Libyan HIV Case

Libyan HIV Case Reveals Primitivism and Scapegoatism

Prologue

Primitive fears and hatreds can be aroused by appealing to humankind's basist nature.

Foreign medics sentenced to die in Libya case: By Lamine Ghanmi. December 19, 2006, TRIPOLI (Reuters) –

A Libyan court sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death on Tuesday for deliberately infecting hundreds of children with the virus that causes AIDS, provoking a chorus of Western condemnation.

Experts argue over the importance of dirty needles in HIV transmission in Africa.


There are two accounts of how hundreds of children in a Libyan hospital mysteriously contracted HIV in the late 1990s. One says unhygienic medical practices fueled the outbreak. The other argues that medical workers murdered the children, possibly in a plot sponsored by the CIA and Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service.

Chronology

Libya HIV trial of Bulgarian medics: Reuters AlertNet

Following is a chronology of key events in the case.

Feb 1999 - Nineteen Bulgarian medical workers in Libya detained in connection with investigation into how children in a hospital in the eastern town of Benghazi became infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Thirteen are later freed.

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Feb 2000 - Trial of six Bulgarians - five female nurses and a male doctor - and a Palestinian doctor and nine Libyans opens at Tripoli People's Court. They are accused of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV-contaminated blood products as part of conspiracy by foreign intelligence to undermine Libya. Libyan defendants are charged with negligence.

June 2, 2001 - Defendants plead not guilty. Two Bulgarian nurses retract confessions, alleging they were tortured. Libya denies this.

Feb 17, 2002 - People's Court, which tries national security cases, returns trial to ordinary court citing insufficient evidence that defendants acted against Libyan security.

Sept 3, 2003 - French doctor Luc Montagnier, who first detected the HIV virus, testifies the epidemic broke out a year before the arrival of the Bulgarians.

Sept 8 - Libyan prosecutors demand death sentences for the six Bulgarians and Palestinian accused. They demand nine Libyan officers charged with torturing the medics be tried separately.

May 6, 2004 - Libyan court sentences five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor to death for deliberately infecting 426 children. The Bulgarian doctor is acquitted. The nine Libyans are acquitted. Torture charges against the Libyan officers are transferred to a Tripoli court. Bulgaria, the European Union and the United States condemn the death sentences as 'absurd'.

Dec 5 - Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam says will discuss overturning sentences if Bulgaria offers compensation. Bulgaria refuses, saying that would be an admission of guilt.

May 28, 2005 - Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, visiting Libya, meets children with HIV in Benghazi and the nurses in a Tripoli prison.

June 7 - A Tripoli court acquits nine Libyan policemen and a doctor of torturing the nurses.

Oct 17 - U.S. President George W. Bush urges Libya to free the medics.

Dec 19 - Supreme Court brings forward its appeal hearing to Dec. 25.

Dec 23 - Bulgaria, Libya, the EU and the United States agree to set up fund to help to the Libyan children and their families.

Dec 25 - Libya's Supreme Court scraps death sentences against the nurses and the Palestinian doctor, sends the case back to a lower court for retrial.

Jan 21, 2006 - Families demand total of 4.4 billion euros ($5.6 billion) from donors trying to end the standoff.

April 22, 2006 - Libya court sets May 11 date for retrial.

April 28 - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the Bulgarian nurses have been detained for too long.

July 4 - Defendants again deny charges.

Aug 8 - AIDS outbreak was deliberate, prosecution says.

Aug 29- Prosecutor demands death penalty.

Oct 31 - Neglect caused HIV infections, the defense says.

Nov 4 - Judgment day set for Dec 19.

Dec 19 – Defendants sentenced to die.

Before the Verdict

Libya court to deliver nurses' HIV case verdict: TRIPOLI (Reuters) By Salah Sarrar. Sun Dec 17, 2006 - Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor could face the firing squad if a Libyan court convicts them on Tuesday on charges of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.

Concluding a retrial regarded by the outside world as a test of justice in Libya, the court will make a decision that, either way, is likely to have repercussions on the north Africa's gradual rapprochement with the West. The six are accused of intentionally infecting 426 Libyan children with HIV at a hospital in Benghazi in the late 1990s. The prosecution has demanded the death penalty. The medics were convicted in a 2004 trial and sentenced to death by firing squad. But the supreme court quashed the ruling last year and ordered the case be returned to a lower court. Medical and human rights associations around the world have rallied to the medics' defense to prevent what they say may be a miscarriage of justice. But in Benghazi, where more than 50 of the infected children have died, most people have seen a member of their extended family touched by the tragedy. There is profound public anger against the nurses and international efforts to free them.

