I had just gone through security at Beirut International Airport when a Lebanese Army colonel (a Christian* from north of Beirut) walked toward me and said that there was something very important he wanted to discuss with me. He took me to the VIP Lounge and invited me for breakfast. He said that he is going to be promoted to `aqid (general?) in Lebanese Army and is working on a report in international relations that he has to submit. He wanted me to critically evaluate his thesis. He proceeded to tell me his thesis: that there is an international Jewish conspiracy behind world events in the 20th century. That a Jewish conspiracy was behind the Russian Revolution (and he asserted that he has the names of all the Jews behind Marxism and the end of Marxism, starting with Marx himself, all the way to Zbigniew Brezezinsky, who he thought was Jewish--he was shocked when I told him that he in fact is a Catholic), and that it was also behind the collapse of the Soviet Empire. He also believed that the Jewish conspiracy was behind the defeat of George Bush Sr in 1992. He also believes that George W. Bush will go against the Jewish conspiracy in his second term. I asked him what sources he is using for his "study." He mentioned some trashy conspiratorial authors and kooks. I told him that this was an absurd scenario and that his authors are kooks. He wanted to continue with his analysis of international affairs, but I excused myself. He asked if he could continue the "debate" on email. I left the meeting knowing less about world affairs than when it started. But I became more aware of the kind of challenges Arab military faces vis-a-vis Israel.
*I only mentioned that he was a Chrisitan to make a point for those who think that antiSemitic Middle East conspiracies are the exclusive product of Islam.