» The end of the Doha truce
24/06/08 08:35 from Lebanon Update
For those who were optimistic that the truce reached in Doha last month would put Lebanon back on track, the recent events must have come as a surprise: everybody was so optimistic and didn't we expect a new government to be formed within "..

» Breaking News: Rocket Exchange in South
27/10/09 17:40 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Update: Israeli police reported no casualties from a single rocket which landed in the north of that country. Meanwhile Lebanese security officials reported Israeli jet incursions into Lebanese airspace over the south of that country. Repo..

» Saudi Tribute to Michael Jackson
29/06/09 01:14 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon

» HRW: Basij Conduct Night Terror Raids
28/06/09 02:23 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
From Human Rights Watch : Iran's paramilitary Basij are carrying out brutal nighttime raids, destroying property in private homes and beating civilians in an attempt to stop nightly protest chants, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Righ..

» 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 ..

» Something the Media Won't Show...
13/03/08 20:50 from The Rabid Smurf
Found this on YouTube, pretty new stuff Check it

» Worth a Visit
15/11/07 17:41 from The Rabid Smurf
This website certainly has some propaganda intentions behind it; however, FACTS are facts... I highly advise everyone to read it, then draw your own conclusions.

» The Hezbollah Model in Afghanistan?
14/10/09 13:06 from Across the Bay
Over at the MESH, Matt Levitt has an excellent post on a recent report in the Washington Post that "[s]ome inside the White House have cited Hezbollah, the armed Lebanese political movement, as an example of what the Taliban could become." ..

» 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...

» The Hezbollah Model Revisited
23/10/09 18:45 from Across the Bay
Following up on my previous post , here's a piece I co-authored with Mara Karlin that appeared in the Washington Times today. I guess it was a fitting coincidence that it was published on the anniversary of Hezbollah's 1983 attack on the US..

» The Syrian Mirage: All Bills and No Merchandise
22/07/09 13:24 from Across the Bay
Here's my latest for NOW Lebanon, which in a way follows up on Michael Young's recent piece in The National. Syria has long tried to convince the world that nothing could be done in the region without its help. But Syria’s regional relevanc..

» Keep Laughing!
15/11/07 11:26 from The Rabid Smurf
The "Why I Love FPM Quiz": General Michel Aoun never switched alliances, he is the only man in Lebanon who stands firm in his beliefs, he's the most popular Marionette... err, oops! I meant Maronite figure and has a nation-wide recovery pr..

» Berri likens SSNP to justice squanderers
11/07/08 07:55 from Lebanon Update
Naharnet quotes Berri as saying that "Whoever squanders justice and the justice ministry should accept the whole Syrian Social National Party (SSNP) in the cabinet, not just Ali Qanso". In other words, once you start squandering justice, yo..

» Obama on Iran
23/06/09 17:52 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Below is the Iran-related portion of U.S. President Barack Obama's June 23rd press briefing. Transcript via NYTimes : First, I'd like to say a few words about the situation in Iran. The United States and the international community have be..

» Dietary Victory!
28/10/09 00:53 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Let me be the first to declare Lebanon's "dietary victory" over the [imperialist] Zionist attempt to invade, occupy and annex the culinary terrain of the brave Lebanese nation. Behold the internationally recognized achievement we have attai..

» ABC ad gone wrong
02/06/08 08:01 from Lebanon Update
The latest ad of ABC's shopping mall is either very humble or just plain wrong. Take a look at the text of the ad below: "Step into a world of glamour and style where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the standard becomes spectacular" ..

» Ohio's Basij-Hizballah
22/06/09 18:29 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
This is important (albeit unconfirmed), via Slashdot , David Hume writes "electronicmaji is reporting on the Daily Kos that the individual known as ProtesterHelp (also to be found on twitter) was attacked in Ohio for providing network secu..

» Suleiman’s balancing act
26/05/08 08:37 from Lebanon Update
If anyone still doubted that general Suleiman would not possess the necessary political skills to run this country, they’d be reassured by his inaugural speech yesterday. A first hint appeared right at the start of his speech: he called for..

» More Lebanon Election Analysis
10/06/09 19:47 from Across the Bay
Here's my latest piece on the election and post-election situation. See also Michael Young's column yesterday, as well as Emile Hokayem's editorial . Arabic readers might want to check out the following op-ed by Elie Fawaz. Ziad Majed also ..

» Lion Cub Saved
28/08/09 14:45 from Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Members of the Lebanon-based group Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) gather around the cage where a lion, found left to die in the sweltering Mediterranean sun, is kept at a centre that specialises in the care of wild anim..