LIBYAN MEDIA WANTS GUILTY VERDICT. State-controlled media want a guilty verdict for the six, who have been in detention since 1999. Aljamahirya newspaper wrote: "What would happen if Bulgarian children were injected with the AIDS virus? Would millions of Bulgarians keep silent about the crime? We say to everyone: Our children's blood is precious."

The Sentence

Libya sentences medics to death: BBC NEWS, Tuesday, 19 December 2006. The medics have one final right of appeal against their sentences.

"They violated their obligations and sold their consciences to the devil." Abdullah Maghrebi, Father of HIV infected child.

A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.

The medics have been in detention since 1999, during which time 52 of the 426 infected children have died of Aids.

The nurses and doctor were sentenced to death in 2004, but the Supreme Court quashed the ruling after protests over the fairness of the trial.

The defendants say they are being made scapegoats for unhygienic hospitals.

The Evidence

Study backs Libya HIV case medics: BBC NEWS

The medics were arrested in 1999. Scientists have cast doubt on charges that five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor deliberately infected Libyan children with HIV.

"All the lines of scientific evidence point in the same direction," said Dr Tulio de Oliveira, Oxford University.

An international team analyzed samples taken from the infected patients. Writing in Nature, they said their work showed the HIV subtype involved began infecting patients in Libya well before the medical workers arrived in 1998. "All the lines of scientific evidence point in the same direction," said Dr. Tulio de Oliveira of Oxford University.

The medics say the children were infected through poor hygiene - and a body of scientific work supports their claims.

See also: news @ nature.com. Dirty needles, dirty dealings.: news@nature.com. Documentary draws attention to the role of hygiene in HIV transmission in Libya. Charlotte Schubert.

And: A Shocking Lack of Evidence.

Implications

This case shows once again how we in the Western World have become so politically correct that we can't say what is actually going on here. First, you have the demagogues of Libya using these poor five nurses and the doctor as pawns in an effort to foment hatred against the West. Once again, a Middle-Eastern country is using innocent humans to exact what they feel is revenge against Western dominance. Second, these demagogues are taking advantage of their populace's primitivism.

Primitivism

One thing no one ever is allowed to say anymore, but I'll say it, is that we human beings need to be enlightened. We can exist with primitive values and superstitions, and behave like animals, or we can elevate ourselves and act civilized. There are some regions of the world where primitivism rules. There, it is easy to incite the populace into an unthinking mob. In our times, much of this kind of thing exists under Muslim rule. Why is this? Let someone smarter than I answer. Of course they won't, will they? It's not politically correct. We know in our hearts, though, that these Muslim mobs we see spouting hatred towards America and Bush and so on, are the same kinds of folks that can see plots to spread HIV for political purposes.

Primitivism, Demagogues, and Liberals

I am horrified by this Libyan HIV case, but I am also concerned with the last vestiges of primitivism in our society—with, you guessed it, the demagogues and liberals.

This same kind of mob rule, blind hatred, and uncritical thinking is practiced by the liberal hate-America, hate-Bush, hate-Republican crowd. This is why I always see a tie-in with them and the conspiracy theorists. It's all paranoia, imagining what goes on behind closed doors, and convicting without evidence.

I like people who are individuals, who can think for themselves. I don't like crowds chanting together mindless mantras, like the liberals screaming "No war for oil."

Again, I don't mind if someone comes to conclusions based on unbiased investigation. Yet, our "mobs," the liberal masses, read only from sources that support their religion. Their sources contain only anti-Bush, anti-American, anti-religious, anti-military articles and opinion pieces.

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They are mindless automatons, just like the Libyans calling for the death of these fiendish medics.

Rock

(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)

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Chaos in Palestine

The Shelling of Israel Continues; Assassination Attempt on Prime Minister; Clashes Between Fatah and Hamas; New Elections?

Fatah versus Hamas

Palestine is reeling. Fatah and Hamas are clashing recently in violence that leads to fears of a civil war.

Background

Palestine is evenly divided between Fatah, and Hamas control of the government, with Hamas having a slight majority, but Fatah owning the presidency. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and is banned in Jordan. According to the US State Department, the group is funded by Iran, Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. In a 2002 report, Human Rights Watch stated that Hamas' leaders "should be held accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity" that have been committed by its members.

