From Belfast to Beirut

Rami G. Khouri
August 02, 2005

Rami G. Khouri is editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper, published throughout the Middle East with the International Herald Tribune.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced July 28, that it had ordered its forces to stop their violent resistance against Britain. This could have important implications for the quest for peace and stability throughout the Middle East, which in turn would help reduce the global terror problem.

I've spent my whole life hearing "Belfast to Beirut" used as a synonym for the senseless, destructive political violence that plagued both regions, and a symbol of our common inhumanity. So it's nice, for a change, to sit in Beirut and hear good news again from Belfast.