BetLZ News 2.3.10

Report: Lebanese officer suspected of spying for Israel / Ynetnews

Lebanon aims to build on banking success / Financial Times

Who will pray at Lebanon's rebuilt synagogue? / BBC News

Syrian FM: US has nominated ambassador to Damascus / Washington Post


DNA Samples from Ethiopian Relatives of Plane Crash Arrive in Beirut / Naharnet

Ethiopian air crash shines light on lives of migrant workers / Los Angeles Times

Low broadband penetration is hurting Lebanon's competitiveness / iloubnan.info

In an Elie Saab World / New York Times

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.2.10

Body recovered nine days after Lebanon plane crash / AFP

Lebanon gets relatives' DNA in Ethiopian jet crash / AP

Israel returns abducted Lebanese shepherd after 'severe beating'/ The Daily Star

Robert Fisk: Israel feels under siege. Like a victim. An underdog / The Independent

Start-up Lebanese tracker of Web traffic turns profitable / The National

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.1.10

Today's news!



Sub to help search for crashed Ethiopian jet / Washington Post

Israel returns Lebanese shepherd / UPI (who was a teenager, i would like to note)

An Ethiopian Funeral in Beirut / The Faster Times

Lebanon posts solid economic gains undergoing period of political tension / Global Arab Network

~LZ

"We are not smiling"

"these is only one flag"

"we are not smiling"

and, in case you haven't noticed, I also made him sit on a lower chair.

Who comes up with this stuff, really?

I mean, you are a diplomat. Act like one!

BG

Jumblatt versus Peres

Israel's president Shimon Peres fainted the other day and was soon after released from the hospital after having been checked out by doctors.

Jumblatt had this to say about the incident:

حتى إبليس بالأمس رفض إستقبال شمعون بيريس بعدما إستدعاه للحظات في غيبوبة لو أتاح القدر أن تكون نهائية لكان العالم تخلص من تلك الاكذوبة التاريخية التي مثلها ذلك الرجل على مر عقود من الصراع العربي- الاسرائيلي، وهو الذي لعب أدورا عديدة خلال كل محاور هذا الصراع. ونتمنى على إبليس في المرة المقبلة ألا يخطئ في حساباته ويدعوه اليه لمرة واحدة وأخيرة، عله بذلك يفيد البشرية في مكان ما

A quick and rough translation: even Satan has refused to welcome Peres after fainting and if fate had willed it to be final, the world would have gotten rid of this historic lie that this guy has embodied for decades during the Arab-Israeli conflict . . . and we hope (or rather wish) that the next time around, for Satan to calculate correctly and invite Peres to him one final time, maybe this way, he (Satan that is) would benefit humanity in some way.

Whether you like Jumblatt or not, you have to agree that he is sometimes very theatrical and amusing!


BG

Yawn

So, is anybody surprised that an Israeli minister from the far right coalition of Yisrael Beiteinu was caught on tape slandering Arabs?

Or, is anybody surprised that Netanyahu's speech was considered by the Obama administration as a positive step forward, while actually it is only a repositioning to a previously held position that the Israeli's had retraced from, thus negating Netanyahu's speech and position as a step forward and affirming it as a return to status quo ante? (And not even that, given the many restrictions he wants to impose on any future Palestinian state.)


BG

Naam, feena! (Yes we can!) n°3 - Speech Commentary

As promised, here is my take on Obama's speech at Cairo University yesterday.

To start off with, I have taken the actual transcript of his speech and picked out the parts I thought were most important. So if you missed the speech, can't bother to read the entire thing or just want a refresher, enjoy.

I've also taken the liberty of putting my comments in red italics between Obama's words (just like a girl over-analyzing a text message from her crush), and breaking it into an easy to follow structure.

This is the layout of the speech, set out very neatly like a high school essay:

INTRO

BODY : "Issues"

1. Fighting violent extremism in all forms


2. Israeli-Palestinian Situation


3. Nuclear Weapons


4. Democracy


5. Religious freedom


6. Women’s Rights


7. Economic Development and Opportunity (proposes a Partnership)
   

CONCLUSION

~LZ

___

INTRO:

"More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims and a Cold War in which Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations..."