Attack on the Prime Minister

Haniya unhurt in convoy shooting: BBC NEWS.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of the ruling party Hamas was unhurt after his convoy came under fire in Gaza on Friday, officials said. Relatives of a member of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement killed in recent factional fighting opened fire, officials said. No-one was hurt, but one of the cars in the convoy was torched, witnesses said.

Then, Hamas accuses rival of PM attack: BBC NEWS.

Hamas has accused a key figure in the rival Fatah faction of trying to assassinate Ismail Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority and a senior political leader of Hamas, as he returned to Gaza from Egypt. Hamas accused Mohammad Dahlan of orchestrating the attack.

Clashes have now broken out between Hamas and Fatah supporters in Gaza City and the West Bank town of Ramallah.


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Violence

Surrounded by bodyguards, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from Hamas spoke during a rally at the Yarmouk in Gaza City, Friday, Dec. 15, 2006. Mr Haniya said: "We know who opened fire."

Protesters have set up camp outside President Abbas' home.

Security forces loyal to Fatah clashed with Hamas in Ramallah.

Violence follows Hamas accusation: BBC NEWS.

Clashes have erupted between rival Palestinian factions after Hamas accused Fatah of trying to assassinate Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas. Hamas accused a senior Fatah figure of organizing an attack on Mr Haniya as he crossed into Gaza from Egypt.

Medical sources in the West Bank town of Ramallah said 32 people had been injured in clashes there. Fighting was also reported in Gaza City.

And, Killing of 3 Young Children Worsens Palestinian Tension: New York Times, By GREG MYRE, Published: December 12, 2006

Gunmen sprayed a car with bullets Monday morning in Gaza City, killing three young brothers, ages 3 to 9, who were the sons of a senior Palestinian security officer. The shootings further inflamed an already tense situation among Palestinian factions locked in a political power struggle.

Despair deepens amid Gaza's strife, by Alan Johnston, BBC News, Gaza.

One Palestinian mother said, "We want to shout, 'Stop! It's enough - what's happening in Gaza.' "We live in chaos and lawlessness."

New Elections?

President Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah party leader, is seen as a moderate in comparison with Hamas, despite Fatah's history of violence and terrorism. He has denounced Hamas' policies of not recognizing Israel and of continuing to shell Israel despite Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. This Hamas intransigence has brought the international withholding of funds from the Palestinian Authority, halving the income of most Palestinians. Abbas is threatening to call new elections to "let the people voice their opinion on matters."

Abbas said, "Gaza is free of occupation, but there are no investors and no prosperity," he said. "We dreamed that [Gaza] would prosper and dozens of investors from all over the world came to Gaza. Nothing has come to fruition. We decided it was better to fire rockets. Israel left, said goodbye, and instead of [Gaza] remaining calm and flourishing, there are those that still prefer to fire rockets."

Democracy Does Not always Lead to Peace

In the meantime, Same old Fatah means victory for Hamas: Jerusalem Post, by KHALED ABU, Analysis:

Hamas leaders have reacted to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's threat to call early legislative and presidential elections by declaring that they have nothing to fear at the ballot boxes. Abbas, according to his top aides, is seriously considering the possibility of holding new elections as soon as March 2007.

Hamas, which ran in the January 2006 parliamentary election for the first time, says it is so confident that its members will win a second vote that it is also now studying the possibility of contesting the presidential election.

But Hamas has made it known that it will participate in new elections only if the movement receives assurances that the vote will be conducted in a free and democratic atmosphere.

The main reason why Hamas is not afraid to run in another election is because Abbas's rival Fatah party has failed to reform itself and get rid of those officials who were voted out because of their role in financial corruption and abuse of power.

Democracy and Peace

As in Iraq, there is no peace within Palestine because of democracy. Plus, there is no tranquility for Israel because of democracy in Palestine. Too bad. The world would be better off if democracy always led to just societies that live in internal harmony and were friendly to their neighbors.

This goal, though, is not without merit, perhaps, in the long run. After all, a country might tire of violence and hatred and actually vote in new officials who do want peace. In fact, Palestine could be such a place, if Fatah ever reforms itself and earns the people's trust again. It's possible.

Conclusion

As is usual in a democracy, it is up to the people whom they elect. Then, it is up to whom they elect to create policy. Then, Israel and the U.S. must decide how to react to the elected government and the policies they enact. What is Israel to do if, after they have withdrawn from Gaza, the majority party in Gaza refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, and continues shelling its citizens? This is the conundrum Israel has faced for years, while the world condemns them, and sympathizes with the Palestinians.

