Hamas anti-Jewishness

"The Hamas Islamist group in charge of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday denounced a Palestinian official's visit to the site of a Nazi death camp in Poland, and called the Holocaust in which 6 million European Jews perished an "alleged tragedy."" (thanks Amer)

The leader of 75% of 5% of the Lebanon's population speaks: the world listens

This leader of 75% of 5% of the Lebanese population dares call upon Sunnis to do this, and calls on Alawites to do that, and calls on Shi`ites to do this, and calls on Christians to do that.  I mean, who does he put in his Matte? Really?  The more he calls on Syrian Druzes to rebel against the regime, the more they seem to support the regime. 

"“I call for defecting from the Syrian army and joining the Free Syrian Army because it is the only way to bring down the current regime,” Jumblatt said. “I issue the same call to people from the Alawite sect, and say to them that they are Syrians before they are Alawites,” he added, warning that the regime was seeking to stoke civil war between Alawites and other sects."  (thanks Basim)

Typical American Academic Cowardice: Jared Diamond

Look at this long piece by Jared Diamond responding to Romney's remarks about culture and Palestinians.  I mean, how can we not notice that the word Palestinian appears not once in this article. Not once.

Culture and Palestinian economy

"The reason most Palestinians have low third-world income levels is that they are born into impoverished towns or refugee camps inside the gerrymandered Bantustans of the Palestinian Authority, where border crossings are controlled by Israeli military authorities, water sources are tapped to feed Jewish settlements, Israeli-built infrastructure bypasses them, the education system is funded by paltry international contributions and paltrier taxes, agricultural land is periodically taken by Jewish settlers whose illegal seizures are retroactively approved by the government, land values are undermined because of the overhanging threat of expropriation by Israel, and on and on through all the savage indignities and economic violence of a 50-year-long occupation by people whose ultimate goal is to force you off as much of the territory as possible." (thanks Redouane)

Another Israeli

Another Israeli set himself on fire to protest economic conditions.  I hereby once more call on all Israelis to protest the economic conditions.

The methods of the exile Syrian opposition

For the first time, this article talks about the Ba`thist methods of exile Syrian opposition: about how they are quick to dismiss as "traitor" anyone--ANYONE--who disagrees with them.  How can you forgive those who beat up the brave Haytham Al-Manna`?

finally someone is saying this

"With the Shi'ite Islamic Republic of Iran behind Assad, and Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim states backing the rebels, Syria could become the arena in which the regional Sunni-Shi'ite cold war becomes an open-ended civil war with the potential to destabilize its neighbors - Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.  "We most definitely have a proxy war in Syria," says Ayham Kamel of the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy. "At this point of the conflict it is difficult not to say that the international dimension of the Syrian conflict precedes the domestic one."  "Syria is an open field now. The day after Assad falls you (will) have all of these different groups with different agendas, with different allegiances, with different states supporting them yet unable to form a coherent leadership."  What started on March 15, 2011 as an internal uprising against the Assads' repressive 40-year rule, emulating the revolts that toppled leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, has now been transformed into an arena for foreign meddling."

Dumb propaganda about the Free Syrian Army

If you follow the Western media, you are led to believe those two contradictory pieces of information: that FSA receives support from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, UAE, UK, France, Germany, and the US, and that the Free Syrian Army is short of cash and arms.  I mean, are we supposed to be that dumb really?

women in Gaza

"Earlier this year, Naraman Farah left her husband as he was "totally against" her continuing to paint. "So many doors have been closed to Palestinian women in Gaza. It's like getting out of one prison only to find another door closed. There are many obstacles – the occupation, the blockade, the internal Palestinian division. I am not representative of Palestinians, but as women we need to feel free. The moment that is no longer possible, you have to act on it, to do something."" (thanks Talal)

Stupid BBC propaganda: FSA scrutinizes

"The FSA is scrutinising jihadists in Syria very closely, considering them "a real threat after the Assad regime falls," according to a senior FSA officer."  I am sure it is a very thorough process of scrutinizing. 

