It is all the same to me

Yesterday I met a woman who knew my mom and knew that I had been in the Middle East. She asked me if it was less chaotic here than in Iraq. I said, "I suppose, but I really can't say what Iraq is like as I just got back from Lebanon." She replied that to 'laypeople' that whole area is all the same. I told her that is not what I wanted to hear. That really bothers me that people just brush off an entire region of the world as too complicated to understand, but at the same time I also understand that for normal, everyday Americans, what happens overseas really does not change their life that much. When US foreign policy changes we really do not notice it except when we declare war and soldiers have to leave. Aside from that, our lives are pretty much the same. It also shows that people here lack an understanding of the suffering that occurs in other parts of the world, and that leads to a lack of empathy. I once read a philosopher by the name of Edith Stein who claimed that the problem of empathy was the greatest problem of the 20th century. People have a hard time relating to other people, even recognizing that there are others out there who really suffer more.

Though I have not written in a few days I have been keeping up with events in Lebanon. I try not to watch TV as the reports are often little more than sound bites and I have a hard time looking at the bombs dropping. I read today in the New York Times that the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora believes that 900 Lebanese have died, 3,000 have been wounded, and more than a million have been displaced because of this conflict. Economic life has come to a halt and has effectively been set back by a couple of years - Lebanon had been banking on increased tourism, but after this debacle, who will want to return? All the while, the politicians fight over the terms of the ceasefire. Here again is a clear example of how politics really does matter - whether more people live or die depends upon what the politicians deem an appropriate ceasefire.

On a different note, I feel I should offer an explanation regarding a comment I made in the Billings Gazette, in case anyone who reads my blog also read that article. At the end of the article I called Israel a rouge nation. I was severely rebuffed for this by my fellow Montanans who I am sure are Middle East scholars with numerous experiences in the region, or anyplace else in the world for that matter. My guess is most of those people have never traveled outside of the United States on their own. In my opinion, I think a rouge nation can best be described as a country with few allies who acts contrary to the advise and wishes of the international community. Presently, Israel's only ally to support its actions in Gaza and Lebanon has been the good old USA, while the rest of the world has strongly condemned its military operations. The EU has even gone so far as to officially codemn the actions. I am not sure how else you could describe Israel right now. It definitely appears to want to play its own game by its own rules without considering how this might change the way its neighbors and allies regard it in the future. Just because it is a US ally does not mean it is beyond reproach.

My 15 Minutes

This little adventure in war has turned me into a little celebrity in my own land, at least as far as the local press in Montana is concerned. Had I grown up in a larger metropolitan area, I doubt I would be mentioned in any story...this is kind of odd. The most recent stories are pretty good, the Billings Gazette had me on the front page, while my friend Linda wrote an article for the Bozeman Chronicle. I highly recommend reading the comments on the Billings Gazette article, as most posts have called me misguided and stopped short of calling me stupid. Oh well, at least it made them think...

Home Sweet Home

I made it all the way home. The adventure of getting back to Billings is quite elaborate. On Friday, I went to the Larnaca airport to attempt to either change my tickets or to see about the chartered flights offered by the State Department. Changing my ticket would have required staying in Cyprus over the weekend, and as hotels were full and more evacuees were pouring in, I decided to take my chances with the State Department. I tried calling them from the airport, but they informed me that they still had not determined where the planes were going to be taking off from. This was at 8 am. After calling two more times, the Embassy told me to go to Pafos, a two-hour taxi ride away from Larnaca. By this time I didn't care how far away it was or how much money the taxi cost (about $100), I only felt relieved to have a definite route out of Cyprus.

