12.07.2015 Views

By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

314 BY WAY OF DECEPTIONthe time he was the only candidate. Yet when as few as 56deputies showed up to vote at the special session to elect him —six short <strong>of</strong> a quorum — Gemayel's militiamen quickly rounded upsix more reluctant deputies and he won the vote 57-0, with fiveabstentions. Begin sent him a congratulatory telegram that began,"My dear friend."In addition to the ruling families, there were at the time a host <strong>of</strong>unaligned gangs, most led by such colorful but brutal charactersas Electroman, Toaster, Cowboy, Fireball, and the King.Electroman got his name after being shot through the neck by theSyrians. He was sent to Israel for treatment, where an electronicvoice box was installed in his throat. As for Toaster, when hecaught someone he didn't like, he'd connect them to high-voltageelectricity and literally toast them. Fireball came by his namehonestly. He was a pyromaniac, who loved to watch buildingsburn. Cowboy looked like something out <strong>of</strong> a Hollywood western,wearing a cowboy hat and two guns in holsters at his sides. Andthe King, believe it or not, thought he was Elvis Presley; he had anElvis hairstyle, tried to speak English with Elvis's twang, and usedto serenade his family with <strong>of</strong>f-key Elvis songs.The gang members drove around in Mercedes and BMWs.Inevitably, they dressed in the finest silk suits from Paris. Theyalways ate well. It wouldn't have mattered if they were under siegefor six months, they'd still have had oysters for breakfast. In fact,at the height <strong>of</strong> the 1982 siege <strong>of</strong> Beirut, a Lebanese restaurateurtried to buy a scrap German submarine, not to join the war, but tobring fresh food and wine from Europe for his restaurant.The gangs, in addition to their own criminal activities, <strong>of</strong>tenfreelanced for the major families, performing such duties asmanning roadblocks. For example, to get to the government palacein those days, the president had to pass through two roadblocksand pay twice.In Beirut, people can live very well, but no one knows for how long.Nowhere today is the end nearer than in Beirut, which explainswhy those involved in the families and gangs live to the fullest,while they can. At most, they account for 200,000 people living onthe fast track, which leaves more

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!