Iraq war much?

I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap and share common principles, principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings...

Applause breaks Obama had not anticipated whenever he mentions/quotes the Koran and the historical importance and influence of Islam...

And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.

a.k.a. "We stereotype you as terrorists but you stereotype us as well."

Let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America.

Blunt, important statement; acknowledging that Islam is an integral part of the US. Has this been done before?

And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.

Ok, I just had to throw this in here. This is something I have been saying for a long, long time. Republican, Democrat, Muslim, Christian, Man, Woman- we all want the same things in the end. Obama, or his speech writers, are just much more concise. I'll be stealing this if you don't mind...

Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail."

And that is a threat.

BODY: "The Issues"

1. FIGHTING EXTREMISM

It is my first duty as president to protect the American people.

a.k.a. The potential for war is not out of the question if the American people are threatened.

We plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced.

That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.

I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and no claim on their territory or resources. … That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's democratically-elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.

No claim on Iraqi territory?! Woohoo! Refreshing! Must watch to see if these promises are kept.

2. ISRAEL

America's strong bonds with Israel are well-known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. …Six million Jews were killed, more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless. It is ignorant, and it is hateful.

Mandatory Israel ass-kissing so speech is not seen as too pro-Muslim

3. NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Now, I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nations should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons…. And any nation, including Iran, should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Again, his aspiration for a nuclear-weapon free world. Iran can have nuclear power if it obeys intl guidelines...


4. DEMOCRACY

No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.

America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.

But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people, the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.

America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments, provided they govern with respect for all their people.

This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they're out of power. Once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others
elections alone do not make true democracy.

a.k.a. "We are not going to say that democracy is the best form of government, but it really is." And I must say that I, of course, agree.


5. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul.

This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive. But it's being challenged in many different ways. Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith.

The richness of religious diversity must be upheld, whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt.

Lebanon shoutout!!!

6. WOMEN’S RIGHTS

I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal.

Notice how he says "chooses." Very important and subtle

But I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.
And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well- educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Of course!

Now let me be clear, issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam.

Nice to have that said.

I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.

I'm sorry, what? You are CONVINCED?? Really, and what made you come to that genius conviction?? Don't you have two daughters? He should have said: "It is an indisputable fact that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons." Was he trying to play it safe with his audience??

I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal. And I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.

Freedom of choice again!

That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim- majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

7. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY

I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home.

That Angelina Jolie--why is she so damn sexy??

But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition.

In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education… all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. And in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas.

Thank you for addressing this issue. Maybe unlike the last American administration he won't just benefit financially from all the oil-money

-->PARTNERSHIP: (Plan to create bond btwn Muslims and the US)

At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students are internships in America, invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world and create a new, online network so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.
On economic development, we will create a new core of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries. And I will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim majority country and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops.
Today, I'm announcing a new global effort with the organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.

CONCLUSION:

Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world, the remake this world.

I'm an idealist, but I truly believe that. Screw that, I'm a realist and I believe that.

It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is one rule that lies at the heart of every religion, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

The Holy Quran tells us, Mankind, we have created you male and a female. And we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.

The Talmud tells us, The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.

The Holy Bible tells us, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Nice touch

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you."

End it with God, always a crowd-pleaser

___

Overall, nothing too radical. An important reach out to the Muslim world (and he tried to hit on the Arab world instead of just the Muslim World through mentioning the Copts and Maronites). Important statement that Islam is a part of the US. Standard mandatory ass-kissing to Israel so as not to piss them off, but nothing to extreme reminiscent of the Palin-Biden "We love Israel"debate or any of Bush's speeches.

Mainly, its things that people (civilized and educated people the world over) already know and agree on, but something that needed to be said.

Some good quotes to remember Obama by.

You've heard the man. What do you think?

~LZ

Israel's Lebanon problem

With all the recent buzz in Lebanon about the seemingly crumbling Israeli intelligence gathering cells, one has to wonder if this suicide is related?

