Lebanon's Tragedy

"Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, used to be affectionately called the Paris of the Middle East. But that was more than 30 years ago, before sectarian strife among Christians and Sunni and Shiite Muslims almost tore the country apart.

Lebanon's neighbor Syria at first was welcomed when its troops entered the country some 30 years ago to restore order in the civil war. Since then, however, Syria has been a bully in Lebanese politics and apparently the instigator of the murder of several Lebanese politicians opposed to it. In response, Hezbollah--the pro-Syrian political and terrorist group--has waged massive street demonstrations aiming to bring down the Siniora government.

Poor Lebanon. With a neighbor like Syria, what chance does Beirut have of being Paris again?"

—By David Aikman
Townhall.com