Qifa Nabki
Syria
Syria: The Political Solution
My dear friend Sean Lee has written a great “open letter on Syria to Western narcissists” over at his blog, The Human Province, later picked up by The Huffington Post. He scratches an itch that’s been bugging me for years. Read it. The other piece to read this morning is Bassam Haddad’s interview with Democracy Now, which makes … Continue reading
Operation Stage Whisper
As the United States prepares for a likely military strike on Syria, speculation about the timing and extent of the operation is the topic de jour. Lucky for you, the political team here at The Qnion has received the transcript of a closed-door press briefing attended by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and a … 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…