22 things that we would like to see on the 22nd of November 2006

1. A disarmed Hezbollah

2. A Syrian embassy in Beirut

3. A Palestinian embassy in Beirut

4. Disarmed Palestinian factions (inside and outside the camps)

5. The US Dollars under 1500 LBP

6. Lebanese Debt to the GDP under 100%

7. +1 Million visitors to Lebanon during the last 12 months

8. Lahoud out of power

9. Berri out of power

10. All Lebanese refugees relocating to their original towns/villages

11. The Lebanese National Basketball team to the 2nd round of the 2006 World Championships

12. Opening of Lebanese peace talks with Israel

13. Lebanese GDP over 20 Billion USD

14. Oil/Gas are discovered off the coasts of Lebanon

15. A new electoral law is instituted.... allowing overseas voting

16. Corruption decreases... less kickbacks on major projects and business deals, less bribery and less waste of resources

17. All quarries are closed

18. EDL privatization process begins (by cutting its losses and enhancing its revenues.... Learning from MEA lessons)

19. MEA is listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange

20. Foreign workers' situation in Lebanon is regulated (quotas, fees & taxes)

21. Small & Medium Enterprises are given a boost by instituting serious and forceful laws and regulations.

22. Lebanese Debt stays below 40 Billion USD

A couple of articles that have caught my mind today

I/ Syria accepts to mark the Lebanese-Syrian borderline however the Shebaa Farms delimitation should be avoided for the time being (strategical reasons Mr. Assad?)

دمشق تمتنع عن تحديد هوية مزارع شبعا وتستثنيها من ترسيم الحدود الى ما بعد تحريرها والجولان

http://www.daralhayat.com/arab_news/levant_news/11-2005/Item-20051121-b4792bbd-c0a8-10ed-0170-44c58666e83c/story.html

Amazing how much crap the Lebanese should still hear about the Shebaa Farms issue and the struggle to "liberate" those lands that are not even Lebanese.



II/ Of course the other title - of which I knew on yesterday's evening news - I am refering to none other but the Independence present Hezbollah offered to the Lebanese in general and to the Syrian leadership in particular.

How peculiar was this attack to occur on the 21st of November? Was the Hezbollah trying to send a message of any sort? Is the radical Islamic team reminding us of its "explicit" right to use weapons as seen fit?


Do we like to see such images:



The sad thing is that 4 fighters from the Hezbollah died, in addition to the Israeli casualties. That much for a political move by Damascus.

Independence Day 22/11/2005

First of all, it seems fitting to start this blog on Lebanon's proclaimed Independence Day, the one that was achieved exactly 62 years ago in the fall of 1943.

Today, the French are gone, the Syrians are gone but the truth remains: The Lebanese are still here. What can they possibly do? Can they rule together a country that has witnessed so much over the years?

This is what time will tell and the least one can do is give them (us) the benefit of the doubt.

Yes, we can move forward. Yes, we can improve.

Happy Independence Day.