Lebanon turmoil and what must be done: Arab Radio June 30, 2021

Lebanon turmoil the focus on Arab Radio Show

Season 1, Episode 13

#ArabRadio host Ray Hanania talks with American Task Force on Lebanon President Ed Gabriel and Arab News Gulf Regional Manager Sarah Sfeir on the show June 30, 2021 in Detroit and Washington DC

Radio Show Guests/Topics. Wednesday June 30, 2021 at 8 AM EST. We have a great lineup of guests and topics this morning … This morning’s topic is Lebanon.

We’ve seen turmoil consume Lebanon over the past few years … this week the government lifted fuel subsidies and gasoline prices jumped more than 35 percent … which is a huge and prohibitive increase …. Almost a year ago, Beirut witnessed a massive explosion at its port … one that many believed was somehow tied to Hezbollah

 

The gross domestic product has dropped more than 20 percent and the Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value against the U.S. Dollar … there’s a banking crisis, too, in a city that was once the world’s jewel …

Anyone who has been to Lebanon knows how beautiful that country is and remembers the elegance and magic of Beirut … but today things seem bleak …

A bright side is that the famous singer Fayrouz who is 86 years old turned to social media and sent a selfie of herself with her daughter Rima on Twitter maybe reminding people that despite the challenges Lebanon has a brilliant and beautiful culture and people … it gave everyone in Lebanon I’m told a mental boost …

We’re going to look at all that with two individuals who love Lebanon and who understand those challenges

Ed Gabriel president of the American Task Force on Lebanon and former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco from 1997-2001 and Lebanon analyst and Arab News Gulf regional manager Sarah Sfeir based in Lebanon

But first … we’re going to take a quick break here at “The Ray Hanania Show brought to you by Arab News at ArabNews.com on the US Arab Radio Network …

We’re broadcasting live on WNZK AM 690 in Greater Detroit and WDMV AM 700 in Greater Washington DC … and streamed live on Facebook.com/ArabNews and also on ArabRadio.US

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Get the podcast at ArabNews.com/RayRadioShow

Show summary:

On this week’s show, Ray Hanania held a discussion with Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon and former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco from 1997-2001, and Sarah Sfeir, Lebanon analyst and Arab News Gulf regional manager based in Lebanon, on the turmoil consuming Lebanon over the past few years. They discussed the tough conditions Lebanese citizens must endure and how the people elected to help them have become the problem. Through the American Task Force on Lebanon and Secretary Blinken there has been a push to focus on the corruption occurring in the Lebanese government. The ATFL believes, according to Ed Gabriel, that three immediate actions should be taken.

1.     The U.S. should take leadership with other foreign countries on a common plan to help Lebanon.

2.     Increase humanitarian aid through nonprofit organizations so the money is not lost to the corrupt government.

3.     Support the Lebanese armed forces.

The U.S. has already joined together with France to put pressure on the Lebanese government although nothing is being done on the ground. Hanania, Gabriel and Sfeir agreed that there needs to be an international mobilization to help Lebanon and one of the first steps needs to be a reform in the Lebanese government.

You can hear the show in Detroit on WNZK AM 690 radio (8 AM and 5 PM EST), in Washington DC on WDMV AM 700 Radio (8 AM EST) AND watch it live stream on Facebook.com/ArabNews as well as on the US Arab Radio Network at ArabRadio.us.