Archive for March 7, 2007

“To the Editor:As a columnist, Thomas L. Friedman is free to state an opinion. I agree with him that reform is necessary in the Arab world; there are many reform heroes. But reprinting a poem by an Arab poet that generalizes an entire nation is the way that stereotypes are made and perpetuated.If you replace [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

A British leftist publisher released the book (by Samir Qasir) which contains this kind of stuff: ““Whether Lebanese or Palestinian, resistance serves only to highlight overall Arab powerlessness,” he writes. “The idealization of resistance per se … prohibits any debate on the means that should be employed and so gives precedence to the most spectacular.”

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

“A former Iranian deputy defense minister who once commanded the Revolutionary Guard has left his country and is cooperating with Western intelligence agencies, providing information on Hezbollah and Iran’s ties to the organization, according to a senior U.S. official.”

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

“Mr. Alusi is in Washington, D.C., to impress his views on administration officials and observe the debate in Congress over additional troop commitments in Iraq.” (thanks Amer)

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

International Women’s Day is a National Holiday in Angry Arab Republic. Celebrate NOW.

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

Should not headlines accurately reflect the contents of articles. This is the headline of the article in the Independent: “Three out of four Liberian women have been raped, survey finds. But the article says: “Three out of four women in parts of Liberia have been raped.” And why does the Independent treat International Women’s Day [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

So according to the Independent: women’s rights are NOT under threat in the “developed world.” I did not know that. I live in the land of equality and freedom and did not know it.“The statistics are stark: everywhere you look in the developing world, women’s rights are under threat, be it from sex trafficking, denial [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

Notice that Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal, features Israeli weapons on its front page.

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

“IDF: Iran providing direct military training to Palestinian militants”. I can’t even believe that this is printed as news. Like do you expect the “IDF” to say: Iran NOT providing direct military training to Palestinian militants? I am of an age to have actually read in US and Israeli newspapers (before the collapse of the [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

“The brotherhood is gathering outside the pharaoh’s palace”

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

The Arabs and Obama. I read this piece on Obama. Let me say this. I believe that what Ali Abunimah did in his article revealing the pro-Palestinian past of Obama was a great service to us all. It is important that we don’t suffer from illusions of naivite or worse regarding US aspirants for higher [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

“Enter ‘Allawi”

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

I get so annoyed when some Arab commentators talk about the Russian government as if it will suddenly emerge as a Superpower, and that it will come to the rescue of the Arabs.

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

Today is Wednesday. Another week. The Jordanian government has uncovered yet another plot by Al-Qa`idah.

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

The Return of `Allawi. The resignation of the Fadilah Party members of the Iraqi puppet parliament from the ruling coalition is, in my non-humble opinion, part of the new alternative US plan for Iraq. It is an early sign that the surge plan has failed. This will set the stage for the return of Iyad [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

I don’t like the Muslim Brotherhood, but of all the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, I dislike the Jordanian branch the most. They manage to combine repugnant admiration for Zarqawi-style fanaticism with repugnant loyalty to the Hashemite dynasty. Oh, they also now like Saddam Husayn very much. What is there to like about them? They [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

Walid Jumblat tells Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal, that AIPAC is working to defend the Syrian regime. Jumblat, as is known, is considered an expert on foreign affairs by the Lebanese bourgeoisie because he has a widely publicized subscription to the New York Review of Books.

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

I am told that Ilyas Murr (the Lebanese Minister of Defense who first accused Palestinian fundamentalist groups of the assassination attempt on his life, before deciding to accuse the Syrian government, and who threatened last summer that the Lebanese Army will teach Israel a “lesson that it will not forget” IF Israeli troops cross into [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

This is from the new US State Department report on human rights: “The government [of Lebanon] acknowledged that violent abuse of detainees usually occurred during preliminary investigations conducted at police stations or military installations, in which suspects were interrogated without an attorney. Such abuse occurred despite national laws that prevent judges from accepting confessions extracted [...]

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad

For the life of me, I don’t understand why Counterpunch ran a piece by Lebanonese neoconservative, Michael Young, in which he attacked Seymour Hersh. Is there a thing by Counterpunch against Hersh that I don’t know about?

Posted on March 7, 2007 by As'ad