LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 03/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 9,1-41. As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?"  Some said, "It is," but others said, "No, he just looks like him." He said, "I am." So they said to him, "(So) how were your eyes opened?" He replied, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went there and washed and was able to see." And they said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I don't know." They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Talking to Terrorists. By Walid Phares - March 02/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 02/08
MP Franjieh: War is Coming, Lets Unite To Avoid the Storm-Naharnet
Kuwait to Deport Foreigners who Mourned Mughniyeh-Naharnet
GCC States Urge the Election of President on March 11-Naharnet
Saudi Advises Citizens to Leave Lebanon Immediately, Kuwait Denies Taking Similar Measure-Naharnet
Muallem: U.S. Warship Obstructs Solution to Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
Ban Alarmed by Hizbullah's 'Open War' against Israel-Naharnet
Hizbullah: U.S. 'Tutelage' Prevents Lebanese Unity, Hampers Initiatives-Naharnet
Eye on Lebanon: Two important lessons-Jerusalem Post
Palestinians in Lebanon Protest Israeli Assault on Gaza-Naharnet
Harb Warns Against Getting Used to the Absence of a Christian ...Naharnet
Lebanon somehow chugs along despite instability in its politics ...International Herald Tribune
Gemayel: Lebanon has become the 'scapegoat'-Ya Libnan
Ahmadinejad's Challenging Visit to Iraq-Naharnet
Saudi Arabia Advises Citizens to Leave Lebanon-Naharnet
GCC States Urge the Election of President on March 11-Naharnet
Muallem: U.S. Warship Obstructs Solution to Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
Hizbullah: U.S. 'Tutelage' Prevents Lebanese Unity, Hampers Initiatives-Naharnet
Assad, Moussa Discuss Lebanon-Naharnet
Kuwait Seeking to Resolve Arab Disputes to Guarantee Arab Summit Success-Naharnet
Berri Slams U.S. Warships as 'Act of Intimidation'-Naharnet
US Warships Steam Toward Lebanon-CounterPunch
Quake Hits south Lebanon-Naharnet
US hinders solutions to end Lebanon's crisis, al-Muallem says-Monsters and Critics.com
Syria says US warship prolongs Lebanon crisis-Reuters
Mussa reviews critical issues with Syria, prepares for Arab summit-Monsters and Critics.com
US, Saudi Arabia jointly put pressure on Syria-Xinhua

Does Lebanese Opposition Still Back Sleiman For President?
The Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is close to the Lebanese opposition, quoted an opposition sources as saying that for over two weeks, Lebanese military commander Michel Sleiman is not the the opposition's preferred presidential candidate and that relations with him are worsening from day to day.
Source: Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, February 1, 2008

MP Franjieh: War is Coming, Lets Unite To Avoid the Storm
By Dalia Nehme-Naharnet
MP Samir Franjieh urged the Lebanese to set aside differences and agree on a "safety dragnet" that can protect the nation from a regional war that is in the offing.
Franjieh, who de the call in an interview with Naharnet, accused the Hizbullah-led March 8 opposition of taking a "big risk" by keeping the nation exposed to threats. "They remind me of the Lebanese nationalist Movement in 1982 when it had indications about a possible Israeli invasion but failed to freeze the domestic dispute in favor of creating a safety dragnet, so Israel invaded a Lebanon incapable of resisting due to its internal differences and hundreds of other reasons," Franjieh added. He said deployment of the USS Cole guided missile destroyer in Mediterranean waters off the Lebanese coastline is "not linked to the domestic Lebanese situation, but rather to the explosive situation in the region. It could signal the imposing of new sanctions on Iran." "The situation of very serious in the region, which could be heading to a war. Would such a war serve the interests of the majority or the minority? Certainly not. It would serve interests not related to all those factions." The forthcoming summit scheduled for March 29 in Damascus, according to Franjieh, "would not really convene. It may not convene at all, but it could convene with a weak structure. The whole region is heading to a major crisis." Franjieh accused Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of "distorting" the ongoing crisis. He said "Lebanon's problem is not in forming a cabinet and not in the election law. The essence of the problem is the persisting differences on national principles." Franjieh reiterated that Syria "has decided to block the presidential election and the opposition is behaving in line with this decision."
He said the Hizbullah-led opposition "does not need warships in the Mediterranean to accuse the majority of following a U.S. agenda like it did not need any additional reason to accuse Premier Fouad Saniora of coordinating the July (2006) war" with Washington. Franjieh said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun was assigned to represent the opposition in negotiations at a time the opposition adopted a decision to block any settlement. "Aoun is not really related to what is happening … his role is marginal … his influence is very limited." Beirut, 02 Mar 08, 15:53