fabrications, lies, and deception: on Hizbullah and its fighters

"James Blake says this in a recent piece… something I instantly find very hard to believe, especially given the date when he supposedly interviewed all shapes and sizes RIGHT AROUND THE MAY 2008 CLASHES WHEN HIZBULLAH WAS NOT TALKING TO ANYONE!.… remember the golden rule when jounalisting/analysing – if some dude tells you he is a hizbullah fighter, 95% chance is… he is NOT:

“…I can personally attest to Hezbollah’s evolution, as I was there conducting research on the group in mid-2008. I conducted interviews with the party’s politicians, its strategists, its fighters, its supporters and its opponents. All confirmed that Hezbollah had become a rational and independent actor. The overriding consensus was that Hezbollah’s response to a US or Israeli military strike against Iran would depend on what was in its best interests….”" (thanks Nicholas)

US foreign policies of intolerance

Comrade Joseph writes: "Indeed, it is this same US-induced and supported intolerance that feeds the ongoing sectarian right-wing Islamist attacks on non-Sunni Muslims in Iraq (attacks that are depicted in the US media as an expression not of the US policy of sectarian agitation in Iraq, but on account of the indigenous “parochial” identities of Iraqis, which seem to have been unfortunately released by US-imposed “freedom”) and in Syria as well (in the latter case at least, with the full complicity of the Western press, if not Western governments, where sectarian attacks are being represented as part of the struggle for “democracy”).

The US has continued to be the hegemon over Indonesia for the last 47 years, not only under the murderous regime of Suharto which it helped bring to power in 1965, but also and especially during the post-Suharto “democratic” phase where neoliberal former army generals would be elected to the presidency in accords with US interests. The current President Susilo Bambana Yudhoyono (a retired army general trained in the United States and an accused war criminal for his military role during Indonesia’s US-supported genocidal occupation of East Timor), and his vice-president Boediono (former governor of the Bank of Indonesia and a Wharton School graduate), are the crowning efforts of US policy in the country. With such examples of tolerance, like the United States and Indonesia under US tutelage, Muslim-majority countries indeed have much to learn about tolerance and more so about intolerance."

Not in the US press: sexism and misogyny in Israel

"A police station's inauguration ceremony, held Wednesday in the ultra-Orthodox city of Modiin Illit, experienced some strident tones, after the mayor walked out over the fact that two female officers were asked to sing."

Nasrallah in Iran

Rare previously unpublished pictures of Nasrallah in Iran, months before the July 2006 war.

lousy propaganda coverage of Aljazeera

Look at this caption:  "The Barri family in Aleppo are allegedly drug smugglers with links to President Bashar al-Assad's regime."  The Barri family is more like a large clan of thousands, perhaps.  So every one of them--women, children, and elderly--is a drug smuggler/shabbih?  Shame on you. Imagine if this Barri family is the Murdoch or Connolly family in a Western country.  Would Aljazeera dare to defame the entire family like that?

Crimes of Bahrain rulers

"A new report charges that Bahrain has badly injured and even killed protesters by swamping them with massive clouds of tear gas, flooding closed spaces such as cars and houses with the toxic chemicals.  Physicians for Human Rights, a rights group based in Massachusetts, said the island nation was misusing tear gas against Shiite Muslim civilians, wielding it as a weapon with grave health risks. The unrelenting gas attacks cause such severe suffering that they amount to torture, the group said.  Two men, one of them asthmatic, died after repeatedly being exposed to tear gas in their homes, the report found. Several women suffered miscarriages shortly after being exposed to the gas, the group said. Other Bahrainis reported vomiting, shortness of breath, even loss of consciousness from the gas that has blanketed villages outside the capital."

The Eccentricities of Bashshar Al-Asad

My latest blog post on the eccentricities of Bashshar Al-Asad.

The Pattern of Western policies toward Syria

I don't recall I read one article int the Western press about this farce.  First, Western governments (and their clients in the Arab League and Syrian opposition) yell and scream and insist that the Arab League should dispatch observers to Syria.  This was the first diplomatic mission.  The Arab League kept pressing that this is urgent and that the mission would reveal the truth.  The mission was dispatched and it reported that there are indeed (that early on by the way) armed groups in Syria and it talked about incitement by Arab TV channels (Al-Arabiyya and Aljazeera).  Immediately, Arab League and Western sponsors started screaming that the Arab League observers are biased and that their mission should be ended and that they serve the regime.  The same happened with the other UN observer mission and with Kofi Annan.  I mean, if this was a story about another country, there would be outcries of hypocrisy and confusion and propaganda. 

