Beirut in Pictures (Warning: Image Heavy)

[Hatalles]

[babydollhead]

1. beautiful

may peace prevail on earth

[Terran1212]

2. It's the Paris of the Middle East n/t

[Selatius]

13. It was the Paris of the Middle East

Much of the old architecture was destroyed by the end of the 1980s because of the civil war.

[katty]

14. yes, it WAS the Paris of ME

[Joanne98]

3. Is that where the Xistians live? Where do they get their money?

[Hatalles]

5. From Wikipedia:

Religion:

Beirut is one of the most diverse cities of the Middle East, with Christians (Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholics, Roman Catholics, Syriacs, Copts, Methodists, Protestants), Muslims (Sunni and Shi'ite), and Druze all have a significant presence. (Most of the Jews of Beirut emigrated to the United States when the Lebanese Civil War started in 1975).

Beirut was torn apart during the Lebanese Civil War and was divided between the Muslim West Beirut and the Christian East. The city today has been reunited and rebuilt, and represents its Christian-Muslim balance in its architecture and way of life.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Had no idea it is this beautiful. Thank you, enormously! n/t

[Hatalles]

6. No problem. Please Rec.

Photos like these put things in perspective. They put pictures of places and faces to broad generalizations... War is a terrible thing.

[Suich]

7. Very nice pictures...thanks for posting.

I guess these are the "before" ones....(sigh)

Recommended

[lonestarnot]

8. Wonder how much of it is on fire or now rubble?

[Terran1212]

9. If it's like last time, most of it will be

The IDF is merciless, despite the nice coat of shiny relativism slapped on it by the US media.

[maxsolomon]

10. probably not much of the Corniche

likely the IDF will concentrate in Hezbollah dominated areas.

[lonestarnot]

17. Well that is what is being put forth as fact now by media,

but I want the truth of the matter.

[lse7581011]

11. Such A Travesty!

Recommended!

[uppityperson]

12. Beirut, center of the world.It is a beautiful place, or has been @ times

Have a couple friends that grew up there (USA citizens, fathers were some sort of diplomats, doctors, something like that). Their stories of how beautiful it was, such a nice place. Totally inundated with spys, but beautiful and pleasant.

[madokie]

15. Beirut is beautiful

[readmoreoften]

16. It's the "after" pictures that terrify me.

I feel like we are all walking around in the "before" shots, too, not just Beirut-- which, by the way, is magnificient.

[chiffon]

18. magnifique! nt

[bluedonkey]

19. Beautiful

won't be for long.

How much more do people have to endure before it is enough?
Where is Superman to take all the weapons away into space?

[BrightKnight]

20. lasting peace and prosperity would make Hizballah and Hamas irrelevant

Everybody wants to see Lebanon succeed. It is one of the few things that world agrees upon.
---------------

The hot headed fear and hate mongers will never solve anything.

Gorilla war will only produce suffering. It will never accomplish anything.

The only way foreword is to swallow the bitter pill and admit defeat. Negotiate the best possible resolution to the conflict and don't look back. The Palestinian people will suffer deeply until the political will can be found to do this. Anyone that really cares about the Palestinian people has been saying this for years.

I hope that this latest round of insanity will spur a renewed effort to find a real political solution.

Israel can negotiate with Hamas but Hamas will have to swallow the bitter pill. Perhaps it is like Nixon going to China for both sides.

Hizballah and Hamas would be irrelevant in a peaceful and prosperous world.

[JNelson6563]

21. It might not look this way for long

:scared:

[Straight Shooter]

22. Stunning. I had no idea. (I'm so embarrassed to admit that.)

Thank you ever so much for sharing these with us.