For a quick snack while you are watching TV, or while you are reading the blog. Enjoy.

"Nell I. Mondy, Biochemist and Potato Expert, Dies at 83"
(I am looking for a good Tomato expert, any suggestions?)

"German Woman Burns House in Spider Overkill"

HRW: "U.S.: Military Commissions Changes Are ‘Cosmetic’"

So in the Egyptian election: what do you think will happen? Do you think that Husni Mubarak will win? Or do you think that Husni Mubarak will be able to defeat Husni Mubarak? But then again Husni Mubarak may be the dark horse in the race? One think is for sure: it it too early to know whether Husni Mubarak will defeat Husni Mubarak. I am burning with anticipation. Your guess is as good as mine. But if Husni Mubarak wins, does that mean that the defeated Husni Mubarak will be sad?

Polyphony. 1932. Paul Klee.

An armed Israeli occupation soldier abusing a Palestinian girl on her own land.

"Ron Fournier of The Associated Press reported that the Army Corps of Engineers asked for $105 million for hurricane and flood programs in New Orleans last year. The White House carved it to about $40 million. But President Bush and Congress agreed to a $286.4 billion pork-filled highway bill with 6,000 pet projects, including a $231 million bridge for a small, uninhabited Alaskan island. Michael Brown, the blithering idiot in charge of FEMA - a job he trained for by running something called the International Arabian Horse Association - admitted he didn't know until Thursday that there were 15,000 desperate, dehydrated, hungry, angry, dying victims of Katrina in the New Orleans Convention Center. Was he sacked instantly? No, our tone-deaf president hailed him in Mobile, Ala., yesterday: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.""

It is cute. The New York Times is officially in love with the Egyptian prime minister. Why? Well, because he pushes for "reform". So here is what "reform" means: "Mr. Nazif and his team changed customs duties, cut corporate taxes and took steps to at least freeze the ranks of the government work force."

One of the best Arab reporters, Duha Shams of As-Safir, wrote a piece called `Ali Baba of New Orleans, in which she compares the Western news unending coverage of looting in Iraq after Bush's "liberation" of the country compared to the more restrained US media coverage of the looting in New Orleans. She laments that the coverage of Iraq lootings was much more judgmental than today's coverage of New Orleans.

"'A scene from Mad Max': Britons reveal horror of the Superdome"

Who is Watching Whom? A very highly placed source in Beirut tells me that the four generals in detention only admitted to Mehlis that they were "watching Hariri" and that Mehlis does not have evidence beyond knowing about the surveillance of Hariri's movements by the intelligence services. They were quick to remind Mehlis that they watched everybody.

A new definition of Anti-Semitism by an Israeli minister: "Israel's education minister described the conductor Daniel Barenboim as a "real anti-Semite" yesterday after the musician refused to grant an interview to an Israel Army Radio reporter because she wore a military uniform."

"Iraq civil war fears grow as sectarian violence spreads"

And this from a most mainstream reporter:
"Tim Russert: It’s a question that our country is going to have to look inside its soul and answer. The fact is, those who were well off were able to evacuate the city and those who were poor stayed behind. And those who are suffering and those who are dying are those very same poor people. It’s just unbelievable. The world is watching the United States of America this week. And we’re watching ourselves."

"The Bush administration plans to launch a new effort at the United Nations this month to tighten the squeeze on Syria and to help Lebanon rebuild politically..." Don't you like the phrasing of the official US government newspaper, the Washington Post? "Rebuild politically." I love that phrase. Do you wonder what Washington means by "political rebuilding"? I bet that Chile under Pinochet was "political rebuilding." Is the US not "politically rebuilding" Iraq now? May your countries be spared Bush's style "political rebuilding."

"Sixteen years after the fall of the Berlin wall, Ellen Müller looks back with nostalgia at her life in the then communist East Germany. "I didn't have to worry whether we had enough to eat," she says. "Brötchen [bread rolls] cost five pfennigs. People cared more about children. And if you were ill you didn't have to wait to see a doctor. It was all free."Far from enjoying the "blooming landscapes" promised by the then chancellor, Helmut Kohl, when the wall fell, Mrs Müller is one of a growing band of east Germans who are fed up with capitalism."

"Activists protesting against the construction of the West Bank separation barrier in the village of Bil'in on Friday afternoon said Israel Defense Forces soldiers threw stun and tear gas grenades at them before they even started to demonstrate."

