Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The annual State Department report on terrorism says that terrorist attacks were down by 23% world wide in 2017. The report attributed this decline in some large part to the defeat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria. (Obviously, they haven’t disappeared there, and pockets continue to offer resistance, but let’s […]
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Lebanon
No, Iran and Hizbullah haven’t taken over Lebanon: it is a multiparty Election
Saudi Arabia’s weird kidnapping of Sunni leader hurt him at polls
As Lebanon prepares to vote, Amnesty for the disenfranchised provokes Fierce Debate
Haley Bobseine | (Informed Comment) | – – After almost a decade of multiple postponements stalling the national political process and depriving citizens of their right to vote, Lebanese parliamentary elections will be held next month under a new legal framework. Passed in June 2017, the new election law replaces the majoritarian system with multi-member […]
Lebanon: 5 Steps to Improve Women’s Rights
Human Rights Watch | – – Parliament Candidates Should Commit to Reforms (Beirut) – Candidates running in Lebanon’s May 6, 2018 parliamentary elections should commit to five key steps to improve women’s rights, Human Rights Watch said today, on International Women’s Day. Political parties should also ensure greater participation of women in parliament by including […]
Another Reason for Renewables: Growing Israel-Lebanon Conflict over Gas
Middle East Monitor | – – Lebanon will fully use energy block disputed by Israel – minister Israel claims gas field put out to tender by Lebanon Lebanon’s energy minister said on Friday there would be full exploration in an offshore energy block that partially lies in waters disputed by neighbouring Israel. Lebanon said on […]
Trump’s Gift to Hizbullah weakens Saudi Hand in Beirut
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Hassan Nasrullah, the secretary general of Lebanon’s Hizbullah, called for a new Palestinian uprising or intifada in the wake of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He said Trump had thereby issued “A second Balfour Declaration.” (The first was in 1917 when the British cabinet […]
How Hezbollah deals with Hariri Crisis will affect Mideast Stability
By Elias Ghazal | (The Conversation) | – – When the prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, suddenly resigned from office while visiting Saudi Arabia on November 4, the Lebanese people and their leaders struggled to make sense of it. First they were shocked when they watched Hariri’s deeply unsettling eight-minute resignation video, which was […]
Saudi Debacle as Hariri returns to Beirut, remains PM
France 24 English | (Video News Report) | – – “Lebanon: PM Saad Hariri puts off stepping down. FRANCE24”s correspondent in Beirut Adam Pletts tells us more.” France 24 English: “Lebanon: PM Saad Hariri puts resignation on hold pending talks”
Lebanon PM Hariri will go to France from Saudi Arabia
Middle East Monitor | – – Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his family are expected to visit Paris within 48 hours after he accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron. After speaking with both Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman and Hariri himself by telephone, Macron made the invitation yesterday hours after […]