Qifa Nabki
Free Patriotic Movement
Missed Call Nation
Well, it seems the rumors are true. The Lebanese Parliament will be calling a special session tomorrow to discuss banning Skype. Apparently, several other VoIP (voice-over-IP) services have already been blocked, such as Magic Jack, and if all goes according to plan, Skype and Gchat could be next. Imad Atalla breaks it down in the … Continue reading
FPM Engages in Post-Election Soul-Searching
The preliminary results of the first round of Lebanon’s municipal elections are in. Predictably, all sides are claiming victory, with Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement tabulating their wins at around 51% of all council seats, while Samir Geagea has confidently announced that a majority of Christians in the Mount Lebanon region support the March 14th … Continue reading
Picking on Berri
The only issue of real import in Lebanon these days — as far as political reform is concerned — is Nabih Berri’s controversial call to establish a committee to explore the ways and means to abolish political sectarianism. Yes, you heard me right. Berri has called a meeting. A brown bag lunch. A coffee hour. And everybody … Continue reading
News & Notes (Dec. 30, 2009)
I haven’t read it yet, but judging from the reviews, it sounds like Lee Smith’s book is a bit of a dud. Max Rodenbeck skewers it for The National: “Smith believes he has much to teach us about this corner of the world, a patch he covered, from Cairo and Beirut, for the Weekly Standard, … Continue reading
General Aoun’s Interview with Marcel Ghanem
Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun went on Kalam al-Nas (the most widely-watched political talk show in Lebanon) last Thursday, and had a long conversation with Marcel Ghanem, the show’s famous host. The entire interview is available on YouTube in ten-minute installments. You can catch the first one here, and then navigate to the … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…