IMF: Three Billion to Bury 85 Billion? No, Thank You.
Marc Saikali 29/05 11:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
International Monetary Fund Europe Gulf Hezbollah
The International Monetary Fund wants to lend $3 billion to Lebanon. On paper, it’s an "opportunity" to get a devastated country back on its feet. In reality, it’s a cruel joke. Lebanon is staring into an $85 billion abyss - a gaping hole dug by decades of mismanagement, clientelism, and public governance as cynical as it is incompetent. In ...
Hezbollah’s Overused Triptych: Paranoia, Reality, and Danger
Marc Saikali 29/05 08:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah United States Syria Morgan Ortagus
Six months after the ceasefire took effect, residents of southern Lebanon are still left wondering who will rebuild their homes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s secretary-general clings to the old ideological lifeline—“People, Army, Resistance”—like a castaway clutching his last buoy. Once a rallying cry, the slogan now rings hollow—a mantra ...
Lebanon, the Doormat of Syria’s Sanctions Lift
Marc Saikali 22/05 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Damascus European Union Hezbollah
Bashar al-Assad has been out of the picture for almost six months now. No one seems to miss him. The chapter is firmly closed. Enter Ahmad el-Chareh – once an Islamist, now a man of compromise – captured smiling alongside Donald Trump in Riyadh. Syria is reinventing itself, trying to appear more approachable. At least, that’s the ...
Banking Sector: The BDL Takes Back the Helm
Marc Saikali 08/05 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Central Bank of Lebanon Banks Joseph Aoun lebanon Karim Souhaid
"The Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) has a major responsibility in restoring confidence in the banking system." Those were the words of the President of the Republic during his visit this Wednesday to the headquarters of the Central Bank. The days when another President Aoun launched heavy-handed attacks on the ...
The Houthis: Masters of Unassisted Suicide
Marc Saikali 08/05 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump Houthi Israel Yemen US Saudi Arabia
Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, patterns emerge that we pretend to understand, only for them to slip through our fingers. The latest example: repeated missile launches by Yemen’s Houthis targeting Israel. In this absurd drama, the Houthis have spent the past several months directing their attacks at Israel. Why? To support Gaza, ...
It Goes on, Over and Over Again...
Marc Saikali 01/05 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanon Disarmament
There was a time when the “army, people, resistance” triptych formula served as little more than a fig leaf, masking Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon and its role as a proxy for Iran and its now shattered expansionist ambitions. This illusion has collapsed: the militia has lost the war. For years, Hezbollah claimed that its weapons were meant ...
Parliament Drowns the Economy and 'Overlooks' Weapons
Marc Saikali 24/04 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Arms Reforms
While Tehran gently negotiates with Washington over its nuclear program and ballistic missiles—pretending to adopt a posture of compromise on the international stage—its ambassador in Beirut bluntly insists that Hezbollah must keep its weapons, despite the ceasefire agreement, United Nations resolutions and the Lebanese sovereignty championed ...
Sharaa–Bin Laden: Reversed Paths!
Marc Saikali 17/04 13:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Israel HTS Ahmad al-Sharaa Syria Bachar el Assad
Let it be crystal clear: no Syrian, no Lebanese, no Palestinian… regrets the fall of the Khmer Rouge of the Levant. The Assad dynasty, guilty of crimes against humanity and large-scale massacres against its own people, as well as those of “brotherly” countries, has finally fallen after fourteen years of civil war. The problem is that today, ...
‘Haircut:’ The Sharp Edge of Financial Cuts
Marc Saikali 17/04 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Gulf International Monetary Fund
Just when we thought we’d seen it all in the Lebanese saga of economic collapse, the government rolled out a new episode—one so twisted it makes a Netflix series look like a documentary on quantum physics. A draft banking reform law, rushed through cabinet, casually proposes placing the burden of the collapse on depositors and local ...
All Is Well, Madame la Marquise...
Marc Saikali 10/04 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon security Beirut Hezbollah
Policewomen did arrive at traffic lights in Beirut… a symbolic presence. The government, however, has boldly boasted that the Lebanese “will witness” what it will accomplish in terms of security. In reality, things are going from bad to worse. The streets of Lebanese cities look like South American megalopolis. Violent assaults are ...
