Article– and audio– on Lebanon in CSM

My piece on Why Lebanon hasn’t slipped into civil war is in Friday’s Christian Science Monitor. (Here, and archived here.)
If you go to the first of those links, you can also hear my dulcet (?) tones in an audio interview (14 minutes; MP3 format) that Josh Burek, my editor there, conducted with me this morning on the same topic.
(Small technical note: I wish his sound editor had ramped my volume down a bit, as my voice sounds a little loud and breathy there. I was speaking on a regular phone, pacing around my sitting room here a little bit as I talked. Larger content note/ memo to self: I really must find something other than “Oh gosh” to say when someone asks me a question and I want to collect my thoughts before giving an answer. Maybe next time I’ll try: “Well, that is a great question… “)
Anyway, if you want to learn my explanation as to why dear, infuriating old Lebanon hasn’t slipped into civil war, you’ll have to go read the piece. But astute JWN readers would already have read an earlier take on this subject, here.
Also, check out this well-reported piece on the same topic by Michael Bluhm, that appeared in the Beirut Daily Star yesterday.

17 thoughts on “Article– and audio– on Lebanon in CSM”

  1. H:
    I read the piece-it was informative-It would have been useful for you to have elaborated on the stategies undertaken to avoid civil war, the role of Civil society movements, i.e. groups like Khallas, etc. I would love to comment on pieces you write regarding Lebanon, should you be interested in such feedback. It would have been useful to also pose the question of international mediation efforts-their impact, failure of most US leaders to endorse these efforts, etc.
    Thanks for all your work!
    KDJ

  2. Your analysis on why Lebanon has not slipped into a civil war yet, is sound . In addition the March 14 group know deep inside that Hizbullah is not the enemy it is the protector, these young souls that Michael Bluhm quoted or referred to, saw first hand the real enemy in 2006, deep down they support Hizbullah.
    But what struck me today was Haaretz interpretation of Nasrullah’s speech, lost in translation is the word.
    Here is what Hizbullah said:
    Hasan Nasrallah said that the decision of war and peace lies in the hands of the Israelis since 1948 and not in Hezbollah’s hands.
    You can read the full translation,
    http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.asp
    x?id=36231&language=en
    Haaretz, as they misinterpreted Ahmadi Najad’s words, the headline read,
    Nasrallah: We’re preparing for war with Israel within months.
    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/957096.html
    To those who speak Arabic, they can clarify.
    Hizbullah’s honesty was never in question, that is there mere power.

  3. World peace,
    Hasan Nasrallah said that the decision of war and peace lies in the hands of the Israelis since 1948
    Let be clear more here.
    Nasrallah said after 33 days war, if he knew kidnapping Israeli solders will bring war he will not done it!
    Are there clearer words than this?
    Yes Israel have the final call for the war in the region , Arab and Muslim regrettably shows the nation have proved ruled by leaders who have no desire to finish this business either by war or by peace.
    In all cases millions dead, billions of dollars lost on weaponry (fake and commissions) more money corrupted in claims of Palestine either by Arab leaders or Palestinian authorities.
    These are due to uncalculated consequences and rash to wars without taken very clear studying Israeli capabilities and war strategies.
    Those leaders count on emotions of the nation feeling used them as fuel for their disastrous wars with strong/delectated enemy knew every thing and knew how to bite the other side well.
    Today Iran making a lot of noises about Mughniyeh so do Nasrallah, the problem here if some chose to celebrate a terrorist and making him martyr as OBL for some did this the disastrous thing here.
    Yes Mughniyeh start his life against Israeli occupations but he slip to world terrorist stage using Palestine case for his terrors acts.
    Today Kuwaiti Embassy got thereat of bombing why?
    Is this serve in any way Palestine case?
    Is this any Muslims of Islam asked to do kill civilians and innocents’ people are this Jihad?
    Sadly the nation and people lost their direction and mix the Jihad for their land and their life to terrorist act and it’s very obvious with Mughniyeh actions.

  4. Haaretz, as they misinterpreted Ahmadi Najad’s words, the headline read,….To those who speak Arabic, they can clarify.
    On world stage they needs to talk and speak in clear English so there are no “misinterpreted of their own words, isn’t?

  5. Nasrallah said after 33 days war, if he knew kidnapping Israeli solders will bring war he will not done it!
    Are there clearer words than this?…
    Today Iran making a lot of noises about Mughniyeh so do Nasrallah, the problem here if some chose to celebrate a terrorist and making him martyr as OBL for some did this the disastrous thing here.
    Yes Mughniyeh start his life against Israeli occupations but he slip to world terrorist stage using Palestine case for his terrors acts.
    totally agree.