I arrived at the Pafos airport a little before noon, and began waiting in line to get on the planes. They had arranged 4 flights out of Cyprus, and told us numerous times that there was enough room for everyone to get out that day. Regardless, several fights broke out in line between grown men and women because someone "cut the line". Did I also mention that most of the people in line had bags from the duty free shop on the cruise ship they sailed on from Beirut to Cyprus? When I saw that these people were able to shop on board a passenger ship, I actually brokedown. Here are a few pictures from the ship I was on:

The women in line with me were very nice, and we chatted quite a bit, talking about everything from our experiences getting out of Lebanon (they had waited in front of the Embassy for 11 hours one day, and then had to return the next day to be helicoptered out) to how disgusted we were at the people fighting in line. They were travelling with small children, something I cannot image doing under these circumstances. I was tired and crabby, but I only had myself to worry about and not an entire family. Here's a picture from the Pafos airport:
After making it through the line and checking my bag, I waited a little over an hour to board the plane to Baltimore. Boarding the plane was another mess: the assigned us seats, but used a seating arrangement different from the actual plane. This means that all those great people who had previously getten into fist fights in front of their children started screaming at each other and at the flight attendants (I was just happy there were flight attendants!) because their families were sitting separately. I gave up my seat and moved further back in the plane to alleviate some of the problems. However, because of the seat confusion, the plane was late leaving Cyprus. We stopped in Rome to refuel and to change crews, and were informed that we were no longer going to Baltimore, but rather were heading to Philadelpia. We could not get off the plane in Rome as they were trying to get us out of there as quickly as possible, which I would have appreciated had I not wanted to call my family and tell them that the cousins who were going to meet me in Baltimore should not go there!

Eight and a half hours later we arrived in Philadelphia. The Red Cross had set up an area where we could use the telephone, arrange for hotels and onward travel, see doctors and nurses, and eat better food than what had been available in Cyprus. After arranging for flights home to Billings, I went to my hotel and was in bed by 4:30 am. My flight for Denver was scheduled to leave at 6 pm on Saturday, but we departed three hours late due to bad weather and a shortage of ground crew. Consequently, I missed my onward flight from Denver to Billings and had to wait until the next morning to fly to Billings. Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of my parents before they got to the airport and managed to cry over the phone one more time. Sunday morning my flight to Billings was blessedly uneventful, and I am now at my parents house trying to decide on my next move. This is not an easy decision for me. I've come out of this with a different world view and I am having a hard time picturing myself going back to the same routine that I had been in before I left. I probably just need some time to adjust and to fully come to terms with what just happened - it only really started to hit me when I was in Philly watching the news - but I really wonder if something hasn't changed permanently.

In Cyprus

Yes, I have been evacuated to Cyprus. I never really thought I would ever say that I have been evacuated from anywhere...guess that's what I get for making assumptions! The boat trip was terrible, I will write more about it later, for now I just wanted to let everyone know that I am no longer in a war zone and that I will be coming home in the next few days either via a chartered flight to Baltimore or via a changed plane ticket. I will know definitely tomorrow morning, my plans keep changing now that I am here. I am with about 10 other people from Beirut...it is pretty amazing how quickly you become close to people who have shared experiences like this with you. The point is I am safe, very safe, though I kind of feel like everything I do is a little surreal. We can see the ship we came over on still in the harbor, and when a door slams we still get a strange feeling in our gut. I don't know how to describe this to you, I will try harder in later posts. Thank you for all the emails, it helps a lot knowing everyone cared and wished me well. Now, write your political representatives! Work to make sure no one in the world ever feels like this ever again!

All my love,
Courtney

Still here

People are starting to get frustrated with how long the evacuation is taking and how little news we are getting from the Embassy. Granted, I know they are working on a very complicated plan that requires moving around 10,000 people, but still, given the press coverage the AUB campus has received and the number of students "stranded" here, I'm surprised they haven't at least sent someone down to do a briefing. Whatever.

There are people still leaving the country via Syria. All of the Ivy League students have left. Private firms provided them transportation, and this service was available to them through their schools. I'm not sure if they had an additional cost to get this insurance or what. Someone commented (I think it was one of the girls from Princeton) that this is kind of like the Titanic, where the wealthy are the first ones out, or at least the ones who attend the wealthy and influential schools.

