Archive for November 18, 2007

“In Praise of the House of Saud” (in Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat by a UK Times reporter).

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

For some reason, the marathon in Lebanon is 10 km only.

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

The Syrian government today banned facebook.com. But the Syrian government has not yet banned potato.com

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Kuwaiti Emir was warmly received by a Saudi official upon arriving for the OPEC summit. (thanks Kamal)

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Talal and I were talking about this in LA last week. We need somebody to do a PhD dissertation on the Beirut’s Intra Bank crisis of 1966. I still can’t believe that there has not been an in-depth academic study of the story. This is a most interesting story with so many dimensions, and so [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Kamal responds to Nayif Hawatimah’s lies and fabrications.

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Those two are hilarious, no?

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“After being refused entry to Israel for four months, young Palestinian cancer patient dies Saturday. ‘Shin Bet’s policy means death,’ say Physicians for Human Rights”

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Today, Al-Arabiya TV reported that OPEC leaders held a discussion on climate change and global warming. I would like to see and hear the Saudi King discussing environmental issues. Hell. I would be impressed if I see for myself that the Saudi King is able–without assistance–to pronounce the word environment. That would be mightily impressive [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

Today, many Lebanese TV stations are reporting that Michel Iddi is being promoted by the Maronite Patriarch as a candidate for president. You may learn about my encounter with him at the house of Talal Salman 3 years ago.PS But he is one of the most impressive experts on Arabic cuisine. He can describe to [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“MTV says it hopes to respect local culture without diluting its brand.”

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“If Larsen’s influence on the SG prevails in tandem with the US’s continued reliance on military confrontations and divisive diplomacy, then the region will be at war for years to come and the UN as a whole will continue its dangerous spiral towards illegitimacy in a region whose people increasingly identify the UN with US [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“”When Musharraf has made decisions and given his word, as he did after 9/11, he has been true to his word,” national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley said. “So there is a track record we have with this man.””

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“PA to U.S.: We’ll accept…” ANYTHING.

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“‘Washington is 200 per cent behind me,’ Musharraf claims during crucial talks.” This really surprised me. I thought that Washington was 300 per cent behind him.

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“The Turkish delegation that visited Jerusalem in March to inspect the excavations at the Mughrabi Gate near the Temple Mount has concluded that the work is destroying artifacts from different historic Islamic periods” (thanks May)

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“It has now been largely forgotten that the Giuliani-supporting Fox News and the Wall St. Journal Op-Ed Page actually spent weeks and weeks last year hysterically warning everyone that August 22, 2006 was some secret, special date in 12th Imam Islamic theology when Iran might be planning to attack the U.S. and end the world. [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“Her “saviour” Debbie Rodriguez, an American hairdresser who founded a salon in Kabul and turned the story into a best-selling book, had rescued her from death threats in the Afghan capital and promised her a new life in San Francisco. However, according to Hossein, she has been abandoned in India while Rodriguez, who drew on [...]

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“My faith is in the power of people to write history.” I agree. And the Palestinians have written you out of their history. But look at what impressed the British reporter: “With an English wife and a fancy foreign education…” (thanks Kamal)

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad

“The result is a documentary that dares to journey into waters seldom treaded by other filmmakers, by traveling right to the core of the ideological debate that lies behind the war on terror and investigating what the Arab people actually think, believe and desire — independent of media bias.”

Posted on November 18, 2007 by As'ad