Talking to Terrorists?
By Walid Phares
Brussels, February 20, 2008,
At the invitation of the East West Institute’s Worldwide Security Conference, Dr Walid Phares, Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies offered several remarks on “the international community’s best attitude towards the idea of talking to terrorists.” Phares, a visiting scholar at the European Foundation for Democracy and the author of The War of Ideas said this dilemma is centered on questions never really addressed. The issue is not about talking or not talking, it is about defining the communications goals and the context of the conflict.” He went on:
“First, one has to determine who the ‘we’ is? Is it each nation alone, a coalition of Governments or the international community altogether? Second, who are the Terrorists and what is it that they want? Wouldn’t this identification help understand what would our goal be when we seek communication? Third, what do we mean by “talking”? Are we not? Are they not? Fourth, and most importantly, if we engage in such a dialogue we need to define the goal.”
Phares went on to review the various campaigns against Terror depending on each country involved in the struggle. “America is waging a war on Terrorism while many European countries are engaged in a limited confrontation of their own terrorists.” Phares made a distinction between talking to Terrorists on tactical levels and engaging a dialogue with Terror movements on strategic level. “Local authorities when dealing with terrorists, as in a hostage situation, kidnapping, threats, are in effect talking to Terrorists. To insure saving lives, Governments allow that type of communications with groups engaged in violence. But a dialogue with a Terror group or regime on strategic grounds is a different matter.
First, regarding the Jihadi forces, talking is taking place. Their ideologues and spokespersons are “talking” often in the media. The representatives of these forces are frequently on al Jazeera and other media and U.S and Western representatives engage in public discussions with them many times. So there is no rupture in engagement. But to have officials from democracies sitting with Terror groups, before the latter accept the principle of dialogue is a question that relates to strategy. Why would democracies recognize these violent forces before the latter recognizes international law? Al Qaeda for example doesn’t recognize international law or the United Nations. Hence under which auspices such an engagement can take place?”
Phares concluded that priority must be given to “talking to the victims of terrorists, ex terrorists and counter terrorists. Indeed, he argued if we have some resources where should we begin? I suggest we need to talk to women, students, labor unions, artists and all those targeted by the Jihadi forces. We have ignored the natural foes of the terrorists for too long. It is only when we have real allies in these civil societies that the Terrorists will begin regressing and weakening.”
Dr Phares and the other panelist remarks were followed by a debate with the audience.

Kuwait to Deport Foreigners who Mourned Mughniyeh
Naharnet/The Gulf state of Kuwait plans to deport foreigners who took part in a rally last month to mourn slain Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh, the interior minister said on Sunday. "We will deport any expatriate who took part in the mourning rally. This is a decision we will implement and we will not back down," Sheikh Jaber Khaled al-Sabah told Al-Watan newspaper. He did not say how many people will be deported or if the ministry has begun rounding up suspects.
The rally, in which hundreds of Shiite activists including Kuwaitis, Bahrainis, Lebanese and Iranians took part, caused uproar in the oil-rich emirate because Mughniyeh was accused of hijacking a Kuwaiti plane two decades ago. Reactions to the protest have taken a sectarian turn in Kuwait, where a third of the native population of one million are Shiite Muslims. Two Kuwaiti lawmakers, Adnan Abdulsamad and Ahmad Lari, and a number of leading Shiite activists are being sued by four lawyers and the interior minister in connection with the protest. Three leading activists have been remanded in custody and are being questioned on suspicion of belonging to Hizbullah Kuwait, a previously unknown organization. The prosecution service also plans to interrogate others including former MPs and a member in the municipal council on the same charges. Abdulsamad and Lari cannot be interrogated unless parliament strips them of their immunity, however.
Mughniyeh, who was killed last month by a car bomb in Damascus, was described at the rally as a "martyr hero," but Kuwait says he was responsible for killing two Kuwaiti passengers on a hijacked plane in 1988.(AFP) Beirut, 02 Mar 08, 11:31

