Daily Archives: July 7, 2007

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High Hopes On Aoun-Hariri Meeting

Both sides are sending hopeful signals..


Send in the toxicologist..

The metaphors couldn’t get any cheesier: March 14 sees “clear skies” after a long period of paralysis, whereas the FPM sees 07/07/07 as a potential lucky date for the Lebanese where “holes in the wall of separation” between them could materialize.

Here’s to good luck, with crossed fingers. And here’s a satirical TV sketch of such a meeting by the La youmal team (Hat Tip Kheireddine)

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Fact Check: The Bishops Were Wrong

After numbers were released that effectively pull the rug under their previous claims, the Bishops should apologize to the Lebanese public.

Finally, the real deity has spoken: Numbers.

Fact 1: There is actually a higher percentage of Christians today in the ISF than there was before, with an increase to 33.04% from 28.85% during previous governments.

Fact 2: The Lebanese law, which the Patriarch had previously approved of allows for 3% of acquisition by foreigners. There is an overall foreign acquisition today of 0.1%. So much for “selling Lebanon out”

Much of the damage is done, and the bishops have a moral duty to apologize. Mr. Sfeir, what would have Jesus done?

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Thursday's Newspapers, Quick Summary

Today’s newspapers are up on The Beirut Spring‘s Newsstand.

The papers by and large focus on three stories: One is about the Christians & The Seniora government (read background here), with a particularly dramatic headline by Al-Akhbar, a newspaper that made a living out of inflating Aoun’s ego: “Christian Bitterness At Seniora Intensifies”. According to The Daily Star: “Aoun blames government for Christian ‘weekness’”.

The second story is about the Buzz of a potential Aoun-Hariri meeting. Interestingly, both Albalad and Annahar chose to ignore the first story and focus on this one instead, perhaps secretly hoping that the two would get along.

The third story is about the upcoming Paris meeting, where the head of the Arab League Amro Moussa Tells Annahar that it will move in parallel with the Arab Initiative.

Anyway, why don’t you take a look at the newspapers themselves in the Newsstand? Remember, if you like a story, all you have to do is click on the newspaper and you’ll be taken to the newspaper’s website..