Advancing Lebanon’s Energy Sector, Learning from the UAE
The Lebanese are exhausted from the lack of follow-through on government commitments to rebuild the country’s power sector. The mistrust...
Lebanon Shows Weak Rankings in Terms of Readiness for Change, Human Capital Development, and Support
The recent weekly summary on the Lebanese economy published by the Byblos Bank Economic Research and Analysis Department carried a story...
Does Lebanon Have an Economic Growth Strategy?
Lebanon has finally caught up with Israel in rankings; in this case it is negative, being tied for second place in the world for water...
Government Stand-off may end this week. Exploring US-Russian Interests in Syria – Possible Collabora
The stalemate that has frozen cabinet meetings – and any movement on actions to proceed with the government’s legislative agenda – may...
Adoption of New Budget Welcomed but Deemed Insufficient as a “Reform” Budget
While the government can be congratulated on finally adopting a 2019 budget, the verdict from economists and analysts is unanimous: “nice...
Lebanon: Beware the Bear
There are those in Lebanon who believe that Russia is a friend that needs to be cultivated, hence the sweetheart deal on the oil storage...
Lebanese youth on their country and their future; Reflecting on the economic crisis that is Lebanon
As criticism grows among various political elites in Lebanon over rising sectarian strains that erupted recently in violence, a recent...
So what’s New Lebanon? Where are you Headed?
Our recent ATFL delegation to Lebanon was a chance to listen and assess in four areas: the economy/national budget, the Syrian refugees,...
Budget Debate Exposes Lebanon’s Lack of an Efficient Economic Strategy
The American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) will soon visit Lebanon to discuss issues affecting US-Lebanon relations. Members of the...
The US role in the Middle East is eroding as Russia gains traction with all regional players, except
The US has yet to make a determination if Syria used chemical weapons in its attacks in Idlib province against al Qaeda-linked Islamic...
No Room for Dissent: Get on Board or Be Pushed out of the Middle East Deal of the Century
I usually don’t write about US-Palestine relations. We are now in the 52nd year after the 1967 Six-Day War, which is the baseline for my...
Russian Strides across the Mediterranean Reflect Diverse Interests
For Putin watchers in the Middle East and the US trying to discern a core strategic thrust to Russian policy in the region, the...
Arab Youth Survey 2019 – How Do Lebanon and the Levant Stack Up?
Around this time each year, a major survey measuring attitudes among Arab youth is published. This year, it involved face-to-face...