GCC States Urge the Election of President on March 11
Naharnet/Six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council insisted At a meeting in Riyadh on Saturday on the election of a president by the Lebanese parliament as scheduled on March 11, after 15 earlier sessions were scrapped. The GCC "stresses the need to eliminate any obstacles to the president of the republic being elected on March 11", the foreign ministers said in a statement after a closed-door meeting. They underlined their support for the "constitutional institutions" of Lebanon and concern over obstacles to the Arab initiative for Lebanon. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has advised its citizens in Lebanon to exercise caution or leave the country "if possible" due to the growing political unrest, a Lebanese government source said.(AFP) Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 20:34

Saudi Advises Citizens to Leave Lebanon Immediately, Kuwait Denies Taking Similar Measure
Naharnet/Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately due to growing political unrest, but Kuwait denied it was taking a similar measure. "The Lebanese government has been informed of the measure taken by the Saudi Arabian embassy which has asked its citizens to exercise caution in their movements and to leave the country if possible," a Lebanese government source said. A Saudi diplomatic source confirmed the measure and said a number of Saudi families had already left. He also disclosed that the car of a Saudi diplomat traveling with his family was hit by a bullet on Friday night in Beirut, without anyone being injured. The incident occurred as opposition supporters fired into the air to celebrate a television interview with one of their leaders, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the source said. He did not specify if the car was targeted or hit by a stray bullet. Al-Arabia TV Network reported a similar measure taken by the Kuwaiti embassy in Beirut, but later denied it. Kuwait's ambassador to Lebanon Abdelaal al-Qenaei denied asking Kuwaiti citizens to leave Lebanon.
Fears of civil strife in Lebanon have mounted over the continued deadlock and warnings of wider conflict after the February 12 assassination in Syria of top Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saoud al-Faisal warned last month that the country was "on the verge of civil war."
KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain have previously issued travel warnings to Lebanon.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 20:38

Muallem: U.S. Warship Obstructs Solution to Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Saturday that sending a U.S. warship to waters off the Mediterranean is aimed at undermining any solution to Lebanon's presidential crisis. "The presence of the warship off the coast of Lebanon shows that the United States is striving to obstruct all political solutions in the Lebanese crisis," Muallem told reporters flanked by Arab League chief Amr Moussa.  Washington said on Thursday it had sent the USS Cole guided-missile destroyer to waters off Lebanon, amid concern over regional stability and Lebanon's protracted political crisis.
It is "a show of support for regional stability" because of "concern about the situation in Lebanon," a U.S. official said, declining to say whether the show of force was meant for Syria or Iran. Both countries back the Hizbullah-led opposition which is at loggerheads with the ruling March 14 coalition over electing a new president. The post has been vacant since last November.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 14:19

Ban Alarmed by Hizbullah's 'Open War' against Israel
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over threats made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of an "open war" against Israel after top Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed. "I am concerned by the threats of open war against Israel by the secretary general of Hizbullah ... following the funeral of Imad Mughniyeh," Ban said in his sixth report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701. Resolution 1701 was adopted to end the 34-day war between Hizbullah and Israel in the summer of 2006. Nasrallah has vowed to avenge Mughniyeh's death -- which was blamed on Israel -- by finishing off the Jewish state.
He said Mughniyeh's assassination in a car bombing in Damascus on Feb. 12 was a clear sign that Israel was preparing a new war against Lebanon.
Israel welcomed Mughniyeh's death, but denied any involvement. "The presence of Israel is but temporary and cannot go on in the region," Nasrallah said at a ceremony to mourn Mughniyeh. "We will kill you in the fields, we will kill you in the cities, we will fight you like you have never seen before," Nasrallah vowed.
Ban, however, said "this rhetoric goes against the spirit and intentions of Resolution 1701, which aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire."
"I call upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and to continue to abide by their stated commitments to Resolution 1701."
The U.N. chief was also worried about the rearming of Hizbullah and held both Syria and Iran responsible for breaches of the arms embargo.
"Reports of Hizbullah rearming are a cause of great concern, posing serious challenges to the sovereignty, stability and independence of Lebanon and the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006)," Ban said in his 6th report on the implementation of 1701.
"I remain concerned about ongoing reports and Hizbullah public statements that point to breaches of the arms embargo, in serious violation of resolution 1701," he said. "All Member States in the region, in particular the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran, have a key responsibility in this regard," Ban added.
"Such violations risk further destabilizing Lebanon and the whole region," he said. "In my last report to the Council on the implementation of resolution 1701 … I drew attention to alleged breaches of the arms embargo across the border between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic and the claimed transfer of sophisticated weaponry from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic across this border," Ban said.
"In its letter dated 10 December 2007 Syria counters these claims and maintains that allegations of weapons smuggling across the Syrian-Lebanese border are motivated by political rather than security considerations. "However, Hizbullah, by admission of its leaders on several occasions has replenished its military capacity after the 2006 war with Israel. "I, therefore, remain concerned that this border remains vulnerable to such breaches, which would represent serious violations of the resolution and constitute a significant threat to the stability and security of Lebanon. Ban said the Lebanese army "continues its deployment along, and monitoring of, this border in order to prevent such breaches." He pointed out, however, that the presence of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has been "somewhat reduced due to the increased operational demands placed on the LAF to address various security challenges in other parts of the country.
"However, this has been partially offset by the deployment of additional troops from the Internal Security Forces," Ban wrote in his report.
He said the "heavily armed military positions" by the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah al-Intifada along the same border remain a cause for continuing concern. "Their existence poses a direct and continuing challenge to the sovereignty of the Lebanese State inasmuch as it affords both groups de facto control of a stretch of the Lebanese border with the Syrian Arab Republic. The Lebanese Armed Forces continue to maintain a defensive line around both of these military camps," Ban said. Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 09:14

