Archive for July 8, 2011

Hariri Affair

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar:  ”Ashraf Rifi Chases Hizbullah”

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Evidence of Hizbullah’s "vast influence in Latin America"

Comrade Ben, a Latin America scholar in the US, sent me this: “I thought you would find this amusing:This was the evidence provided in a House sub-committee meeting that Hezbollah has “vast influence in Latin America” –”“Hezbollah members have use…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Arrested for this talk

Yusuf Al-Ahmad was arrested in Saudi Arabia after he delivered this message.

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

American ambassador in Syria

The American ambassador in Syria visited Hama and spent the night.  How brave and how democratic.  I would believe this silly gesture if the US ambassador in Jordan and Oman and Saudi Arabia and Morocco and Bahrain dare to visit protesters an…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Saudi Arabia replaces Israel as leading US arms client

“The Congressional Research Service report said that Saudi Arabia emerged as the leading importer of U.S. military equipment in 2009. In a report, CRS said Riyad replaced Israel as the leading U.S. defense client and received $1.7 billion in weaponr…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

The lousy Wifaq group

“”This dialogue will not lead to a solution … and it does not fulfill the needs to pull Bahrain out of its political crisis,” Marzooq said.” … but [we] will continue to attend the meetings of the political and rights committees,” Khalil al-Marzoo…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

These are the Arab liberals

This is the major Egyptian liberal party:  ”A leader of Egypt’s top secular party says the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were “made in the USA,” the Holocaust is “a lie” and Anne Frank’s memoir is “a fake” — comments sure to …

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

The International Board for the Support of ALL Arab Uprisings

We should form such a board.  A board to organize outside support for ALL Arab uprisings.

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Tantawi regime

“The gap between the symbolic and substantial in the generals’ regime was clear in their recent decisions on Gaza. In response to a popular pressure to end support for the Israeli-U.S. blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory that most Egyptians see as…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

From Yemen

Maha sent me this:  ”I just heard Hisham Al Srimi (هشام الصريمي) say on Al Jazeera TV that the number one enemy of the Yemeni people is the Saudi gov (he stressed that NOT the people, the gov) and that its because of Al Saud that the …

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Mossad ambassadors

“Turkmenistan has rejected Israel’s designated ambassador for the second time, claiming that the proposed envoy is a Mossad operative.” (thanks John)

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Aljazeera propaganda festival

This has been most frustrating.  I have had aljazeera on since I woke up.  And there is barely anything on the Arab world: it is non-stop coverage of Youtube coverage of phone coverage of Syria from anonymous sources.  For much of the mo…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

How to circumvent the ban on Al-Akhbar in Saudi Arabia

Ali sent me this:  ”You suggested a method on your blog on how to access al-akhbar newspaper from KSA (How to read Al-Akhbar from Saudi Arabia) , I’d like to mention that this is not feasible as the government of KSA can also ban any website …

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

This is not the president of Mauritania

Did you see `Ali `Abdullah Salih?  It does not even look like him. For a second, I thought he was the president of Mauritania, I swear.

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Law of sectarian exclusive return to a stolen land

“The 1970 amendment, however, created a new set of problems for those immigrants who arrived under its expanded eligibility. Being Jewish enough to immigrate according to the standards of the government did not make one Jewish according to the offic…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Bashshar’s record

At this rate of killing by the Syrian regime, Bashshar’s resume may include as many massacres as the resume of his father.  The Asad family can be proud.

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Usamah Ghanam

I received information on the arrest of a leftist Syrian professor and a man of the theater in Damascus. (thanks Karim)

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Hinted anonymously (can you imagine that language regarding an Arab country?)

“Israeli officials have hinted anonymously that some of the casualties were caused by Lebanese Army soldiers who also opened fire.”  How does one hint anonymously?  They are so desperate to defend Israeli war crimes in the New York Times that…

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

The lousy Hamas government

“The Hamas government in Gaza has begun enforcing a law introduced last year banning men from cutting women’s hair.  Until now, the law had not been enforced, but this week at least one male hairdresser in Gaza was arrested.” (thanks Farah)

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad

Democracy my potato

“Two controversial bills – one prohibiting calls for a boycott against Israel, and the other restricting the ability of human rights groups to raise funds abroad – are likely to be the focus of fierce debate in the Knesset next week.”

Posted on July 8, 2011 by As'ad