Archive for March 28, 2007
“This story, if correct, merits outrage on several levels. The killings described by Az-Zaman are reminiscent of the “raids†of Saddam’s army against rebellious cities. Ironically, the policemen who undertook the role of the “death squads†seem to be acting as a “militia among others,†as opposed to Saddam’s brutal apparatus of coercion. Tal ‘Afar [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
Now that Saudi-Syrian relations seem to be improving, you will see the results in the Saudi-funded Arab media. Suddenly, reports about Syrian human rights violations will disappear (not that Saudi Arabia is in a position to judge anybody); suddenly, `Abdul-Halim Khaddam will not find a place in Arab media to speak; suddenly, Syrian role in [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“It turns out, the White House made clear hours later, that he was quoting two brothers, Mohammed and Omar Fadhil. They write an English-language blog from Baghdad called IraqTheModel.com. Both of them got to meet Bush in the Oval Office in 2004. In his speech, Bush was pulling select lines from an op-ed that the [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“West African child labour still feeds the world’s insatiable hunger for chocolate”
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“Female Islamist students wearing burkas raided a brothel and were holding the alleged owner inside their fundamentalist madrasa last night in the latest assault by extremists on President Pervez Musharraf’s bruised authority.”
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“But Rice will get no relief when she returns to Washington. She will have to deal with more depressing society news: Jordan’s King Abdullah, who has spent more time in George W. Bush’s Washington than any other foreign leader, has let the White House know that he can’t make that state visit discussed for September. [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“QUESTION: Another subject. The Arab summit just started in Riyadh and in his opening statement, King Abdullah made a very harsh comment on U.S. He said — criticized particularly the illegitimate foreign occupation of Iraq. So I wanted to know if you have any reaction on that.MR. CASEY: Well, I’ve seen the press reports citing [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
I read that Bashshar had another meeting with Saudi King. They may have reached an agreement. Make no mistake about it: Arab government never agree except in error, and always for sinister purposes, and always against the interests of their populations.
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
Al-Akhbar’s coverage is becoming increasingly sympathetic of Saudi Arabia. I need oxygen, I think.
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
I watched a reairing of the interview with Mu`ammar Al-Qadhdhafi on Al-Jazeera. I still believe that he has not yet adjusted to his role as a new US puppet. I mean, in practice he is sticking to the role, but in rhetoric he still fluctuates back and forth. But in addition to all that–and I [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
I think the host hated me.* I was on the NPR’s To the Point Program talking about the Arab summit a few minutes ago. Prior to the segment, the host was talking to the London correspondent of the Economist (the best magazine there is), and he asked me: Is it not against the Geneva convention [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“”The U.S. will use this summit to designate Saudi Arabia as the overall leader of Arab regimes,” wrote U.S.-based Lebanese political scientist As’ad AbuKhalil on his blog site last week. “Instead of land-for-peace, it is peace-for-nothing, or nothing-for-peace,” he said, depicting Arab governments, drained by years of conflict, ready to sign on the line at [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“Embassies complain of humiliating security checks: German student says security officers at Ben-Gurion Airport fondled her breasts, checked if she was hiding something in her buttocks with flashlight” (thanks Fatima)
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
The author of the letter could not get it published*, so I am posting it here: “An Open Letter to Professor Kanan Makiya Hawra Karama 3/26/2007 Dear Professor Makiya, What went wrong, verge of tears, unmitigated disasters; is that all you have to say for yourself at this point? A smart intellectual with degrees as [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia has presented training courses to familiarize 375 of its members with modern technology and the latest cyber culture to monitor any offences in this field.Sheikh Suleyman Tuwaijri, the director of the Medina branch of the Promotion of Virtue and the [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“The government spends more in welfare on the Jewish sector that it does on Arab citizens, even though the Arab population has a higher rate of poverty, according a report issued by the Sikui Association for the Advancement of Equal Opportunity on Thursday.”
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
Obama and Fassutah (thanks Ira)
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“”Obsession” features interviews with Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, investigative journalist Steve Emerson, Itimar Marcus of Israel-based Palestinian Media Watch, and Daniel Pipes, a controversial scholar of medieval Islamic history whose website campuswatch.com sparked criticism in 2002 for its alleged McCarthyesque attacks on Middle East studies professors. Its production credits include the Middle East Media [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
Condoleezza Rice has the audacity to call on Arabs to “reassure” Israel. Yes. How can Arabs reassure the state with a massive arsenal of weapons of WMDs, and and which occupies Arabs lands?
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad
“There’s some disgruntlement amongst the grossly overpaid World Bank crowd as the time approaches for calculating annual salary increases for 2007. Seems they’re finding out that Shaha Riza, who’s been romantically linked to bank President Paul Wolfowitz, has done exceptionally well in terms of salary in the last 18 months — and she doesn’t even [...]
Posted on March 28, 2007 by As'ad