Express Cleanup Before Change of Tenant
Marc Saikali 19/12 08:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah Middle East Irran
Just a few weeks ago, the defunct “Axis of Resistance” still managed to maintain its facade. From Iran — both a bystander and instigator — to Lebanon, passing through Gaza, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, the fronts were numerous. But the pretense has crumbled, revealing an empty shell. The turning point began in Lebanon. Defying ...
Is Democracy Possible in the Arab World?
Marc Saikali 12/12 07:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
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The Assad family, more accurately known by the name "Al-Wahesh" (the savage), has surpassed all limits of hatred and brutality. After the dictator and his cronies fled, the world, horrified, discovered the full extent of the crimes against humanity that had been the norm in a country left in ruins. In Lebanon, we have long known, through our own ...
Syria: The Middle East’s Berlin Wall Has Fallen
Marc Saikali 08/12 11:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hezbollah Middle East Syria Bachar el-Assad Iran
It only took a few days for the "rebels" to overthrow one of the world's most tyrannical regimes—almost without a fight. At this point, it’s still difficult to understand how such a heterogeneous group, mostly armed with light weapons—at least according to the images we've seen—managed to bring down the Assad regime, which has been in ...
Before vs. Now…
Marc Saikali 05/12 20:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
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Before, the people of southern Lebanon lived peacefully in their homes. Now, some sixty villages lie destroyed and out of reach. Before, negotiations with Israel centered on 13 disputed points along the border. Today, it is uncertain whether Lebanon will regain any of its territory. Before, sectarian tensions were kept in check. Today, the ...
Syria and the Domino Effect
Marc Saikali 01/12 15:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in his speech announcing the ceasefire in Lebanon: "Assad is playing with fire." Less than a week later, the Syrian regime is collapsing on all fronts. This time, Turkey is taking the lead. Erdogan has successfully brought together a diverse coalition of militias, from Islamists to Kurds, for the operation. His goal: ...
Words, Words, Words!
Marc Saikali 28/11 22:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
They were joined in their speeches by the valiant and aptly named Hossein Salami, the leader of the equally valiant Iranian Revolutionary Guards. We are still waiting for Salami’s response to the Israeli attack, which, for many, was nothing short of humiliating. One hundred Israeli planes took off, bombed multiple targets in Iran, and returned ...
Shall We Start the Same Over and Over Again?
Marc Saikali 27/11 16:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The entry into force of the ceasefire was marked by… celebratory gunfire and the distribution of Hezbollah flags in the southern suburb of Beirut. Some Lebanese have a rather astounding tendency to learn nothing from the country’s tragedies. Some 3,700 dead, $10 billion in damages, and yet… celebratory gunfire! The poor Jean-Yves Le Drian, ...
The Day Lebanon Stops Making Headlines…
Marc Saikali 24/11 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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And therein lies the issue: global attention quickly wanes when conflicts drag on and defy familiar reference points. This is happening again. The current war in Lebanon is no longer front-page news. A journalist friend at a major Paris newsroom told me that his editors were reluctant to send him on assignment to Beirut because the situation was ...
Gaza, Lebanon – One and the Same Combat...
Marc Saikali 19/11 20:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The tone was set the moment Amos Hochstein concluded his talks in Beirut and delivered a carefully diplomatic press briefing, delicately outlining just how distant a resolution still seems. No sooner had his words settled than Israeli airstrikes resumed, and rockets were launched from Lebanon. For those striving to remain Cartesian and keep ...
Larijani… Go Home
Marc Saikali 15/11 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
That being said, if Larijani arrives bearing humanitarian aid and suitcases brimming with cash — let’s say at least $5 billion to start rebuilding the tens of thousands of homes destroyed due to his country's successive strategic blunders — then perhaps the 1.5 million internally displaced people, who have lost everything, might greet him ...
Russia Takes Center Stage
Marc Saikali 14/11 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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How did this happen? It’s straightforward: genetically wired as a skilled chess player, Vladimir Putin now positions himself as the guarantor of cutting off the flow of arms, smuggling, and funds to Hezbollah via Syria. Holding the symbolic scissors over the lifeline of the pro-Iranian militia, he is offering his services to other stakeholders. ...
The Sleeping Beauty...
Marc Saikali 07/11 18:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The Lebanese opposition lies in a coma—motionless, a flat electroencephalogram. It waits for the prince charming who will deliver the kiss of revival. But this is no fairy tale, and the awakening is sure to be brutal. From feeble statements to positions laced with empty cliches, not a single day goes by without the transparent opposition ...
The Persians... Lurking in the Shadows of the US Election
Marc Saikali 05/11 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
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Will it retaliate, or will it hold back? It seems the die is cast… Iran finds itself with little option but to respond. After initially downplaying the Israeli strikes on October 26, Tehran's leaders have struggled to mask the significant blow dealt to them. A segment of their ballistic program was annihilated… leaving the Iranians stunned to ...
Is Resolution 1701 a Magic Solution? Not So Simple
Marc Saikali 31/10 09:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Analysts are debating a potential revision to Resolution 1701, though this remains unlikely for a simple reason: any new vote at the UN would face vetoes from China and Russia. Thus, Resolution 1701 is likely to remain unchanged. However, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that diplomats are quietly working to create an “adapted ...
Where Did the Armed Palestinian Factions in Lebanon Go?
Marc Saikali 29/10 18:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
When the concept known as “support front” was first implemented, there was hardly a week that went by without some Palestinian militia claiming responsibility for rocket fire from Lebanon against Israel in support of Gaza. For the past few weeks, that has come to an end. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aqsa Brigades... the entire Palestinian armed ...
