Despite the joy that has been swarming the streets day and night, first due to Lebanese Sagesse keeping its Asian Basketball Championship title, and second due to the Israeli withdrawal, many are quite nervous. Attempts by Syria and Lebanon to insert a stick into the wheels of the Israeli withdrawal by Lebanon's claiming the Shebaa Farms failed as the UN refused to recognize these territories as Lebanese (but rather, as Syrian). These territories are the only reason that Hizbullah might employ to continue attacking Israel, and thus, the public at large remain uncertain (and pretty nervous) about the coming few weeks. Yet, expectations are optimistic for the first time, at least on the political level (no thanks to the Lebanese government).

One journalist at a reputable "nationalist" newspaper passed a joke at a reputable "western" cafe yesterday when he said, "Give them [inhabitants of the liberated areas] a couple of weeks and they will start lamenting Israel and its days" thus hinting at the disastrous public record of the Lebanese governments in handling the economic plights of the country since 1990.

On another level, serious and diligent attempts are made in order to prevent bloodshed and confessional fighting in the South (Israel left the SLA armed to its teeth but with low morale). Hopefully, the SLA will continue to turn in their weapons and let themselves to the mercy of the law.