The deadly blast that rocked Beirut on August 4 left at least 200 Lebanese dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands homeless. Even before that, Lebanon’s economy was in freefall, and tensions were high over chronic corruption and mismanagement. Now, amid devastating physical and political aftershocks, Lebanon is careening toward an unpredictable future. In response to mass protests, the Prime Minister and entire government cabinet have resigned, throwing the country into even greater chaos. Paul Salem, one of the world’s leading experts on the Middle East, joined Altamar to discuss if Lebanon can recover – and can it tackle its underlying flaws and limitations? Salem is the President of the Middle East Institute (MEI), a think tank that evaluates political change, transition, and conflict within regional and international relations of the Middle East. Salem was the former founding director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, as well the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon's leading public policy think tank.    https://altamar.us/beirut-burning/