second, and Lebanese third." When she was asked why most Christians see themselves as Phonecian she answered, "most say it because they don't want to be associated with Arabs, whom they see as terrorists, I know history and that's why I regard myself as a Phonecian." Many Maronites, who originally used the Syriac language before the Arab conquest, even consider the Lebanese dialect of Arabic to be distinct from other forms of Arabic. the Guardians of the Cedars, a right wing, mostly Christian nationalistic organization even developed an alphabet for Lebanese.

From the isolated villages atop Jabal Libnan it was easy to see the isolated and insular nature of the Maronites. Nevertheless their Phoenician heritage has given them the pre-disposition to be excellent traders and merchants. Materialism has a huge hold in Lebanon, not just in the Christian community. Mercedes, BMWs, Cadillac Escalades, and Maseratis cruise the streets of the former war-torn state.

Christians in Lebanon are caught between being Phoencians or being Arabs, control or subjugation, currently they are being marginalized. As a minority group in the Middle East the hills have provided security, isolation, and a sense of community. However they have also proven to be the main reason Maronites, and many Christians are neither Western nor Eastern, only somthing in between. In the words of the late Bachir Gemayel, in reference to his fellow Maronites (and Christians in general), "we are the angels of the East, but also its demons."
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* More to come on my trip up to Jabal Libnan (Bcharre, etc)

* A special thanks to reader Selim K. who corrected an earlier error. I originally said Samir Geagea was jailed in Syria, he was actually jailed in Lebanon.

A Temple For Baccus, A Poster For Nasrallah

Built on the backs of thousands of slaves, the temples in Baalbek are some of the most expansive and beautiful in the Roman world. Edward Gibbon said in his landmark work, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire that, "Whatever evils either reason or declamation have imputed to extensive empire, the power of Rome was attended with some beneficial consequences to mankind." Architecture is one of the vestiges the Romans left behind, it most definitely ranked highly amongst them.

The Baalbek temple complex is for lack of better terms, grandiose. There is the temple to Baccus, god of wine. The temple is a rectangular shape, surrounded by Corinthian columns, its also one of the few temples that still looks as it might have in Roman times. While massive in its own respect, the temple pails in comparison to the gigantic erect columns that belonged to the Temple of Jupiter. The marble columns are as thick as three to five grown men and stretch far into the sky. The art work is quite significant, there are carved lions heads that at one time spouted water or wine. Designs on the side of the temples looked like stylized swastikas, depictions of gods preforming tasks, and even graffiti dating from Roman times until the present.

Baalbek is a microcosm of Lebanon, and truly highlights Lebanon's irony. Standing atop the high ground that used to make up much of the Temple for Jupiter, I could see a modern built mosque, in the form one might find in Iran, coated in colorful tiles and with a huge dome. The mosque had a sign outside of it showing how Hizbollah had built it. Next to Heliopolis, the ancient name of the Baalbek complex, was a Greek Orthodox church, its bells were ringing. There were more yellow Hizbollah flags than there were Lebanese. In front of the Baalbek temples were gift shops catering to who other but Western tourists. What did they sell in the gift shops? Hizbollah flags, Nasrallah posters, Coca-Cola (note: Coke is on the boycott list for many Arab states because they sell to Israel), small trinkets, and more Hizbollah gear such as T-shirts and baseball caps. $10 for a Hizbollah flag!

I was in a group of about 30 Westerners, so Hizbollah decided to keep an eye out for us. It sent three cars to watch us as we went to the temples, little children shouted curses at us such as "sharmouta" (whores/bitches in Arabic) and then tried to get high fives from us. Trash cans in Baalbek had USA or painted American flags on them. I was a bit upset by the fact that these people quite literally ran a state within a state. One Canadian in the group told me, "there is a lot of anger with them, you know Israel was bombing this area last year." Another Westerner turning the aggressors into victims. Even so, Western tourists are the bread and butter of Baalbek's economy, no other people were visiting the complex. Lebanon is known for how considerate and hospitable its people are, and these people were in my view getting orders from the top (remember Hizbollah is incredibly well organized with a complicated hierarchy) to essentially watch and even harass Westerners.

I snapped an interesting picture of a sign near the road down to the temple complex, it said, "south for reconstruction." What was so ironic about it was that the Lebanese flags that were atop the sign were in tatters, the sign was ripped, coated in dirt and dust, and had marks all over it. This reminded me of Ian Bremmer's book, The J Curve. Bremmer shows how closed societies will remain authoritarian and unfree in nature, and how open societies remain free. Hizbollah doesn't want rebuilding or economic success in Baalbek, they want stagnation and failure. They know the anger created can be used against those whom they accuse of being outside enemies/agitators: the United States and Israel. Through isolation comes power.

An isolated group amoungst the mostly Shi'ite city of Baalbek is the Christian community. I found a beautiful Greek Orthodox church opposite the temple site. They were holding a Greek mass and I went in to observe. Other Westerners with me followed, we sat in the back pews, recieving stares from the locals. While Lebanon is generally becoming more mixed, sectarian division are still extraordinarily deep. If the Christians of Baalbek can't find a modus vivendi with the ruling Shi'ite Hizbollah they would surely be displaced or eliminated.

