Archive for August 4, 2009
The hikers
“QUESTION: Back on the hikers, do you have any reason to believe that they did not voluntarily cross the border?MR. CROWLEY: Again, we’re doing everything in our power to try to figure out what happened, and I would not feel comfortable at this point…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Where are the most people imprisoned?
“Where are the most people imprisoned? The US wins.
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Nahyans’ mouthpiece
“An English-language newspaper, the National, backed by the Nahyans, has opened a healthy space for discussion, though royal scandals or provocative words like “bail-out†or “in denial†are virtually taboo.”
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
The Fath Conference
Watch the Fath Conference: just the visuals. Forget about the words. Does it not look like the Ba`th party congresses in Syria or Iraq?
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Widely believed
“The other, Mohammed Dahlan, is the former head of a powerful security force in Gaza. But he is a divisive figure and widely believed to be corrupt.”
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Obama bombs
“The Pentagon is seeking to speed deployment of an ultra-large “bunker-buster” bomb on the most advanced U.S. bomber as soon as July 2010, the Air Force said on Sunday, amid concerns over perceived nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran.”
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Hikers/tourists at the Iran-Iraq border
“The three appear to all be freelance journalists who have covered the Middle East in the past.” I don’t believe that. No way. I read that they they were tourists/hikers who were hiking along the Iran-Iraq border (where all hikers hike…in the US)….
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
“Safety and security of the community”
“In a startling move, Carleton University’s administration fired Diab, thus breaching their legally binding contract with him and contravening the collective agreement. But why? The letter Diab received did not state a reason for the dismissal. What we…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Divinely inspired…kook
Texan John Brown says he is on a divine mission to find oil in the land of milk and honey. Brown, who calls himself Zionist Christian, is convinced that oil-dependent Israel is sitting on vast reserves of crude. Their location is mapped out in the B…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
bullying
“Former Irish president Mary Robinson accused “certain elements” of the Jewish community of bullying after a number of pro-Israel lobby groups voiced concerns over her being awarded the top US civilian honour…”There’s a lot of bullying by certain e…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Censorship of the press that is not covered in the US press
“La France est “surprise” par la saisie au Maroc de journaux, dont Le Monde, qui voulaient publier un sondage sur le bilan du roi Mohammed VI, a indiqué mardi 4 août le ministère français des affaires étrangères. “Nous sommes surpris par cette…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
When MEMRI and WINEP Intersect
This is funny in fact. MEMRI is promoting in a special bulletin a column by this dude (yes, you like me and like all Arabs around the world have never heard of him) arguing against armed struggle. The dude is a “fellow” at the Washington Institute Fo…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
The White House’s Fath
“The White House supports Mr. Abbas, but he is widely criticized among Palestinians for not curbing corruption within his party ranks or the governing authority he runs.” (thanks Guthman)
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
A dog named Anwar Sadat
The poor dog.
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
The New (Old) Iraq
“Now those doors may be shut again, at least partially, as the Iraqi government moves to ban sites deemed harmful to the public, to require Internet cafes to register with the authorities and to press publishers to censor books. The government, whi…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
They (or their descendants) shall return
“Defined as “absentee property” under Israeli law, the house is one of thousands of properties owned by Palestinian refugees who were forced from their lands by Jewish militias or fled during the war of 1948, in what would be remembered as the Pales…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
It just won’t happen
“The conference will hear proposals for an investigation into the events that saw Hamas eject Fatah forces and take control of Gaza by force in 2007 — with many blaming Dahlan for having at least partly provoked the takeover. Demanding an inquiry …
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Abu Mazen
I watched part of the speech by Abu Mazen at the Fath conference. What a charlatan: he may be as skillful a liar as was Yaser `Arafat. He went on and on in his praise of `Arafat: he did not mention that when Arafat died he was not speaking to him and…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Al-Arabiyya and Saudi media
Al-Arabiyya TV (the station of King Fahd’s brother-in-law) and other Saudi media know that they can’t win over viewers with their editorial policies or with their fawning coverage of drunken princes so they stick to fluff news and sensationalism. Al-A…
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad
Muwaffaq Ar-Rubay`i is looking for a job
Former Iraqi “national security adviser” (hired by Bremer), Muwaffaq Ar-Rubay`i (and that is not his real name by the way) is looking for a job: he is applying to be an adviser to Talabani. (thanks Sinan)
Posted on August 4, 2009 by As'ad