Qifa Nabki
Saad Hariri
Moving On
It had to happen sooner or later. I can imagine that when Majd al-Assad died last week, Saad Hariri’s advisors all reached for their cell phones at the same time and called Qoreitem. “This is our chance. Let’s get it over with.” On the occasion of Hariri’s visit to Damascus, I found myself reflecting on … Continue reading
The Ironies of History
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri visits Damascus to pay his condolences to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad upon the death of the latter’s brother, after nearly five years since the assassination of the former’s father, widely blamed on the latter, to whose own father he has now, suddenly, developed an uncanny physical resemblance. Get it?
Hariri’s Visit to Damascus
There’s been a lot of chatter about when, if, and how Saad Hariri will make his first visit to Damascus. Some even believe it could happen as soon as this weekend. I’m not as interested in the “when” as in the symbolic potential of this event. Therefore, I thought we’d have a poll and a … Continue reading
Yes, Prime Minister?
Let’s not misunderestimate the man just because he’s not a 21st century Mutanabbi, alright? In fact, I feel sure that lurking beneath the halting phrases, garbled desinential inflection, and butchered vowel harmony lies a rhetorical brilliance, just waiting to reveal itself. As such, allow me to declaim the following panegyric in its honor…
Charbel Nahas: The FPM’s Secret Weapon?
For a period of a couple months, the cabinet formation was help up by a dispute about the appointment of Gebran Bassil — Michel Aoun’s son-in-law — as Telecommunications Minister. Aoun wanted him re-appointed; Saad Hariri did not. Eventually, a compromise was reached: the FPM was allowed to keep the Telecommunications Ministry as long as … Continue reading
Qifa Nabki 
And the people say…