Short video I made of the ruins in Baalbek:

Another Short video I made of the Greek Orthodox mass I attended:

Incase those links didn't work:

1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ8Ro-ymCu0

2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fEk3PBVHJo

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*Next Post will cover the trip to Bcharre

Long Road To The Bekka

The Beirut to Damascus highway is mired in history. As it name states it connects coastal Beirut to Damascus, and winds through multi-sectarian areas, Jabal Libnan (Mt. Lebanon), and the Bekka Valley. During the Lebanese War it was controlled by countless militias, bombed to submission, and rolled over by Syrian, Israeli, and Lebanese tanks.

We were passing Baabda, the home of Lebanon's pro-Syria president, Emile Lahoud. The Christian areas around Lahoud's compound obviously had no love for him, I couldn't find a single Lahoud poster in the area.

The bus started to gain altitude along the Beirut to Damascus highway, we left the Christian areas and headed into Druze territory. The Druze areas are nominally controlled by the PSP's (Progressive Socialist Party) Walid Jumblatt. This was apparent through a large number of Jumblatt posters and the trademark PSP symbol; a red background with a blue triangle, inside the triangle are a pick hammer and a staff. I didn't see many Druze (or Durssi as they are called in Lebanese) out as we passed through their villages, and in their areas the mood seemed quite relaxed.

The mountains were quite pretty, a golden brown and green color. Fruit trees lined the roads and cloud cover was heavy in a few areas, all in all it was a quiet ride. We finally made our way out of Jabal Libnan to a town just inside the Bekka Valley. The town was mixed, part Shi'ite Muslims part Christians (mostly Greek Orthodox). As a result there were few political posters up and the streets were empty. We stopped for lunch and I had a traditional Halloum (native white cheese, a bit like mozzarella) sandwich.

We continued to drive north through the Bekka. The flags along the road began to change to the distinctive green of Harakat Amal (the Amal Movement aka the Amal Party) and yellow of Hizbollah. The area was mostly Shi'ite, although there were many mixed towns. Posters of the smiling Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah looked upon traffic as we drove through villages and towns. Oddly enough we weren't on our way to see Hizbollah, but ironically to get to the world famous Ksara winery in the south-central Bekka Valley.

Ksara's premises stands out from the cinder block construction and power lines along the road. Leading up to the famous cave and winery complex there is a small terraced area for growing grapes. The bus pulled up to Ksara and we entered inside. Founded by Jesuit priests, the wine was originally used for religious purposes, and when the Vatican sold the property off in the 1970s a group of buyers came in and bought the vineyard and winery. The building was spottless, it probably hadn't seen tourists in 2 years. We were led into a damp, cool cave complex that housed barrels upon barrels of wine. Following the subterranean tour we were ushered up to a beautiful dinning room for a wine tasting. Ksara wine definitely isn't a Chateau La Mondotte Saint-Emilion 1996 (aka a $600 bottle of wine), but for $4 it was cheap, tasted good, and is great with tabouli.

Some Geography & Politics of the Bekka

To give you a better idea the Bekka is in Eastern Lebanon, opposite Syria. The valley is smack dab in between the "Eastern" and "Western" ranges of Mount Lebanon (in the West) and the anti-Lebanon Mountains (in the east). The area is known for its wineries, incredible produce, and almost complete control by Hizbollah. From the mountains the Bekka looks like a green swath cut through two huge chunks of dry earth.

There are two very important population centers in the Bekka. The first is Zahle. Zahle is the largest Catholic town in the Middle East, during the Lebanese War it gained fame amoungst Lebanese Christians for holding out against a Syrian seige. The second city is Baalbek. Baalbek is situated to the north of Zahle and is primarily a Shi'ite town with a small Orthodox Christian minority. Politically Zahle is a stronghold of the Christian Lebanese Forces, however, most of the Bekka, including Baalbek is a base for Hizbollah and Amal.

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*More Posts later on my trip to Baalbek, Bcharre, Batroun, and Douma

Downtown Silence & The Hariri Effect

A skinny black and white cat ran by, the only souls within a 100 yard radius were a security guard, a Lebanese Army soldier, and a group of about three gussied up girls waiting to enter White, a club on top of the An Nahar building. Beirut is officially dead. Its only Thursday, but there should have been hundreds of people lining the walkways of downtown.

I had originally gone to downtown to see a friend and look around the Virgin Mega Store. After my friend left I was about to take yet another poorly maintained 1980s Mercedes taxi back to LAU. It was getting dark, and I was tired. Nonetheless, my more adventurous side got the best of me, so I decided to wonder around the downtown, talk to people where I could, and just see the city at night.

I headed towards the famous statue to the Martyrs in Martyr's Square, no one was there, earlier I spotted a French tourist snapping pictures of the bullet holes in the statue, but that was it. I was the only one to go into the Rafik Hariri memorial, I was told by another friend that the memorial got a shipment of new flowers every single day. I had originally ruled this out as impossible, to replace sets of flowers like the ones in the Hariri memorial, it would take hours of labor and thousands of dollars a day. That was until I saw 7 flower arrangers putting together wreaths and other decorations made completely of red and/or white flowers.

The memorial was made to commemorate the assassinated former Prime Minister of Lebanon, but I noticed something a bit more interesting in the photos that lined the tombs and walls inside. The memorial really highlighted what a zaim is. Zaim (or plural Zuama) is Lebanese for a leader, but it has a broader and more political meaning, referring to feudalistic sectarian leaders. Hariri could easily be characterized as one of those leaders. His sectarian group were Sunni Muslims. The mountains of cash he made from lucrative construction deals and his party, The Future Movement were all his brainchildren. In some respects he was the modern equivalent of a Japanese Shogun.

