Saudi media: Bin Laden an American creation

Look at this article.  The website of the news station of King Fahd's brother-in-law, Al-Arabiyyah, posts an article citing Saudi experts maintaining that Bin Laden was an American creation.  Personally, I don't mind if you say that from a standpoint of accuracy if you add: that he was a joint, American-Saudi-Pakistani creation during the Cold War who later got out of control.

There should be no qualms in saying it: Bin Laden was no hero: he was a terrorist Wahhabi

I need to say a word (and I will say it in Arabic soon) about the possible cult of Bin Laden that may emerge.  I understand it in Wahhabi circles (the obituaries in Aljazeera and Al-Arabiyyah have been mildly romantic) but there can't be any progressive praise of Bin Laden.  By any measure or by any standard, and no matter whether one is right or left, the man was a fanatical terrorist.  There is nothing romantic (as appears in the obituary of `Abd Al-Bari `Atwan's obituary of him) or glorious about the life of this fanatic terrorist.  How would we progressive fare under a rule by such a man?  How would a woman fare under his rule?  His cv is littered with war crimes and murders.  He is a killer and his political claims should be dismissed.  Tell Isma`il Haniyyah that this is a man who did not contribute anything to the Palestinian cause save confusing Westerners about the nature of Palestinian armed struggle.  He is no martyr and the only one who should mourn him are his Saudi Wahhabi princes/patrons.  The fact that US bombs right and left and the fact that US lies to us all the time and the fact that US opposes our freedoms and liberation as Arabs does not mean that its enemies, like Bin Laden, are not our enemies and the enemies of humanity.   But if US government expert were to read what Arabs are writing about Bin Laden they would be surprised not by sympathy for Bin Laden so such but for the depth of hatred for US government and its war and propaganda.  It is clear: US role in the so-called Arab spring have clearly deepened the detestation of the US by Arabs.  I mean, they thought Arabs did not notice US support for the Mubarak regime? They think that Arabs can be fooled when the US later lied and pretended that it had supported the overthrow of Mubarak?  Who are they kidding.  But on the other hand, I squirm at any word of Arab sympathy or sensitivity for that dead lousy terrorist kook, named Bin Laden.  And I am glad that his deputy has no chance of appealing to anyone because he has the charismatic appeal of my old shoe.

