Qifa Nabki
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“What if Hizbullah Wins?”
This is a question that one hears frequently these days in Beirut. If you haven’t heard it yet, be assured that in a couple of months, it will be all anybody is talking about. Why? Because there is a legitimate possibility, some would say probability, that the Lebanese opposition will become the majority in the … Continue reading
Bellemare Says Nothing… Again
A wise man once asked: “What do you get when you cross a Kouchner with a Bellemare?” Answer: a cauchemar, of course! Although, whether the Tribunal is shaping up to be a nightmare for Syria or March 14th is still a complete mystery, thanks to the investigation’s tight-lipped commissioner who gave an all-business, just-the-facts interview … Continue reading
The Perfect March 8 Electoral Strategy? Just Relax…
If I were a political consultant to the March 8 forces, here’s what I would suggest by way of electoral strategy advice: Just relax. March 14 is doing all of its work for you. Each passing week brings another miscalculation by the ruling coalition, another blunder, another poorly-coordinated move. The wire-tapping scandal fizzled when Defense … Continue reading
Is Zaatar the New Ras el-Hanout?
A friend tells me that Chef Eric Ripert from “Le Bernadin” restaurant in NYC was on Top Chef this week, and the six remaining contestants were asked to duplicate one of the items on his menu, and one of the dishes was “zaatar-crusted monkfish”. My fellow citizens, I think that we have finally arrived. A … Continue reading
Can Syria be the Linchpin in Obama’s Mideast Strategy?
As someone who came to consciousness during the period of Syrian control of Lebanon, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sympathetic to those Lebanese who regard Damascene politics with an innate sense of trepidation. Growing up in such an environment, I’d heard the old box-of-matches-and-pail-of-water argument countless times, while listening in on discussions … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…