End of the 40 days of Mourning

The latest twist in the fate of Lebanon finds the country and its people brought once again to their knees by foreign powers. With the Arab Summit approaching (ironically being held in Damascus), the main topic of discussion is supposed to be how to end the stalemate in Lebanon. This will prove to be an extreme challenge with the Lebanese delegation absent at the Arab League event. Other Arab countries have threatened to boycott the event if Lebanon does not have a president. Since there has been no signs of a deal, it would seem these countries will have to make good on their threats.

While this topic is worth reflecting on, I would rather take a minute to discuss the current threat of conflict, the new potential Israeli-Lebanese War. One could say that this new war began in February with the assassination of Imad Moughnieh.

I remember hearing on February 13th that Imad Moughnieh was assassinated in Damascus. My initial reaction was of pure shock because I knew how covert this guy was in all his movements and activities. He was so good at keeping on the down low that many intelligence agencies didn't even have a photograph of him.

He was killed in a carbomb assassination, which Hizballah holds Israel responsible for and has guaranteed retaliation for this loss. Israel has told Hizballah and Syria through different diplomatic messengers that it will retaliate for any retaliatory attack.

In the end, this leaves Lebanon staring down another potential war that will push the country to the brink of internal and external breakdown. The real question is when will the foreign powers open the gates of hell?