The American Left and the Middle East, AGAIN. Why do Western Leftists, including Tariq Ali in this case, insist on demonstrating and showcasing their ignorance of the Middle East. And shame on Verso for this false advertisement. They are capable of writing about Samir Qasir as somebody on the Left because they don't read ARABIC, and they don't know what role Samir Qasir has been playing in Lebanese politics in the last several years. I wrote about Qasir before. Yes, he was a courageous critic of the Syrian domination of Lebanon, but he was also an UNCRITICAL voice about Saudi role, and became a champion of Abu Mazen, having been a champion of Yasir `Arafat or years--he was an unabashed admirer of `Arafat, and `Arafat--last I checked--was no leftist. If this is the book that I read in French, it is a plea for western modernization, and reminds me in some parts of Daniel Lerner's Orientalist classic in that regard. I get so annoyed at some in Lebanon who wish to market their right-wing and their pro-Lebanese Forces, pro-Hariri stance by reminding us that they were leftist some 20 or more years ago. Qasir was a leftist, but in the last 10 years he had no relationship to the Left, and he was an autocratic founder of the Hariri tool, known as Al-Yasar Ad-Dimuqrati, which is as connected to the Left as Bush is connected to the enlightenment. Spare me. But it does not surprise me that Adam Shatz is endorsing the book. And Qasir was a columnist in the right-wing, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people), sectarian Christian newspaper, An-Nahar. That was a choice. (thanks anonymous)