Today, doing what they do daily since since Sep. 11, Arab and Muslim American organizations condemned Hurricane Katrina, and promised to speak loudly against those Muslims involved. Ibrahim Hooper will be issuing a Fatwa any minute now prohibiting hurricanes altogether. Sen. Feinstein calls for more fatwas to include fatwas against humidity and storms. Hooper will comply.

L'Intérieur vert ou Figure auprès d'une fenêtre à rideaux fermés. 1891. Edouard Vuillard.

"How the US got its neoliberal way in" (thanks Sami and Paul)

"Praying with Their Eyes Closed: Reflections on the Disengagement from Gaza" (thanks Sami)

I watched the recent tape of Ayman Adh-Dhawahiri. It was odd, as usual. Those kooks would be laughable, if they don't kill innocent people, you know. You feel when you hear him that some major component of the brain, or the entire thing, is not functioning. But I was surprised how relaxed he appeared. He really appeared to be reading from a teleprompter this time, and the video produced (on a Mac laptop most likely) by As-Sahab Foundation which is the propaganda arm of Al-Qa`idah. The fact that they integrated the footage of the video bomber with the speech of Dhawahiri reveals a measure of international communication and coordination that is in contradiction with Bush's claims about the impact of the "war on terrorism" on the functioning of Al-Qa`idah.

"But for many African-American leaders, there is a growing outrage that many of those still stuck at the center of this tragedy were people who for generations had been pushed to the margins of society."

"One lasting lesson that has to be drawn from the Gulf Coast's misery is that from now on, the National Guard must be treated as America's most essential homeland security force, not as some kind of military piggy bank for the Pentagon to raid for long-term overseas missions." (I never would cite NYT editorials, but..)

The Saudi newspaper Al-Watan talked about US interference with the Iraqi constitutional committe that was "drafting" the not-complete Iraqi constitutional document. Apparently, during the deliberations, the US government offered $5 million for each Sunni member to obtain their support for the draft.

World's Income Gap.

Don't be surprised if Bush blames the Hurricane on International Terrorism; and don't be surprised if Al-Qa`idah "takes credit" for the Hurricane.

"DEAD BODIES, RAPE,CRACK, GUNSHOTS, FILTH AND A SICKENING STENCH FILLING THE THICK AIR"

This on the unjust arrest of fine Syrian journalist Ibrahim Humaydi 2 years ago:

"[Bashshar] Assad: We have never locked up anyone because of his personal opinion.

SPIEGEL: A correspondent for a large Arab newspaper, Al-Hayat, was recently sent to prison for several months.

Assad: That's a different issue. Under Syrian law, a journalist is not allowed to report on military matters. This may be wrong or right, but that's just the way it is."

"Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews from central Israel attacked a Druze man near the upper Galilee village of Beit Jan early on Thursday evening. The man, Najib Kais, was evacuated to a hospital in Nahariya in light condition. Mona, Kais' 14-year-old daughter, said her father was working with his wife and other daughter in their private vineyard located in Zabud, just north of Beit Jan, when a group of some 70 ultra-Orthodox Jews who had been hiking in the Mount Meron nature reserve arrived at the orchard and ordered the man to leave.Mona said that when he told them the land belonged to him, they began to attack him with stones."

"A chasm grows in 'flat' world:Labor day assessment: Globalization has not eased global income inequality."

Aspects of "liberation": "The U.S. military confirmed on Thursday that its soldiers killed a Reuters journalist in Iraq but said their action was "appropriate.""

Right-wing Hariri mouthpiece, Farish Khashshan, asserted that after staying in Lebanon for weeks, German investigator Detlev Mehlis has developed a "Lebanonese mind."

For those who care, I shall speak live on KPFA's Flashpoints today at 5:00PM.

