Archive for March, 2012
80 % of Egyptians don’t want US aid (yet, Thomas Friedman insists that Egyptian uprising has no foreign policy goals)
“Just after the United States decided to keep sending $1.3 billion in annual aid to the Egyptian military, a new poll shows that most Egyptians don’t want their country to receive American financial assistance. Pollsters say Egyptians suspect that taki…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Bahrain royal commission judge is appointed by Bahrain government to a government job
A source sent me this: ”Do you remember the Bassioni Commission? It turns out that K.A., an Egyptian judge who was one of the investigators on the commission, is set to become the new ombudsman for the Bahraini internal security forces. Obvious…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Is the Syrian uprising finished?
Comrade Talal sent me this (I cite with his permission): ”The uprising is finished. It would drag on for a while and may go into a chronic phase, but the situation has the feel of a regime that is now secure. Aljazeera overplayed its hand and los…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Aljazeera desperate
Aljazeera is now in an odd state: like it knows it has no credibility so it feels it has less professional restraints. It acts like any vulgar and crude paper of House of Saud. They are so desperate to maintain that the momentum of the Syrian upr…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Israeli media are desperate to talk to any Arab: even dead Arabs would do
Here, there is an interview with the son of Rif`at Al-Asad, and yet is not even clear if they talked to him or if somebody else conducted the interview. They are so desperate for an Arab contact. Next week, Haaretz will conduct series of in…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Heroic assassinations
Notice that all acts of violence by groups that are seen as loyal to US interests are portrayed in heroic cast. Look at this story about mostly sectarian assassinations by Free Syrian Army. But what Ms. Barnard did not report–or we should …
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Mr. Abu Yazid
“Abu Yazid, the rebel interviewed by Skype, identified himself as a leftist engineering student. But his nom de guerre recalls a historic figure reviled by Shiites and sometimes invoked by Sunni Muslim factions who consider Shiites apostates.” Re…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Skype interviews
This method of journalism in covering Syria should be interrogated: ”a fighter calling himself Abu Yazid said in an interview via Skype last week”. Is it not relevant to ask how you stumbled on Mr. Abu Yazid (oh, or Mr. Yazid as you probabl…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Anne Barnard on Hariri TV
I was switching channels yesterday, and I stumbled on a program on Syria on Hariri TV. There was Anne Barnard of the New York Times (they said Anne of the New York Times so I assumed it is her). Everything I assumed about her from her writi…
Posted on March 30, 2012 by As'ad
Syrian regime: secret police threats
It is clear. Syrian regime mukhabarat (secret police) has infiltrated all ranks of the Syrian opposition. They have aired footage of pictures and videos of the secret covert camera men of Aljazeera in Syria. It then ominously said: yo…
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Classism of Syrian regime propaganda
Rafiq Lutf is a famous name now in Syrian media affairs. He is identified as a former US-based journalist although I have never ever heard of him. But he (or whoever is behind him) has made a coup: he has been releasing outtakes and raw foo…
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Palestine: Land Day
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Can the Cicero of Syrian National Council write English?
One alert Syrian reader sent me this. He wondered: so we are to believe that this guy wrote this article? Is the English of the two the same? Or did this guy write this article?
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Flash: George W. Bush Endorses the "Syrian Revolution"
This is what it needed. George W. Bush supports the “Syrian Revolution”. Are you on the same side with this man?
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Lies of Reuters
“Iranian ninjas sue Reuters for defamation of character”. (thanks Nasser)
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
This is hilarious: Elizabeth Flock reports on `Adnan `Ar`ur
It is really hilarious. When the West finds clients in the region, they throw their support without asking questions, just as they supported the precursors and fellow travelers of Al-Qa`idah. I reported earlier on `Ar`r and said that I have…
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Pope
“‘Marxism no longer corresponds to reality’ says Man in Giant Hat who speaks to Invisible Cloud People”". (thanks “Ibn Rushd”)
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
I know that you are busy celebrating Libya’s NATO victory but
I noticed that no Western media have been reporting on the tribal clashes in southern Libya which have killed tens of people. Do those count in your foreign policy intrigues?
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
The country that feigns human rights concerns daily wants to help Saudi royal family
“Sweden’s defense minister was forced to quit on Thursday after weeks of pressure over reports the Nordic state planned to help Saudi Arabia build a weapons plant. Arms sales to Saudi Arabia have caused criticism in a country which prides itself …
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad
Lebanese guests on Syrian regime propaganda outlets
Do you notice this? You will never ever see a Hizbullah person appearing on Syrian regime TV? I have not seen on Hizbullah person appearing on Syrian regime TV and defending the regime. Instead, Syrian regime TV hosts the most insigni…
Posted on March 29, 2012 by As'ad