Killing Bin Laden: lies, fabrications, and conspiracy theories

Let me first address the various conspiracy theories about his death that are being circulated in the Arab world.  I feel that I maybe the only one (naively in their eyes) who buys the general story that US forces killed Bin Laden.  All the smart Arabs I know don't believe anything about the American story.  I realized that the US is so hated and that its arrogance and self-righteousness are so jarring to Arab ears, that they feel it is their duty to disbelieve anything coming out of the American government.  There is so much skepticism: many believe that Bin Laden had long been dead or that he was in the US custody, or that he had been working for the US all along.  Sep. 11 is now more unbelievable than ever among Arabs and Muslims: I may seem naive in shooting down all Sep. 11 conspiracy theories.  Damn: Bin Laden and Al-Qa`idah have claimed responsibility and bragged about Sep. 11.  We have eyewitness and so on.  That trash "documentary", Loose Change, has been successfully shot down by a special on Discovery Channel (or was it the History Channel?).   The point is, I am protective of conspiracy theories and defend conspiracy-theory based analysis but leftists have avoid the well-deserved reputation for belief in unfounded conspiracy theories.  Enough of them.  The hoax about Bin Laden's picture (which circulated on Twitter and FB and Arab internet sites like wild fires) is the work of a lazy and incompetent intelligence agency, or a bored blogger.  Now, turning to the US, I also believe that in the wake of any US military operation, we are fed a large amount of lies, fabrication, sc fi scenarios, and exaggerations.  I mean, other than Bin Laden has been killed by US troops, I am skeptical of the rest.  Let us begin with the one about that Bin Laden received a "Muslim burial at sea."  I mean, do they think that Arabs/Muslims are idiots?  Burial at sea? Is that a new military term for tossing his body from the air?  Burial at sea? Who are you kidding? Just say what happened: most likely, soldiers scrawled slogans on his body, and then yelled: Allahu Akbar, you motherfucker, and then tossed his body in the water.  Then the story that I instantly wrote about yesterday: the notion that the find was the product of painstaking hard work and research by US intelligence agents. I remember that we were told how US intelligence agents in Iraq did a family tree and complicated charts of the relatives and bodyguards of Saddam to locate him.  Later we learned that: a bodyguard of Saddam turned himself in to US troops and asked for the bounty.  There is now a beginning of insinuations US troops found him due to a tip.  Here is the beginning of the story in the US press.  First we were told that a courier was spotted by US agents.  Now we are told that Pakistani agents were the first to spot him.  We were first told that a man in the compound took a woman as a human shield and that she was killed.  When I now hear a "human shield" story, I know that I am about to be lied to by Israeli or US military to justify yet another killing of civilians.  Later we were told that Bin Laden was the one who took a woman as a human shield.  I am sure that the human shield story will disappear later. Just remember the original early story of Pat Tillman: I mean some in the US military are experienced in movie scripts.  To their credit, Politico has noticed the various inconsistencies and lies and the changes in the early accounts.   And `Abdul-Bari `Atwan of Al-Quds Al-`Arabi, who knew Bin Laden and liked him says in his editorial today that an aide to Bin Laden said that he requested that his bodyguards shoot him if he ever faced killing by enemies.  `Atwan leans to that theory for his killing: that his own bodyguard shot him.  I think this is very likely and may emerge later.  Is that why the body was thrown in the sea? Because Americans want to believe that an American bullet killed him?  Does this matter? Well, yes.  The US has lied so much that it is understandable that it is not believed by Muslims especially that Arabs/Muslims can't celebrate the American celebrations of their killings, even if the person killed is Bin Laden: who may not be loved by Arabs and Muslims (and who clearly failed to win support among the masses) but any US president is hated more than Bin Laden. That is the key element to help you understand the complicated Arab/Muslim attitudes to Bin Laden and his death.  This explains the stupid foolish statement by Isma`il Haniyyah who called Bin Laden "mujahid" (holy struggler).  Oh, and now Fox News is giving credit where it is due: it crediting torture for locating Bin Laden.  And the stupidity can be seen in Arab media too: New TV who I generally like, yesterday aired a report on the possible successors to Bin Laden.  It said that Abu Zubayda is the most likely to emerge as the key commander of Al-Qa`idah. Can some one tell New TV that Abu Zubyayda won't be able to assume his duties because he is sitting in Guantanamo? 

If this is a Salafite rebellion, why are they arresting secular Nasserits and communists?

I mean, the Syrian regime is refuting its own propaganda.  All this talk about a Salafite and terrorist threat to Syria, and they arrest people right and left: secular Arab nationalists and communists of different kinds.  No one is spared.  This is a regime that is resorting to Hafidh Al-Asad's style of rule.  There is no progressive or pro-Palestinian argument for this regime, especially when it accepted the Saudi peace plan, and it supports resistance to Israel in Lebanon and Palestine but fiercely prevents it in Syria itself.

Ayman Al-Dhawahiri

An anchorperson on Fox News pronounced his name as Eeemeeen Zawaeeeiiiihaaaraeeeeiiiiiieeeyyyy.  I kid you not.

This is a lie

"The U.S. special forces team that hunted down Osama bin Laden was under orders to kill the al Qaeda mastermind, not capture him, a U.S. national security official told Reuters."  This is an obvious lie and for obvious reason. I am certain that the orders were to capture him alive: his capture alive would have been far more humiliating for him, just as the capture of Saddam.  I hate those propaganda spins after the fact.

