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Time Out for Time Out Beirut

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By Timothy Noah
Posted Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at 5:45 PM ET

Among the lesser tragedies of the current war between Israel and Hezbollah is the interrupted distribution of Time Out Beirut's July issue. Time Out started up its Beirut edition this past spring, and its June cover seemed calculated to shock any Islamist happening by a newsstand. "SEX," was the cover headline, superimposed over a photograph showing a pair of black lace panties sliding down two shapely female calves.* You almost wonder whether Hezbollah timed its fateful provocation of Israel to shut down the infidel new monthly in its midst. But Time Out Beirut fought back by posting some of its July issue online.

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*Correction, Aug. 10, 2006: An earlier version of this article erroneously identified this as Time Out Beirut's inaugural issue. In fact, two issues appeared before this one; their covers are shown below.

The concept of Beirut as a tourist haven may seem like a bad joke to those who remember the country's civil war during the 1980s. But before this latest war the city was well on its way toward re-establishing its earlier identity as a resort destination. According to Al Jazeera, during the first six months of this year 600,000 people visited Lebanon in 2006, a 24 percent increase over the same period last year.
The July issue's "Nightlife" page (http://www.timeoutbeirut.com/nightlife) lists 85 "clubs, lounges, and DJ bars." Last month Faerlie Wilson described in Slate the Beirut after-party for a 50 Cent concert in mid-June: "Lamborghinis and Ferraris crowded the parking lot; plasticated Lebanese girls in short skirts and spike heels danced on tables as waiters navigated the dance floor balancing trays laden with sparklers and magnums of champagne for high-rolling Saudi tourists...."
In fairness, it should be noted that while tourists discoed the night away in Beirut, something else was happening in Lebanon "before this tragedy." Hezbollah, with much assistance from Syria and Iran, was building up its store of missiles in southern Lebanon to a degree that has surprised even the invading Israelis.
hot document:
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By Timothy Noah
Posted Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at 5:45 PM ET
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Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate.
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