Free Republic

Raymond Baaklini, the Lebanese ambassador to Canada, would like us all to know that he is sorry. But for what, exactly? Last weekend, he was so remorseful about his baseless accusation, in an interview with an Arab-language newspaper, of a Zionist conspiracy to control the Canadian media, that he helpfully repeated the slur to a National Post reporter. After being told that his comments were "unacceptable and without foundation" by a senior official at Foreign Affairs, he repeated them yet again to Arabic newspapers, adding that Canadian officials were not concerned about his behaviour. He even claimed to be the...

Baaklini repeats statement despite Canadian warning Lebanon's embattled ambassador to Canada is blaming Christian fanatics and newspapers "under the control of Zionist groups" for making a scandal out of his recent undiplomatic remarks about his host country. Despite being warned by Canadian Foreign Affairs officials last week that his remarks about Jewish influence in Canada were unacceptable, Raymond Baaklini was quoted yesterday in the Arab press repeating similar claims. Saudi Arabian and Lebanese newspapers reported the ambassador had said that only Christian immigrants from Lebanon and the "Zionist" press were making an issue of his remarks about Canada. Mr. Baaklini...