Are we taking bets? Lebanon will pay again?
Marc Saikali 26/10 09:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Israeli air force struck some twenty military bases in several areas of Iran. Teheran in particular. Around a hundred fighter planes, all returned to their bases. As “promised”, nuclear installations and hydrocarbon production zones were not hit. It is now clear that nobody wants the conflict to spread to the whole region. The Americans ...
The Support Front in a Tight Grip!
Marc Saikali 25/10 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
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The title of the nightmare could well be "Support Front." A major strategic mistake that will haunt generations of Lebanese for the next 50 years. How could the perception of events have become so distorted that the decision of a few ended up plunging an entire population into the abyss? For a whole year, the warnings were repetitive and clear: ...
1.5 Million Displaced... A Ticking Time Bomb
Marc Saikali 24/10 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
National solidarity has played a commendable role. NGOs, privates, friendly nations, and even the state have immediately rushed to assist the unexpected refugees — victims of the "divine victory" sold to them — sacrificed for the interests of the Iranian mullahs, who are doing absolutely nothing to support them. However, isolated incidents ...
The War at All Costs
Marc Saikali 19/10 21:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Things seemed clear. Following the death of the mastermind behind the October 7 attack, Israeli public opinion was poised to pressure the government into negotiating a ceasefire and securing the release of hostages. Western leaders, who unanimously praised this action and asserted that the time had come to end the war, aligned with journalists. ...
For Netanyahu and the Others, It’s All Yiddish!
Marc Saikali 16/10 20:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The Lebanese Prime Minister sought to reassure the public: "We have American guarantees to scale down strikes on Beirut." The US had expressed concern over the intense bombings, stating they urged Israel to show restraint. This gave Lebanese citizens, glued to their screens and sharing updates, a flicker of hope. A ceasefire was even ...
Damascus: A Ruthless Universe…
Marc Saikali 14/10 20:52 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
“One people, two countries,” proclaimed Hafez al-Assad. Syria's role in Lebanon's disintegration is significant. The 100-day battle in 1978, during which the Syrian army surrounded and incessantly bombarded the Ashrafieh neighborhoods, the brutal siege of Zahleh in 1981… These events, among many others, are deeply ingrained in collective ...
Does Anything Make Sense? Welcome to the Realm of Absurdity!
Marc Saikali 10/10 09:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
In this regard, the Israeli prime minister’s message to the Lebanese is equally shocking: “Free yourselves from Hezbollah… or it (Lebanon) becomes another Gaza.” In peacetime, Israel maintained a constant presence of 50 planes and drones, monitoring everything and watching every movement around the clock. The effectiveness of their ...
Everyone Came Out a Winner — Except Lebanon!
Marc Saikali 08/10 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah's deputy general secretary claims that victory is… near! The suffering of refugees is viewed as part of the sacrifice for the "Palestinian cause," morale is high, and the Israelis are in near disarray. Meanwhile, officials on the other side of the border are informing residents in the north that they will soon be able to return home. ...
A Long Road Ahead...
Marc Saikali 03/10 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
From all sides, the only consistent message is that the war in Lebanon is likely to be long. A nightmare for the population. Each player promises victory to their own side. The people are just a detail, of course. As Stalin once said, "One death is a tragedy, a million deaths a statistic." A ceasefire is nowhere in sight. The Arab League—an ...
Iran, the New Mediator!
Marc Saikali 26/09 09:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
When the expression “a firefighter who starts fires” takes on its full meaning. Just when we thought we’d seen it all, witnessing the surreal phenomenon of Americans asking Iran to pressure Hezbollah into stopping rocket fire on Israel, is like science fiction. The maker of the “Axis of Resistance,” whose ultimate focus was ...
'You Can Go Back to Your Homes'
Marc Saikali 24/09 17:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
"You can go back to your homes..." This brief statement from Hezbollah's Secretary General, following his organization’s "response" to the assassination of Fouad Shokr, raises questions. How could he say such words? On Monday, Israeli bombings claimed nearly 558 lives—a horrifying toll, almost half of the total number of casualties from the ...
Tehran, We Have a Problem…
Marc Saikali 23/09 21:24 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A call met with silence. Iranian leaders are no longer replying… It is likely not out of fear that their phones will explode, but rather in deliberate abandonment. While the Lebanese are getting bombarded, tens of thousands are fleeing the South and the Beqaa, and hundreds are dying, the Iranian president is speaking at the United Nations about ...
Now What?
Marc Saikali 21/09 14:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In 2006, the famous "if I had known" excuse might have hinted at a sense of remorse after the devastation of South Lebanon, of Beirut suburbs, and the loss of thousands of lives. Gulf countries invested billions to rebuild the country at the time. Nineteen years later, the same players are on stage, making the same strategic blunders. ...
Let Them Eat Pastries!
Marc Saikali 12/09 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A famous quote, falsely attributed to Marie Antoinette, when she was told that the Parisians were out of bread during the French Revolution. “Let them eat pastries.” This is what has been resounding in the ears of retired military personnel for years. On Tuesday, former officers and soldiers once again took to the streets to demand a ...
Meanwhile in Ukraine...
Marc Saikali 05/09 08:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
This war is going to end badly. It stands as the worst bloodbath in Europe since World War II—a senseless, pointless conflict. Here, two similar peoples, Slavic and mostly Orthodox, are engaged in mutual destruction with chilling indifference. Both Ukraine and Russia were already facing demographic crises before the conflict began. Since ...