Archive for October 5, 2008
“(In a similar case earlier this year, the campaign returned $33,000 to two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who had bought T shirts in bulk from the campaign’s online store. They had listed their address as “Ga.,” which the campaign took to mean Georgia rather than Gaza.)”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama has promised not to cut foreign aid to Israel if he is elected in November, a spokeswoman for Obama has said.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
Patrick Cockburn, Avi Shlaim, and Nigel Ashton are all part of a love fest for King Husayn (or Khuuuuusaaain, as Peres used to call him). And please spare me the oft-repeated story of the poisoned cats. It was first one cat–when it was told over and over again by the King, and now it has [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
Warning. This is quite delicious: “These intellectual tensions are not the only flaws in “Hot, Flat, and Crowded.†Scholarly types will doubtless find the first-person examples excessive: they will surely want to remind Friedman that the plural of “anecdote†is not “data.†General readers, too, may wish for a slightly leaner manuscript, lighter on complex [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Placed in Israel, the radar could watch over most of Iran. But it also covers a broad swath of the Middle East and the Caucasus, too. Plus, EM observes, “you can’t help but wonder why the system wasn’t installed in Iraq, or better yet Afghanistan.” That “would ensure full coverage of Iran – and, in [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“An influential group of Georgian opposition leaders has mounted a blistering political campaign against U.S.-backed President Mikheil Saakashvili, accusing his government of running an autocratic regime that tramples human rights and stifles democracy.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“”US troops killed 11 people from one family while conducting a dawn raid on a house in the 17 Tammuz neighborhood, western Mosul,” the source told Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Iranian state-run media reported Friday Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said U.S. officials threatened to seize Iraqi funds if a long-term security deal failed.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Pakistani villagers have collected the corpses and body parts of at least 20 people killed by a reported US strike.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“the dark side of Dubai”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Five “terrorists” as well as three women and three children were killed, according to the statement. It did not specify how the people died, nor reported their nationalities.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“A 15-year-old girl arrested on petty theft charges was left for weeks in a jail cell with 21 men, who raped her, tortured her and allowed her food only in exchange for sex.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“But more than 2.5 million Iraqis have fled, and the exodus continues. Political and business leaders believe it will be many years before the loss of professionals can be reversed. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it monitored numbers at the main border crossing linking Iraq to Syria from January [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
Why are human rights organizations silent on such threats of war crimes? ““We will wield disproportionate power against every village from which shots are fired on Israel, and cause immense damage and destruction. From our perspective, these are military bases,” he said. “This isn’t a suggestion. This is a plan that has already been authorized.””
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Two-thirds of residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip reject the use of capital punishment, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion. 66.9 per cent of respondents oppose the imposition of the death penalty in their territories.” But 99% said that they would make an exception for Muhammad Dahlan.
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“The sergeant said the Phalangists had used knives on their victims so that the Israelis would not hear shooting. This was the first suggestion we had from a Lebanese source that the Israelis had not been complicit in the massacre.” (thanks Olivia)
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
Israel is really–really–audacity unto the nations.
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
An Afghan journalist sent me this about a post regarding violence against women in Afghanistan: “men are in just as much danger in afghanistan as women. i’m not saying women are not especially targeted, but it’s open season on everyone these days – esp. government employees and aid workers.”
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“Seven prominent figures of the Israeli defense establishment have voiced their support of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.” Do you know how odd it would seem if a newspaper carried a story that figures of the French or British defense establishment have voiced support for a US presidential candidate? It would seem bizarre. (thanks [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad
“In the crunch, almost invariably, Obama does the wrong thing and in my opinion he always will. Just count out the moments of surrender: reauthorize the Patriot Act? Aye, from Obama. The “class action fairness actâ€, sought by Big Business for years. Aye from Obama. Capping credit card interest rates? No-o-o from Obama. FISA? Aye [...]
Posted on October 5, 2008 by As'ad