The pictures looked a bit like something out of Socialist Realism. One picture or painting would show Hariri praying or meeting with a dignitary, another would show him as the builder of the great mosque that is downtown. One must also remember the memorial isn't supposed to just be about Hariri, it also had an area where his guards are entombed. In the US many leaders (if they were killed in such a horrific manner) who characterize themselves as populists would be buried right next to their slain guards, not in Lebanon, egalitarianism is not a concern. Hariri, in true zuama fashion is buried out in front with a huge tomb, his guards are entombed behind him. All of the guards have their pictures next to their graves, but in each of those photos there is a superimposed Hariri in a semi-heroic stance behind them.

Construction in the downtown is booming, all thanks to Hariri. As part of the rebuilding effort Hariri launched his Solidere company, a plan to largely reshape downtown Beirut, bring in high end shops, and clear away many of the shell ravaged buildings. I always imagined Beirut as an interesting dichotomy of Orthodox/Byzantine style Christian buildings and a number of Ottoman style mosques. The real Beirut is a mix of cranes, in some cases poorly built high rises, an odd war scared building or two, all obscuring historical Beirut. Roman ruins are dug up and left out, during the March 14th protests my friend told me that some people urinated into a Roman ruin opposite the Martyrs' Statue because there weren't enough (correction: any) bathrooms.

I walked to the famous clock tower, I counted about 25 people (not including the countless private security and Lebanese Army soldiers) and 6 cats in the whole area. Cafes were empty, many stores were closed. The smell of shisha (Arab water pipe) was in the air, and ice cream was slowly melting in the Haagan Das near the clock tower. Soldiers would gawk at me, I was probably the only American within 5 miles. I continued to walk through downtown towards the Phonecia Hotel, location of Hariri's assassination. I walked more, passing an Ottoman era mosque, 3 people were inside praying.

I could see the shell ravaged Holiday Inn Hotel. The hotel used to be one of the highest and most strategicly placed buildings in Beirut. It achieved a legendary status amoungst many Christians after a Phalangist militia man threw himself off the top floor of the building, so he wouldn't be captured by Palestinian gunmen. After passing the hotel and buying myself a diet coke I flagged down a cab, and was back at LAU.

My movie of Beirut as seen from Martyrs' Square:



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* I will try to post, but will be out in Northern Lebanon in Batroun, Bcharre, and Duma until Sunday, the 8th of July

To Jbeil

The Mediterranean sprays against the shoreline of the world's oldest seaport, Jbeil (also known as Byblos), are breathtaking. After driving through Jabal Libnan we reached the seaport and I marveled at its antique grandeur. The view was beyond belief, in front of me was the Mediterranean, further on was the ancient Byblos castle, to the right the ancient seaport, used by mariners since time immemorial.

The castle was a combination of two parts fairy tale mixed with one half history text book. The area had been continuously inhabited by some of the world's most interesting invaders and civilizations. To name a few of them the Phoenicians, Alexander the Great's Greeks, Ramses' Egyptians, Romans, Frankish Crusaders, Ottomans, Arabs, and yes, even the French all called Jbeil and its castle home at one time or another. The ruins were quite expansive, and spread over a large area that was buttressed by the sea. At the top of the castle there was a view to die for. I could see all the way out to the Mediterranean and the whole city (including the old historic parts) of Jbeil.

Jbeil is a primarily Christian city on the Lebanese coast, so the political graffiti was a bit different than what one would find in a place like Beirut. The main contenders for wall space in Jbeil were Bachir Gemayel (assassinated president of Lebanon and founder of the Lebanese Forces), Orange check marks belonging to Michel Aoun's Tayyar Movement, Kataeb Party graffiti in the shape of a cedar, and Samir Geagea and his Lebanese Forces.

You could definately see that Jbeil had been hit hard by the lack of tourists. The zouk (market) down by the ancient seaport was virtually empty, the vendors tried to charge an arm and a leg for anything, I must say though I found a beautiful (albeit overpriced, so I didn't purchase anything) book store loaded with Lebanese history books in three different languages.

I love the imagery that always shows Israel or Lebanon with a dove and olive branch in its mouth. These are two places where political violence knows no bounds, but I can understand the pictures to a point. As I stood atop the Jbeil castle I realized how peaceful a place Lebanon could potentially be. I would guess that the combination of seaspray, expansive views, Crusader era embattlements and the beautiful breeze would have that effect.

Misty Jabal Hop

I was up bright and early to head out to northern Lebanon, more specifically Jbeil (Byblos) and the Mt. Lebanon area. Even at 7 o'clock the weather here is muggy and hot. If the breeze wasn't so forceful I would have sweated through yet another T-shirt. At around 7:30am we boarded a bus, the bus had Reagan era orange curtains, barely functional air vents, the bus had seen better days, when MTV was new. I sat next to a very well educated Turkish girl who worked with the Washington Institute, we had a good conversation about a wide variety of topics, and listened to CCR and Journey on my headphones (That's right Lebanon, Don't Stop Believin'). We were also "blessed" by the fact that we both have low blood sugar, so I guess we had each other's back.

The bus headed up the coastal road past Downtown Beirut, the seaport, Rabieh, and up the (in)famous Jabal Libnan (Mt. Lebanon). After living in Colorado I was much more comfortable with the change in altitude, less humidity in the air, and cooler breezes one would get in the mountains. The mountains here are truly spectacular; I can only speculate what they may have looked like in the 17 and 1800's when the first Victorian Europeans started to explore the area, but I am pretty sure there weren't many concrete high rises.

