Archive for June 7, 2007

The best. Genetic Superiority of the Lebanese People Update. An-Nahar reports that a Lebanese play won the “best show for children” (ever?) in Prague.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

Ad-Diyar has revealed that based on Lebanese government information the real leader of the Fath-Al-Islam gang is not Shakir Al-`Absi after all, by Shaykh Talhah, a Saudi national.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

In the Lebanese and Wester press, there is a distinction between famous bombs and less famous bombs. The famous bombs target the more expensive people. In the Lebanonese dictionary, the poor Syrian workers are expendable. Yesterday, somebody threw a grenade at a restaurant frequented by poor Syrian workers in Dahr Al-Wahsh.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

Today, I saw Albert Mansur on NBN (taped from yesterday). He was quite effective. He is a rare effective opposition figure in Lebanon. And he has credibility as far as opposing the domination of the Syrian regime in Lebanon. I have written about him before. I admire his staunch secularism, and opposition to Zionism. He [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

This may be a first. On the first anniversary of Al-Akhbar newspaper I will be given a whole page to write a critique of Al-Akhbar in its first year. (I will say hi to the Saudi ambassador in Lebanon, of course).

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

This is a regular feature: suicides of foreign domestic workers in Lebanon. Estella A., a Filipino domestic worker in Lebanon, shot herself in the shoulder using the revolver of her employer.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

House of Saud settles scores. Al-Arabiya’s coverage of the anniversary of 67: absolves Israel, King Husayn, and US: and blame Nasser–only.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

One of the things that you experience as an Arab in the US, is that, unfortunately, American anti-Semites try to confide in you, assuming–wrongly of course in this case–that you must as an Arab share their anti-Semitism. Just today, I had a plumber come to my house. He heard my TV blasting: he guessed it [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

Conspiracy? What conspiracy? “At least 90 percents of the trips I made overseas during my seven years as DCI were to the Middle East or to the border nations of Central and South Asia.” George Tenet, At the Center of the Storm: My years at the CIA, (NY: HarperCollins, 2007), p. 36. And this: “Saudi [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“If the Bush administration forces the CIA to drop “tough” interrogation techniques like waterboarding, the agency will probably fall back on a brutal method that leaves no physical marks.” (thanks G.)

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“U.S. intelligence chief says Russian spies at “Cold War levels”. He added that the US, as is well-known, ended all of its espionage activities around the world as soon as the Cold War ended.

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

A dear friend and wonderful scholar wrote this (in response to Adonis’ references to Muhammad Ibn `Abdul-Wahab): (He/she does not want to be identified by name): “ Regarding the influence of Wahhabism, Wahhabis, mainly because of oil money, and their funding of ‘Islamic’ education, have been able to make inroads in many poor countries, where [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“An illegal radio station operating out of the West Bank city of Ramallah caused interference in communications between Ben Gurion International Airport’s control tower and the airplanes.” So an illegal radio station is disrupting communications of an airport of an illegal state? How ironic. (thanks Emily)

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“Despite the Israeli offensive the media accused the Arab world of warmongering. On 6 June the socialist paper Le Populaire claimed: “Israel is successfully resisting attacks on all sides.” When the war was over references to defence justified all Israeli conquests. On 8 June Combat rejoiced in the “marvellous outcome for the Israeli army”: on [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“”Many of the neocons’ dreams now have turned to ashes, leaving a ruined Iraq but not yet having destroyed either Iran or Syria as most of the neocons desire. Strangely, it is Meyrav Wurmser who can’t stop talking about what might have been. In unguarded moments she clearly has no regrets about the havoc she [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“Selon As’ad Abukhalil, un journaliste palestinien qui anime un site internet très populaire (Electronic Intifada), Fatah Al-Islam apparaît comme un bouc-émissaire tout désigné pour faire éclater la guerre contre un ennemi imaginaire et faible.” People often think that I am a Palestinian as if non-Palestinians can’t be fierce defenders of Palestinian struggle. (thanks `Ali)

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“I do not often agree with leaders of the settler movement, but they speak a truth Israeli and American liberals prefer to ignore when they point out that the settlements in Gaza and the West Bank built after 1967 are not morally different from towns and kibbutzim inside Israel’s pre-1967 borders. The Israel that was [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“Commanders decided the images were sexist and insisted there was no place for them in the modern armed forces. There was also concern that they could cause offence in a muslim country where until 2001 all women were forced to wear the head-to-toe burkha in public. Glamour model Lucy Pinder, 23, who visited the RAF [...]

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad

“The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution congratulating Israel on the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem and urging the Bush administration to move its embassy there.” (thanks Yasmine)

Posted on June 7, 2007 by As'ad