Also, one has to wonder, how come did Israel screw up so badly? The number one rule of espionage and spy networks and cells is to keep them separated at all cost. Over 20 people in Lebanon have been arrested and most so far have been charged with spying for Israel. Also, most have been from different networks or cells.

Could the Israelis have screwed up so badly?
If so, this has got to be the biggest blunder by any military in the world. Maybe they got really cocky and thought that Lebanon was too weak or dumb to discover any of their tracks.

This has so many similarities to the "Mirage" incident Lebanon had with the Soviet Union (the soviets were trying to steal a mirage airplane from Lebanon to study and had recruited a Lebanese pilot and paid him huge amounts of money to fly the fighter jet out of Lebanon, but ignored the capacity of the Lebanese intelligence services, known as deuxieme bureau [maktab el tani], against the might of the soviet power. They got busted of course, and the case is now taught in most intelligence agencies worldwide as an example to not take anything lightly or up to chance in the business of espionage.)

If all this is true, and I suspect it is (yes, for once I don't think my government is lying to me), then this severely ties Israel's hands with regards to its' next adventure or chapter in Lebanon.

Still intrigued by the suicide though and possible connections?

BG

Israel . . . wiped off the map.

Is it just me, or does Israel tend to overplay every hand it gets?
I mean for fuck's sake, why is everything a big deal with these people?
Some things are just innocent mistakes or are what they are. Not everything is anti-semitic!

BG

Un-Kosher Flu

You just gotta love the Israelis.
So apparently, Swine flu is un-kosher, and it has to be renamed Mexican Flu!

Gotta be the funniest thing to come out of Israel in a while!

BBC
TIME

BG

Photoshop, Middle Eastern style! 2

I am loving this whole photoshoping Middle Eastern thing!

Now the Jews are doing it! Maybe it is genetic after all, like a ME trait or something.

Apparently a bunch of ultra-orthodox yahudis have a problem with women's photos, or maybe just women in general. Two newspapers in Israel cropped out the photos of the two female ministers in Bibi's new government and replaced them with two men.

I wonder who these guys are?

Here's the link

BG

Palestinian Mockery

So if I get this straight, the Palestinian people are stateless and hundreds of thousands of them are refugees in other countries and even thousands are refugees in their own land and most if not all don't have citizenships and/or passports, but a screaming MP from the UK get a Palestinian passport?

Yes, UK MP George Galloway, who is pretty much famous for being a trouble maker (I suggest you read his wiki page), received a Palestinian passport from non other than Ismail Haniyeh. The passport was given in recognition of Galloway's tireless support for the Palestinian cause.

Now I understand that the guy is really vocal on Arab issues, and he's some sort of an internet sensation with the Arabs, they just absolutely love his rant videos on YouTube. But does he really deserve a passport for that? What about all the other passport-less Palestinians who have more of a right to these passports than a vocal UK MP? Hundreds of thousands of refugees have access only to what is called a travel document and this screaming buffoon from the UK gets a passport. One other thing, what authority does a Hamas leader and FORMER PM have in issuing these passports anyway, or will this passport only be valid in Hamasistan?

I wonder if this guy will ever try to use his new passport. Maybe then, after being humiliated because of the passport he carries, he will really understand the injustice dealt to our peoples. (PS: I am in no way summing up the entire injustice dealt to the Arabs by narrowing it down to airport security, but I mean it in a general racist sense)

Because, up until now, his vocal propaganda is all theatrics to me.

BG

If I ever think of marrying a woman from Maarakeh, stop me

That is of course not me talking in the title. It is actually Timur Goksel speaking at a conference at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He used to be the chief spokesperson to the UNIFIL (the UN military force tasked with keeping the peace in southern Lebanon). I personally love this guy. I grew up watching him on TV. He came on practically every night during the nightly news sections, given that there were security incidents almost every night in the south when I was growing up and I've also followed his news closely since his retirement from his post at UNIFIL. He usually does interviews and TV appearances every once in a while.

On a side note: I don't know if my fascination with this guy is due to my fascination with press conferences in general and the process of Q & A. I've basically dreamt of having press conferences since I was a little kid. I have always imagined situations where I stand in front of so many microphones to answer tons of questions with smart, quick, crude, crass and often acerbic responses.