To the Jeita Grotto! To get to Jeita travellers have to board a cable car. The cable car is a no-frills ride that goes over a small stream bed and through a valley lined with very green trees. When it gets to the cave complex you go through a small turnstile and into the cave. The cave complex is of course dark, but also cool and misty. The combination of those things makes me understand why so many aesthetics and mystics would often become hermits in the complexes. Inside the cave had a nice little walk way and lights pointing at all of the marvelous stalactites. Further on there was a boat ride through the cave. The water inside the cave is very cool, I would often put my hand in to feel it or throw some on my head. Even though the water is not very deep, the lights placed into the water make it have this very Caribbean feel, even the sand on the bottom is white.

Following the boat ride, we were coerced to watch a movie that reminded me of those 1950s made for school, Mcgraw Hill productions, "From the makers of Duck and Cover: What You Need to Know About Reds and 'The Bomb', its, Caves and Stalactites a New Frontier!" (note: I just made that little bit up, I'm sure you get the idea) To top that off the theater was boiling, I must have been perspiring so much that I lost at least 3 gallons of water. After the movie we took "the train," a more or less hyped up gasoline powered golf cart pulling carloads of my fellow students to the small petting zoo of native Lebanese animals. For people who know me, I love to play with any animal that comes within a mile radius. Because of this, I had a ball harassing the grown and baby Shami and Mt. Lebanon goats, with whom I played with for a few minutes.

We left Jeita and started to hit the same altitude I was used to in Colorado, about 6-7000FT. We then drove off the paved road onto what looked like a deserted dirt road, lined with wild mint, mountain flowers, and some wild herbs. We were in Faqra, about 45km from Beirut. Faqra is home to the world's highest Roman temple, and the largest set of ruins in Lebanon. The ruins were very well maintained albeit they were fenced off with a rusty chain link fence. There were the remains of columns, an old church, and the most spectacular of all, the columned entrance to the temple remains, the pyramid shaped roof has long disappeared, but the splendour of the entrance columns was somthing Nero himself couldn't have imagined.

The area around the temple was virtually empty, save for the few lizards that were basking in the heat and my tour group. I climbed to the top of one of the Roman (and later Byzantine) walls to enjoy the view of the mountains. The mix of colors is almost Tuscan, with reds, sepia, green, and many hues of gold. The hills here have a mix of sepia and reddish soil. there are some grains, herbs, and piles of sharp straw (I say sharp because they can penetrate a sneaker) dotting the landscape.

Just up the hill from Faqra are the world famous Faqra ski resorts. In Lebanon it was popular to say that in spring you could be bask in the sun at the beach in the morning, and in half an hour's drive go skiing. Even though Lebanon is currently experiencing a heat wave, I could easily see how beautiful the area could be with a little snow.

We continued to drive to the north and stopped to view the natural stone bridge (jusoor al Hijar) at Kfardebian. Some of villages that line the roads here are something out of a story book. They are dun colored, some have red tiled roofs, in the Christian villages you can see Lebanese Forces symbols and shrines to the Virgin Mary. Sometimes out of nowhere you see a modern looking house/apartment building in the middle of nowhere, empty, as if a family of vagrants were squatting in it for the past 10 years. Around the villages there are terraced hills, many different types of fruit trees, ranging from lime, pomegranate, orange, figs, to a variety of apples.

Up in Jabal Libnan you could definitely see the "tribal" breakdown of the people. Since the 1850s the area had been fought over by the Druze and the Christians. In 1860 the Druze massacred up to 10,000 Maronites, Greek Catholics, and other Christians. Currently, much of the Druze are represented by Walid Jumblatt's PSP (Progressive Socialist Party) and many of the Christians belong to Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces. During the 1975-1990 war the PSP and LF fought incredibly bloody battles against one another to control the mountain. At times the Druze would massacre the Christians, and other times Christians would massacre the Druze.
The more I experienced life in the mountains, I could see how certain sectarian values were in turn brought by those villagers to the bourgeois capital of Beirut. Mix materialism, religious fanaticism, and provincial views and you have a healthy reason why you can always tell which sectarian neighborhood you are in because of the posters that line the walls. The mountains are a kill or be killed type of area. You could hide out in them for weeks, and no one could/would find you. The villages seem quite self sufficient. They remind me of micro-city states in the hills; Supplying their own food and social functions in times of peace, militias and communal defence in times of war.

As we continued driving the tiny, winding mountain roads, I was astonished to find an all Shia village near Kferdiban. Older women wore the Iranian chador, a few younger girls were in Western clothing, for the most part it was a conservative village. Young children came out to gawk at the bus, in one case a 7 year old boy threw a rock at the bus. The village was complete with Amal and Hizbollah flags, posters of Hassan Nassrallah and Samir Kuntar, and a small mosque decked in yellow and green sheets. (yellow and green are the colors of Hizbollah and Amal respectively). Past the village were a set of small waterfalls and springs. The springs were fresh but I wouldn't drink from them. In Lebanon I have noticed many people care about preserving the environment, but many villagers, even when its within their self interest, still don't care. For instance, there is a small sitting area where one can have a soda near the springs. The covered women would wash dirt and filth from the floors into the very streams and water lauded as crisp, fresh, and scenic.

To the villagers the small "cafe" was the perfect place to scam a few extra lira, they tried to charge 2000 L.L for a coke (that's about $1.30); of course, the cokes are bought by stores for about 250-500 L.L, I'm guessing a bit of the profit went to Tehran, so I argued with the shrewd little boy selling the cokes and got 2 of them for 1500, I guess it does pay sometimes to have a university education! I guess I also had another laugh considering they were selling Coke, Coca-Cola in turn sells A LOT to Israel. Oh irony, thou hast smiled upon me.

