This is my 3rd time in Qatar, but the first time when the weather is rather pleasant. There is so much construction and growth in the city. But for what (or for whom), and towards what end is it all going. I was quite distressed over the news coverage of the Ariha prison invasion by Israeli occupation troops. Israel is responsible for what happened as are the US and UK. Did you see the footage of Palestinian police men stripped to their underwear? That will leave an impact in Palestine, and in the rest of the Arab world. This prison fiasco is part of the lousy legacy of Arafat; he gave his (always empty and always fake) guarantees to the PFLP. Ahmad Sa`dat is also a member of the Palestinian legislative council, as if that means anything for Israel or the US. But the fate of the "international" agreement on Jericho prison should be a sign of the value of "international agreement" especially since they don't stop talking about that in Lebanon. But Walid Jumblat "found on the internet" evidence about the status of Shib`a Farm. In fact, Jumblat is very happy today. I heard that he "found on the internet" evidence that a widow of a Nigerian dictator is transferring millions to him. I went to a store shopping for Arabian dates: they have many kinds of course. And the fellow (a Syrian national) offered me excitedly "dates from America." Now this is globalization. You know what is worse than watching Thomas Friedman on TV? It is watching Thomas Friedman being interviewed by James Zogby. I had to see that on Abu Dhabi TV. What a show. Not enough time to elaborate. You can get really good saffron here (the ones from Isfahan, although Salih tells me that saffron from Mashhad is better). A new study revealed that internet use in the Arab world is less than 4%. Why is the Jordanian queen (whoever she may be) is taken in the west as representative of Arab women? That is something I want to know. And I want to know it NOW.