Jamal Mubarak

Jamal Mubarak offers that he succeeds Bin Laden, since he can't succeed his father anymore.

On Dorothy Parvaz

I knew that she was missing in Syria but I was told that I should not mention her name.  "She had been in Japan recently, but on Friday landed in Damascus to cover things there. She immediately went missing after getting off the plane and hasn't been heard from since."  If anyone in Syria has any news, please inform me.  Thanks.

On religion

"A bit of humility is in order when a letter writer (April 20) provides quotes from the Koran as orders, by God, for Muslims to kill us. He posits that Muslims will be put in the uncomfortable position of disobeying their own God if they don't kill us.  Ironically, we routinely disobey our own God with opposite, devastating results for, guess who, Muslims.  Recall that it was our former president who used that unfortunate word "crusade" in his antiterrorism speech, then unilaterally invaded a mostly Muslim country, killed Muslims and ruined Islamic lives.  To this day, we continue to rain down terrifying, unpredictable destruction from joystick-run drones on innocent Muslims who become "regrettable" collateral damage. Now who should really be afraid of whom?   Quotations from holy books are no substitutes for who people really are. People are much greater than the sum of their holy books' exhortations and proscriptions. The majority of the world's religious peoples want to live in peace with each other, if only governments and fanatics would let them."

Celebrating death

Nasir sent me this:  "For a people who constantly attacked Arabs/Somalis/Pakistanis for celebrating death, Americans are out in force celebrating this death tonight."  That made me think.  Take George W. Bush: he is as hated among Arabs and Muslims as Bin Laden is hated in the US.  If Bush were to die, and if there are scenes of celebration among Muslims, the US news would be disgusted and guests would be invited on TV to speak about the sickness of Muslim culture.

Richard Haas will speak on the death of Bin Laden

Council of Foreign Relations will host a phone conference with reporters features Richard Haas.  Please, alert me when he comes on to remind myself to sleep, immediately.  In his long career in government and in think tanks, when did Haas ever have an insight on the Middle East?

Mcclatchy newspapers are lying here

"On Arabic television, experts were divided about the impact on the al-Qaida terrorist network. Some said the "martyrdom" of bin Laden could win new recruits and inject new life into an organization that had grown increasingly irrelevant..." Which Arabic TV stations spoke about "the martyrdom" of Bin Laden?  The writers clearly don't know Arabic and notice that they spoke of "Arabic Television", thinking that there is one Arabic TV station, and not more than 300.  

Look at this US lawmaker

"Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., a freshman lawmaker, said on Twitter: "We must be ready for retaliation from Islamic world."" He talks like "the Islamic World" is a terrorist organization.  Wait: I bet you that he thinks that Islamic World is the name of a terrorist organization.

Regarding the LA Times' report on Pakistani celebrations

"“Now Pakistani rulers, President Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target,” Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location."" (thanks Redouane)

tunnels in Syria?

Karim sent me this: "syrian tv on facebook claim that this tunnel
is under the omari mosque in da'ra
but check out this one"

Arab repression can now intensify

With the news focused on Bin Laden, Arab tyrants can now intensify their repression.  

This LA Times reporter does not know Pakistan

"Although Al Qaeda had its sympathizers in Pakistan's volatile northwest, Bin Laden's death is likely to be celebrated across much of the country."

Wandering Israelis

Five Israelis mistakenly wandered into Egypt (and the Egypt military handed them back to Israel).  Last year, an Israeli wandered into Lebanon and traveled around South Lebanon and then claimed that he was crazy, so the lousy Lebanese Army simply handed him back to Israel.   

Bin Laden (and his sponsors): any political significance?

