Archive for November 28, 2010
Yossi Melman (best friend of the Israeli military/intelligence apparatus) believes that Arab dictators speak for the Arab public
“It would have been sufficient to read pundits and journalists who cover the Mideast to see that everyone is in agreement on this issue. Everyone would like to see the United States bomb Iran.” Just think this way: if the Arab public (Sunnis and …
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Hariri and Saudi media cover up Wikileaks
Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal, ignored the whole affair for example. Anti-Saudi (Qatari-funded) Al-Quds Al-`Arabi (London based and is probably the closest to Arab public opinion than all other Arab newspapers–yes, including Al-Akhbar because the lat…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
International Crisis Group now advocates occupation
I read the reports of ICG and they are useful and uniformly well-informed (although I may disagree with their political bents). But their recent report warning against withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is a bizarre endorsement of foreign o…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
This is how US officials bring human rights in Saudi Arabia; they praise the Kingdom’s record–I kid you NOT
“DIALOGUE AND REFORM AS DUTY: In response to Brennan,s praise for the King,s interfaith dialogue initiative, his commitment to advancing rights as reflected by his recent appointment of the first female (deputy education) minister, the King said “Th…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
The illiterate king goes scientific
“”I’ve just thought of something,” the King added, and proposed implanting detainees with an electronic chip containing information about them and allowing their movements to be tracked with Bluetooth. This was done with horses and falcons, the King…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
borders
“Asad pointedly asked in response to Representative McIntyre’s question about why Syria had not done more to monitor and staunch the flow of transiting fighters across the Syria-Iraq border. Asad continued: “Can you stop the immigration of Mexican…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Let us talk about Saudi Arabia
“Senator Cardin argued that “when the U.S. is challenged, you see it on the front page of the newspaper” and that such challenges were an important part of a national dialogue. “You do not see this (freedom of expression) anywhere in the region,” …
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Here, the US government issues orders to Saudi officials
“Saudi Arabia should exercise leadership with neighbors in the region and publicly by expressing concerns about Iran,s continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability and destabilizing activities in the region. — We would appreciate public exp…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
no need for specific evidence
“Prince Torki explained that Saudi Arabia also believes that Iran is playing an unhelpful role in Yemen. Dismissing the need for specific evidence, he said it was hard to explain how the Houthis, as a poor tribal group, managed to get so much money so…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
The feelings of House of Saud were hurt
“Prince Torki said that Saudi Arabia was not upset about the regulation itself, as it recognized the U.S. right and obligation to protect its citizens. The issue, rather, was inclusion on the list with the likes of Cuba, which causes Saudi Arabia’s fr…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Would the US ambassador in Riyadh dare to mock the Saudi King?
“As he left Zimbabwe in 2007 after three years as ambassador, Christopher W. Dell wrote a sardonic account of Robert Mugabe, that country’s aging and erratic leader. The cable called Mr. Mugabe “a brilliant tactician†but mocked “his deep ig…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Yemeni dictator hearts good whiskey
“But a cable’s fly-on-the-wall account of a January meeting between the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Gen. David H. Petraeus, then the American commander in the Middle East, is nonetheless breathtaking.“We’ll continue saying the b…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Wait. So who planted this bomb?
“The bomb, which was in a van parked off Pioneer Courthouse Square, was a fake — planted by F.B.I. agents as part of the elaborate sting…”
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
A compact disc in Anwar Sadat’s tooth: kid you not
A kooky lawyer who appears on MTV (a horrible right-wing sectarian Christian and racist station) regularly. His name is Wahbi `Ayyash (and is introduced as one whose expertise is “accepted” by the Hariri tribunal). Today, he said that Israe…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Mini-Hariri receives a gift in Iran
Iranian Minister of Defense presents a gift (a machine gun) to mini-Hariri. (Iranian agency)
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Mubarak farce election
We are busy with Wikileaks but are you aware what a farce and repressive and cruel sham election going on in Egypt today?
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
You have to see Saudi propaganda
The mouthpiece of Prince Salman (Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat) is out with tomorrow’s issue. Not one item about it in the index. The front page headline? Here it is: ”The Servitor of the Two Holy Sites natural treatment and rehabilitation…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
AlArabiyya finally discusses Wikileaks:
Amer reports on Al-Arabiyya TV (the TV station of King Fahd’s brother-in-law): “Al-Arabiya just made their news report on wikileaks, gotta watch it. As far as they’re concerned, the leaks said something about North Korea and china and badmo…
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Syria and the US
“Asad argued Syria essentially shared the same position as the U.S. on the majority of these issues”
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad
Can you solve this mystery? Sanyurah links “US security assistance” to the outcome of Lebanese election
“Siniora expressed his thanks for sustained U.S. military assistance to Lebanon and asserted that U.S. security assistance had contributed to the positive outcome of the June 7 Lebanese parliamentary elections.”
Posted on November 28, 2010 by As'ad