Archive for August 28, 2005

“The [UK] government was under attack from development charities last night for allegedly wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds on aid to Malawi by paying it to American consultancies.”

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“Iraq took a historic gamble yesterday when the ruling Shia and Kurdish coalition bulldozed over the objections of Sunni Arabs to finish a new constitution.”

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“Birth, death, balls and battles”

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“Andrew Sullivan, who does not have Luke Baker’s experience on the ground in Iraq, bizarrely believes that the carbombings, bodies floating in the river, assassinations, ethnic militias, poisoned watermelons, bomb-scarred ice cream shops, shuttered video and liquor stores, and Swiss cheese architecture of Iraq present a “tantalizing” prospect of “success.” It should be remembered where [...]

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“President Bush on Saturday asked Americans to be patient with the U.S. military mission in Iraq.” He said that all will be well by 2079. OK.

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

This blogger was editor-in-chief of Daily Star, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, and Al-Hayat in the past. He is now a columnist for Al-Hayat. Enjoy: “Although King Fahd was sick and hospitalized, the announcement of his decease was a shock to every Arab citizen, who knew and loved him like we did, and to every Saudi citizen who [...]

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

US press just amazes me: the “news” of “people believed to be backers of” Chavez throwing rocks at foes of the regime gets more coverage than the news of Israeli murder of Palestinians in Tulkarm. Where are the standards? No, what are the standards?

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Politics aside, have you noticed that Christopher Hitchens (as a writer and speaker) gets more boring with every step he takes on the path of Bushism?

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Fadi Ghandur: I just read that Aramex purchased LebanonPost. Make sure they deliver the mail, ON TIME. And please ban the delivery of any mail containing praise for the King of Jordan (as rare as they will be).

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

I can tell you this: when Hariri functionaries took over the security posts in the Lebanese government, they immediately began eavesdropping on Hizbullah’s communications.

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

The corrupt Muhammad Dahlan of the Palestinian Authority complained about back pain. His office said that he worked so hard for the staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza that he got ill. Upon hearing that, the Hijazi King of Jordan, `Abdullah, sent a private plane to bring him to a Jordanian hospital. Is that not nice?

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Frank Zappa, Lebanonese? The TV of the Lebanese Forces right-wing sectarian militia, LBC-TV, runs short promos before the evening news broadcast in which they profile Lebanonese figures around the world. Yesterday, they profiled Frank Zappa as a “Lebanonese.” I kid you not. Tomorrow, they will profile another Lebanonese, Jimi Hendrix.

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

I like Jonathan Curiel and admire his work. He is one US journalist who has specialized in writing about non-violent Arabs and Muslims (and they exist in large numbers lest you are wondering), and about arts, music, and literature among Arabs/Muslims. And he is now undertaking a very interesting book project. But his article today [...]

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Meet the new Saudi ambassador in the US. Mr. Ambassador, what do you think of Bin Laden: “he was a very shy person, very self-effacing, extremely sparse in his words and generally a do-gooder, someone who brought financial and medical and other support to the Afghan mujahedeen.”

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

That secretary-general of the League of Arab States: `Amr Musa has not said a word about the suffering of Iraqis for the last several years, and yet he is now speaking out loudly but only about that article of the Iraqi constitution that refers to the identity of Iraq. What priorities.

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Now this one is Bank `Awdah in Hayy Sursuq in Beirut (no?)

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“EVEN though President Bush keeps saying American forces won’t leave Iraq until its forces can fight on their own, the United States isn’t rushing to give the Iraqi military heavy weapons.”

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

Since Lebanonese like to rank.

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad

“They beat me with a hose pipe all over my body,” says Vimala, a Sri Lankan [maid in Lebanon], between sobs. “When they started cutting my hair, I begged: ‘Beat me more, but don’t cut my hair.’” (thanks Elie)

Posted on August 28, 2005 by As'ad