Another Bad Summer in Lebanon?

Arriving in Lebanon last night, the only foreigners on my flight were television crews and journalists coming to cover the fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamic militants in Tripoli. This bodes badly for the country, just a couple weeks before the all important summer tourism season. After last year's diastourous summer war with Israel, and demonstrations all winter, if the country has another bad summer, then we all need to start worrying about an Argentina-style financial collapse here.

The additional checkpoints on my way home were one measure of just how worried everyone is. Also check out this depressing quote in a Daily Star story about the tourism economy, from someone who is supposed to be promoting the country.
"People are always afraid," said Carine Koleilat, sales and ticketing representative at United Airlines. "You can't really plan anything, so that sucks. If I'm a tourist, I know that I won't come here."

The article suggests that a quick resolution to the crisis might mitigate any long term economic effects. But what I find surprising is how long the clash has gone on already. Fatah Al-Islam has faced down down the Lebanese army for four days now. Arab countries (and possibly the United States) are trying to rush weapons deliveries to the Lebanese government, which only emphasis how much better armed the militants are -- a sure sign that they are receiving state support from soneone.

Off to Tripoli...

--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut