Archive for February 8, 2012
The Saudi writer who fled for his life
“An apology by Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari over his controversial tweet about Prophet Muhammad failed to dampen a Salafi campaign against him prompting him to flee his home country. The issue has turned from a spontaneous reaction into an org…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Qasim Sulaymani
One of my FB readers noticed. In all Saudi media, Qasim Sulaymani of the Quds Force was supposed to be running operations of repression in Damascus. Yet, today he was attending military maneuvers West of Tehran. So he is able to be in…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Those Syrian protesters speak for many, I am sure
The sign says: “Down with the regime and the opposition…Down with the Arab and Islamic Ummah. Down with the Security Council. Down with the world. Down with everything.” (thanks Yaman)
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Ritual in Arab media
Every guest on Syria on Qatari and Saudi media preface his remarks these days with tribute and praise for GCC leaders. Every guest. You think I can be on the same side with those? I am on the side of the repressed Syrian people but no…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Chemical weapons on Homs
Paul Wood of the BBC just reported that “rebels” have reported that Syrian regime is shelling Homs with chemical weapons. I mean, if “rebels” claim that a nuclear weapon has been dropped on Homs, no journalist would dare deny it because he/she fears be…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Camps for blacks in Israel
“Israeli planning authorities on Tuesday approved construction of a detention centre for illegal immigrants, at a projected cost of 250 million shekels ($67 million, 51 million euros), the defence ministry said.The formal authorisation follows a Novemb…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Camps for blacks in Israel
“Israeli planning authorities on Tuesday approved construction of a detention centre for illegal immigrants, at a projected cost of 250 million shekels ($67 million, 51 million euros), the defence ministry said.The formal authorisation follows a Novemb…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Riyad Al-As`ad
He was railing against Syrian National Council yesterday on BBC and said that the council does not care about the Syrian people and that he has not received any money from them. Kid you not.
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Riyad Al-As`ad
He was railing against Syrian National Council yesterday on BBC and said that the council does not care about the Syrian people and that he has not received any money from them. Kid you not.
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Wahhabi expert on International Law
Aljazeera never used to interview Saudis unless they were supporters of the opposition. Times have changed. So they had this Wahhabi Saudi advocate as “expert on international law.” He was asked: what is the view of international law on wha…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
The American idea
“America has that kind of trust because our country started with a shared idea that attracted the people.” Oh, yeah. That trust was shared by white supremacists with slaves and natives. Lovely history lesson from Thomas Friedman.
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Thomas Friedman officially justifies prejudice against `Alawites (and presumably attacks on them)
“Consider this paragraph from an article about Syria in The Times on Saturday by Nada Bakri, a Beirut correspondent: “A 34-year-old teacher from the Alawite sect said her life had changed in ways she never imagined. Six months ago, she started coveri…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Saudi poet flees for his life
This is a story that you won’t read about. It is capturing imagination of many on Twitter and Facebook and somebody should alert Facebook that a group was set up “to exact punishment” on the guy. He basically tweeted a few lines about Muham…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Qatar’s role: like Saudi Arabia and US, it wants "stability"
“Qatar “understood at an early stage that there was a new system in the making in the Middle East,” said director of the Brookings Doha Centre Salman Shaikh, noting that “it took the initiative to ensure regional stability as much as possible.”" (thank…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Syrian regime propaganda fabrications
Syrian regime propaganda agencies have been busy. Dunya TV is quite effective in resort to mockery and sarcasm in its reports. And Syrian regime invents news too: the story of the transcript of an exchange between the Russian ambassador at …
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
What you won’t read in the Western and Arab media
An Arab League monitor speaks out: “Nawaat: The massacre in Homs, killing more than 200 lives, the deadliest since the events started, does it seem suspicious to you?A.M: This massacre is signed and its authors are making fun of our intelligence. …
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Propaganda for Russia on Syrian regime TV
Syrian regime TV stations are filled with propaganda for the Russian government. You encounter much more propaganda for Russia than for Iran. I think for sectarian reasons, regime propaganda outlets plays down the Iranian factor and you don…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Israel worried
Look at this lousy headline in the mouthpiece of Prince Khalid Bin Sultan, Al-Hayat. It says that “Israel is worried” about arms smuggling. Israeli worries constitute headlines in the Saudi and Qatari press.
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
Spies in Syria: Dunya TV
There was “an analyst” yesterday on Dunya TV. He said that people should treat any European or American visiting the Middle East as a spy. Every one of them, he insisted. The regime is now mimicking the fear promotion that Saddam regi…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad
The biggest propaganda spectacle on Syria ever
Western media (of course you can add Saudi and Qatari media) are involved in the biggest propaganda spectacle that I have ever seen. It is bigger than the propaganda blitz that preceded the American invasion of Iraq. There are very few West…
Posted on February 8, 2012 by As'ad