To all propagandists for princes of oil and gas

I wrote this in Arabic on Twitter and I need to say it here.  If you want to serve as propagandists for oil and gas princes, do that.  Just don't ever mention Arab uprisings.  Don't mention democracy.  Don't mention freedom.  Don't mention progressive.  Go about your business and just respect your readers, damn it.

Free Syrian Army and the Fourth Miami Convention (or is it Geneva?)

From Akram in Syria: 

"Brig. General 'Adnan Al-Ahmad, a member of the joint military command of the Free Syrian Army, said FSA is committed to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to protecting POWs, assuring that FSA treats the prisoners well (Arabic).

My comments:

1. This man lies shamelessly: These aren't my own words. This, actually, what YouTube told me.
2. As most of the officers in the Original and Free Syrian Armies, this man is ignorant and has never read any of Geneva conventions (I can confirm that he has read nothing since his graduation from the academy). The convention relative to POWs is actually the third one while the fourth convention deals with protecting civilians it time of war. I'm sure that POWs and civilians of both sides can now go to bed peacefully knowing that their fates are in the hands of such knowledgeable men."

Barry Obama's White House Iftar: the menu

Barry Obama is hosting a special Ramadan Iftar at the White House.  This is the special menu prepared by the White House chef.

Syrian Minister of State for National Reconciliation

From Akram, Angry Arab correspondent in Syria:

"Ali Haidar, the Syrian Minister of State for National Reconciliation, held a meeting with civil, popular and religious activists in Lattakia. This man, apparently, enjoys playing the minister, a light role that only requires him to deliver empty speeches, hold nonsense meetings with ambassadors and foreign envoys and take nice photos.

Congratulations your excellency. You're very cute."

PS I should say that Ali Haidar has his supporters in the US and in Syria. Every time Akram takes a swipe at him, I receive angry complaints from readers.

HRW

"Mr. Houry was quick to point out that Human Rights Watch had previously documented scores of extrajudicial killings by the Syrian government during the conflict in an April report, as well as in previous reports of human rights abuses by the rebels. None of those acts of brutality justified executions without judicial process, he said."  If you read Nadim on Twitter he is going out of his way to justify why they criticized the executions.  The language, of course, is very mild but still. 

Like Aljazeera, Al-Arabiyyah justifies the murder of the Birri family members

Al-Arabiyya just justified the murder of the Birri family members in Aleppo by saying: that the family is "pro-regime".  They keep repeating that they are "pro-regime".  So the whole family is "pro-regime"?  Does that not basically say that the blood of every member of the family, even women and children, is spillable?  They brought an opposition figure and he justified the murder. 

Israeli sexism does not get covered in the Western press

"Home is a women’s place and “not the domain of social activity,” a report published by an Israeli daily said on Tuesday, citing a treatise by a leading Zionist rabbi."

Gore Vidal

I feel that I should say something about Gore Vidal but I have never read any of his fiction work and only read his articles so I don't have anything intelligent or informative to say.  So I will shut up.

ICG on Syria

You rarely read this in the Western media. Rarely.  "The bad involves those features (sectarianism, fundamentalism, jihadi and foreign fighters) that a prolonged battle virtually was bound to unearth and attract and that the regime did its utmost to exacerbate. Several opposition groups have adopted an increasingly fundamentalist discourse and demeanour, a trajectory that mirrors the conflict’s gradually deadlier and more confessional turn; popular loss of faith in the West; as well as mounting pledges of support from Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. All this could be – and, looking back, was predicted to be – far worse. In the tug of war between society’s demons and its ability to resist them, the most encouraging aspect has been Syrians’ at times striking self-awareness, grasp of dangers ahead and attempts at course correction. Yet, this hardly justifies complacency. That is because the ugly is truly alarming. From the start of the crisis, the gulf between pro-opposition and proregime constituencies has grown exponentially. As if living in parallel worlds, each ostracises the other, meeting almost only in battle. Among armed rebels, activists and protesters, deeply-rooted, atavistic anti-Alawite (and anti-Shiite) prejudice resurfaces more intensely as time goes by: the minority community’s ways are alien, their mores primitive, their presence unnatural. Likewise, when evoking the fate of their foes, even mainstream Alawites can resort to bloodcurdling language." (thanks Laure)

PS I am a fan of the writing of ICG reports.  They have a good editor.

