Lebanon Archives - Arab Digest

Hezbollah and the Beirut blast probe

18 October 202118 October 2021William LawArab Digest EmailHezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon

Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah will go to any lengths to prevent the truth about the 4 August 2020 Beirut harbour blast emerging into the light.

Organised Crime in the Middle East and North Africa

4 October 2021William LawArab Digest EmailBahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Organised crime, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Yemen

A new report on organised crime around the world indicates Arab countries are amongst the world’s biggest offenders, with states in conflict or post-conflict at the bottom of the list.

The Beirut explosion: are Israel and Hezbollah responsible?

4 August 20214 August 2021William LawArab Digest EmailBeirut blast, France, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Syria

On the one year anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, no conclusions have been reached as to what caused it but an Arab Digest member who witnessed the explosion believes that both the Israelis and Hezbollah are to blame. Meanwhile a significant detail has emerged about the amount of ammonium nitrate stored in the port at the time of the blast.

The Beirut explosion: are Israel and Hezbollah responsible?

20 July 2021William LawArab Digest EmailHezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, USA

Nearly a year on from the Beirut port explosion, no conclusions have been reached as to what caused it but an Arab Digest member who witnessed the explosion believes that both the Israelis and Hezbollah are to blame.

The narco-barons of Syria

16 June 2021William LawArab Digest EmailCaptagon, Iran, Lebanon, Syria

The Assad family and Hezbollah have used the Syrian civil war to build a thriving industry in illicit drugs and in doing so have turned the country into a narco-state

Lebanon: no government and no answers

6 May 20216 May 2021William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Lebanon

Rather than find the truth about the devastating Beirut harbour explosion, the political elite ducks the issue while continuing to squabble over forming a government.

Pivoting Away

4 May 20211 June 2021William LawArab Digest EmailAfghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Israel, JCPOA, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, USA, Yemen

With the US pivoting to Asia, the actions of regional players may be the key to helping to stabilise the Middle East.

Covid and MENA tourism

29 April 2021William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE

Tourism is a crucial economic sector for MENA that has been ravaged by the Covid pandemic and recovery is still a long way off.

MENA facing a climate cataclysm

21 April 202121 April 2021William LawArab Digest Emailclimate change, Covid-19, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen

Summary: the Middle East and North Africa is a crucial battleground in the global struggle to contain the damage climate change is inflicting but time is fast running out for countries in the region to take concerted action.

Regional security: how the GCC could play a role

7 April 2021William LawArab Digest EmailChina, GCC, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, UAE, USA, Yemen

Opportunity beckons for a MENA regional security initiative but it requires a leadership role from the GCC.