Archive for September 20, 2005

The Dilemma of Lebanese Journalists: as you know, Lebanese journalists have been in pain ever since the King of Saudi Arabia banned the kissing of his hands. Now the Lebanese journalists have accepted to abide by the royal decision. But they have insisted that the King accepts their offer. They apparently want to prostrate themselves [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

I still get so mad watching the promos of the Arabic dubbed Simpsons, which will make its debut during Ramadan on MBC. Apparently, Homer’s voice is done by Muhammad Hunaydi. Let me tell you: Dick Cheney would have done a better job. Husni Mubarak would have been funnier. Get that show off the air, NOW.

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

“The Iraqi official was visibly flustered and embarrassed when questioned in Baghdad about the storming of the police station in Basra by British troops.”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

“China admits women were forced to have abortions”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

Al-Quds Al-`Arabi (or another newspaper) is reporting that political pressures are being exerted to protect people above Hazim Sha`lan in the embezzled billions scandal in Iraq. It looks like `Allawi (who had enjoyed embezzling in Yemen while doing business there before his installation as a puppet) has profited too. No way!

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

A “liberated” zone in Tal Afar.

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

No. Bush did not create an Islamic Republic in Iraq. He has created several mini-Islamic republics in Iraq. “Sadr militia’s new muscle in south.”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

“British storm Basra jail, infuriate Iraqis” (And the best part is this: sovereignty was supposedly “transferred” to Iraqis more than a year ago).

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

Rime on…Landis.

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

“A large number of women in Zabul, Nangarhar, Khost and other provinces failed to vote in Afghanistan‘s first parliamentary elections in more than three decades. The disenfranchisement of the other half was attributed to JEMB’s failure to set up separate polling centres for women and alleged attempts at rigging.”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

The ordeal of foreign domestic workers in the Middle East: “Maid ‘beaten by sponsor’s mother’”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

Al-Arabiyya TV is so nice and kind to US occupation whenever one of their reporters is shot at or arrested by US occupation troops. Just yesterday, US troops arrested the correspondent of the station in Al-Anbar. Al-Arabiyya stressed that the occupation troops are nice and cute even when they arrest their reporters, and hold them [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

Senior US puppet Karzai sounds tough: “Mr Karzai also demanded an immediate end to a controversial American practices in sensitive southern and eastern areas. “No coalition forces should go to Afghan homes without the authorisation of the Afghan government,” he said.”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

The Propaganda of Dictatorship that you (and Kofi Annan) like and adore: BBC apparently, according to the Uzbek government, was trying to establish an Islamic caliphate. “Western aid groups and journalists, including the BBC, helped Islamists in a bid to overthrow the Uzbek government, prosecutors claimed yesterday at the start of a trial of 15 [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

So is it all quiet outside of the Sunni triangle? U.K. “Cabinet members yesterday admitted that signs of the breakdown of law and order in British-controlled southern Iraq will place extra pressure on Tony Blair ahead of next week’s Labour party conference. Ministers familiar with Iraq suggested it was a worrying development that the Iraqi [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

So what is like outside of the turbulent Sunni triangle? “They draw a picture of a once proud but now impoverished port city steadily falling under the sway of competing Shia Islamist groups and their militias. The groups are said to have infiltrated all levels of the police and local authorities, and are answerable to [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

She is not amused: She was looking at a US occupation soldier in Baghdad yesterday.

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

And in other news, AWAY FROM THE SUNNI TRIANGLE: UK “Defence officials admit that security situation in Basra may get worse.”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

“STAND BY YOUR MAN: The strange liaison of Sartre and Beauvoir”

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad

Dr. Rustum Ghazalah: you know that a Ph.D. can become, for some people, a title, something like “lord” or “Pasha” in the bad old days. So when Rustum Ghazalah was Syrian intelligence chief in Lebanon, he “obtained” a Ph.D. in history, we were told. His advisor and mentor was Hassan Hallaq of the Lebanese University, [...]

Posted on September 20, 2005 by As'ad