I have been having trouble watching Syrian regime TV, I must admit. The minute I hear the word "`irban" I turn off the channel. The term is from the same root of "arab" (but those ignorant don't know it), but is used as a pejorative for describing Bedouins. There is a blatant racism against people (not only governments) of the Gulf. The last speech by Bashshar was unmistakable in its racism against Gulf people and carried that repugnant chauvinist nationalism that both the regime and its opposition are guilty of (they seem to have learned from Lebanese right-wing nationalism with the constant refrains about "our 6000 years civilization, and various other trash).