Lebanon

32 Years After Civil War, Mundane Moments Trigger Awful Memories

“Cards was my childhood, how can I hate it?” Raoul said recently. “And I was the best.” One night, as Raoul slept — his bedroom window had the dining table nailed to it, to protect against snipers — bombing started. His mother cried out for him, looking frantically until they found Raoul, then 5, crying […]

On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Built on the ashes of 10 years of war in Syria, an illegal drug industry run by powerful associates and relatives of President Bashar al-Assad has grown into a multibillion-dollar operation, eclipsing Syria’s legal exports and turning the country into the world’s newest narcostate. Its flagship product is captagon, an illegal, addictive […]

George Kordahi Resigns Under Saudi Pressure

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Lebanese minister whose criticism of the Saudi-led war in Yemen prompted a diplomatic rift between Lebanon and powerful Persian Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, resigned from his post on Friday, saying he hoped it would solve a crisis that has further damaged his country’s struggling economy. George Kordahi, the information […]