American-Iranian Negotiations in Oman: The Hour of Truth
Marc Saikali 09/04 21:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The United States Iran Nuclear
The United States and Iran are preparing to begin crucial negotiations this Saturday, April 12, in Oman. The ambitious objective is to resolve the persistent tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missiles. These talks are taking place in a context of growing military threats, where the failure of discussions could lead to ...
Nothing Is Going Well for the Mullahs…
Marc Saikali 03/04 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
By playing Russian roulette for too long, one eventually gets shot. This is the situation Iran's leaders are now facing. Since 1979, Khomeini and his successors have tried to export their so-called Islamic Revolution throughout the region. Without any success, but with plenty of blood, wars and tears. First in Iraq, then in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon ...
Hey! Do You Plan on Doing Something?
Marc Saikali 27/03 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Lebanon south palestinians
Who fired the missiles at Israel last Saturday? Was it Hezbollah? Its “independent” supporters? Palestinians? No one knows for certain. An investigation is underway, we are told. Yet, this incident has ignited tensions, and it is urgent to identify those responsible for potentially plunging Lebanon back into war. Meanwhile, the government ...
Hezbollah-PLO: Parallel Fates
Marc Saikali 20/03 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Tehran PLO Syria
In 1982, the Israeli army launched Operation "Peace for Galilee" with the goal of driving Arafat's militias from southern Lebanon. More than mere militias, these were organized armies, and Yasser Arafat reigned as the undisputed ruler and bloodstained overlord of Lebanon. The leader of the PLO had unilaterally declared Lebanon as the launchpad for ...
'Voluntary' Return of Syrian Displaced People! Really?
Marc Saikali 14/03 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
What on earth has gotten into Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed? According to her, the return of Syrian refugees to their country must be voluntary! This astonishing statement has caused quite a stir. But given the country’s endless crises, it quickly faded into the background. However, such remarks can have serious consequences. Around ...
It Feels Like the South... but Now, It's the North!
Marc Saikali 13/03 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Suddenly, all eyes and fears turned to Tripoli and Akkar. At least 7,000 Syrian refugees, mostly Alawites, have crossed the border to escape the violent clashes unfolding along Syria’s coastline. These confrontations, marked by extreme brutality and condemned by numerous human rights organizations, have sent shockwaves through the international ...
Syria, Such a Troublesome Neighbor
Marc Saikali 06/03 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Syria Lebanon Ahmad al-Sharaa Turkey Israel
Since its independence, Lebanon has served as a mirror reflecting the events unfolding in its much larger neighboring country. Damascus has long cast a covetous eye on Lebanon, disturbed by its freedoms and economic achievements. Despite all the challenges, Lebanon has managed to preserve a semblance of political democracy, even in its darkest ...
If You Loved the Canals of Venice, You’ll Adore the Canals of Beirut!
Marc Saikali 05/03 21:47 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Every year, winter brings rain. A statement so ordinary it could hardly be more clichéd. Yet in Lebanon, every downpour turns the roads into rivers. Cars become makeshift gondolas, and honking horns replace gondoliers’ songs. It’s safe to say that romance is hardly in the air. Water covers the gaping holes, which elsewhere are called ...
Trump-Zelensky: When "Diplomacy" Takes on a Whole New Meaning
Marc Saikali 28/02 22:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Vladimir Putin White House
Seven minutes that will leave a lasting mark on diplomatic history. Live, before the world’s cameras, Donald Trump tore into his guest, Volodymyr Zelensky. "You don’t have the cards in your hands." "Without our support, your fate would have been sealed in two weeks." "You’re playing at World War III." Faced with an utterly unfazed American ...
Yalta 2.0: The New Masters of the World
Marc Saikali 27/02 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump USA Uktaine EU Russia
Since Donald Trump’s rise to power, everything has accelerated. Geopolitical time has sped up. The Middle East, Ukraine... all fronts are moving rapidly. As if by magic, Donald Trump managed to make the Slavic enemies utter the words “ceasefire” to halt the senseless slaughter after three years of unprecedented violence, reminiscent of the ...
