Calm in Beirut

This city must be unique in the World in that, one week of near civil war can be followed by a week of total calm with people living their lives as if nothing happened.

After an Arab League delegation toured the various mansions of faction leaders here in Beirut, a deal was brokered to return to the negotiating table, but this time in Doha, Qatar. Two airplanes took off yesterday from Hariri International Airport, one full of the Majority and the other with the Opposition (of course Nasrallah stayed "at home" (Iranian Embassy in Beirut) due to security concerns and sent 3 Hezbollah representatives instead).

In October last year, after postponing the election of a president for a few times (the number is now at 19!), I recieved this photo of a clothes store in Beirut. I wonder if they kept that sales deal on since then!

In Beirut all is back to normal, roads have been unblocked and the airport is open again. There is still however many soldiers and tanks on street corners, which is something one has to get used to here.

I have been going to work every day this week as operations have resumed at UNRWA. Therefore lot's of work and late nights.