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Sunday, February 27, 2005

Last Sunday, February 20, 2005

The pictures below were taken last Sunday after church. Several of us walked over to the bomb site for a look see. There were so many cars going to drive by, we could cross the road between them with no problem. They were at a stand still. Traffic was incessant. Between then and today much has happened. See entry below pictures.


The west side of the Phoenicia Hotel with all the windows boarded up. This is one block from the bomb site. Posted by Hello


The actual bomb site right in front of the gray car on the left. The other cars were still there one week later, covered with plastic since all the windows were blown out in the blast. In the background between the palm tree trunk and the building just to the left is the Mediterranean Sea.Posted by Hello


Long distance view of bomb site. Posted by Hello


View of the St. Georges Hotel from the balcony of my church. Posted by Hello


The St. George Hotel from a half a block away.The other side has more damage. Posted by Hello


The wire structure used to support a huge banner, but now it dangles in front of the building. Posted by Hello


The Truth & Honesty Petition. I signed just between the words Citizens of Lebanon. This is located at the bomb site and is visited nightly by thousands during candlelight vigils. Posted by Hello

The Day Before

This is the day before the government and the country will close for at least 24 hours. Monday, February 28, the opposition party and the pro-Syrian gov't will meet at Parliament to discuss the mess the country is in. All this past week there have been demonstrations, rallies, protests, meetings and more meetings. The bomb site hosts a candlelight vigil every night at 7 PM; thousands are still paying their respects at the grave site daily/nightly.
There is the feeling that if someone so well protected as Hariri was, with six body guards and an armored car, can be killed at any time then any of the next-in-line leaders' lives are in danger also. Walid Jumblatt, whose father was killed nearly 25 years ago in similar circumstances, is supposed to be the second in line. He was taken out of Beirut this past week and kept at his home in the Chouf Mountains for his own safety. But Monday he will have to appear in Parliament as MP and as leader of the opposition. Perhaps the next in line after Jumblatt is Akram Chehayeb, also an MP, who is the president of the school board here at our school and whose son is our head accountant. There is also talk that Hariri's oldest son, Saadeddine (Saad, for short), would be a good leader but that is yet to be determined.
There has been no additional violence but no one knows what to expect tomorrow. Americans are NOT the target in this mess so we are fairly safe here in the mountain on the school compound where we live behind fencing and gates that are guarded 24/7.
I will post as news occurs so check often if you are interested.