By Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J. (CNA)

The Egyptian military took action against the Libyan government. Last month, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, announced that what had happened in Paris was an attack on Parisian shops. He misspoke. In fact, it was a pogrom on Parisian Jews. This week, instead of the White House accurately describing the massacre in Libya as an attack on Coptic Christians, it diluted the language once again.  Imagine the reverse situation. Had twenty-one Muslims been executed by Christians, would the White House have called the victims citizens?

Reluctance to Define Words
Is there reluctance at the White House for saying the word Christian? The White House has a handpicked, educated staff, presumably canny, articulate, and capable of parsing words. Every word is carefully weighed before it is announced publicly.

  Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed Thursday that the Vatican is exerting major efforts to end the presidential vacuum in Lebanon, as he hailed the recent rapprochement between Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. “The Vatican spares no chance or effort with all countries for the sake of […]

  BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health minister shut down three food shops and sent warnings to 14 others in the southern Beirut suburb of Ouzai Thursday for violating food safety standards. A statement by the ministry said inspectors ordered the closure of the Ahmad Shamas Roastery, Abu Hamza Butchery and Harkous Chicken. (Link)

  Fierce winter storm “Windy” tightened its grip Thursday on Lebanon, causing a significant drop in temperatures and heavy rains on the coast as snow blanketed mountains and reached areas only 500 meters above sea level. The vehement weather prompted Education Minister Elias Bou Saab to order a closure of private and public schools on […]

  BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri postponed a parliamentary session to elect a new president of the republic to March 11, after the 19th attempt to break the nine-month-long presidential deadlock failed Wednesday. Like previous attempts, the 19th session to elect a head of state was doomed to fail over a lack of quorum, owing to […]

  The joint security force detained on Wednesday 11 Syrian nationals as it continued its crackdown on outlaws in the Bekaa Valley. The state-run National News Agency reported that the residencies of the 11 Syrians, who are residing in the Bekaa town of Taybeh, have expired. The force also seized seven violating cars and pickup […]

  BEIRUT: Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi traveled to Riyadh overnight to take part in a military gathering of the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, a source at Beirut airport told The Daily Star. Kahwagi will participate in the Wednesday-Thursday meeting in Riyadh that groups military commanders and chiefs of staff from the 22 countries […]

  Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin praised dialogue among the Lebanese parties, considering it a necessity to combat the challenges and risks that the country is passing through. “Foreign countries support the dialogue, in particular because it is touching on local and regional issues, in the first place the battle against terrorism and extremism,” […]

  BAALBEK, Lebanon: A crackdown on fugitives in the Bekaa Valley in east Lebanon spread early Tuesday to the region’s main city of Baalbek. Policemen from the Internal Security Forces fanned out in the Baalbek neighborhood of Hay al-Sharawneh at dawn while others manned checkpoints on side roads and entrances to the residential quarter. Many […]

  An Israeli military unit on Tuesday crossed the technical fence off al-Wazzani in southern Lebanon and inspected the eastern bank of the river, the state-run National News Agency reported. NNA said the troops used sniffer dogs and Merkava tanks monitored them closely. An Israeli drone also flew over the area of al-Wazzani and Abbasiyeh […]