In 1971, Lebanon's then-Prime Minister Saeb Salam signed a deal with the Iraq Petroleum Company to boost royalties from the crude being imported via an IPC pipeline to a refinery in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli. My great-uncle Emile Ghazi - a native of Tripoli - is the fine gentleman standing in the far right of the picture. For more than 40 years, Emile worked for the IPC's legal department, as his brothers - my grandfather Michel and great-uncle Fuad - worked in various other technical, administrative and engineering departments. They all spent time in Kirkuk and Baghdad, until they retired or passed away. At 96, Emile is a living piece of history with a sharp mind and incredible archive.
