Archive for September 9, 2008
Peace in Tripoli? I talked to a Lebanese politician in Tripoli (and he was one of the signatories of the peace treaty in the city). I was rather confused at the turn of events: that mini-Hariri would suddenly show up in the city and sponsor peace efforts and would meet with his rivals. This is [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
Another Lebanese genius. In the sick country of Lebanonesia, “prestige” and ranking is everything. Look at this title: “Lebanese-American named to prestigious post”. So this dude Rihani sent a press release to every lousy Lebanese newspapers to the effect that he was elected “president” (that was how An-Nahar printed the story) of this association–whatever it [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Elsewhere in Iraq, a doctor was mistakenly killed by American forces east of Baquba while he was driving to work at a general hospital, a security official in Diyala said. The American military said in a statement that “a local national†was killed “while driving his car toward coalition forces,†but that it was not [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
After Sep. 11, many American reporters view their role as a combination of cheer-leading for US wars, and providing advice for US policy makers. What is Michale Slackman’s point here: “That such ideas persist represents the first failure in the fight against terrorism — the inability to convince people here that the United States is, [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“The background to this is that next January the term of US-backed PA Authority president Mahmoud Abbas officially ends. His term may simply be illegally extended, just as the elected Hamas-led “national unity government” was illegally deposed and replaced with the appointed US- and Israeli-backed Salam Fayyad “government.” Already the jockeying to replace Abbas among [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“New revelations about Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin continue to raise questions about how her religious views might affect her decisions on public policy. Much of the scrutiny has focused on Palin’s church, the Wassila Assembly of God. This past a week a video emerged of Palin telling students there that the US invasion of [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“A member of the renowned Alvin Ailey dance troupe says he was made to dance for Israeli airport security officers to convince them of his identity.”
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Compounding Cheney’s displeasure, immediately following the discussions Aliyev reportedly telephoned Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev to inform the Kremlin about the substance of the US energy stance. Mammadyarov later departed for Moscow for further diplomatic discussions. In a fit of pique, Cheney skipped a reception held in Baku in his honor, according to Azerbaijani sources.” (thanks [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
Another genius discovery from Lebanon: “Trouver la perle rare est une chose, en trouver 26 en est une autre: une Libanaise a eu la surprise de sa vie en découvrant 26 graines nacrées dans une huître dans un restaurant de poisson et fruits de mer dans le sud du pays .” (thanks Martin)
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“The settlement of Mattityahu East along with Israel’s wall, which was built mostly inside the occupied West Bank to grab land for settlements, seizes 50% of the village of Bil’in’s land, including olive groves that its residents have relied on for centuries. Leviev’s Zufim settlement, again along with Israel’s Wall, seizes as much as two-thirds [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“A UK academic’s analysis of Dubai’s rise to prominence in the Gulf has been banned from being sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Christopher Davidson, author of Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success, said the ban was an own goal by a country that is at pains to present itself as an open society with [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Under the label of “modesty patrolsâ€, groups of ultra-Orthodox men are turning into vigilantes, targeting in particular Haredi women whose behaviour they disapprove of. Reports of women being attacked on the street or in their homes have been steadily rising in the local media. In one widely publicised incident over the summer, a 14-year-old girl [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Shell in Iraqi gas deal worth up to $4bn” (thanks Nabeel)
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“The US military provided combat training to 80 Georgian special forces commandos only months prior to Georgia’s army assault in South Ossetia in August.” (thanks Bert)
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Stock markets were in jubilant mood yesterday after the US treasury announced it was putting the two big beasts of the American mortgage market into “conservatorship”. Don’t be misled by this ugly piece of economics jargon: it’s just another way of saying nationalisation – and it was somewhat bizarre to find the equity markets of [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Reports that “many” women and children had died in the attack drew outrage in Islamabad, with senior officials describing it “as a grave violation of our sovereignty”. A senior Pakistani air force official said he was awaiting orders from the Government to launch operations against “these invaders”.”
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Rice, or “Leezza” as Gaddafi called her, said she reciprocated with a china plate embossed with the seal of the United States and autographed by her. Rice said Gaddafi was gracious about the plate. “It is beautiful,” she quoted him as saying. Another memento of her landmark Tripoli visit on Friday was a copy of [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“This morning two US Predator Drones attacked a small village two miles north of Miramshah in Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency, killing at least 23 and wounding 20 others. Ten of those killed were said by officials to be militants, although a previous official was quoted as saying “no foreign militant was killed†in the strike. [...]
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“Abdel Karin plunged from the second-story window 15 days after he was arrested by Palestinian security and taken to a prison in the West Bank city of Nablus. He said every day he was tied up in painful positions every day.”
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad
“A Holon youth belonging to a neo-Nazi group convicted of possessing explosives has asked a Tel Aviv court to extend his sentence so he can be eligible for a special program allowing him to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.” (thanks Seham)
Posted on September 9, 2008 by As'ad