In previous interviews (my how famous I am becoming) I said that I am staying on campus. Well, I have been venturing out for food, and last night I actually spent some time with a group of about 10 friends at a restaurant/bar about a block away from campus. It was good to actually laugh and just relax a little. Of course, the topic of politics and the war we are caught in the middle of came up, especially when the Israelis bombed the airport again. I'm wondering if they are starting to run out of targets. There is still power in the neighborhood surrounding AUB and I can see the city lights at night, though it is spotty and goes out often.

The current rumor circulating states that Hezbollah has decided to return the kidnapped soldiers. This won't stop the violence, I feel certain in predicting that, but it will give Hezbollah and appearance of credibility when Israel does not step back: Hezbollah would be able to say "See, they're the bad guys, not us!" While I have devoted significant space to railing on Israel, I have no love to Hezbollah either, and both sides need to be "collectively punished" by the international community for killing and endangering so many people. In the past, this kind of situation would lead to a splintering of Lebanese society, with people dividing themselves along factional lines. However, the Lebanese social and political landscape changed with the assassination of Rafik Hariri and the expulsion of the Syrians. Now we are seeing the Lebanese unite as a people. It is my understanding that much of the Israelis plan centers on the Lebanese dividing into factions again, leaving the central government weak and the country easy to control. This is not quite the case, making the situation more volatile. From the New York Times: "With Beirut under siege and the Lebanese government largely out of sight, many Lebanese grew resigned to a crisis that was largely in the hands of foreign powers." In other words, the rest of the world is determining the fate of the Lebanese people, and the Lebanese feel there is very little they can do. The ability to disarm Hezbollah is far out of



We just heard about a story in the newspaper Al-Nahar (this was a print article, so I can't put a link to it) that said there was a 2000-person peace demonstration in Tel Aviv, asking for an end to the war and for a prisoner exchange. Previously I had heard that the Israelis were pretty united behind this action, but perhaps that changes when they started to get the bombs and realized that a serious threat of further escalation existed.

Last night we were talking about the problems in the Palestinian refugee camps. The camps are extremely poor and are obviously situated in the south, so they are really hurting and very unable to flee the violence. While we still have plenty of food and many of the stores are open today, however, in the south they are starting to run out of food and other necessities. While they are relatively close to us, 20 miles or so, but with the damage to the roads and the danger, it is hard to get stuff to them.

On a lighter note, a friend of mine from the program is writing a satirical blog about the situation over here, and I'm including it for some comic relief.

Reactions

In my last post I discussed an MSNBC article about a girl here in the dorms who is very upset. Well, more of the press has descended upon Beirut, and just about everyone I know has seen an interview or been contacted by the press. I took part in an interview with several other girls with NBC, and other have talked to FOX News and are trying to contact the BBC. While this seems a little funny to me in some small ways, in another I'm hoping it pressures the State Department and Defense Department to act quickly.

At dinner I talked to some other people in our program, and they did express frustration with the school for making predictions about how the conflict would blow over in a few days. I think they felt they should have been told to leave sooner and not wait for the evacuation. My feeling is that the people in charge made statements based on previous experience, and this situation is unprecedented. There was no way to predict this war, and I just wanted to restate that.

Also in the previous post I discussed being charged for my evacuation by the government. I read the notice again, and I think the wording is extremely vague, so I will just post it here and not make more brash comments about how awful the government is. Instead, I promise to carefully think through every reason why I am upset with the government.

"As of the morning of July 15, we are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel. Commercial airlines provide the safest and most efficient repatriation options to final destinations. The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of the trip directly handled by the U.S. Government, Americans will be asked to sign a promissory note and will be billed at a later date. The U.S. Embassy will release additional information as it becomes available to include specific details about the transportation arrangements and the costs travelers will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure adequate flights are available to help Americans depart Cyprus and connect to their final destination. The Department of State continues to work around the clock to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens."