Expert on the Syrian military? Ways of the Times

"Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general and an expert on the Syrian military".  Wait: wait, and wait.  Since when is Hanna an expert on the Syrian military? You just slapped that specialty on him for no reason except to give credibility to your report. The New York Times and all Western media do that: they bring in an anti-Syrian (often racistly anti-Syrian) Lebanese March 14 figures and then make them "experts" on whatever topic they wish to add an indigenous expert cover to.  Let us say that they are talking about potatoes in Syria: then, Hanna would become instantly an expert on Syrian potato.  Whatever it takes.  Hanna of course is an expert for the right-wing MTV station in Lebanon and his expertise has eluded me from watching him over the years.   

The new Egyptian cabinet

What you need to know about the new Egyptian cabinet is that: 1) Mr. Camp David continued to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense; 2) that 10 Ministers were in the Mubarak ruling group. 

executing tens of police men in Aleppo

The New York Times said:  "Analysts said the Syrian police had generally not been involved in Syria’s 17-month-old conflict."  Wait.  So the Syrian police has not been involved and I will take your word for it because I really have no way of telling but why did your account omit the fact that the Free Syrian Army by its own admission killed more than 40 of the police force?

Al-Arabiyyah: one of your worst news source

"The editor-in-chief of a Lebanese newspaper considered close to Syria and the Hezbollah movement has admitted to receiving financial “assistance” from the head of Lebanese internal security service, Col. Wissam al-Hassan, who is also close to former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, in exchange for “balanced” reporting on Lebanon’s internal politics.   In a recent op-ed in Diyar newspaper, Charles Ayoub admitted that “there was an agreement between Col. Wisan al-Hasan and Diyar.”  “Of course Col. al-Hasan represents Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri ... and according to the deal, Diyar would play a balanced role in the internal politics would be a free publication.” Ayoub added that despite that his paper honored its commitment, “Col. Al-Hasan suddenly and without prior notice suspended the assistance and claimed that the financial situation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri was difficult.”"  What Al-Arabiyyah (news station of King Fahd's brother-in-law) does not say is that he ALSO admitted receiving financial support from Prince Bandar Bin Sultan.  To be fair to Ayoub: he accepts money from any source.

executions in Iran

"Iran, which executes more people than any other country in the world apart from China, is notorious for its public hangings". (thanks Amer)

Aljazeera justifies sumary executions

This is how Aljazeera covers war crimes by the Free Syrian Army.

Bibi and Mimo

It grates on me that the Israeli terrorist prime minister is casually referred to by his pet name, Bibi, in the Western media.  I mean, can you imagine if Muhammad Mursi is referred to as Mimo?

The letter: the New York Times is way too excited

The New York Times has a very long article about that brief letter that ostensibly was sent from Egyptian president to Israeli president.  The story is dead no matter what.  1) the Egyptian president denied it and diplomatic terms that denial settles the matter.  2) the letter does not carry the signature of the president, which is most unusual.  Yet, the New York Times tried to justify that by saying that it was "dictated".  What does that mean without signature in diplomatic practice?  Don't get me wrong. I am all for Zionists to continue to delude themselves that all is still well for them in Egypt.

Ignorance of Israeli experts on the Arab world

"The report quotes Lebanese Health Minister Ali Hassan Al-Khalil, a Hezbollah member..."  Khalil, of course, is a member of Amal and not of Hizbullah. 

Can someone explain this to me? About attack in Bulgaria

"said that there was a “clear direction that points to Hezbollah” in the pattern and evidence of the attack..." What is the pattern of Hizbullah attacks on buses?  Can someone explain to me this pattern?  This without taking a stand as to who was responsible because I simply don't know.

Bulgarian government account (unlike the account of the Israeli government)

"Bulgarian officials have said they believe experienced conspirators carried out the attack. But they have declined to name any suspects".

