Sunday, May 29, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Syria.. Where To?

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

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Monday, May 23, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Murderers Among Us

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

One of Lebanon's ongoing tragedies are car accidents that are becoming increasingly deadly, taking lives on an almost daily basis. One can blame reckless drivers and irresponsible car and truck owners whose actions are going unpunished which makes the situation totally out of control. The news in Lebanon is now filled of stories describing one tragedy after the other of lives cut short because someone was breaking the law, either through speeding or driving cars that are not fit to be in circulation or dangerous roads where passenger cars find themselves sandwiched in between large trucks that are most of the time illegally overloaded, not maintained properly and that have no business being on the road to start with.

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Monday, May 16, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Washington and the Middle East: Is this the Week of Truth or another missed opportunity?

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

President Barack Obama is expected to deliver a speech on the Middle East Thursday at the State department. He’s scheduled to meet with Jordan’s King Abdallah II Tuesday and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Friday. Obama is also expected to address AIPAC the largest U.S. Jewish lobby on Sunday. It is safe then to say that the Middle East peace process is on the U.S.’s President mind?

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Monday, May 9, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Dear Lebanon

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

I'm finally back in Lebanon on a mission I have dreamed of for years. To play a role in redefining how news is done in the Middle East is both an honor and a passion. In 2009 I almost quit my job to pursue this dream but I changed my mind at the last minute mainly because I didn't want to break my contract with my employer and leave on a bad note. Today, I'm grateful for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation for affording me an even bigger opportunity to launch my new consulting business and take the first step into my dream of making a difference. I recently came across a letter I wrote to a friend on August 11, 2009 in response to his serious concern about me moving to Lebanon temporarily to take on a similar mission back then. I decided to share it with you as it’ll explain better than anything my state of mind. I'm changing my friend's name to ‘Lebanon’ and his daughter’s name to ‘Beirut’ to protect his identity and to highlight how much this tiny country means to both of us. Some parts were edited out for their personal or confidential nature.

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

An-Nahar Newspaper: Bin Laden Dead - May the souls of his victims rest in peace!

[Administrator's Note: Octavia is now writing articles for An-Nahar Newspaper each week and we will provide them here after they are printed.]

It's a big win for the United States and especially for President Barack Obama. Intensifying the drone attacks on suspected al Qaeda sites in Pakistan and Afghanistan has finally paid off in a big way. Only last week, Bin Laden's protectors and arms partners, the Taliban, announced the launch of a new spring offensive over the weekend in Afghanistan. That didn't go well for them, as they were met by a determined U.S. response which killed many of them already. And with the confirmation of Bin Laden's demise in Pakistan, the U.S. achieved several victories against various enemies and sent a clear message to friends and foes around the world about the seriousness of its fight against terrorism and extremism.

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