Archive for March 3, 2008

“Unless the government suddenly backs down, the courtroom will become the stage for an extraordinary parade of top officials being forced to testify about some of the unseen ways American foreign policy is made. Over the strong objections of the Justice Department, the judge in the case ruled that the defense may call as witnesses [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

On the Vanity Fair article. By the way, I really think that the Vanity Affair’s article on US and Muhammad Dahlan was very important. It reveals a lot about US foreign policy making in the Middle East. But I should add a caveat: it is clearly written with the full cooperation and support of Israeli [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

Don’t you love this view of elections? America’s clients want elections “when they are ready.” Dahlan says he warned his friends in the Bush administration that Fatah still wasn’t ready for elections in January.’”

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“This official estimates that the program raised “a few payments of $30 million”—most of it, as other sources agree, from the United Arab Emirates. Dahlan himself says the total was only $20 million, and confirms that “the Arabs made many more pledges than they ever paid.” Whatever the exact amount, it was not enough.”

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“In essence, the program was simple. According to State Department officials, beginning in the latter part of 2006, Rice initiated several rounds of phone calls and personal meetings with leaders of four Arab nations—Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. She asked them to bolster Fatah by providing military training and by pledging [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“We were sitting in Abbas’s office in Ramallah, and I explained the whole thing to Condi. And she said, ‘Yes, we have to make an effort to do this. There’s no other way.’ ””

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Walles and Abbas both knew what to expect from Hamas if these instructions were followed: rebellion and bloodshed. For that reason, the memo states, the U.S. was already working to strengthen Fatah’s security forces. “If you act along these lines, we will support you both materially and politically,” the script said. “We will be there [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Abbas, one official says, agreed to take action within two weeks. It happened to be Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast during daylight hours. With dusk approaching, Abbas asked Rice to join him for iftar—a snack to break the fast. Afterward, according to the official, Rice underlined her position: “So we’re agreed? You’ll dissolve the [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Wurmser accuses the Bush administration of “engaging in a dirty war in an effort to provide a corrupt dictatorship [led by Abbas] with victory.” He believes that Hamas had no intention of taking Gaza until Fatah forced its hand. “It looks to me that what happened wasn’t so much a coup by Hamas but an [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Vanity Fair has obtained confidential documents, since corroborated by sources in the U.S. and Palestine, which lay bare a covert initiative, approved by Bush and implemented by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams, to provoke a Palestinian civil war. The plan was for forces led by Dahlan, and armed [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Bush has met Dahlan on at least three occasions. After talks at the White House in July 2003, Bush publicly praised Dahlan as “a good, solid leader.” In private, say multiple Israeli and American officials, the U.S. president described him as “our guy.””

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“Bahaa Hariri, the eldest of four billionaire sons of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, left the family owned Saudi Oger Ltd. construction, utility and telecommunications company to run his own property business. “I am not involved in Saudi Oger,” Hariri, 41, said in an interview during the Jordan Economic Forum at the Dead Sea yesterday. [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“With confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials, David Rose reveals how President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy National-Security Adviser Elliott Abrams backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.” (thaks Mohamed)

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“On a number of issues, such as the Middle East peace process, Obama advocates a continuation of Bush administration policies but promises more energetic and intense presidential involvement.”

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

Don’t you like it when House of Saud’s journalists question the democratic credentials of Chavez? I mean, is that not amusing?

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

Since I posted about it yesterday, elaph removed that item about Palestinian missiles “posing a threat to quarter million Israelis.”

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

I noticed that none of the US media remarked that the number of victims of violence in Iraq increased by 25% last month. They are busy celebrating the “success” of the surge.

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

The story of Anwar As-Sadat.

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“The National PR Forum, which compiled this manual, is a newly founded body that includes representatives from several government agencies, and which was first launched following the Winograd Commission’s report. Aside from distributing the aforementioned PR manual, the PR forum also targeted the al-Jazeera Network as its chief adversary in the war for hearts and [...]

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad

“I pray to Jesus every night.”

Posted on March 3, 2008 by As'ad