Qifa Nabki
Qifa Nabki
Twenty-Four Hours and Counting…
The Future Movement launched its electoral campaign last night at BIEL with a (rather unusually) charismatic speech by Saad al-Hariri. Eschewing the teleprompters (and correct desinential inflection, alas) al-Hariri built up to a stirring crescendo: “Dear loved ones, there are nine weeks left until June 7. There are nine weeks before we fill the ballot … Continue reading
Deals, deals, deals…
Deal 1: The General’s Return I’ve been reading Karim Pakradouni’s recently published history of the Lahoud presidency (Sadma wa Sumud: ‘Ahd Imil Lahhud, 1998-2007), and I recommend it to anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes peek at Lebanese politics from the perspective of a consummate insider. I’ll mention one anecdote by way of an endorsement. Toward … Continue reading
Hizbullah Announces Candidate Lists
Update: (Spoke too soon, see below for revised conclusions.) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared on al-Manar this evening to announce Hizbullah’s candidates for the 2009 parliamentary elections. Here is the list and some quick reactions: Nabatiyeh: MP Muhammad Raad; Sour: MP Muhammad Fneish, Nawwaf al-Moussawi; Bint Jbeil: MP Hassan Fadlallah; Marjayoun: Ali Fayyad; Baalbek-Hermel: Husayn Moussawi, … Continue reading
Failure to Coordinate Grand Gesture Ends in Embarrassment for Israel, Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Fresh on the heels of a regional summit in Doha where President Bashar al-Assad had reaffirmed his support for resistance against Israel while expressing reservations about the Arab Peace Initiative, the Syrian president dropped a bombshell by embarking on an epoch-making visit to Tel Aviv, Wednesday morning. “Nobody saw this coming,” … Continue reading
The Swastika and the Water Ski
Christopher Hitchens has penned a riveting account of his drubbing in Hamra forVanity Fair. Previous articles sponsored by the Lebanon Renaissance Foundation were either rife with errors or somewhat off-message, so Hitch’s piece comes right in the nick of time and proves that you really do get what you pay for. Here’s his opener: “As … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…