Lebanese team refuses to share bus with the Israeli team to the opening ceremonies.

[Lucy Hamilton]

Lebanon SHOULD BE GREAT-----it was once great----just the word LEBANON in Hebrew poetry-------is kinda poetic.

I was in Lebanon for 3 months, Aug-Oct 1958 on Operation Blue Bat during the Civil War. They had a Christian President who was pro-Western. The Muslims were trying to Islamize the country and the President called on the US for help. I was only in Beirut but the people were great except for the Muslims who foul everything they touch. The athletes aren't representative of the Lebanese I have known over the years. And it's a shame that they don't observe the spirit of the Olympics which came about as a respite from war. Someone should teach them what the Olympics stand for.

The Christian President that you refer to could be Fuad Chehab, he was a Maronite, Eastern Catholic, he was President from 1958-1973 or it could be Camille Chamoun, he also was a Maronite, he was President from 1952-1958.

This is Camille Chamoun, pictured during Easter Mass.

His Presidential photograph.

I think though it was Camille Chamoun, because there was a mega crisis about the 1957 Parliamentary election and several pro-Arab ministers were fired by Camille Chamoun, this started a violent Muslim revolt and then in mid-1958 it all was getting out of hand. To help put down the Muslim uprising he asked President Eisenhower for assistance and he sent US Marines to Beirut, so you were one of them of course.

Fuad Chehab, did play a key role because he was Commander of the Lebanon Armed Forces.

In late 1958 Camille Chamoun died of a heart attack and Fuad Chehab was appointed President.

This is Fuad Chehab.

Some members of my family spent a few years living in Beirut, this was between about 1954-1956, and they have moving films in wonderful 1950s colour of their time in Beirut and also around other regions of Lebanon and it all looks so elegant and glamorous, and so do they, my family are elegant and glamorous, um, where was I? Oh yes, how tragic Lebanon had to be ruined in such a way.

Here are some photographs of Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East in the 1950s.

Avenue des Français.

Place de L'Etoile.

Martyr's Square.

Martyr's Square.

President Chamoun was in office when I arrived. He came to the airport which my unit was guarding on an inspection visit. He was a big handsome man. And yes Beirut was a beautiful city.

The political party that Camille Chamoun founded, now lead by his son Dory.

National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His other son Dany was assassinated in 1990, along with his wife Ingrid, who was German and their two young sons aged 7 years-old and 5 years-old, they were all machine-gunned, their 11 month-old daughter was unharmed. This is the danger that Christian's who are political leaders face in Lebanon.

Dany Chamoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

 

[aris2chat]

I was in Lebanon for 3 months, Aug-Oct 1958 on Operation Blue Bat during the Civil War. They had a Christian President who was pro-Western. The Muslims were trying to Islamize the country and the President called on the US for help. I was only in Beirut but the people were great except for the Muslims who foul everything they touch. The athletes aren't representative of the Lebanese I have known over the years. And it's a shame that they don't observe the spirit of the Olympics which came about as a respite from war. Someone should teach them what the Olympics stand for.

The Christian President that you refer to could be Fuad Chehab, he was a Maronite, Eastern Catholic, he was President from 1958-1973 or it could be Camille Chamoun, he also was a Maronite, he was President from 1952-1958.

This is Camille Chamoun, pictured during Easter Mass.

His Presidential photograph.

I think though it was Camille Chamoun, because there was a mega crisis about the 1957 Parliamentary election and several pro-Arab ministers were fired by Camille Chamoun, this started a violent Muslim revolt and then in mid-1958 it all was getting out of hand. To help put down the Muslim uprising he asked President Eisenhower for assistance and he sent US Marines to Beirut, so you were one of them of course.

Fuad Chehab, did play a key role because he was Commander of the Lebanon Armed Forces.

In late 1958 Camille Chamoun died of a heart attack and Fuad Chehab was appointed President.

This is Fuad Chehab.

Some members of my family spent a few years living in Beirut, this was between about 1954-1956, and they have moving films in wonderful 1950s colour of their time in Beirut and also around other regions of Lebanon and it all looks so elegant and glamorous, and so do they, my family are elegant and glamorous, um, where was I? Oh yes, how tragic Lebanon had to be ruined in such a way.

Here are some photographs of Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East in the 1950s.

Avenue des Français.

Place de L'Etoile.

Martyr's Square.

Martyr's Square.

President Chamoun was in office when I arrived. He came to the airport which my unit was guarding on an inspection visit. He was a big handsome man. And yes Beirut was a beautiful city.

The political party that Camille Chamoun founded, now lead by his son Dory.

