Archive for February 3, 2006

Maybe this will alarm Americans (I am not holding my breath though): “Cost of wars soars to $440bn for US”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Do people see an irony here?? “Military leaders angrily denounced as “beyond tasteless” a Washington Post editorial cartoon featuring a likeness of a severely wounded soldier and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as an attending doctor who says, “I’m listing your condition as `battle hardened.’””

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Do you see that child? He is suspected of being a senior aide to Abu Mus`ab Az-Zarqawi.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Anthropology in the service of Empire: “U.S. analysts are starting to apply anthropological models to trying to understand and fight the Iraq insurgency.”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

“As’ad AbuKhalil, a Lebanese-born academic based in California, said Arab governments were inciting the campaign “to channel the political anger of their citizens.” “They would not dare to lead a campaign against Israel, so let them bash Denmark and Norway,” he said.” (thanks Zaid)

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

This is what Iraqis really want: “A new poll of the Iraqi public finds that a large majority of Iraqis think the US plans to maintain bases in Iraq permanently, even if the newly elected government asks the US to leave. A large majority favors setting a timeline for the withdrawal of US forces, though [...]

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Look at this picture. Israeli soldiers facing armed Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Notice the methods of police control. Have you ever seen Israeli occupation soldiers with horses against Palestinians? They take tanks to buy cigarettes over there. But this is violent Zionism. I have never seen Israeli occupation soldiers appear as restrained; not [...]

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Above Saint-Tropez, the Customs House Pathway, 1905. Paul Signac.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

This little Palestinian child is suspected of being a senior Hamas military commander.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

This is Zionism. Armed occupiers versus the natives.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

“Black-clad members of a Shiite Muslim militia that battled U.S. forces nearly two years ago took to the streets of an eastern Baghdad neighborhood Thursday evening following a pair of car bombings that killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens. The blasts — the first of which erupted near a fuel truck, sending a [...]

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

“President Bush will ask Congress for an additional $90 billion in this year’s budget — about $70 billion to continue waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Political gullibility (or foolishness): Hizbullah and Amal. More than 6 weeks ago, the Minister of Amal and Hizbullah, suspended their participation in the Lebanese cabinet. They said that they will return on 3 conditions: 1) that the Lebanese government would not seek an international tribunal for Hariri’s assassination; 2) that the Lebanese cabinet issues a [...]

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Rumsfeld gleefully offers this: “The United States is engaged in what could be a generational conflict akin to the Cold War, the kind of struggle that might last decades as allies work to root out terrorists across the globe and battle extremists who want to rule the world, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday.”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

“The culture gap has its roots in the fact that Christianity – like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism – is essentially an iconographic religion. In its early years, the Christian world took the statues of the old gods and goddesses of Greece and morphed them into images of the Virgin Mary and the saints, which were [...]

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

” George Bush considered provoking a war with Saddam Hussein’s regime by flying a United States spyplane over Iraq bearing UN colours, enticing the Iraqis to take a shot at it, according to a leaked memo of a meeting between the US President and Tony Blair.”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Misogynists of the Week: “Muslim women should not work with men or go shopping in areas where they could mix with strangers of the opposite sex, according to an edict issued by the influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which claims to represent the nation’s 140 million Muslims.”

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

One of the best sex education programs (which resulted in dramatic fall in HIV infections) is in Zimbabwe. But you will not hear about it, because it is Zimbabwe.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

My dear friend Joseph’s review of Munich.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad

Husam Itani offers an excellent critique of the Lebanese (Hariri) Left.

Posted on February 3, 2006 by As'ad