psst: this is supposed to be a Western secret. Repression in the UAE

"The arrest and detention of 54 political and human rights activists in the United Arab Emirates has thrown the spotlight on one of the most autocratic and least institutionalised Persian Gulf monarchies. Championed by their western security partners as an oasis of relative stability in a sea of regional upheaval, Gulf rulers have in reality been profoundly shaken by rising participatory demands and calls for political reform. Initial policy responses focused on intensifying the ‘politics of patronage’ by announcing massive welfare packages worth billions of dollars, and creating tens of thousands of new jobs for under- and unemployed nationals. However, these notably failed to quell dissenting voices or address the underlying socio-economic and political drivers of discontent. In all six Gulf States, rulers have instead turned to repression to compensate for the failure of redistributive measures to preserve their power and privileges." (thanks Junaid)

Arab former leftists

I am sick and tired of this: I am sick and tired of Arab former leftists (especially when they speak to Western audiences) claim--in a way to apologize for their past leftist sins--that they joined this communist group or that nationalist group to "fight for democracy".  That is a blatant lie.  When I was a Marxist-Leninist I wanted the dictatorship of the proletariat and not some form of parliamentary democracy, and Arab communists and progressives despised bourgeois democracy.  If you just want to impress the White Man try another schtick please.   

Do you want to understand Syria?

Read (as I have been reading) about the era after the WWI and the formation of the Faysal government in Damascus.  You will understand a lot about the nature of Western promises and how ruling elites (or opposition) are easily deceived by foreign powers, and read about how promises of "independence" and freedom merely meant replacing one foreign power with another.

`Awwamiyyah in Saudi Arabia

Salutations to all the protesters in `Awwamiyyah in Saudi Arabia, who I addressed via a taped message.

American patriotism and Israel

""Republicans are fond of excoriating President Barack Obama for not being sufficiently pro-America. But where are their cries of outrage at the online video in which Adelson says it was unfortunate that he wore an American and not Israeli uniform during his military service?
"I am not Israeli," Adelson says. "The uniform that I wore in the military, unfortunately, was not an Israeli uniform. It was an American uniform, although my wife was in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and one of my daughters was in the IDF."" (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

Billionaire are allowed to write in the New York Times, even if they are Palestinians

""But peace is not made by ignoring one party while lionizing the other. In Palestine, we stubbornly continue to hope that the occupant of the White House will one day recognize this."  Oh, no.  Palestinian hopes don't hinge on whether this person or that person sits in the Oval Office.  This is irrelevant to Palestinian hopes.  (thanks Nikolai)

Media of Saudi princes

Akram sent me this:  "I tried, in vain, to find something honest in this piece. In brief, even punctuations and prepositions are just mere cheap fabrications".

Here, the New York Times admits that gangs of the FSA sneak into the Yarmuk refugee camp

Wait.  So you casually again and in passing admit that the gangs of the Free Syrian Army are hiding in the Yarmuk refugee camp, thus jeopardizing the safety the Palestinian residents?   "He said many of his fighters had sneaked into Yarmouk."

using civilians as human shields

Here, the New York Times casually refers to the practice by the armed gangs of the Free Syrian Army to hide among civilians:  "hide among the population".  If this was about armed groups resisting Israel, it would have triggered headlines of recriminations and HRW's reports about a war crime by those groups.  But when the gangs of Free Syrian Army do it, it is mentioned casually in a long article.

Look how Western media casually justify the kidnappings by FSA

"a group of Iranians had been kidnapped, apparently by rebel forces angered by Iran’s support for Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad."  Can you imagine the uproar and protests if the New York Times added this phrase to a story about kidnapping of Americans in the Middle East:  "Americans were kidnapped by armed groups angered by US support for Israel".

Turkish Muslim Brotherhood

"“Death to Alawites!” they shouted. “We’re going to burn you all down!”"  Based on that, would you still refer to the Turkish role in Syria as constructive?

Strafford on Syrian armed groups

Comrade Laure sent me this:  

"Notice that the FSA is not mentioned in the article at all.  In this sentence for example, it is not clear which ones are the FSA.  It is clear just how disparate the Syrian opposition has become; it contains a mix of Islamist and Salafist jihadists, radical Muslims, non-religious local and foreign fighters and al Qaeda remnants.   But the article talks of "Syrian rebels" which could imply the FSA and tries to portray Jihadists as elements outside these rebels and that the core of the Syrian opposition is not satisfied with them such as in this sentence:

"The Syrian rebels know that the presence of jihadists on the battlefield may discourage the support of the international community. "

The article really doesn't define who those rebels are though it says fighters started as army defectors and "Syrian citizens" and those Jihadi elements came later. The article does however try to say that there are non-Jihadi rebel groups but do they mean FSA? I really don't know."

