Ziad K. Abdelnour and George F. Boutros have much in common. Born on the same day in Beirut to prominent Christian political families, each left Lebanon to work in the United States in the 1980’s and made a fortune on Wall Street: Mr. Ziad K Abdelnour, as a junk-bond salesman during Michael R.Milken’s glory days at Drexel Burnham Lambert and Mr. Boutros as a top deal maker for Credit Suisse First Boston.
But when it comes to the future of their war-torn country, their views diverge sharply.“There is no other way but to absolutely annihilate Hezbollah,” Mr. Abdelnour said. “I bleed when I see my country suffering like this, but you can’t build a Hong Kong and harbor terrorists. The Lebanese cannot have their cake and eat it, too.” Mr. Boutros, while opposed to Hezbollah’s primacy in southern Lebanon, sees the loss of life as unacceptable.
“I am appalled and horrified at the killing of innocent people in my country,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion. “The military actions being pursued in Lebanon are not going to stop Hezbollah — they will only make them stronger.”
For More: From Lebanese- American Financiers, Differing Views on the Strife