Archive for March 21, 2008

For a fistful of Dinars. I thought that this was–as Bush said–a “large scale Arab uprising” against Al-Qa`idah. Al-Hayat is reporting that Anbar tribal thug leaders (who worked for Saddam, and then for Bin Laden, before working for the US occupation) has threatened to end their relationship with the Americans because they have not received [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

I am not making this up. Al-Arabiya TV just aired a special report that US occupation authority in Iraq has released a whopping 13 Iraqi prisoners from their custody in Baghdad. That only leaves a mere 19, 987 Iraqis in US custody.

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

“The Bush administration won a commitment Thursday from two prominent foreign government investment funds to disavow “geopolitical goals” in their investments in the United States and elsewhere, a step the administration hoped would set an example for other funds. The commitment came from the so-called sovereign wealth funds controlled by the governments of Singapore and [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

The president of Afghanistan is seen to the right. To the left is Hamid Karzai.

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

Yesterday, the New York Times had a little item about the dissolution of parliament in Kuwait. For the picture of the Emir of Kuwait (a man in his seventies), they had a picture of some Arab with a head dress who is probably in his 20s. They all look like, don’t they o New York [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

The New York Times had this caption under this picture: “Brig. Gen. Mutaa al-Khazraji, center, an Iraqi Army commander in Mosul, discussed a joint security operation with his American military advisers last month.” Advisers? They advise the Iraqi commander? Oh, really. Advise, is the word here? So the Iraqi guy commands and the American advisers [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

How typical. How convenient. Fath crooks, thieves, and murderers often blame somebody else–somebody who works for them usually–for their crimes and corruption. “Fattouh, who served as acting PA chairman for three months following the death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004, claimed that it was his driver who had tried to smuggle the phones across [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

“A Hamas spokesman said security forces had demanded to know about Hamas leaders’ movements and the location of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit…. There has been no comment about the Hamas claims from the Egyptian authorities…” (thanks Ussama)

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

More secretive than Skulls and Bones is the Board of Trustees of AUB. Does anybody know how they select the president of AUB? This is a board that selected Tom Lantos as president of AUB back in the 1960s (he turned them down). Would it surprise you if the board selects, say, Doug Feith?

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

I watched Sinan on Charlie Rose. He was angry and he kicked ass–big time. His point about the myth of “mere mistakes” in Iraq is very important. The other guest, Ali Fadhil, was most annoying and did not make one intelligent point. But I have one complaint about comrade Sinan: why did he have to [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

“According to Long, there’s no grand Saudi strategy to influence America’s view of Islam.”Yes, they want to help Islam, just like we have foreign missionaries,” Long explained.” Oh, Mr. Long. Please, please, please. You really think that vast Saudi expenditure on propaganda and on weapons is motivated by the desire to help Islam? And if [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad

Finished reading a new book: Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think By John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed. It is a small interpretive book that analyzes for the readers the views and opinions of Muslims worldwide based on the Gallup surveys in Muslim countries. It succeeds in dispelling–based on evidence and [...]

Posted on March 21, 2008 by As'ad