  6. “Nasrallah said after 33 days war, if he knew kidnapping Israeli solders will bring war he will not done it!”
    Kidnapping of Israeli soldier(s) those not justify the killing of innocent civilians, UN peace keepers, destroying the infrastructure of a city-including the destruction of thousands of homes- and littering southern Lebanon with millions of cluster bombs after a cease-fire agreement had been signed.
    Is this justifiable Salah ?
    On your second point,”Yes Israel have the final call for the war in the region , Arab and Muslim regrettably shows the nation have proved ruled by leaders who have no desire to finish this business either by war or by peace.”
    But not Hizbullah, the results speaks volume. Sheba’ Farms is occupied, Lebanese prisoners are at stake and MOST IMPORTANTLY Israel have not yet decided on its northern borders, so yes it is an open war until these issues are solved. Hizbullah will not denounce its resistance, until these issues are solved externally, first, and they get social justice internally. They are not in the business of appeasing the west and the rest.
    You mean the alleged terror attacks that Mughnieh was accused. Mughnieh, all his life was devoted to ending an illegal occupation, both in Palestine and Lebanon. And if these you call terror attacks directed at an occupier, then we both are wasting our time.
    Your last point “On world stage they needs to talk and speak in clear English so there are no “misinterpreted of their own words, isn’t?”
    speak no english, speak Araby only, so do you think translation better will be easier ??? a lie is a justifiable weapon in the hands of the greedy!!
    Now this is what Nasrullah said after the targeted killing of Mughnieh : “IF the Zionists wants an open war, let it be an open war”
    You see that big “IF”
    The media’s translation was that Hizbullah promised an open war on israel.
    Salah,
    The truth will set us all free.

  7. Just imagine what the reaction would be here if Israel blew up a Muslim Community Center in Buenos Aires.

  8. OK, Truesdell, what evidence is there that a Buenos Aires Community Centre was blown up by any group associated with any of the anti-zionist forces in the middle east?
    I suspect nothing more than rumour, innuendo and special pleading of the sort employed to “prove” Syria’s responsibility for car bombings in Lebanon and Lybia’s “guilt” in the Lockerbie affair.
    If you or anyone else has proof, or even grounds for suspicion, take them to a credible forum and test the evidence there. Unfortunately both Israel and the United States (who specialise in ex post facto rationalisations for murder) are notorious for detaining, and treating as criminals, tens of thousands of persons who they simply profile as being parts of a population likely to cause trouble.
    To conclude: you have no more idea than I do of who did what in Buenos Aires.
    Where we differ is in our readiness to attribute blame: for you to accuse a man, and by implication a people, of a crime, is a matter of small consequence. It is just a game. To me, such light-mindedness is shocking.

  10. world peace,
    Lets not wasting our time talking the main point and our main attentions should be the case of Palestine and its case here.
    If states marginalized by militia or individuals taken action by themselves far from the rule of law of state, this is a lose, it’s a big mistake should never been happen or any reason.
    We are part of the world and the international community, although we have our own assessment of biases of some or most those agencies, they still represent the law and if we need to be respected for our case and get support we should not breaking the law.
    If really care about our voices be heard by others , first of all we need unshaken states , states that all respects the rule of law, there were no one or group have his own militia or he acting to be power or state inside state for any climes or reasons.
    We as citizens of state should give our full support to law of our states, all our attentions to serve this case.
    All Arab and Islamic countries have the power and the tools t make the western world to listen to them and work with them to solve this problem.
    As I said we DON”T have the desire for that’s states and as citizens that’s our sympathy for the terrorist, not for his victims.
    This big failed in Arab/Islamic world, our voices should be one voice against any criminals act and should all oppose any act by individual or grope did or doing.
    Otherwise we all loose and we drowning down as we seen in this time.
    look how we been we feel shame for criminal’s acts because one terrorist high jacked our name, our religion and our case shouting he defending us and he fighting our enemy and he is Martyr.
    Give me a break lets stop any acts we should speak all one voice enough is enough.

  11. You see that big “IF”… Salah, The truth will set us all free.
    There is story reported when Iraqi was negotiating oil nationals of the oil in 1971.
    At that time Saddam was the head of Iraqi side, and I remember seeing on Iraqi TV British Ambassador went out followed by his team and his face full of anger…
    What I heard at that time reported that the British ambassador said” you take it now; we know how to take it back.
    After 20 years here we go Iraqi oil in the hands of…………………… Good luck.

  12. Salah,
    First you state that Arab and Muslim leaders are corrupt, later you say we citizens must be loyal and supportive to our respective states.
    Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon are clear proof of western intervention in problem solving.
    The so called free world owes Afghanistan big time. The Taliban where given the red carpet treatment and were compared to the founding fathers of the United States of America when they defeated the communist regime, Muslims and Arabs were noble,peaceful and freedom fighters.
    Now, take a big break and reflect.

  15. Thank you, Truesdell, for your link.
    I’m afraid to say, however, that it really doesn’t prove anything. And nobody should be condemned, even post obit, on such bases. We should hold out for the standards of proof and evidence that we would demand if we were to be accused of an offence.

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