The question remains whether there is any political significance to his death.  It is clear that Al-Qa`idah has largely been put out of commission since the US invasion of Afghanistan.  It is clear that Bin Laden, and even maybe Al-Dhawahiri, don't have operational links with their followers.  It is clear that many of Bin Laden's lieutenants were either captured or killed and that he lost the nucleus of the organization.  It is also clear that a small (terrorist in this case) organization can inflict a lot of harm on civilians, if that is what it wants to do.  But it is also clear that the danger of Al-Qa`idah after Sep. 11 was transferred to copy cats: groups and gangs that don't have direct links with Bin Laden and his lieutenants but who are inspired by the deeds of the mother organization, so to speak.  But what is not yet acknowledged here in the US is that Bin Laden is a product of horrific US policies in the Cold War: of their alliance with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.  The people in Pakistan and Afghanistan would be relieved today: not because they hated Bin Laden (many do sympathize with him only to spite the US), but because scores of Afghans and Pakistanis have been killed over the years during the campaign to get and kill Bin Laden.  Remember that time in late 2001 when the US incinerated a convoy there because "a tall dark man" was seen getting into one of the cars.  The US intelligence analyst on the scene assumed that there were no tall people other Bin Laden.   But the factors that produced Bin Laden and Al-Qa`idah are still there: the US is still very tempted to arm and fund fanatical groups if they think it is politically convenient for US "national security interests."  Look at that lousy Libyan Transitional Council: there are fanatics in the ranks and I assume that we will hear from some of them, especially once they declare the victory of their "holy cause."  The coverage on US TV news was celebratory:  I bet that Americans don't know that this man and his lieutenants once shared a cause with US covert operations against the Soviet Union.  Of course, as is the case in such affairs, the US news media focus on the skills and heroism of US special forces and intelligence agents.  For weeks we now will be served dishes of reports about the competence of US special teams.  Only later will some one reveal (as was the case in the capture of Saddam Husayn) that there was no military skill in the operation: that someone came forward to net the $25 million for Bin Laden.  But that will come later.  The disturbing part of all this was the coverage of Saudi news channel Al-Arabiyyah (news station of King Fahd's brother-in-law): the coverage was somber with a tinge of sadness.  They had a Saudi "expert" on extremist movements and he came on and said that Bin Laden fought back ferociously and that he resisted before being killed.  This is like how Saddamists were so embarrassed how their leader was captured and they created stories about how he did not resist or die.   How did the Saudi expert know that? It seems that the Bin Ladenites will now be busy inventing a story of heroism for Bin Laden, just as they invented a bogus story about his heroism in Afghanistan.  Bin Laden won't be missed (or should not be missed): not in the East and not in the West.  And that idiot Isma`il Haniyyah of Hamas is only confirming Western suspicions and Zionist allegations that all Islamists are alike.  This will be his own doing: he just rendered a great service for Zionist propaganda.  His remark will now be available in 34 languages and Israeli occupation embassies will circulate special brochures containing his lousy remarks in which he paid tribute to Bin Laden.  Expect a book or two to be published with titles like: Hamas and Bin Laden or the Unholy Alliance between Hamas and Al-Qa`idah, etc.  But Hamas deserves what its get: the lousy Fath organization is now replaced with a lousy branch of the lousy Muslim Brotherhood.  On Aljazeera: the coverage is rather less somber than Al-Arabiyyah but they had Saudi journalist (oh, yes.  Forgot to tell you. Ever since Qatar and Saudi Arabia entered into the Arab counter-revolution alliance Saudi propagandists are now invited on Aljazeera), Jamal Khashuqji (who edited Al-Watan newspaper and now will be directing a new news channel owned by yet another oil prince--Al-Walid bin Talal in this case).  But the anchor did not ask Khashuqji (who now poses as one of many Wahhabi "liberals") about his PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH BIN LADEN.  This guest once fought with Bin Laden and worshiped him for years.  And then the anchor asked him this question: he asked how Bin Laden turned to violence against civilians when he was not like that before.  What was that? When was Bin Laden opposed to violence?  When he recruited (on behalf of US and Saudi covert operations) an army of Islamsit fanatics, crazies, and terrorists?  Bin Laden made life more difficult for all Muslims (and for all if you consider the travel effects of Sep. 11):  my mother hates him for what he did to the image of Muslims worldwide, not to mention his callous justifications of the murder of civilians (Muslims including).  US is desperate for a victory and this one will be a chance, although the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are going terribly for the US.  Obama yesterday basically signed the death sentence of the Pakistani president for thanking him for his role.  How dumb is that? Even if he thought to falsely claim that the US did not violate Pakistani sovereignty near the capital of Pakistan.  Public opinion surveys will soon give a tremendous boost to Obama, who may have increased his chances for re-election.  I mean, no one in the Republican camp can now accuse him of pacifism or of reluctance to bomb and kill.  Obama has proven that he can outdo Bush, in wars and bombings and killing, etc.  Tell that to those who voted for him.  On the Muslim side, I can report to you that wild conspiracy theories are already circulating on Twitter and Facebook and Arab websites: it will be like the conspiracy theories about Sep. 11.  People are saying that either he was not killed, or that the US had him for a long time, or that he was dead even on Sep. 11.  Those unfounded conspiracy theories trouble me: because we--as leftists--need to distinguish between crazy and non-crazy conspiracy theories.  So in sum, not much will change in the world after this announcement because Al-Qa`idah has been largely weakened since Sep. 11.  Ayman Adh-Dhawhiri has no chance of reviving the fortunes of Al-Qa`idah: he not only has to protect himself but he has the charisma of a cucumber and the speaking skills of Sa`d Hariri (and he is as boring as the latter).  