The Counter-coup in Lebanon: Dumb, Dumber, and the Dumbest: I stayed until 3:20 AM (yesterday and the day before) watching the live press conference of Detlev Mehlis--head of the UN team investigating the assassination of a wealthy Lebanonese. I have been reading everything that I can about the investigation, and I have tried to collect information on the political developments leading up to the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. To be sure, I don't have any information that would help the investigation, but I have formed my opinions and drawn my conclusions after I talked to many people in Lebanon. Some were pro-Hariri and some were bitter rivals. Unlike the patriotic Lebanese who speak about "international legitimacy"--how much I hate that term, I am skeptical about whatever comes out of the UN and its "investigations" in the age of US Empire, under that most weak Annan, who did not know about the corruption of his son. I do believe that there was less injustice at the international level and at the UN during the Cold War. Bring back the Cold War, I say, and bring it NOW. And spy movies were more interesting then too. We know that the US was covertly interfering--if not--running the "UN" team that investigated Iraqi WMDs before the war. The New Yorker published enough articles on that, and how Israel was providing "useful"--to quote Mehlis in Le Figaro--information and tips to the inspection team in Iraq, not to mention the infiltration by US government agents. Mehlis manages to thank Jordan and Israel for their help in his investigation in his last report to UNSC: Jordan for providing Za`tar for the group to eat with olive oil, and Israel for more than the scenario of the assassination. And Yediot Ahronot just published a news item about how Israeli military and intelligence officials flew to Europe to brief the investigating team. And when right-wing An-Nahar and Hariri rag Al-Mustaqbal list the various nationalities of members of Mehlis' team, I snicker. As if the members from Egypt and Finland have the same clout as the members from US. How naive Lebanonese right-wingers can be about international affairs. They are not pretending, they really are that naive. Now on to the recent developments in Beirut. I have been of the view that the "truth" about Hariri's assassination (I care more about the truth of the Israeli bombing of the Qana civilian shelter in 1996, but that is a truth that is not a matter of concern for UNSC and the victims did not have billions to spend on propaganda) may not be uncovered. Those Lebanese generals, henchmen really, of the security apparatus (of the previous Lebanese-Syrian security order) are more dumb than I had thought if they are the ones who committed the crime of Hariri's assassination: they are dumb and criminal--even if they did not commit the crime of the assassination of Hariri, they have other crimes on their hands, and those crimes should be blamed not only on them but also on those who were part of the Lebanese government since the Lebanese-Syrian security apparatus was set up after Ta'if, and that includes Rafiq Hariri himself and his allies and his cronies. Those crimes will not be investigated for sure, because they will implicate Hariri, and their victims are not dear to the heart of Rice or Annan. Hariri, and those who were in his government, is responsible for the shooting at demonstrators in 1993 when Lebanese were protesting the Oslo process, and the shooting at labor demonstrators in 2004 in Hayy As-Sullum, and the assassination of a student leader of the Lebanese Forces, Ramzi `Irani (as much as I despise the Lebanese Forces). Hariri WAS prime minister and he ruled LONGER than Lahhud as he was running the government under Ilyas Hrawi (the most corrupt president in Lebanese history who was getting (allegedly) $75,000 from Hariri payroll a month). Mehlis deliberately said that there are no Syrian suspects because he wants first to achieve Syrian cooperation before he makes his characterization of Syrian suspects official. It is a matter of timing. Jamil As-Sayyid, the powerful former chief of Public Security, told earlier this year Ghassan Shirbil of Al-Hayat, that those who planned and executed the assassination of Hariri are "either Einstein or donkey." They are not Einstein--that is for sure. It is incredible how wide the network of planning of this assassination was, if the early reports are true. But the behavior of the suspects reinforce public suspicion. And don't believe for a second that if this group is guilty, that the chief of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon is innocent. I will tell you a story in that regard to indicate how those people were subordinate to Rustum Ghazalah, the Syrian intelligence chief in Lebanon. A Lebanese political leader told me this story: there was a political rally being planned two years ago somewhere in Lebanon. Raymond `Azar (the former chief of Lebanese Army intelligence who is now in detention) called this political leader and urged him to cancel the rally, and told him: "you know that I just want to be nice, and you know who does not want this to happen" implying that it was Rustum Ghazalah. So this leader called Rustum Ghazalah and asked him bluntly about the matter. Ghazalah told him (deceptively) that he had no objections to this rally, and that he did not interfere in its organization. The leader called `Azar again, and explained that Ghazalah did not express objections. `Azar then said: "Please don't put me in an awkward position. Just understand that what I told you is correct." (regarding the objections of Ghazalah). Those top brass of the Lebanese intelligence apparatus would not dare plan or execute such an operation without a high level of Syrian cooperation and support--based on my knowledge of the politics of Lebanon and the nature of