Develpments in Syria

From Akram, Angry Arab correspondent:

"Today at noon, at the church of Saint-Joseph in Tabala, Damascus, hundreds gathered to participate in an emotional funeral of the young man Hanna Al-Samara. Samara was one of six of Jaramana's popular committees who have been killed the day before yesterday on one of the committees checkpoints located at the entrances of the town. The five other victims were of the Druze community (More on this can be read here- Arabic). The so-cold popular committees are civilian self-defense groups that have been formed, since the beginning of the Syrian uprising, in the neighborhoods of many Syrian cities, under the auspices of the Syrian regime who, at least, turned a blind eye to this dangerous phenomenon.

Jaramana is a town of 130.000 residents located 5 Kilometers southeast of the Syrian capital. It used to be a pure Druze village until the eighties of the 20^th century, when the village began to attract the middle-income Christians escaping the unbelievably high prices of real estate in Damascus. Since 2003, with the beginning of the war on Iraq, large numbers of Iraqi have immigrated to Jaramana. Jaramana is, directly, connected to Damascus through Al-Dweila'a neighborhood and is surrounded with a number of Sunni towns (Al-Mleiha, Jissreen, Kafr Batna, Zamalka, …). There is also a Palestinian refugee camp near the town bearing its same name.

Until recently, most of the popular committees were unarmed. However, this has changed quickly. Firearms began to appear and, with them, some unfortunate events began to occur. In a previous post, I reported the execution of someone accused of killing a member of the committees. I said, then, that this report is unconfirmed. Now, I can confirm the incident. This piece (Arabic) details the madness that Jaramana is experiencing.

It's difficult to separate this tragic incidence from a general context that, seemingly, aims to drag the Druze community to engage in a conflict of which it tried to distance itself. The Syrian regime doesn't seem far from this "conspiracy". Al-Tawhid Al-Arabi party of Weeam Wahhab appears to be actively engaged in this trend. Yesterday the Syrian branch of the party issued a communiqué (Arabic) warning that the members, the political and military leadership, and all those who fight, inform and promote the Free Syrian Army in Al-Sweidaa and elsewhere will be legitimate targets of us and will be treated as terrorists and assassin Zionists. They will see how weapons are to be used and what the virility is … The tone of the communiqué looks too strong considering the isolated nature of the incident that motivated it.

Syria is boiling and the major combats in Damascus and, more recently in Aleppo, might not be the most important element. One can't speculate the exact location or event that will trigger the civil war…What is certain, however, is that it will start... and sooner than expected".

Academic adjustment on Syria

So David Lesch wrote as an apologist for the Asad regime.  He wrote that Asad was misunderstood.  He tells the press that Asad was wonderful and great but that he later became imperial (by that he means that Asad--by his own admission--stopped responding to his emails).  But political winds change, so what does David Lesch do?  Well, he has a new book out and this time he is critical of Asad.  Academic political courage as its best. 

PS I was just thinking.  Many--but not all--of the academic experts cited on Syria these days in the Western press spent years serving as apologists for the Syrian regime. 

beheadings

I cant stand graphic videos of killing and torture.  It is beyond my tolerance level.  I received videos of beheading activities by Free Syrian Army but could not finish the clip.  No, I won't post.

Naji `Allush

Since Arab and Western media ignored the death of Naji `Allush, here is a tribute to him by his friend, Palestinian writer, Rashad Abu Shawir.  It was an honest tribute, listing some errors and mistakes of `Allush, like when he early accepted to serve as secretary-general of Abu Nidal's organization, in the hope of "straightening" Abu Nidal.  `Allush also fled from Arafat (who tried to have him killed) and sought shelter and support by the Libyan and Iraqi regimes.  People don't know that `Allush in 1975-76 actually led forces in the battles in downtown Beirut during the Lebanese civil war.  He was very close to Abu Dawud.  I never knew the religion of `Allush until he died: we lived in an innocent non-sectarian times then.

