Over the last two days, I started writing an entry at least four times, only to be interrupted by an important phone call, a doorbell, the sudden presence of another human being, or worse: by the recognition that pressing work had to be finished.
But now, in the delightful peace of 1 am, I can compose some thoughts, or at least gather some links for you all.
The most momentous, and quite ominous piece of information I saw today concerned the return to Lebanon of General Michel Aoun.
I have been slowly reading Robert Fisk's Pity the Nation in fits and starts over the lst year; his assessment of Aoun is pretty devastating. Something that will, I imagine, be downplayed by the US media, is that while Aoun (who got his military training in the US) was leading what he called a "war of liberation" against Syria, he was armed by Iraq, and attended a birthday party for the Baath party where he happily cut the cake. It was because of this alliance, says Fisk, that the US supported Syria when it originally went after Aoun's government in 1990. However, now that the Syrians are again defined as a threat, Aoun's return is being described in pro-US govt. media as a sign of the growing democratic spirit in Lebanon. I won't link to Fox's coverage, but as you can imagine, it is the worst. We will have to see what Aoun's position will be vis-a-vis the US.
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