Martin Armstrong
Meeting the Syrian Refugees Leaving Lebanon for Europe
Lebanon has taken in one million Syrians displaced by the war raging in their home country. Now, thousands are leaving every day on ferries for Europe.
Records and Revolution: We Went Crate Digging for Rare 'Ethio-jazz' in Addis Ababa
Ethio-jazz blended Ethiopian musical traditions with American jazz and soul, but the military coup in 1974 put an end to the scene, and records from back then are now as rare as they come.
Meeting Charles Chahwan, the Arab World's Answer to Bukowski
The Lebanese author talks American literature, the Islamic State, and how conservatism has shrunk the Arabic language.
Civil War Killed Lebanon's Vinyl Culture
While it's still possible to stumble across a gem, the majority of valuable Lebanese-pressed vinyl has been eaten up by connoisseurs.
A Choice Between Warlords: Lebanon Can’t Elect a New President
The office of the president is largely ceremonial, but it plays a key role in stabilizing the government.
A Choice Between Warlords: Lebanon Can’t Elect a New President
The political wheels in Beirut may be beginning to fall off as the country's two dominant political coalitions are bitterly divided as to who should become Lebanon's new president. The situation is becoming a political proxy war of the neighboring...
Why an Ex-Lebanese 'Spymaster' Tried to Become a UNESCO Delegate
General Jamil al Sayyed almost got an unlikely post representing the Marshall Islands, a job that would have provided diplomatic immunity.
Why Was a Former Lebanese 'Spymaster' Trying to Become a UNESCO Delegate?
The assassination of the country's former Prime Minister has cast a shadow over Lebanon.
Meet the Lebanese Rapper Who Was Mistaken for a Terrorist
Double A the Preacherman was sent to the Anti-Terrorist Unit for dressing "like a cholo."
The Lebanese Rapper Who Was Mistaken for a Terrorist
In 34 days, there were five suicide-bomb attacks by al Qaeda affiliates active in Lebanon. Checkpoints have sprung up on the roads, unfamiliar cars arouse suspicion, and public buses have started to display signs kindly asking passengers to remove...
I Was Abducted by Hezbollah at Beirut's Bombed Iranian Embassy
Lebanese army tanks flanked the road ahead of me and ambulance sirens pierced through the noise. Meanwhile, plain-clothed Hezbollah operatives, many holding AK-47s, and representatives of the Shi'a political party Amal looked busy as they barked into...
"Tripoli Is Crying": Lebanon's Second City Is On the Brink of Battle
Conflicts between those who support Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and those who back the rebels in Syria are always on the verge of breaking out, and tensions are particularly high in the aftermath of an August terrorist attack.