Archive for September 27, 2008
Zionist Historiographical Trickery: Benny Morris and 1948. When I read Benny Morris’ massive study, 1948, I became convinced that many of the reviewers in the press did not probably read the whole thing. I say so because even reviews in serious publications, like the Economist–the best magazine there is–did not note the racist and disturbingly [...]
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
“U.S. European Command has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on Israeli soil.” (thanks Olivia)
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Regarding my reference to Salah Jadid in my last article in Al-Akhbar, informed sources say that the family of Jadid believes he was poisoned in jail.
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Raghidah Dirgham (columnist for Khalid Bin Sultan’s mouthpiece, Al-Hayat) berates Condoleezza Rice for not liberating Lebanon for her: “QUESTION: There is – people are saying that you lost Iran because there is no great option and that you also lost Lebanon because, practically, it’s – you know, Hezbollah won, they have the military power, it’s [...]
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
This Makhoul guy is considered a journalist in the Batata homeland: “depuis 2005, les Américains n’ont pas glissé la moindre peau de banane sous les pieds du Liban, ni envisagé le moindre petit coup fourré, ni planté quelque poignard dans un cÅ“ur de cèdre. Au contraire : Washington, qui ne rate naturellement pas la plus [...]
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
`Isa sent me this picture from Damascus.
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Annie visited Tyre recently: she took those pictures of what is left of my grandfather’s house. How did she find the house? I told her to ask the fishermen at the port.
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
A highly reliable Afghan journalist sent me this: “A high-level Afghan official told Bush during a visit to the U.S.: “Sir, your hair stylist is an Afghan, did you know?” Bush responded: “Yes, an Afghan also shines my shoes.”
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Robert Worth is one leave for one year from the New York Times to study Arabic. His editors expect him to start composing classical Arabic poetry after that one year. But I notice that he is already assigned stories that deal with Arabic culture: take this one on Arabic TV serials in Ramadan. And then [...]
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Yesterday, in my class on Middle East politics, one of my students who served in the US military in Iraq was telling me about a manual that he was given upon arriving in Iraq, and it had references to shoes and Iraq culture. I saw many of the students smiling widely: these are the ones [...]
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
My sister and mother did not like my last Al-Akhbar article about Syrian diplomacy.
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad
Do you notice that I am now only invited to speak on US affairs on AlJazeera? I notice. To be fair: I also was invited weeks ago to speak on….Georgian affairs. Gone are the days when I used to be invited to speak on Saudi or Jordanian policies.
Posted on September 27, 2008 by As'ad