Ghassan Charbel

I asked the man who is in the thick of it for his assessment of the situation in southern Lebanon. He replied: "Part of our territory is occupied. It is a hostage in the hands of the Israeli army. I wish the Lebanese army were capable of recovering the occupied land by its own forces, but that is…

In South Lebanon, visitors are overcome by many bitter feelings. These feelings begin with advice not to approach the "occupied zone" too closely. How harsh it is to hear that the border villages within it are no longer villages but mass graves of rubble. How dreadful it is to live as the Israeli…

If the American-Iranian memorandum of understanding is worthy of the name it was given, why is this happening? Why does the US continue its punitive strikes on targets in Iran in response to the latter's attacks on ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz? Why does Iran continue its assaults…

Baghdad is witnessing thunderous chapters of the war on corruption. Factual reports are mixed with fabrications, and accurate images with doctored pictures. The Baghdadis’ schadenfreude over the fall of the “big catches” has been loud and public. They watch the news: piles of dollars buried inside…

The image he posted on his social media site, Truth Social, speaks volumes. Donald Trump is wrapped in the American flag, carrying a model of the globe on his shoulders. An image can be worth a thousand words. The message is clear. The man in the picture believes he bears the burdens of the entire…

The Iranian revolution was born out of the conflict with the “Great Satan.” Imam Khomeini’s approval of taking the American hostages at their country’s embassy in Tehran was akin to blowing up the bridges. The actual first shot of the war was the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983…

I feel the weight of geography every time I visit Amman. Jordan’s fate is to adapt to it. This is difficult when your neighbor’s name is Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon, or Benjamin Netanyahu, when your other neighbors happen to be Saddam Hussein, with his wars and recklessness, and then the factions,…

I asked a friend, a diplomat in Moscow, about the scale of Russian losses in Ukraine. He replied that discussing this matter is forbidden, and that the figure is considered a state secret. Russia is different from America, he explained. The mother of a soldier killed in the war, for example, does…

The world’s attention is fixed on the Strait of Hormuz, which may have become the most famous hostage in history. Blockage of this artery would make the global economy gravely ill. That is why Iran is demanding the heftiest ransom in history for its release. It is also why it could be said that the…

A memorandum of understanding is not a wedding invitation. It is neither a declaration of victory nor a surrender. Many devils will arise once the table expands to address the details. The negotiators will swallow doses of poison on behalf of those whom they represent, if they choose not to resume…