» So why did Hezbollah use their weapons?
16/06/08 06:57 from Lebanon Update
There's this question that still needs answering: why did Hezbollah rock the boat back in May? After all, things were going just swell for the Party of God. Downtown was comfortably occupied, a political solution was not anywhere in sight a..

» Before You Start Shooting...
07/11/07 11:48 from The Rabid Smurf
Hello there, fellow Lebanese! ( reporting from inside a crate, in a container, on a ship... heading to Zimbabwe...uhh, I'm lying ) Well I can't help but reading the news day in and day out... This has become more of a time-killing hobby ra..

» Lisa Goldman
19/12/07 07:10 from The Rabid Smurf
On August 14th 2007, Lisa Goldman, an Israeli reporter as well as a blogger published (pdf) a story that shocked both, Lebanese and Israelis. She sneaked to Lebanon ( using her Canadian passport ) exactly one year after the 2006 Israel- Hez..

» Understand Jumblatt
16/07/09 14:51 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
If you ever want to understand why Walid Jumblatt, the effective political leader of Druze community in Lebanon, does what he does, keep the following in mind: The Druze leader has been willing to alter his position on virtually everything..

» Regime-Driven Violence
22/12/09 14:46 from Across the Bay
Here's my piece today on the recent violence in Iraq. Bottom line: These powerful statements by Iraqi and US officials ought to force us to reconfigure our entire thinking about so-called “non-state actors” and their behavior in Iraq, as we..

» So Mughnieh is now revenged?
03/07/08 06:47 from Lebanon Update
Ever since the murder of Hezbollah's leading operative Imad Mughnieh, the Lebanese and the Israeli's have been concerned about the act of revenge by Hezbollah. The organization was expected not to take lightly the killing of one of its most..

» Adha Moubarak
19/12/07 15:52 from The Rabid Smurf
To Muslims in general and fellow Lebanese Muslims in particular, may the coming year bear with it solutions to our innumerable daily problems.

» Narrowing Options on Iran
05/01/10 13:56 from Across the Bay
Here's my piece in NOW this morning on US policy toward, and the debate on, Iran: Three years ago former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger posed a key question: “[P]ressure – the attempt to induce a decision the other party had not chos..

» Syrian Social Nationalist Party going strong in Hamra
27/05/08 07:50 from Lebanon Update
Right after Hezbollah's take over of West-Beirut, flags and graffiti of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party appeared everywhere, especially in Hamra. Despite the name, it was founded in Beirut by the Lebanese journalist/philosopher and Gree..

» Miri Family Grieves ...
03/07/09 20:25 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
... and calls for the arrest of the AMAL gunman who murdered 30 year old mother of five Zeina Miri. The photo shows Prime Minister-designate, Saad Hariri, consoling Zeina Miri's two daughters as he visits the family to offer his condolence..

» Well, someone's reading this blog:-)
27/05/08 14:25 from Lebanon Update
Just in: the Internal Security Forces will be banning all political flags in Beirut. This announcement came a few hours after my post on the SSNP flags in Hamra that offend many Lebanese. Coincidence? Of course not! Well, erm, perhaps, but ..

» �?�?ا�? برس�? "ا�?س�?�?د" �?صرا�?�?�? �?تابع�? ا�?أ�?�?�?
18/02/08 17:45 from The Rabid Smurf
All of the following, are headlines from ANNAHAR newspaper, you can check their authenticity yourself if you subscribe to the Online Archives service (my comments are in Italic). 14-03-1989 �?ص�? عش�?ائ�? ع�?�? �?�? ب�?ر�?ت�? ع�?�? �?ت�?�?..

» Assef Shawkat Makes the Grade
21/07/09 18:27 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
From Foriegn Policy magazine's review of the Middle East's five most powerful intelligence chiefs ... charming (emphasis, invariably, mine): Position: Former commander of Syria's military intelligence agency, current deputy chief of staff ..

» One photo, all the Lebanese problems
03/06/08 06:00 from Lebanon Update
Now with downtown open again, the sight of the Lebanese parliament at Place d'Etoile against the backdrop of the Al-Amin mosque explains the problems with Lebanon: with religious buildings being taller, bigger and certainly considered more ..

» The Geopolitical Context of the Iraqi Elections
29/12/09 15:16 from Across the Bay
Here's my piece in NOW Lebanon today. It briefly goes into the converging interests of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria in defeating Nouri al-Maliki. However, contrary to their calculations -- including the Syrian campaign of violence designed ..

» Interview with me in German magazine
29/05/08 06:19 from Lebanon Update
For those who read German, here's an interview with me for the German magazine Readers Edition. Memorable quote: “Es ist traurig festzustellen, dass es so viel leichter ist den Frieden zu beenden als die Gewalt zu stoppen.” translation: "Un..

» For the Hockey Fans ...
01/07/09 17:01 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
The Toronto Maple Leafs , one of the oldest and best known hockey franchises in the world, have drafted Lebanese-Canadian Nazem Kadri, as their first round pick. Via NHL.com : With the seventh selection, the Leafs selected high-scoring Lon..

» 1960 Election law won't benefit Christians
04/07/08 06:14 from Lebanon Update
What better day to talk about democracy than on the Fourth of July? And yes, let’s leave it as an exercise to the reader to decipher if this is meant ironic or not. In any case, the other day L’Orient-Le Jour’s columnist Emile Khoury provid..

» The Big EIGHT
16/11/07 10:37 from The Rabid Smurf
Here's a short profile on the eight 'viable' candidates for the presidency, according to the New York Times. Edit : Make sure to visit this page as well.. Ah, the good old days. And how can we forget This ! I'm smelling Butane, hmm...

» Syria hints at disarming Hezbollah
08/07/08 05:10 from Lebanon Update
The other day, this blog was speculating about the possible rift between Hezbollah and Syria and presented four pieces of 'evidence': the killing of Mughnieh in Damascus under the eyes of the always alert Syrian secret service; the document..