Tourists welcome

The first thing you notice is the politically ionized air. After passing through the bucolic countryside, pictures of militia leader Nasrallah and his deceased fighters line the highway. Bloody-knife imagery appears out of nowhere. 

This is the city of Baalbek, for decades a hotbed of a severe strain of Shia Islam, starting with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards who started preaching here in the early 1980s. Islamic Jihad, Islamic Amal and Hezbollah followed, each embracing martyrdom as a means of overthrowing Israeli and American interests in the region. 

Schoolkids in Baalbek

In all likelihood the suicide bombers who attacked the American Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Marines barracks were trained here. It’s also where hostages Terry Anderson and Terry Waite were secreted during their years in captivity.

Saieda Khaoula mosque

Hezbollah doesn’t kidnap Westerners any more. I think it is reasonable to say that without Hezbollah, ISIS flags could one day be fluttering in Beirut. But I am resolved not to discuss politics while on the ground here and as a result, really don't have an opinion one way or the other. Maybe they just don’t like guys named Terry. 

The Party of God is a historical blip, as are we all. I am interested in what will endure. I am here to see Heliopolis, “The City of the Sun.”