Fear Factor

So this article from MSNBC consists of an interview with one of the girls hanging out in the lobby of the dorm. I nearly laughed out loud at some of it. First of all, it makes it sound like we are running out of food and water, which is far from true. There are restaurants open across the street from campus, and last night I split the cost of Dominos pizza with a bunch of friends. The TV is on all the time, and obviously we have Internet. I actually went today with a friend to buy a small suitcase and then to a bookstore - both were open and filled with people. Yes this is a scary situation, yes none of us planned on this, but the people here are used to this to a certain extent. They don't like it, but they keep things in perspective and store owners realize that people need food and need places to sit and gather and watch TV. I'm not trying to make light of the situation and I take my safety very seriously, but I also realize that it is out of my hands right now, and flipping out and worrying constantly isn't going to make things better, so I'm trying not to (trying is the key term).

As for our situation, we are waiting to see from the embassy what the evacuation plan is. It is obviously complicated and may take a few days, so we are advised to stay put and basically do what I am doing. The bombs have not hit this neighborhood and the Israelis have no reason to hit this area, I just want to reinforce this for everyone. Yes, I can hear them, there is an Israeli ship nearby and we can hear and feel the boom, and it makes me jump, but I'm starting to accept my situation. My biggest concern right now is that the stores are starting to run out of phone cards so I won't be able to call as often.

I know everyone at home feels very helpless. If you want to help, I urge you to call your Senators and pressure them to change the US position - perhaps if the US stopped supporting Israel unconditionally, they would back down. Israel is going to start a regional war, and they are getting our blessing right now. And I am caught in the middle of this foreign policy decision. Oh, and when I am evacuated from Beirut, I will have to sign a promissory note stating that I will pay back the costs of evacuating me. Gee, thanks America.

Images from Beirut

I just wanted to post some pictures that I have taken around Beirut before the bombing started just to give people an idea of what this place looks like when there aren't news cameras.




The white building in the background is the Holiday Inn that I have referred to in previous posts.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

With the constant stress of the past few days and the bombings, I had not considered how much the reconstruction would cost. According to this article by The Daily Star, the damages currently total $25 million, and I believe that only includes roads and not the airport. As I have written previously, Lebanon is still rebuilding from the civil war and past encounters with Israeli bombs, and the current bombing campaign is largely targeting infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and the airport, which Israel bombed again this afternoon.

The economy does not just suffer from the strain of reconstruction, it also suffers when people are not able to go to work because the bridges are out. Most of the teachers in my program could not make it to the university today simply because the bridges were out.