Salman Abu Sitta: a great man

"In the midst of this struggle, Abu Sitta has spent most of his life fashioning an arsenal of unconventional weapons to ensure that the land of Palestine and its people are never forgotten.
Over the course of half a century, Abu Sitta has collected historical maps, documents, eyewitness accounts, hard data, and much more in order to categorically disprove much of Israel's claims to Palestine. Tapping into his knowledge of engineering, Abu Sitta has also outlined a plan for the Palestinian population to – legally and physically – return to the homes they were expelled from since 1948."  I met this great man once in my life, and he is great in person.

Questions about the Free Syrian Army

"... we are getting only the vaguest possible references to the description and sources of all that new weaponry, the training of FSA cadres, and how much it is costing to build a new army from scratch.
Since the folks doing it are generally friends, not enemies, and therefore much more accessible, wouldn’t you think that our enterprising media would be coming up with exclusive reports almost every day about how it is being done? Is this simply a tacit agreement to avoid embarrassing allied governments?
It seems to me that a curtain of silence has been drawn over this very important aspect of the Syria story. Am I missing something?" (thanks Sultan)

On Hashish

"God, divert the wheels of the army and police trucks heading for the area!
God, make the green fields invisible to those who would turn them into the color of ash and death!
God, plant the fear of the farmers in the hearts of their persecutors, and free the poor peasants from fear of unjust authority!
God, bring down your wrath on the chastity-preaching harlots of our age... and deprive them of hashish!"

Abbasid chicken

For the chicken to be delicious in the kitchen of Harun Ar-Rashid, they were put on a diet of almonds, walnuts and milk.

Harun Ar-Rashid and the fortune teller

A well-known fortune teller once told Harun Ar-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph, that his life will be cut short.  The caliph was very depressed.  His adviser, Ja`far Al-Barmaki, learned of the matter and summoned the fortune teller to the ruling palace.  He asked him: so you see the life of the caliph to be short?  Yes, said the fortune teller.  What about your life, asked Ja`far.  It will be a long life, said the fortune teller.  Ja`far turned to the caliph and said: kill him at once to prove the falsehood of this prediction.  He was killed at once and the caliph was relieved.

So what is the Free Syrian Army after? Freedom? Civil Society? Or Dignity?

"“We need money from the international community to unite the rebels and stop well-funded Islamists from expanding their influence,” he says."

It is legal in the US

It is now legal in the US to send money to armed Syrian groups who kidnap hostages, slit the throat of prisoners, engage in sectarian killing, and kidnap for ransom.  Yet, if you send a penny to a hospital run by Hamas or Hizbullah you will go to jail for years.

`Abdur-Razzaq `Id

This Syrian opposition figure heads an organization that calls for "revival of civil society".  Here, he calls for murdering children of the other side (does he mean `Alawite children?)   He says that "their mothers" should taste the feeling of slaughter of their children.  (thanks Lama)

Where are the journalistic ethics

When Jon Lee Anderson interviewed the Lebanese hostages held by the Free Syrian Army there was not one voice of protest in the Western press.  If those were hostages held by the Syrian regime, and especially if they were white, there would have been loud protests in the Western media about journalistic ethics and responsibility and about the need for disclaimers when interviewing men in captivity.  But the rules don't apply when covering armed groups that are loyal to the US agenda. 

Iranian pilgrims

Look how Saudi media, like the politically sleazy news station, Al-Arabiyyah (owned by the brother-in-law of King Fahd), justify the kidnapping of the Iranian pilgrims and repeat the unsubstantiated claims by the FSA that they are Revolutionary Guards: they said that they were on a reconnaissance mission.  Just as they did in the case of the Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped before their ages and faces were released to the world.  FSA now claims that some but not all of the pilgrims were Hizbullah fighters.  So according to the lies of the FSA, Hizbullah fighters were taking the same bus with Lebanese pilgrims for reasons that are only known to the fabricators of lies at the FSA.

Free Syrian Army gangs

The leadership of the Free Syrian Army has a typical ploy: it engages in criminal activities and when it gets caught, it blames other groups.  It did that even in the case of the kidnapping of the Lebanese pilgrims but they were too clumsy because the kidnappers announced themselves to the women who were later released as being the Free Syrian Army.

