Corruption: How bad was it?

Since the Syrian retreat last April and the euphoria of the Cedar Revolution a month earlier, more and more examples of how public money was squandered, stolen or simply squirreled away have come to light, strengthening the case for privatization and even leading to calls for a formal audit of the handling of public finances over the last 15 years. We always knew it was going on. A 1995 World Bank study among Lebanese expatriates concluded that “there is a perception that corruption has become institutionalized in networks of protection, beyond the law, for self-dealing, bribes and the bartering of favors and influence.” A 2001 report by the UN Center for International Crime Prevention stated that 43% of Lebanese companies “frequently” paid bribes and 40% “sometimes” did, while Lebanon ranked 97 out of 145 countries on the 2004 annual corruption index issued by Transparency International. Now, those who move and