The UN Security Council has debated passing a resolution calling for the release of the soldier held in Gaza, but the US blocked this resolution as it was "unbalanced" and did not take into account that the UN plans to send people to the region to evaluate the situation. Bascially, the US does not like that the resolution condemns the Israeli offensive in Gaza. I know that many in the US scoff at the UN and do not think that its resolutions really mean anything, but in the Middle East such a resolution would have at the very least changed things psychologically and politically. The Palestinians cling to such resolutions and the Israeli violations of them, basically because that is all they have. If the resolution would have passed and if Israel had chosen to ignore it (which is pretty likely) it would have given the Palestinians more fuel for their fire. On the other hand, this also reinforces the view here in the Middle East that the West does not really care about them as we chose to ignore human suffering and focus more on politics. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, but it is not hard to see how this perception can arise from such actions.
~~~~
After hearing about Hizbullah hitting the Israeli battleship, I became very upset and unfortunately I chose that time to call the parents. Given that the Israelis have responded heavily in the past and seem to like this "collective punishment" approach, I can only imagine what this means. Mom asked that I leave the first chance that I get, but I feel safer on campus than chancing it on the roads north that run by the sea and across bridges. I am told that there are 5 bridges between here and the Syrian border, and those are prime targets that I don't want to be near. Basically, I think the consensus between the other students here is to wait for the US to come and take us and not chance it on our own. We are worried about those who are trying to make their way to Syria.

To be continued...

Ahmed, Get Your Gun

I'm supposed to be working on homework right now, but obviously there are larger things on my mind. The AUB provost talked to the international students today, and after his talk I felt a little bit more calm. He explained that basically the only way out of Lebanon right now was through Syria, but the best idea was to wait a few days as the borders are already very crowded and it still is not clear how long this will last. He also informed us that in the event of an Israeli blockade (which appears likely) the AUB has its own farm and power plant, and has enough supplies to last 3 weeks. I imagine this is leftover from the tenuous civil war years. Lastly, this area of Beirut has never sustained an attack, even during the civil war, and even now there are no targets near the university that are of interest to the Israelis. Basically, we are just as safe here as in an embassy.

After the talk and hearing about how safe AUB is, I immediately left campus, but with good reason - a few of us were considering getting cellphones and we went downtown looking for stores. Beirut's downtown is usually lively, especially at around 5 pm, but today it was deserted. Most of the stores were closed (though one cellphone store was open) and the restaurants were vacant and looked ready to close for the evening. On a lighter note, because we were the only people downtown we were interviewed by a German TV station, so if anyone understands German, please let me know and perhaps we can see if the interview made it to the news

While there were no shoppers or diners downtown, there were plenty of troops assembling in the area. I'm probably using the wrong term, but in the half an hour we were downtown we watched buses and trucks full of Lebanese soldiers lining up along Place des Martyrs. Israel dropped leaflets today over the southern suburbs of Beirut advising them to evacuate, and Israel has also made it clear that it considers all of Lebanon a target. Witnessing the troops gathering definitely indicated that there would be more action tonight. One friend commented that there would likely be an influx of refugees from the south, which would only increase the Hizbullah presence in Beirut. The southern suburbs are known for being Hizbullah controlled areas, as is the area around the airport (another motive for hitting the airport this morning?)

Usually the TV in the women's dorm has some kind of American sitcom or bad movie playing, but now there is always a group of concerned students gathered around the TV watching the news, arguing various points, or expressing their concerns for their safety or for the safety of others. Already, several people have gone to stay with family out of Beirut, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that families have come to get students and taken them outside of the city. There is a small concern that once you leave you will not be able to get back into the city: Israel has already bombed bridges and roads in the south, and it is possible that they may target roadways out of Beirut as a way to isolate Hizbullah and the government.

What was I thinking not linking Al Jazeera stories! What kind of Middle East studies major am I? Here is a link to an Al Jazeera story that will give you more of the Arab perspective on the situation. They aren't terribly biased, but you can tell through the writing that they have a different take than many of the Western sources.

Invasion Day 2

