Does The Opposition Still Have Traction?
The opposition has the will, but does it have the power to repeal a would-be 50+1 Presidential vote?
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 25, 2007
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Blogging Lebanon
since 2005
Blogging Lebanon since 2005
Beauty Contest
Here’s a little informal poll: For those of you who don’t know the difference between our candidates, which one, based only on looks only, appears more trustworthy/presidential?
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 24, 2007
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PM Safadi?
Minister Safadi’s recent stance is due to Syria’s promising him the Premiership, says Albalad.
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 24, 2007
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Ahmadinejad’s Inferior Worldview
Ahmadinejad wants to teach Americans about the world. What’s Persian for “chutzpah”?
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 23, 2007
Why The Lebanese Presidential Election Matters
If you want to understand what’s the great fuss about the presidency, read this excellent piece by Micheal Young in the wall street Journal.(H/T tony)
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 21, 2007
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Saudi Arabia And Nabih Berri
There is a strange duality in the way Saudi Arabia and its Lebanese allies treat Syria and Mr. Nabih Berri.
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 21, 2007
Is The International Tribunal Really A Deterrent?
The latest assassinations are weakening the argument that the International Tribunal will deter the killers.After each assassination of a March 14 leader, angry voices start clamoring for revenge with a “let’s kill one of them” logic. Of course, any sane person is appalled by extra-judicial killing, but in the ways of deterrence, it works. Here’s a mischievous question for you: Will there still be killings of March 14 MPs if the known cost was the life of a March 8 MP?The civilized response to injustice is justice. Our level-headed leaders keep calming the population down by reminding them that the International Tribunal’s job is to reveal the killers’ infrastructure and achieve justice. They portray the International Tribunal as a panacea that will stop the killers. The mother of all deterrences. But why isn’t the damn thing working?High, abstract ideals like Democracy, sovereignty and independence are fine, but when the cost of achieving them is your head (quite literally in Mr. Ghanem’s case), your average MP will find it tempting to sell his soul out. Does it really matter to discuss the rules of the game when your opponent is not playing?As the latest assassinations are showing, we are still in a situation where the killers find more rewards than punishment in killing. Whether we like it or not, the killing is working. March 14 are irreversibly losing their majority: A re-election for Mr. Ghanem’s replacement would most likely produce an opposition MP.In a moment of intellectual weakness, I’m starting to find virtues in mob justice.
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 20, 2007
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Who Killed Antoine Ghanem?
Yet another savage assassination of an anti-Syrian M.P
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 19, 2007
Is Lebanon Showing The Limitations Of European Power?
In “Fear Factor: Lebanon and the European Way of Peacekeeping”, The Brussels Journal discusses Lebanon’s UNIFIL and argues that effective peacekeeping and appeasement don’t go hand in hand:
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 18, 2007
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Berri’s Initiative: Made In Syria
According to Alhayat, Syria has claimed ownership of Berri’s initiative and is waiting for Washington and Riad’s reply:
Mustapha Hamoui · Sep 18, 2007
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