When words fail us

I think Pierre Sadek captured this ridiculous moment quite well:

Comments

[Gebran Sons for CR2 in 2013]

Any new caricature by Jeha?... Once a week an article by AK and Caricature by Jeha... a prescription for healthy thinking!

[danny]

No wonder the Lebanese say we are a citizen of the world!!A nation with no boundaries...

[Ghassan Karam]

Sad but true. But what if the people of Lebanon do not give a damn, which apparently they don't, then the privilege of independence should be revoked. They do shoot horses don't they?

[The Other Tony]

Sorry guys, excuse the ignorance - may I trouble somebody to translate the above?

[Umm K.]

My Arabic isn't that good...I wouldn't mind a translation as well :)

[ghassan karam]

The small print in blue at the top right hand corner: "Abdallah and Assad: National Unity Government, the corner stone of Lebanese stability".
Then above each of the flags it says , from right to left: " We are all for Syrian nationhood, We are all for Iranian nationhood, We are all for Saudi nationhood, We are all for Egyptian nationhood".

[Umm K.]

Ahhh. Thanks Ghassan!

[The Other Tony]

Thanks Ghassan.

[fubar]

On Oct. 24, Hariri and Micho met to discuss the cabinet formation. Four and a half months after M14s win in the June general elections, Hariri still cannot form a cabinet due to opposition obstructionism.

(Naharnet) Asked about his condition for dropping demands to keep the Telecommunications Ministry with his bloc, Aoun said: "I have to know the reasons in order to give it up. If the reasons are worth it then I could drop it. But I won't do it without valid reasons."

This passes muster for legitimate Lebanese political debate these days, questioning the validity of the reasons for giving up the Telecom ministry? Really?

Is it possible that Micho is unaware that the Telecom ministry controls the flow of telecom information within and out from the ministry?

Is it possible that Micho is unaware that the Telecom ministry has obstructed the flow information to the UN tribunal tasked with investigating and prosecuting the assassination of Saad’s father and numerous others since?

Is it possible that Micho has already forgotten the January 2008 assassination of Wissam Eid? For those who have forgotten: “You know the situation is desperate when the man investigating unsolvable crimes is mysteriously assassinated in broad daylight.” That is what comes from looking too closely into Lebanon’s telecom metadata.

(NowLebanon) Lebanon First bloc MP Khaled Zahraman: “What can the majority do if it has the Telecom Ministry? In May 7, [the majority] took a decision and failed to implement it. If the Telecom Ministry remains with the opposition, then this will affect the investigation into the Hariri assassination and all the other assassinations… “Super minister” Gebran Bassil did not give data on the Bohsas explosion against the Lebanese army in Tripoli. Also, when Abdullah Ghandour was killed in Tripoli, no data was given to the judiciary. However, the Telecom Ministry easily supplies Hezbollah with data, while it complicates the process for the judiciary. Hezbollah relied on data from the Telecom Ministry in Salah Ezzedine’s case to get a hold of him. If they have the ministry, then they will obstruct many things for us, but if it is with us, we are unable to implement any decision we take.”

There once was a voice of reason in the Lebanese wilderness:

“Many of us have their own suspects. It doesn't take a genius to point the finger at Syrian intelligence—the motives are there, and the methods too predictable. Yet despite all this obviousness, we ultimately sink in confusion because no one is willing to present an official account of what happened, and who did it. It's always swept under the rug of "investigation". Killers roam free and kill again while being "under investigation". And the argument against Syrian culpability weakens, because not even the official authorities are able to point the finger.

Needless to say, we are tired of it all. If this is war, then could someone involve the dying public in the details of the fight? This public cannot subsist on the same old indirect accusations. Instead of declaring a day of mourning, how about a day of truth? How about teaching the interior minister how to speak? How about the army commander, instead of phoning the dictator next door, be asked to report to the defense minister and to the public? Is the enemy so powerful that we are afraid to at least give it the media treatment we have given Israelis when they were doing the killing?”

Yes, the enemy of Lebanon is that powerful. May 7, 2008 proved that much. Today, Micho’s blatant absurdity is met with silence. Being vocal in Lebanon can get you killed so silence is the answer. Nevermind that silence in Lebanon will lead to virtually the same result. The Lebanese choose to go quietly...

[AK]

Fubar,...

I had wanted to remind people of all this. But I have lost the luxury of time. We said it over and over again. This is about Hizbullah and the Hariri tribunal. And as you pointed about, this is about the Lebanese choosing to go quietly...

Thank you.

[AK]

http://www.beirutbeltway.com/beirutbeltway/2008/01/an-unholy-war.html

[fubar]

AK,

"I have lost the luxury of time."

Unfortunately, I have known that place often enough myself.

But it is too bad for your readers. I am not sure you realize how wide read you are (or were). Your commentary has been missed. Just saying...

[The New Phoenicians]

I don’t think it is about anything. Lebanon is driven by the interests of foreign powers and the personal interests of the local political leaders. There are no real causes. The ruling principal is that no one cares about the country, and anything goes. This is demonstrated every day, one of the proofs of that is Joumblat getting himself out of the March 14th while he was its main leader and regardless of the fact the people that have elected him risked their lives to support him even during the May 2008 events. Another proof is the fact that to form a government Hariri needs the approval of half of the planet. And last, but not least, what is really pathetic is that no one has even mentioned anything that resembles the plan or the policy that the future government might be following.

[fubar]

Just chatter. What is a Phoenician again? And where were the Phoenicians when Jumblatt's Chouf was under siege?