Archive for January 12, 2010

Jordan is moderate because it strictly follows orders

“Jordan’s General Intelligence Department, or GID, warned members of the CIA bomber’s family not to speak to the press. Several analysts were also called and told not to make “inflammatory” statements. At least one local journalist working with the for…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

Not angry enough?

I was being interviewed by the talented and capable TV reporter, Rabi`ah Az-Zayyat for her show on NBN (it will air two Mondays from now). She commented on the air that I am different in person from my writer’s and “public” persona. That I am rather …

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

AUB class

I spoke yesterday at Karim Maqdisi’s graduate Middle East studies class on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I was rather impressed with the students: some of whom have communicated with me in the past. I liked the mix of Arabs, Americans, and Europeans. I…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

AUB Library

A mild-mannered German colleague was complaining to me about the noise and roudiness in the library of the American University of Beirut. She was comparing it to the Doe Library at UC, Berkeley. What used to bother me at AUB library is the extent to…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

Beirut versus other places

I was talking to an American reporter here. We agreed that Beirut is not a good place to study Arabic: it is too easy to speak English here.

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

Small city

Beirut (especially for the upper class and intellectuals who frequent the same places) is very small indeed. You often run (almost literally) into your enemies and rivals. On two occasions, I sat at a table next to a table of a pro-Saudi right-wing “…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

UAE Justice

I do agree with the gist of this article. I have received an avalanched of outraged emails from Arabs around the world. And if I was not traveling, I would have written something about it, but I will. “”An abortion of justice,” “the peak of farce a…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

Liberated against their will

“Several victims of a 2007 shooting involving American private security guards employed by the firm formerly known as Blackwater alleged Sunday that they were coerced into reaching settlements, and they demanded that the Iraqi government intervene to h…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

Robert Satloff’s Comedy Hour on Hurra TV

A well-known scholar of the Middle East sent me this (she does not want to be identified): ” I followed the link from your blog and I was horrified. Here is someone whose antipathy for Arabs (although he apparently gets red carpet treatment in Amman)…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

It is official. There is q and a after my talk.

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad

My new tv show will be on tuesday morning and not thurs morning. It is morning wed here in beirut.

Posted on January 12, 2010 by As'ad