When the World Cup kicked off last month, it felt like a good summer was in the offing. Bars and cafes were full. The Gulf countries had lifted their travel bans, and we could already see tourists and expats on the streets. Hotels were finally reporting decent occupancy rates — with the tourism minister even saying the Phonecia, Le Gray and Crowne Plaza reached nearly 100 percent. Now, after almost three months of silence, bombings are back and we find terrorists are booking hotel rooms. Even if the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fails to bring more wanton murder to Lebanon, the country will still feel the pressure of these monsters’ actions in Iraq and Syria. This is a long-term problem that requires long-term planning, not only by security forces. Parliamentarians and civil servants — safe in jobs they keep no matter how little they work — don’t feel