Chutzpah: Fu'ad Sanyurah speaking in Washington, DC on the Arab uprisings

You have to give it to the Zionists who invited Sanyurah to speak in Washington, DC about the Arab uprisings.  You have to give it them for providing us with the epitome of irony.  Here is a man who was closest to Husni Mubarak, and who will be forever remembered for awarding (personally) an honorary doctorate to the torturer-in-chief in Saudi Arabia (and most likely the next king), Prince Nayfi who is now running the sinister government of the kingdom.

Qadhdhafi's daughter's ignorance

"In an election where one candidate won with 50 percent of the vote and another lost with 48 percent, she asked, “Do you call this democracy? Just this one vote? What happened to the 48 percent who said ‘no’?”"  Somebody should inform `A'ishah Qadhdhafi that many Western democracies resort to proportional representation to avoid this problem that she talks about (common in single-member district systems like in the US).

Fu'ad Sanyurah

Fu'ad Sanyurah (former boo hoo hoo prime minister of Lebanon) will be visiting Washington, DC this week.  He will be delivering "lectures" about the Arab uprisings.  He will be speaking at the Wilson Center among other places. Can someone ask him this: how care you speak about the Arab uprisings when you were a close too and associate of Husni Mubarak? How dare you?

`Ali Farzat

`Ali Farzat (the brave Syrian artist) is one of my favorite cartoonist.  Here is a sample:

Check his website.

PS I thank Lisa Wedeen who introduced me to his work years ago.

Western reporter missing in Syria

It has not been reported but a female Western reporter has been missing in Syria.  It is suspected that the mukhabarat has taken her to an unsafe place.

Here is Hizbullah media on Syrian protests

Al-Manar's website "reports" that "Syrian army chases the armed terrorist groups in Dir`a"

Superman

"Mike Huckabee recently weighed in on Fox News. When told of Superman’s plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship, Mike Huckabee said, “Well, it is a comic book, but you know it’s disturbing that Superman, who has always been an American icon, is now saying ‘I’m not going to be a citizen.’ I think it’s part of a bigger trend of Americans almost apologizing for being Americans.”"

Fruitful and non-fruitful exercises

"I’ve read that people consider you almost incapable of admitting a mistake. What do you consider to be the biggest of your career? 
You know, I’ve done pretty well. I don’t spend a lot of time dwelling on the past that way.
You can’t think of just one? 
I’m certain I can find many. It’s just not a very fruitful exercise."