Apart from the Coke, irony is always present no matter where you turn in this county. Old enemies are friends and sometimes friends are enemies. In the village I mentioned there were both Amal AND Hizbollah flags, however, in 1985 Hizbollah and Amal (both Shia groups) fought countless bloody battles in what was refered to as "the War of the Camps." Right now the PSP and the LF are allied in the March 14th grouping. The PSP used to be one Syria's strongest allies, now Jumblatt (often called "the fox" for his unabashed realism in politics) is completely anti-Syria. Henry Kissinger was off by a few hundred miles when he did his dissertation on Realpolitik, instead of analyzing von Metternich, he should have analyzed Jumblatt.

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* Next post will be on my trip I made to Jbeil.

Is War On The Horizon of The Eastern Mediterranean?

I was browsing Michael Totten's website and came upon the article, Feels Like 1967, Redux. To paraphrase, Totten explained how Israel is assuming that at some time this summer an attack will come from Iran, Syria, Lebanon (through Hizbollah), or even al Qaida.

According to WorldTribune.com, "Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that the Jewish state faces five adversaries in what could result in an imminent confrontation. Yadlin cited Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Al Qaida.'Each of these adversaries is capable of sparking a war in the summer,' Yadlin was quoted as saying."

I have serious doubts that al Qaeda could really take Israel on via Lebanon, Gaza, or the W. Bank. They usually operate in Arab/Muslim countries and strike targets within them. One of their few anti-Israel strikes was in Mombassa, Kenya, while this caused great alarm it didn't spark a war.

Hamas is a different ball of wax from al Qaeda. First, Hamas is busy solidifying its control of Gaza and that probably won't be complete, atleast, for a few more weeks. This doesn't mean that they won't try to launch rockets or hit and run attacks against Israel, but I think Olmert is quite wary of sending the army into Gaza so soon after the debacle he managed in Lebanon. One must also consider that Hamas does get some of its orders from Damascus, so if Asad decides he would much rather have a low-intensity war on Israel's southern border he may choose to do that.

As a casual observer who is currently residing in Lebanon, A.K.A the country that is home to Hizbollah and location of the war last July; it is my fundimental belief that if there is a new war against the Jewish state it will be along the same lines as the war last year.

Why Will A War Come?

• Lebanese presidential elections are on September 25th, Syria has been at work this spring and summer knocking off anti-Syrian MPs (namely Walid Eido). Emile Lahoud, the pro-Syrian president of Lebanon is going to have to step down. The last thing Damascus wants is an anti-Syrian Maronite (namely Amine Gemayel or another Maronite from the anti-Syrian Rafik Hariri Martyr List). If a crisis can be made by Damascus, Beirut may have to delay elections, or if Damascus is feeling adventurous it may just contiune knocking off more politicians.

• The current Lebanese Army vs. Fatah al Islam war started around the same time the UN was going to start its tribunal for Rafik Hariri. Syria has a vested interest in keeping Lebanon destabilized at this time. If there is war, how can the UN carry out any investigation?

• Iran is facing internal strife and external pressure. Internally there were numerous riots due to gas rationing. According to the New York Times,
" Unrest spread in Tehran on Thursday, the second day of gasoline rationing in oil-rich Iran, with drivers lining up for miles, gas stations being set on fire and state-run banks and business centers coming under attack.

Dozens were arrested, and the Tehran police chief, Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, complained to reporters that the police had been caught unaware by the decision to ration fuel.

The anger posed a keen threat to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected two years ago on a platform of bringing income from oil to the nation’s households. Instead, even though Iran is one of the world’s largest producers of crude oil, it has been forced to import about 40 percent of its gasoline at an annual cost of $5 billion to make up for shortfalls in its archaic refining industry."

In the Middle East distraction from domestic problems can be solved by a foreign adventure. Due to the success of Hizbollah's last war against Israel, they may feel emboldened to launch another one. If Hizbollah succeeds again then the Iranian leadership could find its way out of another problematic internal situation.

Add that the possibility of the international community pushing for tighter sanctions on the Iranians. Currently the international community is offering Iran a "nuclear time out" I.E. Iran should hold off temporarily from Uranium enrichment. The Iranians could very well ignore the initiative and continue on their current course of enrichment.

• Arms are flowing into Lebanon faster than water out of a faucet. Syria and Iran have been pumping Hizbollah with new arms. The UN has been complaining that Iran and Syria have not been respecting an arms ban into Lebanon.What does someone do when they get new toys? Do I really need to answer this one? All right: THEY USE THEM!

When I talked with the mother of a friend here she was telling me about a new article (I believe it was in An Nahar) that discussed how Hizbollah was ready for a new war against Israel. Many of the Christians here feel a war will break out at any time. Hizbollah has become excedingly powerful and to some extent it has left the Lebanese Christian population to feel immasculated. To quote my friend's mother, "Hizbollah wants to Islamicize Lebanon and have war all the time."