I received what is arguably the worst news of my life this morning when I heard that Israel bombed the airport. Before I left I told everyone that Lebanon was safe and the worst threat was from Israel and they were too busy with Hamas to do anything with Lebanon. Turns out I was wrong about that. Then I said that Israel wouldn't hit Beirut because it would create so many issues for it and striking the city was really unnecessary. Again, I have been proven wrong. I don't know what to think anymore. This campus is probably the safest place in the country, and we are advised to just stay on campus (for once I'm going to listen to authority figures), but we are still feeling the ripples of the events throughout the country. For instance, one of my instructors was not able to make it to class today because he lives near the TV station that Israel bombed. He's fine, but obviously he didn't want to leave his family.

Meanwhile, my country has declared that Israel has the right to defend itself. (See this article.)
Furthermore, the Uncle Sam blames Syria and Iran...I don't think I have quite the right words to express how stupid I think this statement is considering the disproportionate amount of force Israel is using. A soldier is kidnapped and you bomb an airport! Fifteen people died in the airport attack alone!

"The Invasion"

So Israel decided to invade Lebanon today after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers. I'm so glad that Israel decided to respond with TANKS. That seems reasonable. I have no idea what is going to happen next, I'm not even going to speculate. It is very possible that the world will become enrageged and Israel will back off, or I may be coming home early. I doubt that quite a bit, but you never know. I do know that the most unnerving report thus far has been that Israel hit a Hizbullah base ten miles south of Beirut, and lets just say the Israelis and Lebanese exchanged greetings in the usual Middle Eastern fashion. I really doubt there will be any sort of prisoner exchange - I think the only way Hizbullah would give the soldiers back is if Israel stopped their little war on Gaza, and the only way Israel would do that is if Hamas backed down (or maybe if the Palestinians deposed Hamas?). That sounds like a lot of 'ifs' to me! Watching the news, both on TV and watching the headlines on the Internet, has been extremely interesting. First of all, the Western news sources focus on one side or the other, choosing to look at just the Israelis killing Palestinians and attacking Hizbullah, or just talking about how many Israelis Hizbullah has killed. There have been very few references to te fact that Israel killed an entire family (including 7 children) in Gaza yesterday because the father, whom I believe was a university administrator, but I need to double check, had ties to Hamas. The TV news here is far more graphic than in the US. A car full of reporters was hit by an Israeli bomb, and the news showed the men while they were in the emergency room (all of them lived) and were even trying to get an interview while they were putting one man into the MRI machine!

I don't know what else to say right now other than I am still safe, nothing has happened in Beirut as far as I know. Everyone is restless here because really, what can anyone do? Everyone is in the same boat, being American doesn't save me or hurt me anymore than any other person. And to answer the question probably on many of your minds right now, no, I do not regret coming here.

The Washington Post published a timeline detailing the history Israel-Lebanon conflict, which has been going on for quite some time. Might put a few things in perspective - I also know that the BBC tends to put up similar timelines on their website if anyone wants an alternate source.

Baalbeck and Anjar

I realize that I have not written in a week, and I apologize. Homework has kept me very busy in the evenings leaving little time for writing or doing much more than replying to emails. To make up for it, I promise to post several pictures from our visit to Baalbeck and Anjar in the Bekaa Valley.

First, a little geography lesson: Lebanon can be roughly divided into four parallel zones - the seacoast, the Lebanon Mountains, the Bekaa Valley, and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. The mountains are high enough that in the winter you can ski in Lebanon, and also make a nice weekend getaway for Beirutis. The Bekaa Valley is the agricultural region of the country, and to be honest the landscape reminded me a lot of eastern Montana.
The Bekaa has been an important agricultural center since ancient times, and some of the most impressive Roman ruins have been uncovered there, most importantly the temple site at Baalbeck. As the name suggests, the sight was originally a temple center for the worship of Baal by the Phoenicians. The original worship of Baal included such delightful practices as human and animal sacrifice and sacred prostitution (oh gee, don't you miss the good old days?). As the Greeks and Roman influence moved into the region, the site became a center of worship for Dionysius and Bacchus. By this time the human sacrifice part had been pushed aside, though the drinking and the sacred sex remained crucial to religious practice. The only people allowed to participate in these (ahem) holy activities were those who belonged to the cult of Dionysius/Bacchus - some of us wondered if the temple had bouncers similar to those at Studio 54 or something.