How an Arab can become acceptable to the West

"And though he's a strident critic of Israel, and Israeli treatment of Palestinians, he's thoughtful when speaking about Muslim-Jewish relations, often referring to Jews as “our cousins.” He supported, for example, the translation of his work into Hebrew. His time in New York has allowed him to develop some close friends friendships with Israelis and to pick up some Hebrew."

 

SNC tribute to Saudi King

Here you go.  Leader of the Syrian National Council pays tribute to Saudi King.  That is expected to advance the cause of democracy in Syria, for sure.

Emotion and sentimentalism

I have never seen Western journalists allowing their emotions to show except in their coverage of Israelis, and lately of Syrians.  Of course, I regard their emotions on the Israelis to be sincere and on the Syrians to be insincere.

Hatred

My enemies' hatred for me is my gift to them.

Al-Mayadin: the new AlJazeera

Al-Mayadin TV is emerging as the new TV news station for the Arabs where you will see two points of views.  That is not possible anymore (except on very rare occasions on Aljazeera) in Arab media: you will NEVER EVER hear another point of view on Al-Arabiyyah TV for example.  Al-Mayadin is surprising people, left and right: it reminds me of the old professional and freer Aljazeera.  It really covers two points of views.  We don't get it in the US but you can watch it on-line.  On the day of its launch, I criticized the chief Damascus correspondent because I felt that her report was too close to the regime's version of events.  But she wrote to me and asked me for patience and explained that her report was interrupted due to mishaps on the first day of broadcast.  In later reports, I noticed that she covered both versions of story: from the regime's point of view and from the opposition point of view.  There is a stress on professionalism although some correspondents have been known to be close to the Syrian regime.  But the correspondent in Aleppo seems to cover the regime's version of the story.  But I need to watch more as I have not watched daily or regularly yet.  The news shows are the best in terms of allowing all points of views.  I just watched a show where you had a real representative of the regime facing off against a real representative of the Syrian National Council.  On Aljazeera you don't see that: you see there a spokesperson of the Syrian opposition facing off against somebody who claims that he once shook hand with a supporter of the Syrian regime.  It is rather absurd.

Shells fell on `Abasiyyin quarter in Damascus

From Akram, the Angry Arab correspondent in Syria:

"Today, the Damascene quarter of Al-Abbassyieen escaped a terrible massacre similar to another one that took place, two days ago, in Al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, when, at 7 PM, four mortar shells fell on the irregular part of the neighborhood with one minute interval between each of the shells. The official Syrian TV reported that the members of three families among them one family of seven members were injured and that one of them was killed, attributing the bombing to the "terrorist groups". My 10 years old son who was, then, among tens of other children playing in a park that is no more that 50 meters away the place where the mortars fell, told me, with horror, that he saw many people covered by blood being transported to the nearby Al-Abbassyieen hospital.

This incident came at the end of a long and boisterous day during which the city witnessed a heavy shelling that hit neighborhoods located at the city edge including Al-Abbasyieen itself. The latest round of bombing began today at 5:30 AM when fierce clashes that lasted for two hours between the regime forces and the rebels broke out followed by a bombing campaign involving helicopters, mortars and heavy artillery. This campaign continued until 7 in the evening, the same moment that witnessed the 4 mortars on Al-Abbassyieen.

It's not clear what motivated the shelling of Al-Abbassiyeen, but some of the residents of the quarter claimed that the area targeted by the shelling was hosting armed men though this claim can not be confirmed for the moment.

This latest bombing campaign came against the triumphant declaration of the Syrian regime that it succeeded in regaining control and cleansing the city of the terrorist groups".

hors-d'oeuvre

From Akram:  "A reckless security official couldn't refrain from speaking out of respect of the real inferno that the people of the martyr city of Aleppo live three weeks now (telecommunications almost absent, severe shortage of food and fuel, hundred of thousand of people displaced or threatened to be so, not to mention the horror that the residents live due to the violent clashes and heavy shelling, not to forget and the fear from the unknown), promising them of days they've never seen before saying what they're witnessing is only a humble beginning. And here is his criminal and arrogant statement (French):

The Battle of Aleppo has not started yet and the bombings are only preparations, said, Saturday, a key security official in the region. The battle of Aleppo hasn't started yet and what's happening is only the appetizer, adding that the main course is in the way.

Cheer, O people of Aleppo, the best is to come."

Hashish use

Editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar, Ibrahim Al-Amin, may be the first Arab writer EVER to admit "experimentation" with Hashish.