Mullahs and Company, Hands Off the Airport!
Marc Saikali 18/02 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Beirut International Airport Damascus Hezbollah Joseph Aoun
In 1973, Henry Kissinger refused to land at Beirut International Airport because it was under the control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He also avoided traveling by road to the airport for the same reason. At the time, President Sleiman Frangieh welcomed him instead at the Rayak military airport — an implicit admission that ...
You, and Only You, Against the Whole World…
Marc Saikali 17/02 15:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanese Army Achrafieh Hezbollah
What will happen on February 18, the deadline for the truce extension? Probably not much. The Israelis won’t have fully withdrawn, Hezbollah will call for “resistance” and the international community will exert pressure to avoid an unexpected escalation. Yelling and threatening mobs will likely rush into the neighborhoods that, not so long ...
Gaza: The New Switzerland of the East? What About Us?
Marc Saikali 13/02 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Middle East Palestine Donald Trump Hamas Lebanon
When Donald Trump wakes up, even his smallest remark makes global headlines—that’s just how it is. As the most powerful man on Earth, he wields arguments that are not just compelling and consequential but sometimes… explosive. For now, any statement he makes triggers shockwaves. Case in point: “Ukraine could one day become Russian.” A ...
Lebanon: A State of Insecurity? Where Exactly?
Marc Saikali 05/02 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump Hezbollah Morgan Ortagus government
The ostrich policy: look away and pretend that security is under control. For the past few weeks, in a scattered yet synchronized manner, acts of delinquency have been multiplying in certain neighborhoods of Beirut. Of course, there’s no proof that these incidents are coordinated. However, in Lebanon, there’s always a “but!” The profile ...
All Hope Lost?
Marc Saikali 30/01 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
On January 9, at last, after more than two years of deadlock, a “real” President was elected. A man of integrity and independence, committed to Lebanon and its people. Hopes of reconstruction, development and justice began to take shape. Then came the end of the 60-day truce—without the government having prepared a Plan B. As a result, ...
Lebanon: A Drone of a War!
Marc Saikali 23/01 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The hum of Israeli drones continues to fill the skies over Beirut. What might induce fear in other places has become just another layer of the city’s already chaotic soundscape. Hardly anyone takes notice anymore. Yet, there’s a subtle shift in the air when the buzzing ceases—passersby exchange fleeting, anxious glances, as if the sudden ...
'We Are Committed to the Reconstruction of Southern Lebanon'
Marc Saikali 16/01 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Parliament Nawaf Salam Joseph Aoun Hezbollah
The brief statement by the new Prime Minister on the day of his appointment raises questions. While it is unthinkable for the South to remain neglected, using the “we” pronoun may prompt further scrutiny. Who exactly does “we” refer to? The utterly bankrupt state? Surely not—it doesn’t have the means. The savings of depositors? ...
If I Were President of the Republic!
Marc Saikali 09/01 08:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Alright, let’s face it: what you’re about to read might feel like déjà vu, but let’s give it a shot. If I were president, I would make it clear to Hezbollah that it has lost the war and that its political survival hinges on surrendering its weapons. Failing that, the weapons will be taken by force, and not a single cent will go toward ...
Audacity... Taken to a Whole New Level!
Marc Saikali 02/01 10:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
In truth, however, as they feel the ground shifting beneath them and witness dissent growing even among their most loyal followers, Hezbollah's leaders are desperately trying to keep a confident front. It’s no surprise—criticism is becoming harder to ignore. Those who once believed in the victory narrative are now asking when they will be able ...
Will There Be War Again?
Marc Saikali 2024-12-30 16:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Amos Hochstein Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Benjamin Netanyahu war
Dominated by the Shiite duo, signatories of the ceasefire agreement and its secret annex, the government is fully aware that it agreed to grant freedom of action to the Israeli army in the south, but pretends to be outraged by these same actions. For its part, Hezbollah manipulates the interpretation of the agreement’s terms and adamantly claims ...