Archive for January 15, 2007

The New Iraq (from An-Nahar).

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Sa`d Ad-Din Ibrahim on his work on Saddam Husayn’s Committee for Development of Supreme Human Energies.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Here, Iraqi occupation president, Jalal Talbani, paying homage to the tomb of Hafidh Al-Asad.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Just before my talk, a Palestinian student at King’s College here told me a sad story that shook me. He said that when his father obtained his Canadian citizenship, he flew to Israel, and visited his birthplace in the village of Sa`sa` (one of the Palestinian villages destroyed by Israeli in 1948–see the volume by [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

On the front page of Al-Akhbar, Nabih Birri was quoted praising the Saudi role in Lebanon. I can’t breathe. Can you pass me the oxygen mask? Thanks.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

An American correspondent in the Middle East sent me this:“Today the Iraqi government held a one time screening of the most recent execution video of barzan ibrahim and awad hamed al bandar, with no cameras allowed. Bandar was very scared and crying. He was saying the shahada. Journalists asked if Bandar said the shahada. New [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Earlier today, I pointed to an error in a dispatch from Lebanon in the Globe and Mail. The correspondent in question would like you to know that this sentence in question was not written by her but was inserted by her editor.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

For the record. After my last appearance on AlJazeera, I wrote this comment about a remark that `Abdur-Rahim Fuqara’ (the Washington, DC bureau chief) made on the air. Today, Fuqara’ left me a long and very kind message. He stressed that he made the remark in a light-hearted fashion, and that no offense was intended. [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Did you see the Egyptian foreign minister standing next to Condoleezza Rice and denouncing “foreign interferences” in Iraqi affairs, and he did not think that his remarks apply–or should apply–to US occupation? Hell. US says the same things without noticing that this may apply to its own most heavy interferences. But then again: did not [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

So are you qualified to join the United Liberation Front of Assam:“ Clause-7: – Must be disqualified any person, addicted to porno book-magazine,cinema and ordinary songs.”

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

From the Economist (the best magazine there is): “Still, the American action raises uncomfortable questions. For a start, how many people died in the air raids and who exactly were they? Taken together, the attacks claimed dozens, possibly hundreds of lives. Sketchy reports, including one from a doctor working for the Islamists, suggest that women [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

“”I feel like a second-class citizen. It’s discrimination, pure and simple,” said Mr. Nahas, a technician who assembles helicopters.”

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

I used to think that it is easy to catalogue errors and inaccuracies in US media coverage of the Middle East. Here is Canada’s Globe and Mail: “the Druze-backed Amal movement.” Tomorrow in the Globe and Mail: a feature on the Shi`ite thought of Walid Jumblat.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

“America has provided a mere 120,000 Israelis since 1948, and still has as many Jews as Israel. A survey two years ago by Steven M. Cohen, a sociologist at New York’s Hebrew Union College, found that just 17% of American Jews called themselves Zionists.”

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Guess who is “going forward”?

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Locate the nearest bomb shelter, NOW: “Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said yesterday that she was going to “deepen” American involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and “accelerate” progress on the road map.”

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

“Insurgent TV channel turns into Iraq’s newest cult hit”

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Can’t the puppets get some respect? “A senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, who sat in on meetings between the two says: “She acts like a school headmistress, telling her student in a commanding tone to do this, or don’t do that.”” (thanks Mohsen)

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

Look at this headline from Saudi propaganda TV’s Al-Arabiya website: “Rice is committed to a Palestinian state.” Tomorrow on Al-Arabiya, how Sharon is supporting Palestinian struggle for independence.

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad

So we ate at a Thai restaurant here in Toronto. The Japanese Green tea was particularly delicious. So I asked the manager where I can buy the tea. He said that it is a secret, and that he can’t tell me. I was not pleased. It comes in lovely bags too, and it has rice [...]

Posted on January 15, 2007 by As'ad