Archive for March 15, 2010
Ahmad Zuweil
Samar, a scientist at Columbia University, sent me this (I cite with her permission): “I am a big fan of yours and a regular viewer of your blog. Regarding your praise to Ahmed Zewail, I am not sure about the criterion that you used to praise him an…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Antonie Shuwayri
It is time that I say a word about the Lebanese media guy, Antoine Shuwayri who just died. Here was a most sectarian and a most right-wing fanatic who supported the Lebanese Forces for years. Most importantly, this is the man who exercised such a mon…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
No drifting
“As this example shows, the Obama administration continues to drift away from traditional U.S. support for Israel. But time and elections will correct that problem; Israel has a higher approval rating these days than does President Obama.” (thanks L…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Rehearsing for war crimes
“In an effort to better prepare soldiers for operations in Gaza and southern Lebanon, the IDF Engineering Corps is building a mock Palestinian village in its training base in the Negev that will include booby-trapped homes.”
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Zewail in Israel
“I am not trying to support Israel, but their mind-set, if you will, is oriented to the principle that without science and technology, they will not gain superiority — in the region, or in the world.” I asked him if he had particular links with Isr…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Lebanese sectarianism
“Christian Lebanese figures concluded activities on Saturday expressing solidarity with Iraqi Christians by holding a religious ceremony.” Yes, because non-Christian Iraqis are not suffering.
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Nahr Al-Barid
A new documentary about Nahr Al-Barid and more. (thanks a-films)
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
War porn
“Singer: For example the question of the public’s relationship to war. The drone war is documented, downloaded, accessible for everyone. You can see the videos on YouTube. It’s turning war for some into a form of entertainment. The soldiers call tha…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Benign government information-gathering program
“Under the cover of a benign government information-gathering program, a Defense Department official set up a network of private contractors in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help track and kill suspected militants, according to military officials and bus…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Dahlan’s man in `Ayn Hilwi
I have been receiving information about Dahlan’s man in `Ayn Hilwah refugee camp, nicknamed Al-Linu (Mahmud `Isa is his name). He is up to no good.
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Zionist spitters
“Shocked by growing reports about Ultra-Orthodox Jews spitting at Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City, a group of Anglo residents is now mobilizing against this ugly practice. Although such incidents reportedly have decreased since a council of Hared…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
All that you have done to our people is registered in notebooks
“The brothers started to move away and the soldiers followed until they caught Masab’s brother, Majdi, and reportedly kicked him in the leg. He tripped and fell and hurt himself. Other people from the village began streaming into the wadi, women and…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Not in the US press
By the way, Israeli gunboats entered Lebanese water and fired at Lebanese fishing boats yesterday. Not a single word in the Western or Saudi press.
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Unusually strong editorial in the Seattle Times
“Israel continues to settle occupied territory in violation of international law, and it keeps cashing those U.S. checks for billions of dollars in military aid. What would happen if a payment, oh, got lost in the mail?” (thanks Linda)
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
This is Israel
“When an Israeli tank fired a flechette shell at a Reuters cameraman in the Gaza Strip in 2008, the darts killed not only the journalist, Fadel Shana, but eight other civilians walking on a road nearby. The army said its troops were justified in fi…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Iraqi puppet elections
Yesterday, I was interviewed during the evening news broadcast of the Baghdad Fada’iyyah TV station via phone (does anyone know about the political affiliation of this station)? I commented that if the Iraqi population equals the size of the Indian an…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Ahmad Zuwail: I won’t praise you anymore
Talal, a brilliant medical scientist in the US whose opinions on science and social science I value greatly, sent me this (I cite with his permission): “I knew you would be bombarded with negative comments about your praise of Ahamd Zweil. He won, an…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
Carlos Slim
So this guy is visiting Lebanon. Apparently, the idea of the visit came from the lousy Maronite Patriarch, Sfayr. Sfayr is allegedly trying to convince Slim to purchase lands owned by Christians so that it won’t be sold to Muslims. Slim is giving a …
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad
New TV, Walid Jumblat, and…me?
So Rami Al-Amin (a TV reporter for New TV) was interviewing Walid Jumblat for New TV yesterday. He was asking him about various things and suddenly he asked him if he reads Waddah Shararah: he said, yes sometimes. He asked him if he reads Hazim Saghi…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by As'ad