However there is an opposing view. Some on the Lebanese street are convinced no war will come and its simply sabre rattling by both sides. As I am writing this, I asked a Druze girl sitting at the computer next to me whether she thought a war would occur this summer, her answer, "they have been saying that for the past 5 to 6 months, I doubt there will be war." Israel has also been very cautious in regards to its northern border. Following a number of recent Katusyia rocket hits, Jerusalem decided to just ask UNIFIL to do a better job. Granted many people said this attack was from a rouge Palestian group trying to scuttle the cease fire in the south, but Israel did attack the PLO in 1982 after Shlomo Argov was attacked by the Abu Nidal Organization (Abu Nidal and the PLO were both Palestinian groups, but, they hated eachother, Abu Nidal was far more extremely violent and considered the PLO to be a sell out group).
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I'll add a bit more as the time comes. More interviews/travel-logs to come, look out for:

• A trip to Dahiya with a publisher friend (she's great, Ms. Wasta). Dahiya is the HQ of Hizbollah conjoined with a Palestinian refugee camp, and is located in S. Beirut. Currently Dahiya is a pile of rubble due to successive Israeli airstrikes. This should be interesting...

• A trip to Harrisa (حريصا) & Jbeil/Byblos (جبيل). I am going there on Saturday---So look forward to a late night blog post.

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This post is in serious need of additions and editing, so treat the current post as a proto-version of whatever is going to come.

Martyrs' Square

Yesterday I headed out with J, her sister N, A and E. They have been incredibly hospitible towards me and I feel as though I am one of the family, its the sort of acceptance you would rarely find in the United States; I have only expereienced it within my own family and with my girlfriend.

I really feel at ease, unstressed and at peace here. Despite the random violence (nothing has hit Beirut so far), and, in some places uncleanliness there is a general relaxed feeling about the people. I honestly think most of them are more curious about me than I am of them, I've never been stared at quite so much, but its not a stare of disgust, it is one of interest.

J, N, A, and E (we can't forget E!), were kind enough to take me to the downtown area. Many Lebanese, especially those in the Christian community rarely go to the downtown area because of the Hizbollah tent city that sprouted up in the square. Also, because of the terrorism purpotrated by Fatah al Islam many of Lebanon's most famous sites look like ghost towns. I wasn't about to let this deter me, but then again, I must put my thanks out to my friends who were kind enough to drive me there, guide me and put up with their feelings of rage against Hizbollah, which they regard as a state within their state. Not to mention deal with a routy American who always sticks his nose in things.

The Garden(s) of the Shahid (Martyr)

Martyr's Square first attained its name from six Lebanese nationalists who were hanged by Ottoman authorities in World War One, following a revolt against the Turks. The Palace des Martyrs' (as its known in French) was also the place in 2005 that the March 14th rally was held. It was described to me by friends who attended the event as a remarkably huge sea of humanity; Sunnis, Druze, Christians, and even some Shia all comming together to protest Syria's murder of Rafik Hariri and to get Syria to pull out of Lebanon. This is one of the few squares I've been to that not only features "martyrs of the past" but of "martyrs of the present." If you look east you can see the Kataeb Party headquarters adorned with a poster of slain leader Pierre Amine Gemayel, to the center of the square there is the An Nahar Newspaper tower with a huge poster of murdered MP and writer Gebran Tueni, towards the new mosque built by Rafik Hariri is his tomb and that of his body guards, all killed by Syria. Even the statue commemorating the 6 executed nationalists is scared by war as there are bullet holes all over the bronze. In Lebanon death is always around the corner, or in this case in the square, but life is always so vibrant. I toured around Place de l'Étoile which features the famous Rolex clock tower, normally the square would be PACKED with people, but today, because of the high heat and the fear of terrorism, tourists and locals have just stayed home.

We continued on in central Beirut and I went into this stunning Greek Orthodox Cathedral called The Cathedral of Saint George. The churches and cathedrals here are simple on the outside, using heavy stone, mixing Byzantine, Western, and Arab architecture. On the inside they are incredibly ornate and stunning. In Saint George's there were murals of angels, gold leaf covering the columns, and 3 burning candles in the back. If you aren't religious like me, the building could definately cause you to reconsider.

Following the tour around City Centre, everyone took me to Club 43 in Achrafieh. The club is within (and excuse the pun here)a gunshot's distance from Martyrs' Square, has a French flag hanging from its 18/19th century window, and is up a darkened flight of steps. Our server was an Australian hippie who served us shots (ouzo) and then our other food and drinks. I must note that they have the best iced tea I've had in Lebanon, but the food was hit or miss.

"Wierd New Jersey" Doesn't Have ANYTHING on "Wierd Lebanon"

On another side note, Lebanon has always been a place of contradictions, a place where the militant Islamist group Hizbollah can launch katusyia rockets at Israel but at the same time where one can get drunk in a bar off absinthe, 500FT from a Hizbollah protest.

I've noticed that time isn't that important in Lebanon. In my dorms there are no clocks, just one clock on the bottom floor (I am up 4 flights of steps to my room). Appointments are made but I've noticed that they are rarely kept, for instance I was supposed to have lunch with a Hizbollah member, we made plans the night before and she was atleast 20 minutes late and wasn't hungry.

Modern Lebanese culture (and I am trying not to generalize here, because my friends are not like this) is incredibly materialistic. People may not be able to buy food in some cases but have a brand new Mercedes or BMW, Gucci clothing, or a Rolex watch.

In the United States much business and politics is preformed through connections people have but it is generally frowned upon to openly gloat about how one uses and makes connections. Here it is quite different and the word that is used is Wasta. I was talking to two people who go to LAU and one was trying to get her best friend to go out with a teachers assistant who proctors her class---why you may ask? Not so she could be a good friend, no, she wanted a good grade in class! In Lebanon even socially, the ends justify the means.