Hizbullah: U.S. 'Tutelage' Prevents Lebanese Unity, Hampers Initiatives
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Saturday said the despatch of US warships to Lebanon was part of U.S. President George Bush's "tutelage plot which prevents Lebanese unity."A Hizbullah statement said the American scheme also was aimed at "hampering all initiatives" to solve the prolonged political crisis.
The statement said the American plan also "wants to incite one group against the other and withdraw the cards of strength from their hands to the benefit of its strategic ally -- the Zionist enemy." The deployment of the USS Cole off the Lebanese coast was "clearly embarrassing" to the ruling March 14 coalition.
Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 17:17

Eye on Lebanon: Two important lessons
Posted by Manuela Paraipan
The first time I went to Lebanon was in 2003, as a Political Science undergraduate student. The idea came to me while interning in Washington DC. I began to take more interest in the Levantine socio-political culture a year prior to my DC internship and I thought that nothing compares to on the ground observation. I still believe that today. I have no trust whatsoever in the Omerta whether it is in the virtual world, on a blog or out there in the real world.
Reading books about Lebanon is great, studying the language and meeting Lebanese expats ditto, but it is simply not good enough. First hand knowledge matters. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived there. It was my first trip to the region and as such I was scared as a rabbit and curious as a cat.
At the airport I discovered something interesting and totally unexpected.
If you arrive from Eastern Europe (like I did) the officers in charge give you an odd look. It was explained to me like this: it is somehow implied that all women traveling alone to Lebanon are either spies or prostitutes. You won't see me at 4 am (or at any other hour) in an airport in a foreign country on high heels, lipstick and a generous low neckline T-Shirt where Versace becomes Verssace or Versacce. So there is always the other alternative they consider. I have some good stories on the topic so stay tuned.
Let me just say that I was asked lots of questions for over an hour. I kept looking around while all the others passed me by.
The officer was determined to see in my story some sort of a conspiracy theory. He kept asking me why a nice Romanian student who got her visa from the US would go back home for a couple of weeks and then travel to Lebanon. Nothing strange here, I assure you. My student visa expired and I wanted to take a break and then head to Lebanon. I kept telling him that I was there to do research at one of their Universities. It did not help that I was staying in Tripoli for my first week in the country, in the old, very nice area of El Mina. That too sounded odd to him but in the end he let me go.
By that time I was seriously thinking that perhaps I should take the next plane back to Bucharest. I did not and I am grateful for that moment of hesitation. I am not the kind of girl that gives up that easily. I was just extremely tired, did not know a soul in Lebanon and did not want to go through other friendly Q&A sessions.
I moved to Beirut after I recharged my batteries in Tripoli. I spent a lot of time at the University and met a lot of interesting people. As part of my research (and for the sake of some initiative), I emailed the Parliament and asked to meet someone who can brief me about the current situation and give me an overview of the general state of affairs.
I was well-versed on the history of the country and I was pretty much up to date with the political events but I thought I might be able to find out more from a face-to-face meeting. To my surprise, I got a positive reply. It probably helped that a General I never met but only exchanged a few emails with recommended me. He actually said that I should contact an MP. Lebanese are friendly with foreigners, he said.
When I wrote the email to the Parliament, I mentioned that this General recommended I do so. In a country where it matters less who you are (this is also true for Romania), but rather who you know and who knows you (the largesse of one's bank account doesn't hurt either) my absolutely truthful message worked miracles. I had a meeting with the Head of the Studies and Documentations Department of the Lebanese Parliament, the Secretary General of the Lebanese Parliament and someone else, but since he was more of an observer I forgot his name.
The meeting lasted well over two hours. I was later told that this is most unusual but apparently they liked my outspoken and direct way of addressing the issues on my agenda. During the meeting, men kept coming into the room and few even joined the conversation. Some spoke directly in French or English while the Secretary General, who looked like the man in charge, spoke through a female translator. That woman is now a dear friend of mine and so is the Secretary General.
One of the most controversial questions I asked was how they can explain the existence of a militia (yes, I said that without fearing repercussions, which were none) while claiming that Lebanon is a unitary, democratic state (I stressed democratic in an Arab fashion) that acts within the boundaries of international laws.
I then said that I wanted to know more of Amal. They asked what I knew of Amal to which I responded by listing everything I could remember about one of its founders, Musa Sadr. I added that I respected Sadr's social and humanistic to some extent. I should have stopped there but I added that I know that if one needs a job he/she should go to the Speaker of Parliament (Nabih Berri), an excellent politician otherwise. I also said that because of Amal's corruption, Hizbullah gained terrain within the Shia sect.
The next day while eating a cheesecake and reading the Daily Star I noticed a familiar face from the Parliament meeting. It turns out that he was Nabih Berri, who was briefly in the office while I was going on and on about Amal's corruption.
I learned two important things that day: 1) if and when a high dignitary trusts you, he will speak to you in English without the translator and will give you his mobile number, 2) if you are honest and say your views, subjective (how else?) yet substantiated by arguments, good or at least interesting things may happen.
Did I have prejudices when I first visited Lebanon? You bet. Few, but they were there. A silly one was that most Arabs look just like Saddam. With the mustache. I've learned a lot about Lebanon and mostly about the Lebanese since 2003.