National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His other son Dany was assassinated in 1990, along with his wife Ingrid, who was German and their two young sons aged 7 years-old and 5 years-old, they were all machine-gunned, their 11 month-old daughter was unharmed. This is the danger that Christian's who are political leaders face in Lebanon.

Dany Chamoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

Till the end of '82. Grew up, university and worked there. Still have relatives and friends there.

My brother is going back in two weeks for a wedding.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

The Christian President that you refer to could be Fuad Chehab, he was a Maronite, Eastern Catholic, he was President from 1958-1973 or it could be Camille Chamoun, he also was a Maronite, he was President from 1952-1958.

This is Camille Chamoun, pictured during Easter Mass.

His Presidential photograph.

I think though it was Camille Chamoun, because there was a mega crisis about the 1957 Parliamentary election and several pro-Arab ministers were fired by Camille Chamoun, this started a violent Muslim revolt and then in mid-1958 it all was getting out of hand. To help put down the Muslim uprising he asked President Eisenhower for assistance and he sent US Marines to Beirut, so you were one of them of course.

Fuad Chehab, did play a key role because he was Commander of the Lebanon Armed Forces.

In late 1958 Camille Chamoun died of a heart attack and Fuad Chehab was appointed President.

This is Fuad Chehab.

Some members of my family spent a few years living in Beirut, this was between about 1954-1956, and they have moving films in wonderful 1950s colour of their time in Beirut and also around other regions of Lebanon and it all looks so elegant and glamorous, and so do they, my family are elegant and glamorous, um, where was I? Oh yes, how tragic Lebanon had to be ruined in such a way.

Here are some photographs of Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East in the 1950s.

Avenue des Français.

Place de L'Etoile.

Martyr's Square.

Martyr's Square.

President Chamoun was in office when I arrived. He came to the airport which my unit was guarding on an inspection visit. He was a big handsome man. And yes Beirut was a beautiful city.

The political party that Camille Chamoun founded, now lead by his son Dory.

National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His other son Dany was assassinated in 1990, along with his wife Ingrid, who was German and their two young sons aged 7 years-old and 5 years-old, they were all machine-gunned, their 11 month-old daughter was unharmed. This is the danger that Christian's who are political leaders face in Lebanon.

Dany Chamoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

Till the end of '82. Grew up, university and worked there. Still have relatives and friends there.

My brother is going back in two weeks for a wedding.

So you would have witnessed the first years of the Civil War, how interesting this is.

 

[aris2chat]

Olympic news.....
US women win gold in gymnastics
Women divers are using pool with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Pool was clear for the men divers yesterday.

Planning for these games was a mess

 

[aris2chat]

President Chamoun was in office when I arrived. He came to the airport which my unit was guarding on an inspection visit. He was a big handsome man. And yes Beirut was a beautiful city.

The political party that Camille Chamoun founded, now lead by his son Dory.

National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His other son Dany was assassinated in 1990, along with his wife Ingrid, who was German and their two young sons aged 7 years-old and 5 years-old, they were all machine-gunned, their 11 month-old daughter was unharmed. This is the danger that Christian's who are political leaders face in Lebanon.

Dany Chamoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

Till the end of '82. Grew up, university and worked there. Still have relatives and friends there.

My brother is going back in two weeks for a wedding.

So you would have witnessed the first years of the Civil War, how interesting this is.

I was a liaison between the palestinians, factions, UN and the US embassy. I wrote a report for the UN, Lebanese government and Kahn commission after the assassination and camp cleansing of fighters days later. I had access because of friendships with people in each and no political ties, as well as ability to get through check points most could not. I returned for a visit a year later and not been back since.

I miss what I used to know. Now I'd get lost just going from the airport to where we lived it has changed so much.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Oh, the Olympics failed years ago, they're all professionals, now ever professional boxers are in the ring. You have golfers getting annoyed that only the best golfers from a nation are allowed to compete, that companies aren't allowed to advertise etc etc.

The Olympic spirit? Vodka for the Russians who can't go because they were not caught doping, but American cheats caught TWICE are there.....

You're comparing a system of cheating to isolated occurrences. Pretty lame.

Being caught twice is not isolated.

Sport's top ten most notorious drug cheats

Top drug cheats.

Lance Armstrong - American
Floyd Landis - American
Marion Jones - American
Mark McGwire - American

Four out of the top ten here are American. There are others not included, Justine Gatlin, Tyson Gay etc etc.

Or is this just how things work, loads of Russians get caught it's a system of cheating, loads of Americans get caught it's just isolated incidents? You don't think there isn't a system of cheating going on in US sport that has led to so many athletes, especially in athletics, being caught, and caught more than once in many instances?

