Sectarianism: the last refuge of Lebanese scoundrels, and keeping Sectarian Dynasties Alive. Ostensible and artificial Lebanese unity, always masquerading behind flags and Baba Ghannuj, splits and fragments along sectarian fissures, always. What passes as "national unity" is no more than temporary sectarian arrangements and marriages of convenience. So the Lebanese "opposition" met in Mukhtara palace--the palace of the feudal warlord who heads the "Progressive and Socialist Party" in Lebanon no less, and who recently sent his son Taymur to Paris because he said that he wanted to keep a member of the family secure. Keep the medieval sectarian dynasty alive, is his real slogan. Forget about all the talk about "democracy" and "freedom." Unless he means freedom for sectarian agitation and mobilization, and for the monopoly of sectarian representation.

So former Israeli-installed president Amin Gemayyel, was dispatched to the Palace of Mukhtarah (seat of Jumblat) to convince him to put aside his demand for the resignation of the Maronite president. Jumblat had called on AlJazeera for his resignation the night before. The right-wing Maronite Patriarch (who is taking time from his busy schedule of warning against a conspiracy of "Satan's Worshippers"--kid you not, he is obsessed with them) sent Amin Gemayyel with that urgent message. Maronite right-wing groups have historically always opposed the resignation of the president for fear of setting a president. So the Maronite Patriarch, and his sectarian clients, does not mind if the Sunni prime minister resigns, but not the (Maronite) president. That is how these sectarian-minded and petty people--who reject civil marriage and secularization in Lebanon--which Angry Arab fully supports--think and operate. Jumblat obliged, and the statement by the opposition crowd did not call for the resignation of the president.

It is shameful that so many days after the explosion that killed Hariri, a body of an innocent Lebanese (who has been missing since that day) was found only yesterday. That says something about the conduct and shortcoming of Lebanese security services, and of the state. Israel may be excited at developments in Lebanon today, just as Israel was prematurely excited after its Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 (which killed some 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinians), but they will be disappointed again. Just as the new Iraqi puppet government of Allawi did not dare mention peace with Israel (and they have 130,000 US troops with them), no Lebanese government with or without Syria will even broach the subject. Lebanon will probably be the last Arab country to do so. I do not think that Lebanon ever will; the memory of the Qana massacre (and of many other Israeli massacres) are too fresh in Lebanese minds.

Yes, I was assured that Hassan Fattah of the New York Times, and graduate of the New Republic School of Arab/Muslim Studies, is the same Hassan Fattah who edited the Iraq Today publication in Iraq after the US invasion. Chris tells me that the publication was not pro-occupation, but I have heard otherwise. I have to see it to judge. But then again, I can judge by reading his dispatches in the Times.

Today, I heard that the Bush administration is taking credit for the construction of the pyramids of Egypt.