on 9/18/2007 5:28 PM HeyBub said the following:
Pete D wrote:

I guess Lebanon is similar in many ways, most people lead a life not
that far removed from many in the "Western World" but sadly the
separation of Church and State does not occur.


It does in Lebanon - or used to. The Prime Minister was, by law, a Christian
and the President a Muslim (or vice-versa, I forget). Lebanon was once the
Rivera of the Middle East: banking center, vacation spot, high standard of
living.

Then the PLO was evicted from Jordan and moved to Lebanon. The country's
been a basket case ever since.

I was in Beirut a few times when I was in the US Navy in the late 50s.
It was a beautiful modern looking city, and I walked all over it,
sometimes alone, and always in uniform. Never had any problem, and most
times I was ignored. I and two others took a taxi up to Baalbek for a
visit to the ruins.
The best time was in September, when we would go ashore, and look at all
the latest new American cars riding around.
I spent 26 months over in the Med.
..

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @