Jim Ellinger's Austin Airwaves TravelBlog

This just in from Beirut:

Greetings from tense Beirut on the eve of the first















mass demonstration to bring down the Lebanese







government since the assassination of the Christian,







anti-Syrian Industry Minister.















More than a million Muslim, Hezbollah, and







pro-Syrian demonstrators will attempt to bring















the city to a halt tomorrow at dawn. Their stated goal







is to bring down the current gov't because they feel















it is not legitimate. The details of how the Lebenase















gov't's power and positions are divided up between















the various factions are wa-aaay too complicated to















go into here.

Already the streets are filling with young kids,















bedrolls under arms, heading to and fro, a few















carloads of kids, waving Hezbollah flags are















driving around honking their horns.































But they are avoiding the heavily militarized















areas around downtown and the gov't offices.































"Security Forces Tighten Grip on Beirut" is















the banner headline of today's Daily Star, the















English daily here. The President has vowed to















stay in town to "prevent civil war."































Remember, this is Beirut, a city that suffered















15 long years of "crisis."































Folks are clearly worried. Soldiers are much less















friendly today, than previously. They are less















likely to respond with a "Bon Jour" than a wave















of the rifle to move your ass along.































The PM has ordered the Lebanese Army to remain















"nuetral" in keeping order tomorrow. Everyone















is worried about a repeat of the crisis years...

or indeed, another civil war will break out. 

Tonight Beirut is a city full of worried 

and anxious people...

Well, perhaps not everyone! In a "It could only















happen in Beirut" scenario, the 8th Annual Beirut















Marathon, yes Marathon!, is also scheduled for















tomorrow morningas well. The organizers had to clear 

the event with all the various factions. Note that it is scheduled 

to take place on a day in which the city is crawling with armored 

personnel carriers, tanks, thousands of soldiers and police, a 

million screaming Hezbollah supporters.















They have repeatedly said the demonstrations will















be peaceful. There's not much else thay can say.

Meanwhile, high overhead, IDF state of the art satellite















surveillance takes it all in.

YET -- It's Christmas shopping season here in the















Christian section of the city, with nice Christmas















lights and decos going up everywhere. You can















buy a Christmas tree!

And the clubs, the legendary nightclubs of the















"Paris of the Middle East" are still packed















with gorgeous young folks. We are going to a







private party at "The Basement" tonight.

Let's hope the both the demos and the marathon,
uhm, both run smoothly tomorrow.

jim & the WMDB















Beirut