Trouble In The South

Yesterday, as I finished up my orientation period, I called up my friend. We all had been planning on going out for dinner. As I was on the phone with her there was a period of silence only to be interrupted by the radio. Once I heard the silence and the radio announcer say "Filisteeni" (Palestinian in Arabic) I figured there must have been a problem, and I turned out to be right.

In southern Lebanon, near the Maronite town of Marjayoun, a blast was heard. This area is usually under Hizbollah control, but after the 2006 war the UN and Lebanese Army moved in to secure the area. The explosion was the result of a mine detonated by a cellular phone as the UN convoy passed. An Armored Personel Carrier (APC) was burned and 6 UN peacekeepers (2 Spaniards and 4 Colombians) were killed. Following the news it was clear that my Lebanese friends were quite shaken up. I spoke to one of the LAU staff and she was quite adimant that the Palestinians were the worst group of people in the Middle East and should just be kicked out. I must have heard 4 people in Lebanon, all of different sectarian groups (one Kurd, one Christian, and two Sunnis) say things along the same line.

At first I heard reports that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (a loosely organized Fatah affiliate terrorist group/militia) were the ones to set off the bomb, but apparently that wasn't true: gotta love the Lebanese rumor mill. Later authorities blamed Fatah al Islam and/or one of its surrigate Sunni Islamist allies. The Spanish Defense Minister was quoted by the Baltimore Sun saying, "Without a doubt, we are dealing with a premeditated attack."

It goes without saying that this recent attack has really frightened many Lebanese. I went out later with my Lebanese friends and they seemed to be a bit on edge, this is the farthest south Fatah al Islam has attacked and it partially shows that eventhough the government declared victory against them, Fatah al Islam can still strike with impunity.

This attack also was a clear and blatant attempt to scare off international observers/peacekeepers. Lebanon has a track record for being a country that has sent peacekeepers packing to go home. Fatah al Islam may be following the example of the Shi'ite Hizbollah, who, in 1982, bombed the US Marine barracks and a contingent of French paratroopers. The attack ended up killing 241 and 58, respectively. Soon thereafter France and the US packed their things and went back home. The situation following their retreat resulted in more anarchy and ruin for Lebanon; without a coercive force to pay attention to petty sectarian games, Lebanese ran amuck and killing eachother was back in vouge. So, Fatah al Islam also wants foriegners to go, once they leave then the terrorists can go on a violence splurge. This merely plays into Damascus's formula to control Lebanon. If their formula was a recipe it would be written as such:

Step 1: create a problem and in the process knock off as many adversaries as possible.
Anarchy (much of it helped along by Syria) was the same excuse they used in 1976 to intervene in Lebanon and subsequently occupy the country.

Step 2: Maintain plausible deniability. Remember, if they think you are behind an attack but can't put their finger on the fact that Syria planned it, then you are ok.

Step 3: As Lebanon slides into anarchy act like a savior. Tell the international community that those "silly Lebanese" can't control their own affairs, so Syria will do it for them.

Step 4: Try to stay in Lebanon and suck it of all its wealth for more time to come.

Footage of the explosion on Lebanese TV (to be more specific NBN-Amal's/Nabbeih Berri's network):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJXdMvS4J3M

Dinner & Arak With Friends

Yesterday was my first full day in Lebanon. I slept about 3 hours in total, but had many adventures and met many interesting people. My first adventure was going outside of the LAU campus to get some coffee, water, sodas and some other assorted junk food. Afterwards a fellow student and myself took a stroll down to the Raouché (Pigeon Rocks). They are a spectacular formation of stone jutting out of the Mediterreanean, the water surrounding them is a mixture of teal, green, light blue, and a medium shade of blue I can only describe as "Azure Mediterreanean."

The stroll down to the Raouché was quite an interesting one. The school I am attending is in the heart of Quoritem, the bastion of Rafiq Hariri and his Future Movement (a March 14th associated political party and heavily anti-Syrian). As such, there is heavy security by both the army and police. On almost every major intersection one can find an M113 Armored Personel Carrier with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted atop its metal hull. To get to the Raouché you have to pass the Saudi embassy, which is a massive building loaded with private security and a battalion of soldiers outside. Because I am a free wheeling American I decided I would take some pictures of the APCs dotting the streets---BAD idea. I got yelled at repeadedly by the soldiers, although it seems if I just play the "dumb American" card I won't get my camera smashed.

Also, during the day, I stopped and found some nice little coffee shops, and had some of the best iced coffee in a place across from the school. Around 11 in the morning I gave a close Lebanese friend a call. She invited me over to her home for a dinner complete with the Lebanese specialty drink known as Arak (also spelled 3arak--the 3 is an ain in Arabic) . Arak is made of anise and is quite sweet, almost like drinking an incredibly sweet tequila without so much alchoholic bite.

After speaking with my friend she informed me that her boyfriend (who was playing soccer at the time) was going to pick me up around 9:30PM. As 9:30 passed I called her up again and she told me he would be there to pick me up around 10PM. I had little to do, so I sat in the guard house and talked with the guards. The guards told me that rent (per month) was around $700 a month, they earned around $1.30 an hour and they couldn't get over the fact that America had a minimum wage around $5.75-$7.00. I tried out my rudimentary Arabic/Lebanese with the guards and they seemed to get a kick out of it, teaching me a few new words and pronounciation. As 10 o'clock rolled around my friend's boyfriend pulled up with another person I am friendly with and we headed off to Rabieh.