Praise for Aljazeera in Saudi media

There is no better evidence of the Saudi-Qatari alliance in the Arab counter-revolution than the sudden praise for Aljazeera in Saudi media, including in Saudi propaganda mouthpiece, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, where propagandists for Prince Salman and his sons specialized in attacking Aljazeera for years.

Saudi (in)justice

"a Saudi court condemns a citizen,who got stabbed by a member of the commission for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, to a 9 months in prison and 350 lashes.." (thanks Ahmet)

Sami Sharaf to Bashshar Al-Asad

The principled Nasserist, Sami Sharaf (who ran Nasser's office for years), issued this appeal today to Bashshar Al-Asad: "سامى شرف بالنيابة عن الناصريين فى الساحة المصرية يتقدم بهذا النداء للرئيس بشار الاسد بالافراج الفورى عن الأخ والصديق والمناضل حسن عبد العظيم وباقى المعتقلين السياسيين فى الاقليم الشمالى من الجمهورية العربية المتحدة التى ستعود حتما فى القريب استكمالا للمشروع الوحدوى الناصرى ونأمل فى ان يتم حوار سياسى شامل بين جميع الأطراف فى الساحة السورية من اجل الحفاظ على وحدة سوريا الحبيبة ولتفادى الانزلاق نحو نتائج غير مرغوب فيها فى الوقت والظروف الراهنة .

عاشت الامة العربية فى ظل الحرية والاشتراكية والوحدة

القاهرة فى اول مايو2011"

(thanks Sami)  

Appeasing Zionism: the last refuge of falling Arab tyrants

"the Syrian government has invited an Israeli rabbi to visit the country where many of his forefathers are buried, and to pray at their Damascus gravesites." (thanks Karim)

Rami Makhluf (and Human Rights Watch)

Rami Makhluf is everything that the Syrian people say and more. And I am not in dispute of what is in this article about him by Anthony Shadid (although I think that capitalism is crony by definition).  But this passage got my attention:  "“Ideologically the regime doesn’t stand for much anymore beyond the interests of certain individuals,” said Nadim Houry, a researcher with Human Rights Watch in Beirut. “ He’s a symbol of what is perceived as private interests controlling large chunks of Syria’s economy.”" I have often accused Human Rights Watch (and I have said this to Nadim) treats the pro-Hariri government of Lebanon much differently than it treats the Syrian government.  It is much softer in covering the human rights violations of the Hariri-run government.  For example, what Nadim said about Makhluf above applies (and a bit more) to Rafiq Hariri and his son in Lebanon.  But would he ever dare be quoted saying that about them?  Just wondering.


PS Furthermore, is not Rami Makhluf the logical outcome of the "reforms" that Western countries wanted Syria to adopt?

Ibn Taymiyyah

Comrade Hussein sent me this: "Regarding the Ibn Taymiyyah thing, it should be understood not merely as an
attempt to curry favor with the Saudis but also as a herald of what they want us to endorse: a version of Taymiyyan/Wahhabi Islam the object of whose radicalism and violence is only the enemies of the west. At the same time, it will be presented as an official version of Islam, which will help persecute, if not more, all minorities in the Islamic world while keeping that part of the planet living under reactionary regimes. But if most extremist movements do proudly adopt his writings, and his life testifies to at least one fatwa of slaughtering a whole group of civilians and selling their families into slavery, which was applied in actuality, how can he not be a symbol of extremism? If he is a symbol of tolerance, then Hariri is a symbol of eloquence."

New Egypt

"Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces General Sami Anan warned Israel against interfering with Egypt's plan to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on a permanent basis, saying it was not a matter of Israel's concern, Army Radio reported on Saturday."

