A source on politics, war, the Middle East, Arabic poetry, and art.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Influential: MEMRI's dirty tricks
MEMRI is back to its (so) dumb tricks. I mean MEMRI is only effective if the person reading their silly propaganda bulletins and reports is ignorant of all matters of the Middle East. Charles Ayyub is a former SSNP and pro-Syrian Lebanese publisher of a tabloidish newspaper; the man can't write Arabic but was good in sensational headlines and simplistic accusation. He has been a "journalist" since 1980s. But MEMRI only noticed that he is an "influential pro-Syrian journalist" last week and only because he made some mild criticisms of his opponents in the election, particularly the movement of Gen. `Awn. But MEMRI does not mention that he is a blatant anti-Semite and alwasy expresses his "principled" hostitlity to Jews. (But do you notice that when it comes to serving Israeli interests, Zionists never care whether they get (indirect, in this case) propaganda support from anti-Semites?--it is a tradition in Zionist history). MEMRI did not mention that Ayyub was quite open in one Lebanese interview when he said that his gambling debts accumulated to such a degree that he needed help and mentioned he made a trip to Saudi Arabia and received "help." His friend, Lebanese TV personality Maria Malouf, told me that he went to Saudi Arabia and met with Prince Bandar bin Sultan and received a financial contribution. He went on a second trip but Bandar refused to see him. MEMRI did not mention that Ayyub was a close friend of Syria's intelligence chief in Lebanon, Rustum Ghazalah, and he presided over a lunch between Ghazalah and Syria's lackey, Rafiq Hariri. (thanks FLC)