Lebanon: Hanoi or Hong Kong??

This marks the first day of the cease-fire and the displaced Lebanese could not wait to go back to their destroyed towns and neighborhoods. At 8 Am sharp the cars where lined up towards Nabatieh, Tyre and further South. People are driving back from Syria to their homes in the Bekaa. Amazing spirit! Cars full of happy faces were heading back to the unknown...

I watched the Lebanese TV stations filming families searching the rebels in and eerie Dahie-South Beirut, for remnants of family photos, papers, clothes, books and kitchenwear. A couple, husband and wife, climbed the torn in half building wanting to get whatever they can from their apartment on the 5th floor. Around two hundred buildings that housed thousands of families were destroyed.

Since most of the US media networks pick and choose what to show us, insulting our intelligence at times, I have to rely on few Arabic channels that show the reality on the ground. Yes, I can do away with the rethorics on al-jazeerah and other Arabic channels. However the live shots from Lebanon speak volume. The destruction is devastating...

Lebanon is at a cross-road now: Would Hezbollah stick to its Hanoi choice of armed struggle? Or would the other leaders be wise enough to bring Lebanon on the way back of its Hong Kong path?

In the pictures of destruction I see show Hanoi, but the resolve of the Lebanese shows Hong Kong.