Monday, December 25, 2017

The Hariri Story in the New York Times

I am glad that part of the Hariri story is out but: 1) there is not much hue and cry over the story that the Lebanese Prime Minister was arrested, abused, and forced to read a resignation statement which was written for him.  Can you imagine the reaction if the Syrian or Iranian regimes were to arrest a Lebanese prime minister and force him to read a resignation letter?  2) there is nothing in the New York Times story which was NOT published in Al-Akhbar in Arabic within days after his arrest in Saudi Arabia.  The only new detail provided that he was "manhandled".  3) what do you think of a political leader who does not even dare say that he was detained by the Saudi regime and even calls for "excellent relations" between Lebanon and the regime which abused him.  He reminds me of his father who used to call for "best" relations with the Syrian regime while privately complaining about the Syrian regime.  Political courage is inherited sometimes.