Meet Muhammad Saeed: your expert on Aleppo

A seasoned NGO person in the Middle East sent me this (she does not want to be identified):

"This is unbelievable. This is how the news about Syria is made nowadays, relying on one person, one person only supposedly in Aleppo and via Skype. What this guys says is quoted by a news agency and is then replicated by a wide range of newspapers, and then makes it to headlines, until it becomes a fact and starts shaping public opinion. This guy Mohammed Saeed told AP via skype  "There is not enough food and people are trying to leave. We really need support from the outside. There is random shelling against civilians," he added. "The city has pretty much run out of cooking gas, so people are cooking on open flames or with electricity, which cuts out a lot."  Then the same quote appears in Washington Post,  CBS,  the Guardian, NPR,  ABC news,  by AP again in another article with a different byline.... the same quote, Asad, appeared almost everywhere, no exaggeration, and not necessarily on the same day, this quote doesn't die, and then this one line he uttered over skype becomes a headline. I am not saying what he says is not correct, it might be, maybe not, how would I know? but we have to believe it is because it is everywhere, right? Just google the name of the guy and see for yourself. This same person you will find out had talked to AP on 25 July and 26 July and was quoted again and again all over the globe...  AP should do what Jazeera did, call him AP correspondent Mohammed Saeed. So if you want to know what is going on in Aleppo, all you have to do really is call famous Mohammed Saeed on skype. You do not need to read or watch the news anymore."

The deeds of Syria's pro-Western revolutionaries

From Angry Arab correspondent in Syria:

"Deir Salman is a village 15 Km to the south of Damascus on the eastern borders of Al-Ghouta, the agricultural surrounding of Syrian capital.

Like Douma, Zamalka, Irbeen, Saqba, Missraba and other towns of Al-Ghouta, Deir Salman is a scene of fighting between the governmental forces and the rebels. The only difference is that Deir Salman too small and too "insignificant" to be mentioned by any media outlet.

Nevertheless, the humanitarian tragedy, here, is not less by any mean. The village witnesses daily clashes throughout the day and night and the few of its population who haven't leaved live a real nightmare. At night, they are unable to sleep due to the explosions and the clashes with automatic guns that take place in and around the village. As for those who need to come out for one reason or another, the trip to Damascus, that goes through narrow rural roads full of military checkpoints, rebel ambushes and bandits, proves to be a real suffering and very risky.

The village itself is controlled by the rebels who impose their ruling and define who is pro-regime and who is "revolutionary". They treat the residents harshly. Surprisingly (unsurprisingly?), they don't find any inconsistency between their alleged "revolutionary ethics" and looting the people they, presumably, protect (the other day they instructed the residents to leave their homes, temporarily, pretending they were planning to attack the nearby Damascus airport. One of the residents, who insisted not to leave, saw them breaking into the vacant houses. It turned out that they didn't want any witness, so they could attribute their banditry to the Syrian army).

Bilal, and this isn't his real name, is a member of one of the largest Deir Salman's families, one that gave the Syrian army a number of military officers. One of its branches converted to Shi'ism some 70 years ago, something that hasn't presented any problem in the village… until recently when Bilal, a man in his late thirties, married and father of two children of 5 and 11 years old, appeared on the kill list of the "revolutionaries" along with his father, brothers, uncles, and cousins. Bilal isn't shabiha, and he isn't even pro-regime but this isn't of any relevancy for FSA.

Bilal, and most of his family left the village towards other surrounding towns, where the living conditions aren't less difficult but where, at least, they aren't threatened. Bilal became jobless, his two children are traumatized and he's planning to leave Syria to some far-east country where one of his relatives lives. He told me he wants to move away for one year or so until the crisis is over before wondering desperately: But what if they (FSA) won?

This is a short story that won't appear on NYT, Washington post, Aljazeera or Alarabyia, the story of people who, suddenly, found themselves displaced because of the criminal behavior, not of the Syrian regime, but this time, of his counterpart gangs."

sanctions on Iran

This is really boring.  For pure propaganda purposes, and related to Barry Obama's re-election campaign, the Obama administration releases yet another list of sanctions against Iran only to demonstrate to Zionist fools how tough the US administration can be toward Iran.  The last set of sanction was basically an order to try to make sure that Iran does not avoid the previous set of sanctions.  As if the US can't once and for all, issues a whole set of sanctions.  It has to be done piecemeal to extract the last drop of political benefits in an election year.  Tomorrow, they will issue another order of sanction: this time, they will say: we forgot the cousin of the mother of the Iranian president.