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Rock

(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)

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Technorati Tags for this post: Palestine, Palestinian, Israel, Fatah, Hamas, Haniya, Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas

Winning the War in Iraq

Iraq is winnable, I say.

Bush to Ignore the Iraq Study Group's Principle Recommendations

It is rumored that President Bush will choose to ignore the Iraq Study Group's recommendation to shift the U.S. role there from combat to training Iraqi troops, and instead will "double down" the number of troops in Iraq, siding with military advisors and John McCain. The American armed forces will, it is said, also concentrate on going after Moqtada al Sadr, who commands the rogue Mahdi Army, which is causing so many of the problems in Iraq.

If this is true, I'm partly happy, since this is part of my recommendation.I side with McCain in wanting to increase troop levels, but I think this is useless unless we also change the nature of the war, away from political correctness and towards fighting to win.

Elephant in the Room

In addition, no one is thinking about engaging the real people with whom we are at war, Syria and Iran. These are our enemies. They are the countries that are training, arming, supplying and delivering the insurgents into Iraq. We don’t have enough troops to shut off the borders from infiltration nor supplies from these nations.

Widen the War

Americans are reluctant to widen the war. Many would prefer that we simply withdraw from Iraq. My feeling is that there is no withdrawing from this war.

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We might withdraw from Iraq, but we cannot withdraw from the war on terror, as it is not up to us to determine this. The terrorists have big goals, like dominating the Middle East, and the world, and will not rest until they have won. I prefer that we fight this war now, not later when our casualties will be whole American cities.

I prefer that we widen the war now. I disagree with the notion that we must have "boots on the ground" in every case. Our army is stretched so thin now that sending them to additional countries is not feasible. I suggest instead that we bomb the hell out of Syria and Iran. Yes, I understand the consequences. Iran would shut off its oil and maybe there'd be other oil consequences in the world, so it would devastate our economy for a while. Plus, Syria and Iran would do their best to retaliate, against us and especially against our ally, Israel.

The Only Thing to Fear, Is Fear Itself

In a time of war, a country governed by fear is destined to lose. What are we afraid of anyway? We are already at war with these people. They are trying to kill us. They are working to destroy us. Bombing Iran could stop or deter their nuclear threat. It would certainly help Israel. Israel would be in favor of the idea. It could help us win the war in Iraq.

The world, and liberals, would condemn us for this unprovoked aggression, but what else is new?

As for bombing Syria, they aren't much of a threat, except in the war in Iraq.

The upside outweighs the downside. The biggest strategic threat in the Middle East today is Iran; experts agree on this. Let's decide to win, both the war in Iraq, and the war on terror. Let's take care of this problem now.

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Rock


(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)

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Afghanistan Perspective

Sgt Dub in Aghanistan

Afghanistan is a vast country of open spaces, mountains and desert, with plenty of caves to hide in. Yesterday I featured one hotspot of the world, Lebanon, and today I will focus on Afghanistan, again with a valued commenter, Sgt Dub, who is serving our nation there at Camp Phoenix. This is Sgt Dub's second trip to the country. He is a police officer and a member of the Oklahoma National Guard. His website,

SGTDUB is a great way to learn first-hand what the daily life of one soldier is like in that war zone.






There are about 19,500 American soldiers in Afghanistan, (see Deployments of the United States Military), following the invasion in 2001 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Around 6,500 other soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force are also deployed in Afghanistan.

The Afghanis

The Afghan People are a diverse group, estimated at 49% Pashtun, 18% Tajik, 9% Hazara, 8% Uzbek, 4% Aimak, 3% Turkmen, and 9% other.

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The CIA fact book on languages spoken in Afghanistan is as follows: Pashto 35%, Persian (Dari) 50%, both Indo-European languages from the Iranian languages sub-family. Others include Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 9%, as well as 30 minor languages 4% (primarily Balochi and Pashai and Nuristasni. Bilingualism is common.

Afghan Government

Afghanistan is currently led by President Hamid Karzai, who was elected in October 2004. While supporters have praised Karzai's efforts to promote national reconciliation and a growing economy, critics charge him with failing to rein in the country's warlords, inability to stem corruption and the growing drug trade, and the slow pace of reconstruction. The current parliament was elected in 2005. Among the elected officials were former mujahadeen, Taliban members, communists, reformists, and Islamic fundamentalists. 28% of the delegates elected were women, 3% more than the 25% minimum guaranteed under the constitution. This made Afghanistan, long known under the Taliban for its oppression of women, one of the leading countries in terms of female representation.