Rabieh and Christian Beirut (and its suburbs) seem a lot more organized and clean as compared to the Muslim sections. Of course both Muslim and Christian Beirut have much alore, but that difference definately sets them apart. On the drive down to Rabieh we passed downtown Beirut. I was told that ever since Hizbollah started protesting the current government they were subsidizing poor Shia (giving them $3 a day) to squat in Martyr's Square. There is a joke that is going around (some of it is true according to photos I've seen) that these Hizbollah members brought their shishas (water pipes) and TVs with them---Now Martyr's Square is their new home. I was also told that to get down to Martyr's Square (which stradles the old Green Line seperating Christian and Muslim Beirut) one must go through, not one of the numerous Lebanese Army checkpoints, but a Hizbollah checkpoint. Yes, Hizbollah has people who "guard" their encampment in downtown Beirut, and they (not the government) allow people in and out.

As we entered Rabieh we pulled up to a nice looking apartment building. My friend had a beautiful home with a wonderful family. Politics was the talk of the night, and of course I felt as if I had center stage (its not everyday some random American walks through your door and wants to talk about inter-Christian/Sunni-Shi'ite politics). I had a wonderful meal prepared for me complete with native bread, salad, arak, and pleasantly spiced chicken just to name a few things served. After the meal we all sat down and watched the television, my friend's sister had an international phone so I gave my mother a quick call. I must say after a great dinner there are few things more amusing than to have Seinfeld with Arabic subtitles.

For some time I had been talking about trying to get as much political paraphenalia out of Lebanon as possible. My friend went through a huge poster collection and gave me a Lebanese flag, a Kataeb party flag (Kataeb is also known as the Phalange party, and are right wing, anti-Syrian). As I was driven home my hosts took me to the Bachir Gemayel memorial in Achrafieh. Bachir Gemayel, a hero to many Lebanese Christians, was the son of Kataeb founder Pierre Gemayel, founder and leader of the Lebanese Front and later Lebanese Forces, and was president elect of Lebanon in 1982 before an SSNP bomb killed him. I visited the very place he was murdered that night. Formerly it was an unspectacular apartment building, after the explosion flattened that building, it became a square with concrete floors, trees, and a memorial to Gemayel and those killed in the building. The square was mostly quiet, save for a few young men who jokingly wanted to cheer for George W. Bush because I was in the area. Large posters and a massive metal carving of Bachir Gemayel's figure adorned the building adjacent to the memorial and it reminded me of a modern day shrine. In Lebanon it seems that the whole city is one massive shrine to opposing/allied political leaders who were supported by their confessional group. Eventhough I have been here a day, you can tell what sectarian section of town you are in by the posters that are stuck to the walls: Rafiq Hariri for Sunni sections, Walid Jumblatt for the Druze, numerous Hizbollah "martyr posters" and pictures of Hassan Nasrallah for Shi'ite sections, and Bachir Gemayel and the recently assassinated Pierre Amin Gemayel for Christian areas.

All in all it was a very spectacular day/night filled with adventure and great conversation.

Just Arrived

I am writing this from the LAU computer labratory on the bottom floor of my dorm. I was the first off of my plane (thank the almighty I didn't check any bags!) and met LAU's driver, Mohammed, in the terminal. There was definately a presence of Lebanese Army and Police in Beirut Airport, but nothing too extreme.

As we left the airport I saw a number of Emile Lahoud (Lebanon's pro-Syrian president) posters plastered to an onramp post, but it was minimal in comparison to the huge posters of Rafik Hariri (Lebanon's slain former Prime Minster) that dotteded Beirut. As we pulled into the Hamra district I passed a fully armed M113 Armored Personel Carrier, complete with .50 caliber machine gun, and 3 Lebanese Army soldiers with M16s, quite the show of force.

LAU, right in the heart of Korietem, borders the Hariri Mansion, and as such is heavily guarded. The same anti-car-bomb devices used in places like Iraq and Israel were present, along with many guards. The campus itself is quite quaint, and thankfully air conditioned.

Pictures will come along with more comentary.

Off To Lebanon Part 2

In my previous post I talked about my upcoming trip. So, tonight I am off to Lebanon, it should be an interesting trip through JFK, Heathrow and finally Beirut Airport. I am traveling light with some clothing, Arabic books (for my classes in Beirut), a notebook, and a camera.

I will do my best to blog from Lebanon.

Topics I hope to cover:

1. Hizbollah anti-government protests in Beirut.
2. March 14th officials and their reaction(s) to the current assassinations by Syria.
3. The Lebanese Army vs. Fatah al Islam in Tripoli.
4. Rise of Khomenist Shi'ism/Iranian influence in Syria and Lebanon.
5. Sectarian differences in Lebanon.
6. Interviews with common people in Lebanon and their views on the current situation.
   

Fatah al Islam Defeated?

Reports from Lebanon are claiming that Fatah al Islam has been defeated. Lebanese Defense Minister is quoted in the linked story as saying, "the military operation is over. The Lebanese army has crushed those terrorists." This may be true considering there haven't been any recent car bombings, only time can tell. I will try to post my findings on here.

To Lebanon

To all readers, I am off to Lebanon by the end of this week to attend an Arabic course and if possible get a few interviews for this fledgling blog. I will primarily be in the Beirut area but will most likely go off on adventures to Damascus and other parts of Lebanon. I hope to post some photographs when I get back.

Note: Any interviews I do get will be published on this site effective when I get back in the beginning of August. If I'm involved in any breaking news I will do my best to post it up here.

Wish me luck!