Archive for October 24, 2008

How could anybody blame Arabs for resorting to conspiracy theories? “Iraqi secret police believed that the notorious Palestinian assassin Abu Nidal was working for the Americans as well as Egypt and Kuwait when they interrogated him in Baghdad only months before the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. Hitherto secret documents which are now in the hands [...]

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

My article in Al-Akhbar: “The Bubble of Dubai: Behind the Glitter”

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“Throwing shoes is particularly insulting in Thai culture, which considers feet the dirtiest part of the body.” (thanks Jamie)

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

An Ethiopian maid “fell” from the balcony of the house where she works in Lebanon. (thanks Wassim)

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Tunisian government’s decision to seize the latest issue of an opposition newspaper and to summon an independent editor to appear before a public prosecutor.” (thanks Mariwan)

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

I will write hopefully later today a review of Neve Gordon’s new book on Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza.

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“But the inescapable fact is that the Arabs of Palestine never got the state the UN promised them, and those in the West Bank and (until recently) Gaza have spent the past 40 years under Israeli military occupation, with no citizenship rights at all. That, the authors imply, is another story, separate from the one [...]

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“Levels of economic disparity in major US cities, including New York and Washington DC, are comparable to those of African cities, a United Nations report has concluded.”

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“Mubarak rolls out red carpet for Peres” (thanks Olivia)

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

Cat Stevens deserves the humiliation. (thanks Omar)

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“A typical “return to normal life” piece appeared October 11 in the New York Times under the headline, “Schools Open, and the First Test is Iraqi Safety.” Featured was a Baghdad schoolteacher welcoming her students by assuring them that “security has returned to Baghdad, city of peace”.”

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“In the last week, Israeli forces killed one Palestinian and wounded 16, including 3 children. 13 of the wounded were hurt during peaceful demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Wall.”

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad

“Yet with stocks around the world tumbling and credit markets frozen, Dubai’s heavily leveraged building binge is starting to raise concerns. A recent Moody’s report found that Dubai’s leverage now exceeds its GDP, and is likely to continue to outpace growth for another five years. That makes access to international credit markets particularly important. Unfortunately, [...]

Posted on October 24, 2008 by As'ad