In his excellent book “A Line in the Sand,” on the Franco-British rivalry in the Middle East, James Barr quotes a British officer in Deir al-Zor as writing: “We must control the desert, not only for the safety of our military communications, but because who holds the desert also, in the end, holds the sown.”… اقرأ المزيد
By Hasan Lakkis BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam will present a new proposal to break a looming deadlock in the executive branch over the vacant presidency, as European and Arab diplomats urged Lebanon to swiftly elect a new head of state. European Union and Arab League foreign ministers meeting Wednesday in Athens called on Lebanese… اقرأ المزيد
By Hussein Dakroub BEIRUT: Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said he had agreed with the Union Coordination Committee Tuesday night to postpone official exams for one day in a last-ditch deal that averted a confrontation between the two sides. The deal, reached following a marathon meeting between Bou Saab and UCC officials that lasted until… اقرأ المزيد
By Wassim Mroueh BEIRUT: Presidential hopeful Samir Geagea Monday announced that he was ready to endorse a list put forth by the Maronite church for potential candidates to the presidency in a bid to end the vacuum in Lebanon’s top Christian post. The Lebanese Forces leader also said that the March 14 coalition was… اقرأ المزيد
By Hussein Dakroub BEIRUT: The Union Coordination Committee is poised for a confrontation with the education minister over official exams after it warned Sunday against holding the tests without teachers as it called for massive participation in a two-day strike. The escalating row between the UCC, the umbrella group for civil servants and public and… اقرأ المزيد
As the intelligence community continues its assessment of the damage caused by Edward Snowden’s leaks of secret programs, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says it appears the impact may be less than once feared because “it doesn’t look like he [Snowden] took as much” as first thought. “We’re still investigating, but we think… اقرأ المزيد