The Economy

Afghanistan is an extremely impoverished country, one of the world's poorest and least developed nations. Two-thirds of the population lives on less than US 2 dollars a day. The economy has suffered greatly from the recent political and military unrest since the 1979 Soviet invasion and subsequent conflicts, while severe drought added to the nation's difficulties in 1998-2001.

The economically active population in 2002 was about 11 million (out of a total of an estimated 29 million). While there are no official unemployment rate estimates available, it is evident that it is high. The number of non-skilled young people is estimated at 3 million, which is likely to increase by some 300,000 per annum.

As much as one-third of Afghanistan's GDP comes from growing poppy and illicit drugs including opium and its two derivatives, morphine and heroin, as well as hashish production.

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Problems

One problem in Afghanistan is the resurgence of the Taliban.

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Taliban and Allies Tighten Grip in North of Pakistan: New York Times. "THE BORDER with Pakistan has a military base in South Waziristan, an unruly region on the Afghan border that is dominated by local tribes. But one sign of how limited the Pakistani government's reach is here is that soldiers on a United States base nearby say they routinely see Taliban fighters cross the mountains at night." By CARLOTTA GALL and ISMAIL KHAN, Published: December 11, 2006.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan. Islamic militants are using a recent peace deal with the government to consolidate their hold in northern Pakistan, vastly expanding their training of suicide bombers and other recruits and fortifying alliances with Al Qaeda and foreign fighters, diplomats and intelligence officials from several nations say. The result, they say, is virtually a Taliban mini-state.

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Sgt Dub's Blog

Let's see some of the daily life of one of our nation's finest in Afghanistan. For a complete look at his site and posts, go to: SGTDUB.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2006

I'm a bad blogger. Last Friday, we had a bazaar on camp where we allow local Afghans come onto camp with the goods they sell. DVDs, CDs, fur coats, jewelry, marble chess sets, cups, bowls, old rifles, swords, clothing, everything you could need in a country. Well, I finally went down with my camera and took pictures to share. My only problem is I downloaded them on the office computer and I'm in my room. Now, it's after dark, and my office is almost 100 yds from here, so the inherent danger (I'm just too lazy) is just to great for me to risk, I will just have to remember again tomorrow to get them.

This morning we went to the running track for my morning PT. We did a 2-mile circuit training. With the temperature at 34 degrees and 4 laps around the track, I'm wiped out. The deep cold air hitting the lungs is grueling. Every time I got out of my chair my first 3 steps were a limp. My knees are what they were when I was running cross-country track.

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Overall it was a decent workout. We are suppose to be back out there Wednesday for a run. What's that word I'm looking for?.....yeah.
I told you I skipped Ab Lab Saturday night and avoided one of my LTs. Well, I talked with LT. S the next day and he described how he had got a mat for each of us and then waited in the circle for me to show up. He mentioned people would come up and he would tell them "this spot is saved" and I never showed up. I couldn't help but laugh at the picture I had in my head. I think he got me back today. I had to brief LTC Y and my slides were all messed up. Of course, Y and I go back several years and he thinks this is just par for the course with me. I muddled through it the best I can, and later in the brief, another LT takes his turn to find my good slides on his brief. To which I tell LTC Y, "I found my slides Sir"

Not much else to report today, be safe and have a good day.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2006

Today I got to play in an old Russian tank. Of course, it has long since been in running condition, but none the less, have you been in one. At approximately 5'10 and 240 lbs, it seems that the tank was not built for a man of my size.

In fact, as I was wedging myself into one of the openings, I found myself remember Winnie the Pooh, after having some honey at Rabbit's hole and then he got stuck, where he had to stay until he lost some weight. Well, fortunately, I made it out with no real problems. We had made a trip over to Pol-e-Charki today to service some of our Ford Ranger pickups and had time to waste.

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The service garage is much like the ones back home, (being built by Americans and Europeans does help), but back in the garage you can hear the old heavy rock blaring out to include Hotel California. The garage is supervised by some Russians and all the work is done by Afghans. This took up a good portion of my day.

