Repeat After Me: Batata: So US deputy assistant secretary of State, David Satterfield, is visiting Lebanon. Why now? Nothing special. He has heard a lot of good things about the quality of Falafil in Lebanon, and wanted to see for himself. When European and Asian diplomats visit Lebanon, they speak in Arabic. But Mr. Satterfield is an American "Middle East expert" so I noticed that whenever he spoke during this visit (always in English of course--he spent years working on his English afterall--he uses one Arabic word for extra effect. On the first day of his visit, he used the word "fitnah" (sedition), on the second day of the visit, he used the word "fawran" (immediately). It is expected that that on his third day, he is planning the use the word "batata" (potato). His family must be so proud of him for his extensive use of the Arabic language. At this rate, Mr. Satterfield may actually use four full words of Arabic during this touristic visit. His first meeting was with the right-wing Maronite patriarch (who, like the Mufti in Lebanon, is an enthusiastic book burner, and firmly believes that there is a "Satan's worshipping conspiracy in Lebanon-kid you not), and Bush has decided to invite the latter to the White House. Perhaps France gave the Americans figures of the various sizes of the sects in Lebanon from the times when France colonized Lebanon after WWI.