Archive for November 11, 2011
Free Libya
“Yet the Qataris are now supporting the political ambitions of hand-picked leaders and commanders, undermining attempts to form a unified military command. Some members of the National Transitional Council are seething. They say even during the war the…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Congratulations on another Lebanese failure
I am thrilled that Lebanon lost in the silly web-based competition for the new wonders of the world. Jeitta Gretto lost and I can’t be happier. The Lebanese made such a big deal out of the silly event that I really urged people to vote for …
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Nasser
My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: ”Jamal `Abdun-Nasser: A Reassessment.”
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
at UC berkeley
I am speaking tomorrow at UC, Berkeley on the “Arab spring”–how I hate that name.
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
BDS in Lebanon
As`ad–not me–has organized this campaign to promote BDS in Lebanon against the attempts by the lousy Al-Murr family to bring artists and singers with ties to Israel.
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Dennis Ross
Look at this fawning tribute to Dennis Ross in the NYT. It talks extensively about his close ties with Israeli leaders. It says nothing about this very negative reputation among all Arabs. It says nothing about the negative reactions …
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Al-Qa`idah is grateful to NATO
This is not in the US media but is all over Arab media. The leader of Al-Qa`idah in the Maghrib admits that his group benefited from the turmoil in Libya and that they obtained weapons from Libya. ”It is natural”, he told a Mauritanian medi…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Israel in denial
Yesterday, I heard the director-general of the Israeli occupation’s foreign ministry. He was asked about the isolation that Israel is facing in the region following the Arab uprisings. He answered by saying: that it depends on how one defin…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Bashshar’s political crisis
I am of the opinion that Bashshar compounded his own political problem with the (first) speech he delivered before the “People’s Parliament” in Damascus. The speech was so arrogant and so obnoxious and so condescending and so patronizing and so s…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Saudi crown prince wants to adopt Mubarak as his son
Prince Nayif will visit Egypt to officially call for an amnesty for Husni Mubarak.
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Middle East event at American University in Washington, DC
Sarah sent me this (I cite with her permission): ”I meant to shoot you an email after this event. I mean, I go to my alma mater on Wednesday to hear Abderrahim Foukara give a talk on Al Jazeera Arabic and the revolutions, and even though I had m…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Economist for the occupation of Golan
“Some optimists see the future Golan as a sort of Hong Kong, continuing to enjoy the perks of Israel’s dynamic economy and open society, while coming back under the sovereignty of a stricter, less developed Syria.” Are those optimists Syrian or…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Mini-Hariri on democracy in Saudi Arabia
(thanks Mohammad)
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Syrian regime crimes in Homs
“At least 587 people were killed in Homs Province during that period, the report found, the highest death toll for a single province in the government’s crackdown on the uprising. A total of 3,500 people have been killed nationwide, according to …
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
I have always warned Arabs against trusting the Turkish government
“Thus, for example, Erdogan refrained from expressing his views about the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza. Even the government’s plan to fast-track thousands of housing units in the territories as a punishment for the Palestinians’ UNESCO bid, went by w…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Max Blumenthal on Jennifer Rubin
“On October 25, here at Al-Akhbar, I drew attention to Washington Post “Right Turn” columnist Jennifer Rubin’s re-tweet of a call by professional neocon Rachel Abrams for the mass murder of Palestinians. In my post, I urged readers to write Washington …
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Not in the New York Times
“Irish left-wing MEP Paul Murphy has said he was badly treated after he and 26 activists were detained by Israeli armed forces when they tried to sail to Gaza at the weekend.”Our boat was almost sunk by the manner in which it was approached and boarded…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Subhi Hadidi
This is a courageous and serious Syrian dissident. He writes here on divisions within the Syrian opposition. (thanks Hussein)
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
Is Cicero speaking for himself
Burhan Ghalyun spoke to As-Safir. He said that statements by the Cicero of the Syrian opposition (to the effect that the Syrian National Council is “the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people” and that anyone who disagrees should be tortur…
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad
How they justify publishing untruths
Here the writer in the Los Angeles Times struggles to justify and explain away the publishing of untruths and rumors and fabrications in the Western media.
Posted on November 11, 2011 by As'ad