Americans can now finance a Middle East militia

This could be a first: the US government permits fundraising by Americans to arm and finance Al-Qa`idah and its sister allies in Syria. Congratulations.  "Last month, the Treasury Department granted a waiver to let a new American organization, the Syrian Support Group, raise money for the rebels despite the sanctions that prohibit most financial transactions in Syria."

I told you so: US and Israel don't want the collapse of the Syrian regime

"It is also pressing the opposition in Syria to avoid harsh retaliation against the army, the police and the municipal agencies of Mr. Assad’s government that could cause a security vacuum and a collapse of services."  What do you call an opposition that serves the government that is the main sponsor of the occupying power in the Golan?

For which agenda?

"The Muslim Brotherhood has established its own militia inside Syria as the country's rebels fracture between radical Islamists and their rivals, commanders and gun-runners have told The Daily Telegraph."  This is significant because the Brotherhood has been saying for years that it took an irrevocable decision to stick to peaceful struggle in Syria.

The Guardian on Saudi Arabia

On Syria, the Guardian puts a total number of people killed under the headline: Regime kills so many protesters.  On Saudi Arabia, the Guardian bills the shooting by regime as "clashes" as in:  "Two killed in Saudi Arabia clashes".

BBC NEWS FELL FOR THE BIGGEST HOAX on SYRIA

BBC IS UNAWARE THAT EVEN THE FSA HAD TO DENY HER CLAMS AS FICTITIOUS.
"One FSA fighter, Thoebah Knafane, told BBC News that winning Aleppo would "open the whole northern part of Syria" for the opposition.  Fighters, she said, were being trained in both Syria and Turkey and she personally had been instructed in using an M16 assault rifle and a pistol." (thanks Mohammad)

secular revolt in Syria (according to the Economist at least)

""The British government has started an investigation after the revelation that some British Muslims of Pakistani origin have joined extremist groups in Syria to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al Assad. 

British journalist John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans were captured almost immediately after crossing the Turkish border and held for a week at an extremist training camp in northwestern Syria, revealed British extremists with “Birmingham and South London accents”, who were among a group that shot a British war photographer and his Dutch colleague after taking them hostage in Syria last week.(...)
He added that they spoke of being under the leadership of an unidentified “amir”. Oerlemans told Dutch media, “They were definitely quite extreme in their religious beliefs. All day we were spoken to about the holy Quran and how they would bring sharia law to Syria. I don’t think they were al Qaeda, they seemed too amateurish for that. They said, ‘We’re not al Qaeda, but al-Qaeda is down the road’. They would cock their weapons and say, ‘Prepare for the afterlife’, or, ‘You better repent and accept Islam’. It was pretty terrifying, I can assure you.”" (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

Do you US media notice how absurd they sound?

""China’s bullying behavior, and growing military muscle ..."".  I mean, yeah.  China is engaged in too much bullying behavior while the US sits idly buy.

Israeli infiltration and surveillance

Krim sent me this:  "Check out this Israeli company, from their website:

"NICE solutions capture interactions, transactions and video surveillance from multiple sources, including telephones, CCTV video feed, emergency services radio communications, emails, chat, social media, and more."

Now look at the their list of featured customers by scrolling down:

Air France
Citi
JP Morgan Chase
MasterCard
NYPD
T-Mobile
etc ..."

Free Syrian Army's military plan for Aleppo

"Faced with the Syrian army's superior firepower, Oqaidi said the rebels were counting on mass defections by government soldiers once the offensive started.  "At the moment the soldiers cannot leave their bases and they are too afraid to defect. Once they are inside our city they will take off their uniforms and join us," he said."

For the regime and against it: only the Muslim Brotherhood can manage such duplicity

"In addition to chanting slogans in support of media freedom, demonstrators also shouted a slogan made famous by Arab Spring-inspired protests: "The people want the fall of the regime."

They also shouted in favor of regime and constitutional reform."

Israeli media get married to Saudi media

It is hilarious.  Haaretz has a sensational headline on Syria and you read the story to realize that they got it from Al-Arabiyya, the news channel of King Fahd's brother-in-law.

BBC is now peddling the hoax

So BBC is now peddling the stories of the woman made famous in Canadian press hoax. (thanks Murad)

US pyschological operations

It has to be said: is it me or US psychological operations are getting dumber and dumber.  I maintain that US psychological operations during the Cold War were more intelligent.  Present-day American psychological operations remind me of the dumb propaganda of the Ba`th of of Israel.

Sudan dictator

Notice how nice and friendly US official statements are about Sudan and its dictator.  It is clear that Bashir is rendering secret services for the US government.  There is no doubt about it.