But enough about but enough about that stuff...on to the details of the site. The Romans began their construction at the temple site at around 60 B.C.E., and we know that the large Temple of Jupiter was nearing completion during the rein of Nero in 60 C.E. While Baalbeck had always been a religious center, the Romans chose to construct temples to their gods in order to solidify their influence in the region, essentially trying to "Romanize" the area that was so crucial to trade and agriculture. Many of the stones used in construction were quarried nearby. The site has suffered through numerous earthquakes, war, and the wear and tear of time. However, it has remained in remarkable condition, and only minimal reconstructive work has occured. The first archeological work on the site was funded by the German empire in 1898, and continued under the French and finally the Lebanese. Currently it is under the control of the Lebanese tourism ministry.

This is a picture of the largest cut stone in the world (at least that is the claim). Stone this size were used around the perimeter of the temple complex, though how these stones were cut and moved is still unknown. According to legend, if women touch the stone it will increase their furtility - I stayed as far away from it as I possibly could.
These columns mark the entrance to the temple site. The columns are actually made from granite quarried in Egypt and brought to this site.
These columns are what remains of the temple of Jupiter. Temple rivaled the Parthenon in size, and to give you some scale, the base of the columns stand at about 6 feet - I can't remember the exact demensions, but I would estimate that these columns are at least 3 stories tall.

Detail from inside the Temple of Jupiter. The small arches on the walls would have housed statues of deities.Every summer, the Baalbeck Festival brings international entertainers to the site. Workers were setting up the stage in front of the Temple of Bacchus on the day of our visit.


Temple of Bacchus from a different angle. Though it appears very large today, it would have been dwarfed by the other temples in the complex.

Now, my knowledge of early Islamic civilization is not very good, so I'm just going to say something very briefly about the Anjar site. If anyone reads this and wants to comment on the details of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, please feel free. I'll try to write something later. The city of Anjar was established by the Umayyads between the 7th and 8th centuries. The city had approximately 600 shops as the Bekaa remained an important trade crossroads.


As the Umayyad dynasty fell to the Abbasids in Baghdad, the Umayyads destroyed the city to ensure that their enemies would not benefit from it. Modern archeologists have done some work to restore the city.

Gaza

I could weigh in my own opinion about Israel's stupid response to the kidnapping of one soldier by yet-to-be-identified militants (it isn't even clear if they are affiliated with Hamas or if they are just trying to derail the whole negotiation process that was occuring between Hamas and Fatah), but I think this article by the UK's Guardian Unlimited does a great job. Also, the more conservative Financial Times makes a similiar argument, though without as much detail - I think that is pretty telling. And President Bush only advises that the Palestinians just hand the soldier over, and the situation will calm down! In my opinion, that shows that Bush is either extremely out of touch with the situation, or he is not wanting to get involved at all. Bush is dense but some of his advisors are relatively savvy (if not misguided) and I think the "not getting involved" motive is the more likely case. Anyways, I think both articles give a good analysis of the situation. I am yet to find anything that even remotely explains the Israeli standpoint on this thing...

(I hyperlinked the two articles, so you should be able to just click on the words and it will take you to the pieces I'm talking about.)

Downtown

I don't know why the new posts aren't showing up on the first page, but they aren't, so hopefully everyone is finding these okay.

Classes have started, and as many of you have already heard, I am in class 6 hours a day, plus have several hours worth of homework at night. Needless to say, that leaves little time for exploring during the week, but I still have time during the weekends! Friday night several of us from the program went downtown to watch the Germany v. Argentina match. The game was fun, but it was a lot of fun to just watch the people downtown. The streets were busy with people either heading to cafes or clubs, or just strolling with their families. During the war, Beirut's downtown was mostly destroyed by the war. In 1994, the Lebanese Company for the Reconstruction of Beirut Central District (Solidere in French) was formed in an effort to return Beirut to its status as the "Paris of the Middle East". As the name implies, the company has undertaken the reconstruction of the downtown area. This has been an extremely controversial project: on the one hand, the reconstruction has been successful in bringing businesses and people back to the downtown, but on the other hand, the project has smoothed over the problems left by the conflict. It has also made the downtown feel a bit like Disneyland as all of the buildings look the same and are brand new. The people just call the downtown Solidere after the company undertaking the reconstruction. Solidere shares are traded on the Kuwait Stock Exchange and in London, and Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister assassinated in 2004, owned a significant portion of Solidere. The company has a very nice website with video and everything if you are interested.



I was trying to discreetly take a picture of the soldiers standing under the tree. The parliament building is nearby and the UN also has offices in the area, necessitating the additional security.