Archive for February 6, 2009

Defense of Lebanon

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: “The Brigade of Tannurin: Shaykh Butrus [Harb] Defends Lebanon”

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Salaries for Dahlan gangsters

“The money is earmarked for paying the January salaries of Palestinian Authority employees in the coastal territory. Speaking by phone with Olmert, Clinton also called the move important for strengthening moderates in the PA. Olmert told her that he reached the decision despite opposition within the government in order to bolster the moderates at Hamas’ [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Zakaria: the Newsweek version of Friedman

“Asked later why they’d done so, the villagers claimed they didn’t support the Taliban’s ideological agenda, nor were they particularly hostile toward the Americans. But this battle was the most momentous thing that had happened in their valley for years. If as virile young men they had stood by and just watched, they would have [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Obama torture

“Under insistent questioning from a Senate panel, Mr. Panetta said that in extreme cases, if interrogators were unable to extract critical information from a terrorism suspect, he would seek White House approval for the C.I.A. to use methods that would go beyond those permitted under the new rules.” (thanks Laleh)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Vision

They asked the New TV camera person who was on the Lebanese ship that went to Gaza how he felt when Israeli terrorist soldiers/pirates boarded the ship. He said that he had one vision: he wished that the ship was booby trapped at that moment.

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

So who is using human shields?

“Abed Rabbo wasn’t alone. Eight other residents in this northern Gaza Strip neighborhood told McClatchy in separate interviews that Israeli soldiers had conscripted them to check homes for booby traps, to smash holes in the walls of houses so that soldiers could use them as escape routes or to try to pull dead Palestinian militants [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

New TV and Israel

A reporter who was on the ship from Lebanon that went to Gaza before being pirated by Israeli terrorists told this story on New TV: she said that an Israeli terrorist soldier asked her to visit Tel Aviv. She told him: I will not visit Tel Aviv but will make sure to scribble some words [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

US Congress

“(1) strongly urges the Secretary of State to take all necessary measures to certify that United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) operates in full compliance with section 301(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act and therefore, no American taxpayer dollars are being directed to terrorists or to further terrorist propaganda;” (thanks Hammouda)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Professor Dahlan

“The only Palestinian university to maintain ties with Israeli colleges and also to oppose international calls for a boycott of Israeli academics has suspended contacts with Israeli universities in the wake of the war in Gaza. Al Quds University, with 10,000 students on campuses in the West Bank towns of El Bireh, Abu Dis, and [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

This is Zionism

“A total of 548 Palestinians are detained without trial in Israel, including 42 who have been held for over two years, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said on Thursday.”

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

If the Palestinians did that?

Hiding in civilian settings: “Weapons from Israel’s pre-independence era were discovered Thursday in a large synagogue in Hod Hasharon, in central Israel.” (thanks Jack)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

numbers

“Gaza suffered $1.9 billion in damages in the 22-day Israeli offensive that ended last month, a ccording to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the agency the United Nations relies on for data from the territory. More than 4,100 homes, about 1,500 factories and workshops and 80% of agricultural crops were destroyed, and about 50,000 [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Ethnic/race war

“He explains how they invaded his home and investigated him and his family. “They found nothing. I am a police officer in the Ramallah government; I have nothing to do with Hamas.”

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Youths

“Seven youths suspected of having attacked an Arab youth were indicted Thursday on charges of aggravated assault. Three others were released from custody. One of the boys released, a 13-year old on whom not enough evidence had been found to file charges, told Ynet he had asked his friends to stop hitting the youth. He [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Sheikh Mo woe

“There are increasing signs that the foreigners who once flocked to Dubai are leaving. “There is no way of tracking actual numbers, but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. Dubai is emptying out,” said a Western diplomat.” (thanks Richard)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

The Edward Said Family

I call on the family of Edward Said to speak out against that horrible letter by Daniel Barenboim.

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Lebanon’s commander-in-chief

Doesn’t the Lebanese commander-in-chief, John Qawhaji, look like as if he is constantly being tickled?

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

It is biased to be even-handed

“Second, the administration must avoid taking what some refer to as an “evenhanded” approach.” (thanks Olivia)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Why Kucinich?

“But here’s the deal about the Kucinich hearing on Gaza. Kucinich’s office didn’t even notify the press. There was no press release. The Reuters and Associated Press daybooks were not notified. Maybe had C-Span been notified, they would have covered it. Maybe Al-Jazeera would have covered it. Maybe even some American television reporters would have [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad

Zionism= racism + terrorism

“”This is a legitimate bill, which has already been proposed by Likud MK Yisrael Katz, but the problem with it is enforcement. It is legitimate to demand that the citizens of a state should be loyal to it,” said Netanyahu in an interview with Channel 2. Netanyahu was referring to Lieberman’s vow to pass a [...]

Posted on February 6, 2009 by As'ad