Archive for March 18, 2007

“Abu Muhammad” the spokesperson of the Iraqi Ba`th party spoke to AlJazeera (without revealing his face). He expressed readiness to talk to all “except Israel.” It was very clear that the Ba`th Party is reading (or eager?) to negotiate with the US?

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“But the administration and the military have also muddied bottom lines by altering targets and categories of data. Multiple regular and special accounts have made it difficult to compute total war spending. Detainee numbers have oscillated, depending on whether the objective was to tout achievements or conceal secret prisoners. And convenient guesses have at times [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“Four years after the invasion of Iraq, the high and growing demand for U.S. troops there and in Afghanistan has left ground forces in the United States short of the training, personnel and equipment that would be vital to fight a major ground conflict elsewhere, senior U.S. military and government officials acknowledge.”

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“Wherever Washington has supported Middle East “democracy” recently – although it swiftly ditched Lebanon during its blood-soaked war last summer on the ridiculous assumption that by postponing a ceasefire the Israelis could crush the Hizbollah – its efforts have turned into a nightmare.”

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“Now, on the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, he says: “I really regret bringing down the statue. The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day.””

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

The Guardian covers a public beheading in Saudi Arabia.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

You think that you are scaring Palestinians with your gun? Look at them. Do they look scared to you? After a century of Gun Zionism, the Palestinians have refused to be scared.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Khalid Saghiyyah on Chirac’s award to mini-Hariri.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Kudos to Ziyad Rahbani for his highly needed attacks on LBC-TV (the official TV of the Lebanese Forces militia–most famous for the Sabra and Shatila massacres).

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

The variety/entertainment shows of LBC-TV represent a bizarre mix of crude and more vulgar imitations of US variety shows, mixed with elements of porn, Wrestling shows, strip club shows, and sleazy cable shows–but without the nudity.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Is there a more damning evidence of the corruption of the man to the left? I mean, on what grounds is he awarding one of the highest orders of the French republic to mini-Hariri? What are his accomplishments besides hailing from a family that has been filling the campaign coffers of Chirac since he was [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

In July 2003, Rafiq Hariri came up with the idea of eliminating the income tax. At that time, Fu’ad Sanyurah called Hariri “crazy.”

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Walid Jumblat from 2003.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Shakir Al-`Absi, leader of Fath Al-Islam, denies that he had not fought in Iraq but admits that he had fought in…Nicaragua.

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“But [Saddam] fired Mr. Hammadi within six months, after the new prime minister spoke up for change and democracy…” What? This is the same Sa`dun Hammadi of the Ba`th Party? There are now some soft and favorable obituaries of Hammadi in the Saudi-funded Arabic press, and in the New York Times it seems. I think [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

“On Saturday, Iraqi security forces captured Abu Qutada al-Palestinei, the deputy of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, according to a senior official in the office of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. Mr. Palestinei was arrested in Baghdad…” Excuse me? What did you call him? Al-Palestininei? Are you sure he is [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

كلام حق يراد به باطلThis should be a regular feature. This is a saying by `Ali Ibn Abi Talib when he was commenting on the slogan of the Kharijites; he said that it was “righteous words intended for falsehood.” I say this because I have been reading a lot of indignant articles in the Arabic [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Read the article by Hariri rag writer, Rami Al-Amin, about Yusuf Al-Khal. Do those Lebanonese think that they are being original when they stress that they want to be “modern” and that we should enter “modernity”. I mean, be modern and just leave me alone. And please, march behind your symbol of modernity, Shaykh Muhammad [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

Four years of war in Iraq. (Click to enlarge NOW).

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad

This is a regular feature that runs in US newspapers. It is called “Please help us to improve the image of Israeli crimes in the West”. Look at this propaganda quotation from NYT: ““Israel is endeavoring to be as humane as possible,” said Mark Regev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman. “Israel has a special understanding of [...]

Posted on March 18, 2007 by As'ad