...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
Special Coordinator for Leb
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has commenced an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start..., her office said on Tuesday.
The trip is part of the Special Coordinator's ''ongoing consultations with regional and international stakeholders which focus, among other issues, on opportunities for the international community to support Lebanon in its efforts to advance the centrality and role of the State and to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),'' the office added in a statement.