Palestinians in Lebanon Protest Israeli Assault on Gaza
Thousands of Palestinian refugees in south Lebanon protested against Israel's military assault on the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
Women and children took part in the protest at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on Saturday.
"Death to Israel," shouted the angry protestors marching through the camp, carrying black flags and pictures of Palestinian children killed in the latest Israeli incursion into Gaza. The protestors burned the Israeli and American flags. They called on Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to avenge the killing of Palestinian children. Beirut, 01 Mar 08, 19:31

Harb Warns Against Getting Used to the Absence of a Christian President
MP Butros Harb pledged Friday to propose a new trend to settle the ongoing crisis based on consensus on electing Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President. Harb, talking to reporters after a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, said the persisting void in the presidential office would lead to "state collapse and changing the Lebanese community into a forest ruled by outlaws.""It is better to tackle the political crisis with a president on top of the helm " Harb added. He said certain issues "that we have agreed on could be a good start in the president's hands to launch dialogue under his auspices."
He cautioned that the people "could get used to living without a president. Therefore, the people would get used to the idea that the absence of a Christian in the authority structure is normal." Beirut, 29 Feb 08, 17:24

Lebanon somehow chugs along despite instability in its politics and security
The Associated PressPublished: March 2, 2008
BEIRUT, Lebanon: "Poor Lebanon" is a much-loved preface to a litany of the country's troubles. Parliament has been deadlocked for a year. A quarter of Cabinet ministers are boycotting meetings. There's been no president since November because quarreling lawmakers keep postponing a session to elect a replacement.
In Beirut so far this year, 17 people have been killed and dozens wounded in car bombs, army gunfire on protesters and clashes between pro- and anti-government groups. In south Lebanon, many fear new battles could erupt with Israel after the militant group Hezbollah blamed the Jewish state for the car bomb death in Syria of one of its leaders — a charge Israel denies.
It sounds like a disaster about to happen in a nation where a renewal of the devastating 1970s-'80s civil war is a chronic worry. But Amer Hazime doesn't see it that way. While not exactly optimistic about the future, the young businessman — a Lebanese-Jordanian dual national — is shopping for an apartment in Beirut where he can live with his wife and daughter.
"The security situation is deteriorating, the political situation is bad but I am looking to buy a flat. My wife is Lebanese and I want to live here," Hazime said as he ate pizza one night at a crowded Italian restaurant in Beirut.
There are many like Hazime. Beirut's hot real estate market is just part of a crazy quilt of actions and attitudes that allow Lebanon to keep chugging along in spite of itself, a Middle Eastern magnet even if it can't return to the storied days of the early '70s when Beirutis boasted their city was the "Paris of the Middle East."
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Among the negatives: the national debt of US$42 billion (€28.6 billion) is 175 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product, making it one of the highest in the world. Economic growth was projected to be 7 percent last year but, amid the nagging uncertainty, it was only about a third of that. The cost of living has shot up 37 percent since November. And the positives: tourists keep coming — a million in 2007, albeit 4 percent less than the previous year — and the restaurants and nightclubs are packed. Private bank deposits are up 10.5 percent, the currency has remained steady for 15 years, taxes are collected, the courts keep functioning.
So how does this small nation of 4 million people get by?
To begin with, Lebanese are entrepreneurs. They've never banked on their weak, fractious governments over the decades. The country's free market its strongest asset and its banking secrecy an attraction to depositors.