Shi`ites in Bahrain are a minority now

Nauman sent me this: "I am an avid reader of your blog. I wanted to highlight a ridiculous and asinine falsehood in the Wall Street Journal article by Ted Koppel that you linked to on your website. Mr. Koppel writes:

"Wherever there is a restive and newly active Shiite minority, as for example in Bahrain, a mere causeway from the coast of Saudi Arabia, Tehran can be expected to provide assistance and stir the pot.""

treating the wounded in Dir`a

A Syrian comrade sent me this:  "I have two cousins both Doctors living in Daraa, they were both arrested yesterday because they were treating the wounded."

"It is hard to downplay the level of exposure and visibility—particularly the “Collateral Murder” video and the release of thousands of diplomatic cables—that document US atrocity and hypocrisy."

"The treatment of Manning at the Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Virginia, is by now infamous. But the episode that led to a regime of forced nudity could easily find itself in a Kafkaesque narrative. Manning had requested to be moved from “Maximum” custody (i.e., 24-hour solitary confinement), having endured seven unimaginably dark months. When Quantico commander Col. Daniel Choike claimed that he was considered at risk of self-harm, Manning remarked on the absurdity of that logic since he could “conceivably do so with the elastic waistband of his underwear or with his flip-flops.” In other words, Manning tried to reason (even joke) with the Quantico commander after months of notably exemplary behavior. Almost immediately, Manning’s forced nudity was enforced and was ordered to continue “indefinitely” as a “precautionary measure.” He was also required to stand naked outside his cell during inspection. David Coombs, his attorney, wrote that a “sarcastic quip [w]as justification to increase the restrictions imposed on him under the guise of being concerned,” noting that the designation of Suicide Risk Watch would have required a psychologist recommendation (which Choike had not obtained). Psychologists for Social Responsibility wrote an open letter to the Pentagon stating “unequivocally that removal of clothing is not an accepted or reasonable procedure for avoiding self-injury.”
Manning’s body was stripped of every article of clothing in front of prison guards, a “suicide-proof sleeping garment” later issued to cover his icy nakedness at night. Manning has since been transferred to the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, presumably due to public pressure, although it is still unclear how the move will bring his case closer to a court date. But, as I will describe shortly, the shivering discipline of the law does not point merely to a cruel and empty inanity, but highlights the law’s actual ubiquity. Compare the words of Candidate Obama in October 2007 (“When I’m President, we’ll reject torture—without exception or equivocation”) to President Obama explicitly defending Manning’s treatment as “appropriate and meet[ing] our basic standards,” later denouncing him as guilty before any legal proceedings had taken place by flatly remarking, “He broke the law” at a San Francisco fundraising event in April 2011. Attorney Kevin Zeese, who serves on the steering committee of the Bradley Manning Support Network, cited “undue command influence” in the US military justice code:" (thanks Maryam)

"Pro-West" March 14

March 14 coalition in Lebanon is always described as "pro-Western" despite the inclusion of Salafites and Bin Ladenites and fascists in its midsts (but sorry, fascists are often "Pro-Western", I guess).   This week, the Hariri Mufti of Lebanon (a crook who has reportedly allegedly embezzled millions) said that the US represents a "despicable" force in the Middle East. 

Sarkis Na`um

He is one of the most stale and most boring and most tedious of columnists, so it it is fitting that he writes for An-Nahar (the barely surviving right-wing, sectarian Christian, racist anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people) publication in Beirut).  He made his career by serving as a mouthpiece for `Abdul-Halim Khaddam.  He broke with the Syrian regime--you guessed it--after Syrian troops left Lebanon.  He comes to the US once or twice a year and he publishes interviews with various figures in DC: notice how worshipful he is of them and notice how he treats whatever the white man says as Truth.  It is rather comical.

