| I hadn't been since January, 2007.
Back then, as the "presidential crisis" got underway and standoff and strikes made mayhem of whatever small sanity the assassinations and summer war had left people, it was as some of you may recall...
   
Today: much different.
Where Hariri was killed in 2005, the street re-paved, a monument built.
before
after 
Where bridges were bombed by Israel in the summer war: now rebuilt, or getting there.
before
after 
And in many places, I noticed, provocations subtly removed -- from sight if not from memory!
before 
after 
Overall a different Beirut, not exactly August '04 (from which my hangover still vaguely lingers...!) but something like that. Shukran li Qatar!, as the signs say: the Doha Agreement seems to have "done the trick" for now at least.
 
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| Mm... I think you probably have to click on this to make it legible.
search terms: driving directions to american embassy doha qatar
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| Put away the NYT, kids, your answer to objective regional reporting has now arrived:
www.iloveqatar.net -- "All about our little paradise"
Fortunately for this new gem of a news source -- #2 entry under Facts: "Many women in the Gulf say they prefer Qatari men" -- competition should be minimal from the much better-known www.qatarsucks.com, currently inaccessible to thus of us inside the country.
Error message, if you try to reach it: "This site has been BLOCKED as the content contains materials which are prohibited in the State of Qatar."
Hmm... perhaps a series of testimonials to the prowess of KUWAITI men??
Check it out for me if you have a sec, I want to know what I am missing! |
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Al Huwara checkpoint, Nablus |
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