Who's there to say it isn't a system of cheating but Russia's is?

You want to talk circles around this; but there was one country that systematically cheated. There's a reason why the IOC came down hard on the Russians. You don't take that sh** lightly.

I'm not saying the Russians didn't cheat, that isn't my point at all.

The point is if you want to come down hard on cheaters, come down hard on cheaters. However there are double standards going on. A guy who's been caught TWICE cheating is in the games. Why? When Russians who may never have cheated can't go.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Right...

Remember that the Earth was the center of the universe and the Sun revolved around the Earth was a "common knowledge concept" once upon a time. Probably still is in the South.

It never was in the South.

Classic: You trying to call out people as ignorant while being ignorant.

So in the South they're not quite religious and more willing to believe in the Bible than in fact?

Oh, wait, my ignorance appears to be based on fact, the Deep South being the most religious.

Two state with creationism all over the place, both in the South

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

The political party that Camille Chamoun founded, now lead by his son Dory.

National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His other son Dany was assassinated in 1990, along with his wife Ingrid, who was German and their two young sons aged 7 years-old and 5 years-old, they were all machine-gunned, their 11 month-old daughter was unharmed. This is the danger that Christian's who are political leaders face in Lebanon.

Dany Chamoun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

Till the end of '82. Grew up, university and worked there. Still have relatives and friends there.

My brother is going back in two weeks for a wedding.

So you would have witnessed the first years of the Civil War, how interesting this is.

I was a liaison between the palestinians, factions, UN and the US embassy. I wrote a report for the UN, Lebanese government and Kahn commission after the assassination and camp cleansing of fighters days later. I had access because of friendships with people in each and no political ties, as well as ability to get through check points most could not. I returned for a visit a year later and not been back since.

I miss what I used to know. Now I'd get lost just going from the airport to where we lived it has changed so much.

This is very fascinating stuff, you should write more about this, about your time in Lebanon, it'd be good to read.

 

[aris2chat]

Same person that help raise Dany's child also helped raise Bashir's children. He was my neighbor and schoolmate.

Youmna and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter named after the older sister Maya who was killed in a car bomb meant for her father Bashir. Nadim is a very proud uncle and Solange a beaming grandmother.

So did you live in Beirut at the time you refer to your neighbour and schoolmate?

Till the end of '82. Grew up, university and worked there. Still have relatives and friends there.

My brother is going back in two weeks for a wedding.

So you would have witnessed the first years of the Civil War, how interesting this is.

I was a liaison between the palestinians, factions, UN and the US embassy. I wrote a report for the UN, Lebanese government and Kahn commission after the assassination and camp cleansing of fighters days later. I had access because of friendships with people in each and no political ties, as well as ability to get through check points most could not. I returned for a visit a year later and not been back since.

I miss what I used to know. Now I'd get lost just going from the airport to where we lived it has changed so much.

This is very fascinating stuff, you should write more about this, about your time in Lebanon, it'd be good to read.

Over the years I have written a lot about it. I also like to keep some facts private for safety reasons.
I grew up in a middle of politics, military and business leaders not just in the middle east but around the world through my father and as friends in school.
The one thing my parents insisted on was that I only have an american passport and a Lebanese citizenship card.
I was raised with more freedom than most boys and never excluded from "adult" gatherings and parties.
I was given exceptional opportunities and skilled in sports, arts and education. Traveled the world a number of times. I even made it to top regional sports competitions, but not all the way to the Olympics, in a number of sports both summer and winter.
BS in Religious studies and Anthropology and a BA in History. I was taught basic medicine during the war by a neighbor from the floor below us, she was a nurse practitioner. I also studied alternative medicine in later years.
I owned and sold a number of businesses. I've been a guest lecturer several times at schools and universities. I've also been an advocate for rights both in the US and around the world.

That is the nut shell version.

 

[basquebromance]

Lebanon is for jerks and lesbians

 

[aris2chat]

Lebanon is for jerks and lesbians

someone who knows nothing about the country

Only in the last couple of years has it not been illegal, on the books, but it used to be a death sentence for PDA, but in private many moderate communities turned a blind eye. Children are still killed by parents in radical or orthodox families.

 

[basquebromance]

are Jew kidding me

 

[basquebromance]

LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL! LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL! LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL!

DOWN GOES THE JEW!

 

[aris2chat]

LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL! LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL! LEBANON BEATS ISRAEL!

DOWN GOES THE JEW!

lebanon would have to be willing to compete with israel before they can "beat" them