But anyway, back to subject.

His most recent gig was as a speaker at a conference at AUB. You can find the Daily Star's report HERE.

What is most intriguing in that story is Goksel's amazement as to how the UNIFIL or any other policing force in the south was unable to detect or discover Hizballah activities when it came to underground tunnel building. I have to say, I find that equally amazing. Where does all the dirt go, asks Goksel. He goes on to say that the UNIFIL force has never been able to find all the dirt dug up from these tunnels. Kids eat dirt all the time, I wonder if Hizballah supporters' kids have a higher incidence of kidney stones??!! Nah, just kidding.

The best line comes when he is describing a battle with the Israelis in a town called Maarakeh. Apparently women in that town came out of their houses and starting attacking Israeli tanks with pots and pans! Way to go women power! Ahem, ahem LZ. (In case you haven't figured this one out yet, LZ is my fellow co-blogger La Zaytouni, who is in Paaaareee for now and whom I miss daily.)

Here's your line: The strength of the women and their determination impressed him. "I said if I ever think of marrying a woman from Maarakeh, stop me.

Given his description, boy am I glad I don't have that problem.

BG

What country?

A series of security breaches have happened in Lebanon recently that pose a serious threat to the government's legitimacy as an effective protector of the state and it's people. There was the abduction of an engineer that works for MEA a couple weeks ago or so followed by the murder of another MEA employee, this time a pilot. All sources in Lebanon argue that both incidents are unrelated. However, of note, is the fact that they all happened in and around areas occupied/controlled by armed/security forces of Hezballah. A couple days ago, a yet unidentified armed group, sent a few rockets towards Israel. A few actually landed in Lebanon and never made it across the border. Again, this happened in Hezballah areas and under the jurisdiction/watchful eyes of the UNIFIL force, originally there to prevent this same exact kind of activities.

Equally important but on a different security scale is the hand grenades that have been launched at a few March 14th offices including the LF and Phalanges offices. These might have more of an election relevance rather than a security/resistance/let's pick a fight type attacks.

The most serious affront to state security happened with the attack on the police officer in Beirut's suburb. According to various sources, his and his driver's weapons were confiscated along with their Jeep. If police officers can't even protect their own, how the hell are they going to protects citizens?

you can find a video about the officer attack at the following link (in arabic):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2RqI-8Ekw

All these are of course dangerous situations that might easily spiral out of control.
The south Lebanon situation can easily become very dangerous given that Netanyahu is back.
The situations occurring in and around Hezballah areas have become way too common, and the government needs to assert itself and kick some serious ass.
As for the LF and Phalange situations, I think they fall into pre-election campaigning, Lebanese style, and are not much of a serious security issue, an unacceptable one nonetheless.

BG

Happy maroon day

Yesterday was St. Maron's day in Lebanon. So if you are a reader of our blog and are a Maronite and give a hoot, then happy St. Maron's day.

A very interesting cartoon appeared today in Annahar newspaper about the status of the Maronites politically.

The voice coming out of the church is calling out to St. Maron, and on each side of the church, different people and ringing the bell to different tunes. This might just be quintessentially a Lebanese thing, but each party in Lebanon has its own "tune". People would beep their car horns to in a certain way indicating their political affiliations. The guy on the left in the cartoon is ringing tara rat tat tat, ren ren ren (or tara rat tat tat, ge ne ral) so he is a aounist, the guy on the right is going, ren ren, ren ren ren, ren ren ren ren, ren ren (or ren ren, ren ren ren, ren ren ren ren, ha kim) so he is a geageaist. I really like the satire on the divisions within the Maronite community.

On a different note, I am impatiently waiting for the Israeli election results. I am personally wishing for a Kadima and Livni win, but it seems that although she's behind in the polls, she might after all end up with enough seats in the Knesset to be an obstacle for Netanyahu. He is far too much to the right for my own taste and possibly very detrimental to peace. Not that she is going to usher in a period of calm and peace herself, but options for peace and a two state solution under her leadership might be better served.

