Qifa Nabki
Lebanon
The Great Sorting Out: Ethnicity & the Future of the Levant
In the discussion section of the last post (“Syria and the Lessons of Iraq”), my friend Joshua Landis made an interesting comment that I felt should be promoted to the main page. I publish it below with a few minor edits, and with Joshua’s permission. It is followed by some brief comments by me. I’ll ask … Continue reading
Where Will All the Jihadis Go?
Since the signing of the US-Iran nuclear agreement, several curious news items have stoked speculation that some of the major players in the Syrian crisis may be coming around to a more accommodating negotiating posture, in advance of the Geneva peace conference scheduled for January 22, 2014. On December 3, Hizbullah secretary-general Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah … Continue reading
Saad’s Midas Touch
Saad Hariri released a statement today commemorating the death of Nelson Mandela, which contained the following sentence: “بلغ مانديلا من العمر حدود المئة، وبقي حتى اللحظة الاخيرة من حياته قطعة نادرة من الذهب الأسمر التي تلمع في ارجاء البشرية، وتقدم في كل يوم أمثلة حية عن قيم الصفح والمصالحة والاعتراف بالآخر، وإنزال العقاب المعنوي والأخلاقي … Continue reading
The Generalissimos of Tripoli’s Streets
Two nice little items to note today: (1) The Economist dubbed Qifa Nabki “the leading blog on Lebanese politics.” Sarah Birke mentions several other excellent authorities to follow on Twitter to get your Lebanon news/commentary. Check them out. (2) QN is five years old! The anniversary came and went quietly a couple months ago, but in … Continue reading
Thirty Years Later, Another Embassy Bombing in Beirut
Today’s attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut recalls a similar bombing thirty years ago against the US embassy in the same city. There is no mystery concerning the identity of the bombers nor the meaning of the bomb. As Bashar presses his advantage across the border, Lebanon remains an opening field for supply chain … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…