Lebanon-Beirut: A country out of control, a surprising and difficult watch

Lebanon continues to face a difficult situation. Lebanon, often referred to as the “Switzerland of the Middle East”, has been sung from time immemorial by poets, who have celebrated the beauty of its places, the abundance of its fruits, the purity of its atmosphere and the sweetness of living there. Over the centuries, this country has never ceased to exert a disturbing fascination on the imagination and sensitivity of travelers, historians and thinkers. What happened to the “Switzerland of the Middle East”? At 9:02 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in the street in front of the Alfred P. Murrah…