On a personal note, I am still dissapointed and possibly even MORE so now than before with him.

BG

Good Old Qaddafi

Good old Qaddafi, always good for a laugh.

In a video conference with Georgetown University students yesterday, he gave the world some great quotes to remember him by:

Apparently, Israeli's and Palestinians should live in a united state called "Isratine." Creative, huh?

Oh, and the US & Obama should give Osama bin Laden a chance to apologize

"I think Osama bin Laden is a person who can be given a chance...Maybe he wants peace."

Hey, everybody deserves a second chance. Maybe his chants of "Death to Amreeka!" really spoke of a sad, lonely childhood and his own lack of self-confidence?























My favorite?

"If you want to preserve this group, the Jews as an ethnic group, Palestine is not really the right place. The Middle East is a sea of Arabs...Take them to Alaska or Honolulu or the Hawaiian islands or the Pacific islands and they can live peacefully in an isolated setting."

Genius! Why didn't we think of that earlier?? All the jews can just move to Honolulu! What's not to like? Sunshine, beautiful beaches, coconut bras?? Who wants the Holy Land anyway?

If only he'd thought of this in 1948....

~LZ

Cease fire my behind.

Israel declared today a one-sided cease fire for its horrible genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7835794.stm

PM Ehud Olmert goes on to say that they have achieved all their objectives set at the beginning of the war and that they will keep their troops in Gaza for the time being and pull out whenever they see fit. He goes on to say that Israel will respond with force to any further Hamas rocket fire or activity. I don't know about you but to me this seems like a declaration of of intent to continue all hostilities in the Gaza strip. Israel knows damn well that it has not achieved any objectives: rocket fire still falls on Israel by the day and Hamas still operates freely in Gaza. They might have leveled to the ground half of the buildings of Gaza but this is a far cry from "getting rid of Hamas infrastructure". Israel also knows damn well that Hamas will not tolerate any presence of Israeli troops in Gaza and will continue to shell Israel with rockets as long as the occupation persists and the the land/sea/air blockade continues.

All of this looks like a very lousy Israeli excuse to continue their hostilities in Gaza by claiming that Hamas does not want peace or a cease fire. It is clear to me that they just want to play the victim or the nice guy by claiming that even after they were being super nice to stop killing innocent civilians, Hamas was the instigator yet again and thus they have to fight on and kill more people, but have it slightly justified by a crappy one-sided stupid cease fire.

The Israelis at it again with their victim mentality obsession.

On a different note, it seems that the Israelis are preparing for their next mass murder campaign:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7835822.stm

So get your popcorn and sit back and relax. The next episode in the bloody mess that is the middle east is soon to go on the air.

BG

"So long, farewell, auf weidersehen goodbye!"

With the inauguration coming up on Jan. 20th, most Americans (apparently 73%) cannot wait for Bush to get the hell out of the White House.

According to an interesting BCC article by Kim Ghattas (prob. Lebanese) there nevertheless are a slim few who will shed a few tears (not of happiness) as Bush steps down.

Who are these fools, you might ask?

Bush and his biggest fans

Well, obviously Israel which"is probably the only place on earth where Bush can still get a standing ovation" and surprisingly enough, some in Lebanon will be sad to see Bush go after his support for the 'Cedar Revolution', though his unwavering support of Israel in the 2006 War kind of supersedes the former in my opinion.



Check out the article here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7821449.stm

~LZ

Wanna Play??

So who wants to play?
Well, somebody feels left out of this carnage that's been going on in the middle east.
"Someone" (so far un-identified) has launched a few rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon. No claims of responsibility so far and plenty of denials by hezbollah that they had anything to do with it. Even Israel is saying it's not hezbollah. Could the Israelis be chickening out of a 2006 repeat? Nasrallah in a recent speech has promised them that if they think of attacking Lebanon then 2006 will be a "walk in the park" compared to what he has in store for them (you gotta admit the guy is good with theatricals).

All I can say is that I hope that Lebanon is not dragged into this "Risk" game that's been going on. I think one crucial thing that a lot of actors in the middle east forget about is that if you wanna play with the big guys, you better have big guns.