Archive for May 25, 2007

Sometimes you think that Larry King is the worst TV there is. No there is worse. How about hearing the prose of Anderon Cooper? Or his impressions of foreign lands? He sounds (when he reads his prose) like somebody reading from the phone book and thinking it is poetry.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

The Man Whose Back is Against the Wall by Libyan poet Muhammad Al-Fayturi (my translation):“For whom?I embrace fire while dead…and fightI, who have no land, no countryno face, no timeno glory, no priceFor whom?Your eyes spit in my eyes..I am the fugitive..Stare in my eyes as you wishSay that I was a cowardthat I was [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

In this interview, Hariri-supported Shaykh Ash-Shahhal (the Salafi leader in Tripoli) talked about contacts with Fath-Al-Islam.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

Did you see the Congressional hearing today (took place on Wednesday) on “US Aid to the Palestinians” organized by the International Relations’ subcommittee on the Middle East? It was quite a show. At one point, a member of Congress from Indiana wanted to know, basically, why the Presidential Guards did not do a better job [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

Notice the use of the word “concepts”: “The Bush administration is developing what are described as concepts for reducing American combat forces in Iraq by as much as half next year, according to senior administration officials in the midst of the internal debate. It is the first indication that growing political pressure is forcing the [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

“A senior legal official who secretly warned the government of Israel after the Six Day War of 1967 that it would be illegal to build Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories has said, for the first time, that he still believes that he was right. The declaration by Theodor Meron, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

“When Afghan children are forced to eat mud”

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

“The United States has sent planeloads of arms and ammunition for the Lebanese army, as tension grows around the besieged refugee camp in the north of the country. The weapons were welcomed by members of the Lebanese government, who said they wanted the army equipped “to the teeth” in the face of threats of renewed [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

I was going to criticize the stance of the PFLP in Lebanon: they have not been loud against the Lebanese Army attacks on the Nahr Al-Barid camp (although an official issued a statement from Damascus today). But then again a friend in Lebanon had to remind me that there is no PFLP organization in Lebanon. [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

Al-Quds Al-`Arabi is reporting that snipers (probably armed Hariri goons who have been freely roaming around the camps in the North and in the presence of the Lebanese Army) are preventing civilians from leaving the Nahr Al-Barid refugee camp.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

Al-Arabiya TV asked Shaykh Ash-Shahhal (the Salafi leader in Tripoli) about sources of his funding. “From the Gulf,” he said.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

You can understand developments in Lebanon better if you closely follow the path of the Syrian-Saudi conflict. I notice that the Saudi media have been exhibiting more hostility to Syria in the last week. Also, I looked at the Syrian media yesterday: and they are all but ignoring the Lebanese Army attacks on the refugee [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

I never knew that translators can achieve peace and prosperity until I read this: “In a statement, GLS president James Marks says, “In the near future, Global Linguist Solutions (GLS) expects to take on the mission of providing highly skilled linguists to our units in Iraq. Interpreters and translators are the key to bridging language [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

“Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic language experts because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable specialists go.”

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

Walid `Idu (former militia leader of Al-Murabitun) accused Al-Akhbar newspaper of complicity in the crimes of Fath-Al-Islam because–hold your breath here–it dared to criticize Saudi Arabia.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

The person who has been leading Fath-Al-Islam members in Friday prayers in Nahr Al-Barid camp in the last few months is none other than Abu Ta`an. He was commander of Al-Kifah Al-Musallah in Lebanon. He also is a top Fath (the Fath of Dahlan and Abu Mazen) official, and Fath in Lebanon is in a [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

“The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned that journalists have been prevented since Monday from entering a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon during clashes between Islamist militants and the Lebanese Army. The Lebanese Army restricted public access to the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon, near Tripoli.” (thanks Ivan)

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

The Lies of MEMRI. I noted yesterday the interview that was conducted by AlHayat with the military commander of Fath-Al-Islam gang. Today, MEMRI did a release on that, and translated every part of the interview except the part in which he talked against Syria (with the exception of a part that was distorted deliberately to [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

On Hasan Nasrallah’s Address. I watched the live address by Hasan Nasrallah carried live on New TV. (I noticed that AlArabiya–too scared of the US government–does not carry his speeches live, but reports to the viewers second hand what he said although they carry live speeches by US Secretary of Agriculture sometimes. Did I not [...]

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad

For those who care, my interview with Electronic Intifada in French.

Posted on May 25, 2007 by As'ad