Archive for July 15, 2007
“Iraq’s prime minister was misunderstood when he said the Americans could leave “any time they want” an aide said Sunday, as politicians moved to end a pair of boycotts that are holding up work on crucial political reforms sought by Washington.” Upon learning of the comments, Iraqi puppet foreign minister yelled his daily: “What about [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“”The red line is not in Iran. The red line is in Israel. If Israel is adamant it will attack, the US will have to take decisive action,” Mr Cronin said. “The choices are: tell Israel no, let Israel do the job, or do the job yourself.””
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
Speaking on behalf of all the Arab people (based on an election in which he won 99.99% of the vote), Mahmud Darwish states that Arabs are ready to accept Israel with its “might and nuclear weapons.”
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“They see that President Bashar al-Assad is the only leader in the region who’s feeling more secure about his position now than he did a few years back, when analysts predicted his downfall after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Then, Syria was next on the neocon hit list. How different things look now. Regime change [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip have arrested members of two radical Islamic groups who were behind a series of attacks on Internet cafes, hair salons, restaurants and hotels over the past year, sources close to Hamas revealed over the weekend.” (thanks Fatima)
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“Saudis’ role in Iraq insurgency outlined: Sunni extremists from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide bombers, a U.S. official says.” (thanks John)
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“To men here, fat is sexy. And in this patriarchal region, many Mauritanian women do everything possible — and have everything possible done to them — to put on pounds.” (Notice how in US newspapers they always refer to African and Middle East countries as “patriarchal” as if Western countries have now entered the post-patriarchal [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
” In return its soldiers are fed, given new uniforms, battle armour and night-vision equipment when they arrive in Iraq and President Bush has promised Mongolia $14.5 million (£7 million) to renovate its Armed Forces. The country’s readiness to fight in Iraq was also key to winning it a highly sought-after first-round place in Washington’s [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“An unprecedented move by President Karzai of Afghanistan to pardon a teenage Taleban suicide bomber – and pay him $2,000 to travel home to Pakistan – has drawn stinging criticism and warnings that it will encourage such attacks. “It is a very silly idea to forgive such criminals. He was a volunteer,†Mullah Malang, an [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
Abu Mazen’s son tell Israel: Please help my daddy.(Is this the son whose wedding cost the Palestinian people more than $100,000?)
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
That is an important development. Fath’s Kata’ib Shuhada’ Al-Aqsa has signed pledges to abandon armed resistance against Israeli occupation. They said that they will now devote all their energies to doing what they have done over the years: extortion, blackmail, thuggery, robberies, kidnappings, intimidation, bombast, and murders.
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
This is how Hassan Fattah operates. He takes a Western fear, stereotype, generalization, misconception, or rumor and then builds a whole article on it. Like where is the evidence that: “Middle Eastern engineering and medical schools have become hotbeds of Islamist activity.”
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
I swear that I am not making this up. The Lebanese Army today issued an official statement in which it stressed that it is “making progress” in Nahr Al-Barid.
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“Under the deal offered by Israel, 178 Al Aqsa gunmen would join the Palestinian security forces and be taken off Israel’s wanted list if they refrain from violence for the next three months. Each gunman was asked to sign a non-violence pledge and give his weapon to the security forces. Fifteen gunmen signed the pledge [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
“This time around, he was ahead of the pack in catching the sudden uptick in references to Al Qaeda in the president’s speeches about Iraq — 27 in a single speech on June 28 — and an equal decline in references to the Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence at the heart of the Iraqi civil war America [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
My friend pointed out to me tonight that the little device that they have at restaurants (which allow them to run your credit card in front of you, wirelessly) here in London is not available in the US.
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
My sources are telling me that Jordanian mukhabarat are quite angry with the memoirs of its former head, Nadhir Rashid. I am told (but I have not had that confirmed) that mukhabarat people flew to London and bought all available copies of the book in London bookshops. I did check in several bookshops, and it [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
I read in Al-Hayat newspaper (it is often called “respected” by American journalists who can’t read Arabic) that Prince `Abdul-`Aziz bin Fahd (called `Azzuz in the family, and known for his years of obsession with Yasmeen Bleeth–his personal chief of entertainment, none other than mini-Hariri was helpful in this regard, I am told) met with [...]
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
Look at the tough questions US officials receive in Saudi media. (This is from Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat–the mouthpiece of Prince Salman).
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad
I was reading Al-Hayat newspaper this morning in London. On its front page I read about: 1) the Sudanese government uncovered a coup plot in Sudan; 2) the Egyptian government uncovered an Al-Qa`idah plot; 3) Saudi Arabia’s government arrested people who were involved in a “suspicious” plot.
Posted on July 15, 2007 by As'ad