In today’s news bulletin:
• Will Hale’s mission Wednesday be restricted to advising against amending southern demarcation?
• Draft list of those subject to European sanctions is ready. Nominees are below senior level.
• Eight months after the Beirut Port blast, will the economy ministry make insurance companies compensate?
• Regional and world interest in Lebanon deepens by the day as senior foreign delegates visit Beirut on a regular basis. According to sources, US Under-Secretary of State David Hale will visit Beirut Wednesday. A visit labeled crucial in its timing and prospects as the already complicated Lebanese situation gets worse and fundamental crisis threatens the vitals of the state.
• The most persistent problem remains the Cabinet formation deadlock, however as with any other visible problem, lies behind it much more dangerous and deeper hurdles, such as the economic and financial crisis and the southern maritime border demarcation. Add to that the Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Will Hale address these issues in his upcoming visit? What will be the approach? Will he be delivering US messages on those subjects or will he just be probing the field?
• Until now there are no clear answers to all those sensitive questions, even though the logical conclusion would be that Hale’s main aim is the southern border demarcation for he was the poster child of this file in the US administration. Will his message be not to alter any part of the deal reached by Speaker Nabih Berri.
• Pending all of the above, the Lebanese remain the victims of massive social and economic crises while some politicians await potential European sanctions that might hit them. Are politicians aware of the setback they brought upon us? Are they aware that because of their incompetence we are once again a filed for global actors to set their scores on while the Lebanese cannot even make ends meet?