By Edward Gabriel, opinion contributor - modified slightly  - The article represents opinion of the author-

Lebanon is a country of 4.5 million people hosting 1.5 million Syrian refugees—the equivalent, percentage-wise, of all of Canada and half of Mexico flowing into the U.S. in about four years. In meetings I had last week in Beirut, the country’s Minister of Refugees told me that Lebanon is the “sandbag” against a rising flood that keeps this problem from overflowing to Europe and the West. And after speaking with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and other top government officials, I fear that Lebanon may not be able to cope much longer.

The Lebanese have borne direct and indirect costs of nearly $20 billion as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, in a country with an annual GDP of $48 billion. Half the refugee children are not in school (which are plagued by overcrowding), power shortages produce less than half the needed electricity, only one-third of households have access to clean water, and the environmental damage from lack of sewage treatment is a disaster. Meanwhile, the country needs to protect its borders from al Qaeda and ISIS, a daily threat to the country and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

 Fortunately, America has shown its trust in and support of the LAF, supplying more than 90 percent of its equipment, logistical support, and training. In return, the LAF have refused to accept military hardware from Russia and Iran, preferring its privileged relationship with the U.S. In our discussions with the new Commander of the LAF, General Joseph Aoun, who is visiting the U.S. this week, it was strikingly apparent that the U.S. has a real partner and collaborator in the wider fight against terrorism in the region. 

" كان النصارى يسيرون بلا قائد ولا نظام … والدروز يهاجمونهم ويعملون بأمر رئيس واحد ، في حين ان النصارى كانوا كلّهم …

by Gulfnews - Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer

Beirut: Thousands of protesters marked Labour Day on Monday as labour union leaders vented their anger against authorities who struggle to deliver on promises of pay rises. The demonstration coincided with the recent anger over the government’s decision to delay the long-awaited salary rises for teachers, civil servants and the military. On Sunday, the National Federation of Workers’ and Employees’ Trade Unions (FENASOL) and the Domestic Workers’ Union in Lebanon (DWUL) held a pre-protest to express anger over the delays and also organised Monday’s rally near its headquarters at the Cola Roundabout, led by Castro Abdullah, the organisation’s chairman. Abdullah declared that, “May 1st [2017] comes carrying with it more tragedies and crises that make joy and hope for a decent life something very far-fetched for the working class”.

The Lebanese Communist Party added its voice to the Monday rally, while tenants upset with the government’s latest proposals to increase fixed rents, rallied in Beirut’s Ashrafieh neighbourhood. Ahead of the demonstrations, Prime Minister Sa‘ad Hariri marked Labour Day with an assurance that the Lebanese government was ready to tackle all challenges and already began implementing a series of measures to reduce competition for the Lebanese labour market. Hariri clarified that authorities were working to alleviate the suffering faced by workers, and said various measures to reduce “competition for the Lebanese labour force, actuating the economic cycle and encouraging investments to increase employment opportunities” were already being implemented.

The premier reiterated his pledge to present the proposed wage scale to the parliament as soon as possible while pointing out the realities of the market being flooded by cheap Syrian manpower — one of the many repercussions of the six-year Syrian civil war next door. Hariri reiterated that the influx of Syrian workers deprived Lebanese of jobs — many who are in serious economic need. He pointed out that the refugees were also placing a huge strain on public services.