Qifa Nabki
Lebanon
What Can Iran Deliver on Syria?
There’s been some speculation in the press this week about what a possible thaw in US-Iranian diplomatic relations (the product, no doubt, of an extensive public relations campaign) might mean for several big-picture issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program and the threat of an American strike, the territorial and strategic balance of power in the … Continue reading
A Political Solution in Syria: The Readership’s View
Last week, I asked readers to contribute their own views on a political solution in Syria, and promised to feature some of them in a subsequent post. As the Obama administration cracks heads and bends ears on Capitol Hill (with the help of a legion of AIPAC lobbyists) in the hope of winning Congressional approval … Continue reading
Motives & Mysteries: Tripoli Edition
Whenever a bomb explodes in Lebanon, conversations both public and private revolve around an old parlor game that we might call: “Motives & Mysteries”. For those unfamiliar with the genre, here’s a snippet: Abu Michel: Terrible, the news from Tripoli. Abu Samir: Just awful. Abu Michel: A bunch of jihadi dogs and salafist mercenaries. I … Continue reading
Pathos and Promises: Nasrallah on the Dahiyah Blast
Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah addressed a large crowd of supporters in Aita al-Shaab this evening via videolink from Beirut. The topic was yesterday night’s car bomb in al-Dahiyah, which killed two dozen people, wounded hundreds, displaced hundreds more, and caused enormous damage to a residential neighborhood. Nasrallah called on the Lebanese to work together … Continue reading
Abbas on Syria
I’m in Beirut for a few weeks this month, seeing family and attending weddings. The mood is eerily pleasant, though now that the Eid has passed everyone seems to be bracing themselves for the return to arms. I caught up with my friend Abbas yesterday. Some of you may remember him from his appearances in … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…