Hundreds of thousands of educated, professional Lebanese have regularly gone abroad during the country's troubles and — in a boost to the economy — sent money home.
During the civil war, about one quarter of Lebanon's population left. Many have returned, but others remain abroad. The monthlong war in summer 2006 between the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah and Israel also increased the brain drain as much of the reconstruction from civil war damage was wiped out by Israeli bombing.
A World Bank report said that in 2006, the last year for which figures are available, Lebanese living abroad sent home US$5.6 billion (€3.82 billion), or about 25 percent of the country's GDP. Almost half of that figure came from about 400,000 Lebanese working in oil-rich Persian Gulf countries.
"The high inflow of remittances are keeping the day-to-day economy functioning," said Nassib Ghobril, head of economic research and analysis at Byblos Bank Group.Today, many Lebanese still contemplate leaving. For every Amer Hazime — the young businessman looking for a Beirut apartment — there is probably a Mohammed Kheir, who runs an airport supply business in the city but fears what will happen to his three children should wholesale violence return.
"I am thinking about immigrating for good. I don't want my children to live what I passed through during the war," said the 39-year-old man, referring to the 1975-90 civil war in which 150,000 were killed.
"Our country is very good and I have no problem living here. But the most important thing for me is that my children live a normal life."
Still, as Kheir travels to other countries on business, he can see what keeps luring Lebanese and others back to his country.
Rich Arabs visit or buy villas in the Lebanese mountains, whose cool weather contrasts with the desert heat in much of the surrounding Middle East.
Another draw is the country's rich culture — a mix of Mideastern traditions and Western influence — and its looser social restrictions. Lebanese make prize-winning wines, and the country's cuisine and fervent nightlife are famed throughout the region.
Like the brain drain that turns out to provide an economic asset, Lebanon's troubles wind up pumping money into the country. Since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war international donors have pledged more than US$7 billion (€4.77 billion) in soft loans and grants, and some US$320 million (€218 million) has been paid.
In addition, funds flow to Lebanon's competing political factions, including the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, from their patrons abroad. In contrast, Saudi Arabia promised in February to place a US$1 billion (€689 million) deposit in Lebanon's Central Bank to shore up the government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora — a Sunni Muslim like the Saudi royal family — against the Shiite opposition.
Overall, Lebanon's banking system is doing very well. Assets of private banks have reached US$71 billion (€48.4 billion), nearly three times the GDP. Foreign currency reserves in the Central Bank have risen steadily to USS$13 billion in 2007, and the 9.2 million ounces of gold the Central Bank has now is valued at more than US$8 billion (€5.4 billion).
"This confirms the separation between the monetary situation and the security and political situation," Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh told bankers in January.
Others, however, fear that if the security situation blows up, it could erode all the economic pluses.
"Anything that happens now will change expectations, especially in security," said Louis Hobeika, an economist.
And Ghobril, the Byblos Bank analyst, warns: "The longer it takes for a (political) solution, the reforms will be delayed, the trends trying to reduce public debts will be delayed. This is where it hurts."
Still, the appetite for taking big risks that makes Lebanon's politics a lethal game also is at the heart of the country's entrepreneurial spirit. Real estate agent Victor Abu Kheir played to that spirit as he readied thick Turkish coffee for a potential client and explained that investing now in a Beirut apartment could mean a 100 percent profit before long.
"Oil Prices are going up, the dollar is going down, gold is going up and consumer prices are going up. Real estate prices have to go up," he reasoned.