Archive for August 22, 2008
“Even if the goal of withdrawing combat troops by 2011 is realized, the accord does leave open the possibility that American military trainers and support forces could remain in Iraq after that time. It is unclear whether the accord provides for semipermanent military bases in the country, and what role the United States would play [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
My article in Al-Akhbar: “Olympics of Sectarian Agitation in [Lebanese] Parliament”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Saudi-Israeli conspiracy? What Saudi-Israeli conspiracy? This Zionist crusader is a columnist for Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (mouthpiece of Prince Salman) and commentator for Al-Arabiyya TV (mouthpiece of King Fahd’s brother-in-law): “UK group tackles anti-Israel media bias: A new organization seeking to promote accurate and responsible media coverage of Israel in the UK is to be launched in [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Ethan Bronner, deputy foreign editor of the New York Times [now he is Jerusalem bureau chief], responded to my critique of his obituary of Mahmud Darwish (I cite with his permission and my response is below):“Dear Mr. AbuKhalil, Several people sent me your irritated comments on my Darwish obit. I understand that attacking The Times [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
““The U.S. will provide Israel with a new powerful radar system. Congressman [Mark] Kirk has been working with senior Israeli and American defense officials for more than a year to reach an agreement on the AN/TPY-2 radar system that will be 5 to 6 times more powerful than [the] present Israeli system. Israeli Ambassador Sallai [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“More than a dozen civilians have been killed in an air strike by U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Laghman, two provincial officials said on Thursday.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“Liberation” fees. “THE UNITED Nation’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, has said between $100 million to $250 million worth of bribes exchanges hands in Afghanistan every year.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“British troops accidentally killed four civilians and wounded three others with rockets during an operation against Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan, NATO and British officials said Sunday.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“Babies born to women who were in their second month of pregnancy during the height of the 1967 Arab-Israeli Six-Day War were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday, in a study linking prenatal stress with the mental illness.” (thanks Seham)
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“The fact is, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) taped, according to Ruskind, even the telephone conversation between Bhutto and her son, Bilawal, when the mother passed on to the son the details of secret foreign bank accounts where the family loot – estimated to run into hundreds of millions of dollars – is kept. [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“Where the Times at first omitted to mention Israel, Levy took seriously his country’s implication in the Georgia debacle. “Israel might pay a heavy price for the drones and training by Israel Ziv and Gal Hirsch, our new mercenaries in Georgia.” To read Haaretz after The New York Times is an edifying experience.” (thanks Nabeel)
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Welcoming Rice in Baghdad. (The sign says: “Get out of our country, o Secretary of Evil.”) (AFP)
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Obscene. Lebanese government celebrates the Lebanese Army’s destruction of the Nahr Al-Barid camp in a postage stamp. (thanks Daniel)
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of funds, a UN spokeswoman said on Friday.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Zionists have been dying to find evidence of Al-Qa`idah presence among Palestinians. Palestinians know better: Al-Qa`idah, which has never done anything for Palestinians except lousy, boring speeches, has failed to get any support among the Palestinians. Israeli media are jumping up and down: they found one Palestinian who they accuse of support for Al-Qa`idah.
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“Afghan Civilians Bear the Brunt of Taliban Violence and US, NATO Bombings”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“The Israeli Shabbak (General Security) met with former Fatah leader in Gaza Ahmad Hillis who fled to Israel after the 2 August street battle, in Israel’s Ashkelon prison last week.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“The U.S. military on Wednesday denounced a chaotic raid conducted by an Iraqi special forces unit Tuesday morning that killed an Iraqi government employee and sparked a gunfight with police in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad.”
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
“At least 20 civilians have been killed in an air attack by US-led troops in Afghanistan’s Laghman province, according to Afghan officials.” Let me guess. Karzai will protest. (thanks Olivia)
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad
Foreign workers in Lebanon. I notice that Human Rights Watch paid attention to the violations of human rights by the pro-Syrian Lebanese government. But when Sanyurah came on board as a U.S. puppet (after serving for years with Rafiq Hariri as a puppet of Syrian mukhabarat), Human Rights Watch stopped paying attention to the violations [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 by As'ad