Archive for March 18, 2008
Cedar Revolution Continues. A Nepalese maid was found dead in the house of her emplyer–Ahmad Fatfat’s father-in-law. The employer said that she suffered from psychological problems and that she committed suicide. As usual, Lebanese police will not investigate, nor will Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International.
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
This is the foreign policy expert of the US Senate. “Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran. He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni [...]
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“At the same time, American diplomats are quietly working behind the scenes with Middle Eastern partners to amplify the speeches and writings of prominent Islamic clerics who are renouncing terrorist violence….Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul Aziz al-Asheik, gave a speech last October warning Saudis not to join unauthorized jihadist activities, a statement [...]
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“Mr. Shikaki’s poll also showed that the militant Islamist group Hamas, which Israel and the United States have been trying to isolate, is gaining popularity in the West Bank while its American-backed rival, the more secular Fatah, is losing ground. Asked for whom they would vote for president, 46 percent chose Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, [...]
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“”I support Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” McCain said in Jordan before heading to Israel where he arrived late Tuesday.” He added that Tartus should be the capital of Syria. (thanks Kumar)
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
Obama on Israel: “Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country — a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions [...]
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
For those who care, I shall appear on AlJazeera English on Thursday morning (10:00 AM Pacific Time) to discuss Iraq along with former chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers. The program Inside Iraq is marking the fifth anniversary of the US war on Iraq. You may watch live.
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“McCain visited Israel many times as part of Congressional delegations. His first visit was in 1979, when he was not yet an elected official, but a Navy captain, the Navy’s liaison officer to the Senate. At the time, he was accompanying Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson.”
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
It is official: The US Department of State conflates anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism: “However, the term “anti-Zionism†now has many different meanings and often is used as a synonym for anti-Semitism.” (p. 26) (thanks Friday Lunch Club)
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“Israel’s Shin Bet launches blog”. Will they offer tips to their readers on torture techniques? (thanks Cheryl)
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad
“In 1596 the English accidentally got their first introduction to the potato, when Sir Francis Drake set sail for England after having conquered the Caribbean regions, wresting them away from the Spanish. He took some potatoes for the trip. He is said to have stopped over at Virginia to pick up some homesick British soldiers, [...]
Posted on March 18, 2008 by As'ad