Internet freedom in Tunisia

Saudi propagandists are worried about internet freedom in Tunisia: they worry that it will increase porn traffic.  As it is, some 80% of internet traffic in Gulf countries is porn related. (thanks Mohammad)

French racism

""For the top brass in French football, the issue is settled: there are too many blacks, too many Arabs, and not enough white players in French football," the website said.  According to Mediapart, one of the most senior football federation figures wanted to set a cap of 30% on players of certain origins, but insisted at a meeting the quota should be kept quiet. At another meeting, the French national team coach Laurent Blanc allegedly backed changing youth talent selection criteria to favour players with "our culture, our history". Sources claimed Blanc cited current world champions Spain, saying: "The Spanish, they say: 'We don't have a problem. We have no blacks.'"" (thanks Souheil)

Alain Gresh: is boycotting this media forum

Alain Gresh (a fine French expert on the Middle East who speaks Arabic fluently) sent me this (I cite with his permission):  "i want to share with you these documents  some month ago I was invited at this forum on the medias and i accepted. But, one month ago, i received documents (in arabic) explaining that the forum will be put under the sponsorship of saudi arabia and... prince Nayef (a friend of medias and journalist I imagine)

i send them a letter to tell them that I was not going anymore  the congress was held these days and there are documents that are worth to read (again it is supposed to be a forum of journalists!): salman governor of riyad received a prize!!  and they have also adopted shameful documents on bahrain that i will send you..."  Here is a sample from the documents:  "كما لقي اختيار أمانة الملتقى للفائزين بجائزته للإبداع الإعلامي تقديرا عميقا من الإعلاميين العرب المشاركين في الدورة الثامنة، حيث تم اختيار صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير سلمان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود أمير منطقة الرياض لجائزة الإبداع الإعلامي 2011 عن "الصورة الايجابية تجاه وسائل الإعلام"، صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير الوليد بن طلال رئيس مجلس إدارة شركة المملكة القابضة عن "شخصية العام"، الشيخة مي بنت محمد آل خليفة وزيرة الثقافة في مملكة البحرين عن "التطويع الثقافي للإعلام"، احمد الجار الله رئيس تحرير جريدة السياسة الكويتية عن "المسيرة الإعلامية"، وإذاعة البي بي سي العربية عن "تطوير الكوادر المهنية والوسيلة "الإعلامية".

Saudi law for publications

"April 2011 carried the text of a royal decree ordering the amendment of Articles 9, 36, 37, 38 and 40 of the publications and publishing law. Amended Articles 9 and 38 respectively focus on the deontology of the press and the penalties incurred should the basic rules of this deontology be disregarded.  The amended Article 9 stipulates: "Every official working for a publication should adhere to objective and constructive criticism aimed to ensuring public interest, and based on accurate evidence. None of the following should be published at all:
Anything that violates Islamic Shari'ah and the systems in place. Anything that incites undermining the country's security or public order, or anything that serves foreign interests at the expense of national ones. Attacking, defaming, personally insulting or harming the reputation or the dignity of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, the members of the Senior Ulema Council, officials of the state and any people working for it, or any other physical or moral person. Stirring up [trouble] and causing disunion among citizens. Encouraging and inciting criminality. Anything that harms the country's public affairs. [Publishing] the detail of inquiries or trials without the authorization of the competent authority."  The amended Article 38 stipulates: "Without prejudice to any more severe punishment stipulated by any other law, anyone who violates the rules of this law will receive one or more of the following punishments:" Source: SPA news agency website, Riyadh, in Arabic 1255 gmt 29 Apr 11 

Ventriloquote

Ziad sent me this:  "You asked your readership to name this propaganda technique and I would like to suggest ventriloquote.  You can attribute this to well known lexicographer Ziad (I'm neither well-known nor a lexicographer but in all fairness Blanford is not famous outside of Now Lebanon nor a real journalist".  (I only deleted the smiling face as Angry Arab blog does not recognize emoticons, especially the damn smiling face). 

Abu Yu`rub Al-Marzuqi

Al-Marzuqi appeared on the news station of King Fadh's brother-in-law and defended Ibn Taymiyyah.  He said that Ibn Taymiyyah is not a marji`iyyah (source authority) for extremism.