Syrian military and political domination in the country before the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. But there are questions to be raised: those former officials did not get along with one another. Jamil Sayyid thought that everybody else was dumb, except himself. And why would all those intelligence services be involved in the planning and the execution? Why not one service? Why widen the network so much to increase the risks for themselves? And Mehlis alleges that they rented apartments in which they planned the assassination. Now that is most bizarre. Ask Mr. Mehlis: did they also post a neon sign on the balcony of the apartment which read "The Official Headquarter for the Assassination of Rafiq Hariri"? Why did they not meet in their offices as to avoid raising suspicions? And what about the "news" that Nasir Qandil (a former pro-Syrian deputy) is implicated by writing a report in which he allegedly urged the Syrian government to assassinate Hariri. I do not believe that the Syrian government takes orders from Qandil, and did Qandil, according to Mehlis, sent that report by fax or did he post it on his blog for all to see? These details raise more questions than they answer. And I have suspected Rustum Ghazalah for the assassination, but would he involve EVERY SINGLE intelligence service in Lebanon? Now there is a possibility that they all are implicated but that would prove that they all are so dumb and so eager to being caught for some reason. I have noticed that only one intelligence chief from that past era was not arrested: that was Edward Mansur of the Security of the State Department (what a name, huh?) But members from his department were arrested. Was he a source? I noticed that his name is not mentioned. And the Syrian government has been acting very guilty from day one, it has become obvious. If the Syrian government was innocent it would not have withdrawn its troops so swiftly, and it would have addressed Lebanese concerns and suspicions very early on. And the interview with Bashshar Al-Asad in Der Spiegel (see another post) was most disingenuous when he indicated that they did not have disagreements with Rafiq Hariri. The Syrian government despised and detested Rafiq Hariri (I did too, but then again, I despise all of them, every one of them). I can share with you this account, which I know for sure, and which will be included in my forthcoming book on the Hummus Revolution:
The Syrian government has been concerned about Hariri's travels and adventures in the region. Hariri developed Napoleonic complexes and wanted to play a role in regional Arab politics: he was involved in Iraqi affairs (through his friend `Allawi), he was involved with Dahlan and `Abbas, and he wanted to emerge as a Sunni Arab leader. The Syrians posted a threat to his plans, and he most resented their support for Lahhud. The Syrian government--especially the new group around Bashshar including his brother-in-law, the powerful Asaf Shawkat who ran Rustum Ghazalah as the latter did not get along with Interior Minister Ghazi Kan`an, former chief of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon and a Hariri payroll guy (allegedly), on the other hand, never trusted him. They were suspecting him of various intrigues and of conspiring with the US against Syria. Hariri of course was playing on many ropes, lying and deceiving, which was his habit. And when he had that famous meeting with Bashshar prior to the extension of Lahhud's term in office, the latter did not (unlike what was alleged in the Fitzgerald report who based his report on the accounts and rumors of Hariri clients) threaten to "bring Lebanon" down over his head. That was said to Hariri by somebody else, and that person was not even Syrian. Bashshar had a 20-minute talk with Bashshar, who did not even invite him to sit down. While both were standing, Bashshar told him to "make up" his mind, whether he wanted to be with the US or with Syria. Hariri, typically, meekly told him that he was always with Syria. Bashshar told him to take 48 hours and then give his official reply to Syria. Within two days, Rustum Ghazalah summoned him and asked for his reply. Hariri said that he would agree to Lahhud's extension of term, but that he had his own "demands." Things only got worse at that point. Ghazalah humiliated Hariri, grabbing him by his shirt, and the latter was accustomed to being humiliated by the Saudi and Syrian officials in return for preserving political power. Oh, and Hassan Fattah of the New York Times is back, covering Lebanon from....Dubai of course, just as he covered Lebanon from....Jordan before, and just as I cover China from...California. It is almost cute how the neo-conservative journalists who cover the Middle East all quote and cite one another. Have you noticed? Hassan Fattah quotes Michael Young, Michael Young quotes Lee Smith, Lee Smith quotes Michael Young, and on and on and on. It is almost cute.

Sleep. c. 1891. Edouard Vuillard.

"Turkey, Israel and the US"

"Two million fall victim to slave trade each year, says UN"

Oppression you ignore: "Turkey Charges Novelist Over Remarks About Mass Deaths: Orhan Pamuk could face three years in prison for speaking about his nation's slaying of Armenians and, more recently, Kurds."

"Reuters Employee Detained in Iraq Without Charges: U.S. tribunal decides to hold cameraman until a review."

"Kashmiri women crack down on vice"

"The 5,000-classroom shortage in Arab schools is but one of the numerous problems plaguing the Arab education system, according to data the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee presented during a news conference Wednesday in Nazareth."

"Iran pours oil fund billions into wooing disaffected youth"

"In Venezuela, a bid to empower poor barrios:Residents form worker cooperatives and take charge - with government support."