We had one explosion down the road from our camp last night, the intended target appears to be the police. There are a couple of different reasons and a couple different theories out there. But nobody was hurt and only minor damage to the surrounding buildings. Tomorrow we hit the track for PT. Should be fun, I know I can't wait.....until spring....or summer. Not much else to report so be safe and have a good day.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2006

Today was another long day. I had more paperwork than usual and it involved contacting several different people. I'm working on acquiring some winter weather clothing and equipment for about 15 people. This was quite an easy task last time I was here, place a phone call, give them the numbers, send someone to sign for it and pick it up and distribute. Today, nobody wants to do it. I have contacted the two people it should go through, both said no problem. Next, I have to submit a form through Supply, he sends it up, they should forward it to the Bde J-4, then they make the call and then I go pick up the stuff. A few more steps but do-able. No, can't go like that. First, supply calls to find out why I want the stuff, so I explain.

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Next, the S-4 calls and wants a letter of justification and some type of documentation stating it's our responsibility. I got as far as sending the documentation, but haven't started on the justification yet. I'm sure it'll get approved by summer.

Next, since I have two Air Force personnel working for me, I have to do evaluations and award packets for them. I started this the same way we do our Army evaluations. Wrong, I have to use different terminology for Air Force and can't use specific bullet comments. So, I head down and talk to the Senior Air Force NCO in charge of my people and he helps me out with what he's looking for.

With such a long day, I headed over to the Self Help shop and finally started working on my desk for my room. I spent about 2 1/2 hours in there and finally stopped for the evening so I could eat dinner and relax for the evening. I may have to be real quiet here in my room for the next 20 minutes as one of my LTs wants me to go to the Ab Lab with him again tonight. I'm not wanting to and I just ate, but they are doing it 3 nights a week so I'll start up on Tuesday.

That's about all the fun I can share with you today. Be safe and have a good day.

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Our Thanks

Thank you, Sgt Dub, for your cogent reporting of the daily life of a soldier in Afghanistan, and for your patriotic service to our nation. Thanks also to all the servicemen serving there, and across the globe.

Rock

(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)

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Lebanon Through a Looking Glass

The Lebanon Cauldron

Lebanon is our neighbor. The world is getting so small these days, what with the Internet, the blogosphere, MySpace and YouTube, we can experience the lives of people all over the globe. I think it's instructive from time to time to "go" to places that are the hotspots and see what the locals are thinking and doing. This can open up our minds and inform our thinking on politics and war and trade.

One of my commenters, Tarek El Khatib, a 23-yr.-old consultant in Beirut, Lebanon, authors a blog, rambling and blabbering, that is instructive because it gives the honest viewpoints of a young man caught up in war and its aftermath in a country that has a tradition of democracy. While this democracy is quite violent at times, people like Tarek are allowed to speak out. Yet, leaders get assassinated when their enemies grow intolerant of free speech and political movements they view as threatening to them.


Lebanon the Country

Lebanon is a country that very much wants to succeed as a democracy in the Middle East. Its difficulty is that its geography and political makeup make it a hotbed crossroad for the world's present political tensions.

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Lebanon:

officially the Lebanese Republic, is a small, largely mountainous country in the Middle East, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. The flag of Lebanon features the Lebanon Cedar in green against a white backdrop, with two horizontal red stripes on the top and bottom.

Until the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the country enjoyed relative calm and prosperity, driven by the tourism, agriculture, and banking sectors of the economy. It was considered the banking capital of the Arab world and was widely known as the "Switzerland of the Middle East" due to its financial power. Lebanon also attracted large numbers of tourists, to the point that the capital Beirut became widely referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East."

Immediately following the end of the war, there were widespread efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure. By early 2006, a considerable degree of stability had been achieved throughout much of the country, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete, and an increasing number of foreign tourists were pouring into Lebanon's resorts. However, the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict brought mounting civilian and military casualties, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, and massive population displacement from July 12, 2006 until a ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006. As of September 2006, the Lebanese government has been acting out an early recovery plan aimed at reconstructing property destroyed by Israeli attacks in Beirut, Tyre, and other villages in southern Lebanon.

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Recent Assassinations

Rafik Hariri:

Rafic Bahaa Edine Hariri (November 1, 1944 to February 14, 2005), a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, was the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation on 20 October 2004.

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He headed five cabinets during his tenure. Hariri played a leading role in the reconstruction of Beirut. Hariri was assassinated on 14 February 2005 when explosives equivalent to around 1000 kg of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St George Hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The Syrian government is the focus of international suspicion of having committed the murder.