Iran’s regional chess game exposes US confusion
Nadim Shehadi
January 27, 2021 23:25
Negotiators of Iran and six world powers face each other at a table in the historic basement of Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna, April 24, 2015. (Reuters)
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On the day that Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in Baghdad last January, he was a field commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), moving across borders between Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, which for him were the same theater of operation. In fact, what seem like failed states in the region can be considered successful IRGC operations. In Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, what seem like unrelated organizations operate under the same banner. They gain control using similar methods, including assassinations, paralysis, economic collapse, a constant state of crisis, and ideologically fueled violence. By ignoring the actions of the IRGC in negotiations with Iran, Tehran c
Lebanon Fast Facts
elisfkc2 / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Here is a look at Lebanon, a Middle Eastern country bordering Syria, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.
About Lebanon
Area: 10,400 sq km (slightly larger than Connecticut)
Population: 5,261,372 (July 2021 est.)
Median age: 33.7 years
Religion: Muslim 61.1%, Christian 33.7%, Druze 5.2% (2018 est.)
Timeline
1918 – After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, France gains control of the area that comprises modern-day Lebanon.
November 1943 – Lebanon proclaims independence.
1948-1975 – A large number of Palestinian refugees settle in Lebanon after the creation of Israel in May 1948. The frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters unsettle the country. Also at times, the Lebanese army fights battles against the Palestinians, causing further unrest.
Lebanon Fast Facts
Here is a look at Lebanon, a Middle Eastern country bordering Syria, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.
About Lebanon
Area: 10,400 sq km (slightly larger than Connecticut)
Population: 5,261,372 (July 2021 est.)
Median age: 33.7 years
Religion: Muslim 61.1%, Christian 33.7%, Druze 5.2% (2018 est.)
Timeline
1918 – After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, France gains control of the area that comprises modern-day Lebanon.
November 1943 – Lebanon proclaims independence.
1948-1975 – A large number of Palestinian refugees settle in Lebanon after the creation of Israel in May 1948. The frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters unsettle the country. Also at times, the Lebanese army fights battles against the Palestinians, causing further unrest.
Religion: Muslim 61.1%, Christian 33.7%, Druze 5.2% (2018 est.)
Timeline
1918 – After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, France gains control of the area that comprises modern-day Lebanon.
November 1943 – Lebanon proclaims independence.
1948-1975 – A large number of Palestinian refugees settle in Lebanon after the creation of Israel in May 1948. The frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters unsettle the country. Also at times, the Lebanese army fights battles against the Palestinians, causing further unrest.
July-October 1958 – US forces help to control civil unrest.
1975 – Civil war breaks out.
1976 – At the invitation of the Lebanese government, Syria sends troops, called the Arab Deterrent Force, to help end the civil war.
El Oudal Mensiyye
(The Forgotten Room, 1969).
A true musical maverick, despite working with celebrated mainstream artists Rahbani was one of the pioneers of alternative and underground music in Lebanon. Early in his career, he experimented with the latest electronic instruments, and was one of the first to use synthesisers in Arabic music.
He also introduced contemporary international music trends to Lebanon, exploring genres such as ye-ye, psych-rock, 60s pop, Franco-Arab, Latin, beat and chansons.
In the 60s and 70s, he wrote and produced some of the country’s most innovative records, frequently collaborating with upcoming artists. Some of them found short-lived fame, such as Lebanese-Armenian psych-rock band The News, while others became established names like Maya Casabianca, Manuel and Sammy Clark.