Joseph S. Mayton – All Headline News Middle East Correspondent, Beirut, Lebanon (AHN) – Lebanon’s ancient port is finally emerging from an environmental and economic disaster inflicted by Israel’s bombardment of the country during the month-long war this past summer. While oil still remains a sight on the country’s coastline, Byblos is returning to normalcy after months of closure. Israeli air strikes during the war against Hezbollah in July and August knocked out the power plant in Jiyeh, south of Beirut, which caused thousands of tons of fuel to leak into the Mediterranean. The fuel has since washed up along hundreds of miles of Lebanese and Syrian coastlines, including the ancient city of Byblos. Now, although the water still has an oily tint, almost all the pollution has been removed by local and international agencies. "It has to be said, we’re swimming again, the sea is clean and the fishing is good," said Roger abed, son of Pepe Abed famed for hosting celebrities such as Bill Clinton at his Pepe Abed Fishing Club. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was the first area under the U.N.’s watch to be soiled by an oil spill.
