Archive for December 16, 2004

Capriccio: the Grand Canal, with an Imaginary Rialto Bridge and Other Buildings, 1740s. Canaletto. 

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

US undermining Kyoto principles on emissions.

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“Bungling raids by US troops fuel Iraqi anger.”

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“Some Marines Mentally Ill After Iraq, Documents Show.”

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“Iraq’s [puppet] prime minister announces he will head a slate of candidates, but does not release their names.”

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

These pictures were smuggled out of the kingdom yesterday. Saudis arrested for trying to demonstrate against the government. 

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“A U.S. Army combat veteran on leave from a unit headed back to Iraq arranged for a friend to shoot him in the leg in an attempt to avoid returning to the war zone, Philadelphia police said Thursday.”

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

US forces cannot stop “liberating” fallujah. 

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“FBI steps up AIPAC espionage probe.” (Nothing will happen.)

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

Israeli torturers as heroes. At times like this, I fail to understand the US in which I have lived for more than 21 years. Even Israeli torturers are heroes in this country. In this interview in NYT (excerpted from New Scientist) an Israeli torturer is interviewed. The torturer also reveals himself to be a liar. [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

“Then I started to hear disturbing things – that the Bush team saw a draft of the Arab governance report and objected to the prologue, because it was brutally critical of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the Israeli occupation….But the Bush team is apparently insisting that language critical of America and Israel be changed [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

It seems Bin Laden has become aware of how disgusted Arabs and Muslims are with the deeds of Al-Qa`idah, and especially with their killings in Saudi Arabia (among other places). In his tape (see post earlier) he mentioned that when Muslims are killed by Al-Qa`idah they are killed “in error.” He asked that God’s mercy [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood held a conference in London. Among their resolutions was a demand that the Syrian government conducts an official investigation of the massacres in Hamah in 1982, in which more than 10,000 people were murdered by regime troops. I never agree with the Muslim Brotherhood on anything, but I certainly agree that [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

The UAE-based Al-`Uways Prize has withdrawn its past award to Iraqi poet Sa`di Yusuf because he dared to criticize Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan upon his death. It bothered me, however, that Yusuf took out his comments against Zayid on his site after posting them. Stand by your words Sa`di.

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

Layla `Alwi is my ally. This famous Egyptian actress has publicly called for the separation of religion and state in Egypt. I applaud her. It is high time that we separate religion and state in every Middle East country. Every Middle East country. On another note: the Iraqi puppet president and proud polygamist (when will [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad

The new Bin Laden Tape. I listened to the new Bin Laden audio tape as soon as it got out on the internet (or internets, as Bush calls it–he thinks that there are 5 internets). You may listen here yourself if you know Arabic. (But such links usually do not stay operative for long). It [...]

Posted on December 16, 2004 by As'ad