Archive for June 12, 2008

I am not making this up. Hariri TV anchorperson, Munir Al-Hafi, has a new book. It is titled: “Saudi Arabia is for Lebanon.” Do you now know why I was born angry?

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

I am not making this up. MEMRI today issued a special bulletin titled: “A Palestinian journalist criticizes Hamas.” Do you think MEMRI will issue a bulletin titled: A Palestinian journalist criticizes Dahlan?

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Ahmad Fu’ad Najm on Husni Mubarak. (thanks Eyad)

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

The Pettiness Homeland. On the front page of the Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal, they have this: “A Lebanese, Rawi Al-Hajj, wins the most important literary award after Nobel.” In the homeland obsessed with rankings, I award Lebanonese media the most important media award in silliness and small-mindedness.

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Hassan Fattah now turns to coverage of labor in Dubia. Here is a sample: “Dubai residents [i.e. UAE's ruling princes] are complaining about increasing harassment from beggars claiming they are labourers who have been injured in construction accidents.” (thanks Lysandra)

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

“The report, sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness, cited statistics showing that foreign students earned nearly 60 percent of engineering doctoral degrees awarded by U.S. universities. China, Taiwan, India and South Korea have accounted for the most foreign citizens getting U.S. science and engineering degrees, RAND said.”

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Saudi “liberal” media explains homosexuality. According to Saudi media, pedophiles are gays, and gays are pedophiles. The author of this article then concludes with this: he said that homosexuality in the Arab world is motivated by economic reasons while in the West it is a mere “luxury”. He recommends “programs” to divert Arab gays from [...]

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Suddenly, Saudi media are crying: racism against Saudi Arabia. (By Saudi government standards, it is racist to oppose the House of Saud.): “The passages were found in selected textbooks used during the 2007-08 school year by the Islamic Saudi Academy, which teaches 900 students in grades K-12 at two campuses in Alexandria and Fairfax and [...]

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

“A mid-level government official supportive of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s political faction was arrested Wednesday for making public accusations of corruption against several top clerics, the Iranian Fars News Agency reported.”

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Politics aside: there is something very likable about the British ambassador in Lebanon. She seems so natural.PS If she invites me to lunch or dinner, I shall accept.

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Bush Doctrine: “Ethiopia’s government has committed extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity during a brutal counterinsurgency campaign in the remote Ogaden region, a report says today.”

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

I was thinking: who will be so dumb as to invite George W. Bush to speak on foreign affairs after he leaves office. And then I remembered the ruling dynasties of UAE.

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

“Security officials say 35-year-old Hisham Ghosein was plowing his field with a bulldozer in his home village of Qantara, when the [ISRAELI] mine exploded and instantly killed him. The village is about 8 km (5 miles), away from the Israeli border. Thursday’s powerful blast also wounded a Syrian worker who was helping Ghosein, while the [...]

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

“The reaction in Iraq to the US demands for the long-term use of military bases and other rights has been so furious that Washington is now offering limited concessions in the negotiations. For example, the US is lowering the number of bases it wants from 58 to “the low dozens” and says it is willing [...]

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Fadl An-Naqib on the late George Habash. (thanks Mirvat)

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad

Real coverage of the AIPAC conference. (thanks John)

Posted on June 12, 2008 by As'ad