Brought to you by the press offices of Hariri and their allies among the pro-Saudi and pro-Qatari gangs in Syria

Should not this propaganda piece by Anne Barnard carry the official stamp of approval from the Free Syrian Army?  What is the gist? And what is the secret of the new savvy tactics?  It is called "tactical withdrawal" which has been the signature line of the FSA.

A call for self-government in Syria

"For the first time ever Kassioun, the mouthpiece of the popular will party (Qadri Jamil, the Syrian PM deputy), calls on the Syrian people to form local committees of self-governance, "after the state apparatus became incapable of securing their most basic needs.
Is it Qadri Jamil himself the "political editor" who wrote this?"

Saudi King is dead. Saudi King is dead. The word is out. When the Crown Prince assures us that the King is in "good health" it can only mean that he is dead

From an alert reader:  "Saudi crown prince says King Abdullah "in good health"//

They said the same a week before Nayef died

Thomas Jefferson is looking for his slave

For Gaza

"Thousands of Afghan students protest against Israel over recent Gaza offensive"

friends of Feltman

"« La rumeur annonce son retour à Washington », affirme un diplomate français à Paris. Après avoir été Secrétaire d’État adjoint aux affaires du Moyen-Orient, Jeffrey Feltman a été nommé cet été au poste stratégique de responsable des Affaires politiques auprès du secrétaite-général de l’ONU, Ban Ki-moon. Depuis, M. Feltman est le bras armé du Département d’Etat à l’ONU. Il a notamment insisté pour nommer son ami Tarek Mitri au poste de représentant des Nations unies en Libye. Jeffrey Feltman avait connu M. Mitri lorsqu’il était ambassadeur au Liban entre 2004 et 2008. Il y avait alors tissé des liens étroits avec le camp sunnite proche des Hariri. C’est lui qui avait largement rédigé avec l’ambassadeur de France, Bernard Emié, la résolution 1559 de l'ONU, qui demandait en septembre 2004 aux troupes syriennes de quitter le Liban." (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

achievements of the Israeli terrorist army

"Testimony: Iyad Abu Khusah, a year-and-a-half-year old toddler, killed in bombing while playing in yard of his al-Bureij home with two 4-year-old cousins, both injured".

the new NATO Libya

"An extremist militia in Libya has captured twelve men and promised to mutilate and execute them for being gay. The group posted pictures of them on Facebook, describing them as the “third sex,” a regional derogatory term comparable to “queers.” Human Rights Watch Libya identified the group as Al-Nawasi militia, know for championing Salafist jihad. Al-Nawasi has claimed to have become a legal part of the Libyan Ministry of Interior, pledging to remove “corruption” and “vice,” such as alcohol and homosexuality:" (thanks Khelil)

Ahmad Mu`adh Al-Khatib: now the Zionists are not so sure anymore

I don't care about credit but can people just give credit to Angry Arab who stayed up all night unearthing writings by Mr. Ahmad Mu`adh Al-Khatib, the new hope of the Syrian exile opposition?

nuking the moon

""Additionally, NASA didn't want to jeopardize any future non-nuclear-explodey missions to the moon with leftover fallout. One of the scientists on the project was a very young Carl Sagan. After the project Sagan went on to host the Emmy-winning 13-episode PBS show Cosmos, where his distinctive voice ushered a generation of young inquisitive minds through outer space.""

back in business

""Palestinians wielded shovels and planks Monday to reopen tunnels used to smuggle in goods from Egypt to the Gaza Strip after Israel's eight-day offensive against Hamas."" (thanks Michele)

A coup to pre-empt a coup

Fahmi Huwaydi (probably the most widely read Arab columnist--he is a "moderate Islamist"), writes that Mursi's decree was a preemption of a legal coup being prepared against his rule.

From paper to digital

Yesterday, was an important and significant day for me.  I have been holding a hard copy of a newspaper ever since I was a teenager when we received tons of daily Arabic newspapers at home (in Beirut and in the mountains, in Sawfar).  But yesterday, I decided to switch my subscription of the Times and Economist to digital only:it is good for the environment and is less messy as I leave sections of the New York Times lying around for days.  I now will read them on tablet and phone. 

Zionism is always racism

"The young Israeli officer who leads the campaign to cast his nation’s military in a positive light on social networks restricted access to his own Facebook account on Sunday, after a Lebanese blogger discovered that the soldier had uploaded an image of himself with mud or dark paint on his face captioned, “Obama style.”" (thanks David)

Yusuf Qaradawi: chief of Islamist clerical kooks

"There were a number of noteworthy points in the November 25 episode of Sharia and Life. Certainly one of the most striking, though, was Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi’s characterization of recent protests against President Muhammad Morsi’s constitutional declaration as khurouj ’ala wali al-amr and fitna. These (related) charges are grave. I’ve left these terms untranslated below, as they have no immediate English parallel, but they basically amount to “rebellion against the legitimate ruler” and “chaos and discord,” respectively. These ideas were among those deployed by authority-friendly clerics (Egyptian and otherwise) during Egypt’s January 25 Revolution to discourage protesters and discredit their actions as un-Islamic. Qaradawi has now turned them on those organizing and participating in Tuesday’s planned mass protests." (thanks Sam)

Prince Hamzah of Jordan

I commented on the long story in the New York Times about Prince Hamzah and smelled a US effort to promote him.  This interesting article raises questions about the article as well.  And the author says in bewilderment that while the article talks about people championing Hamzah, he never ever seen anyone or group or party or current championing Hamzah in Jordan.  So there was a PR deceptive promotion for him in the long article in a newspaper that rarely bothers with long article about the country at peace with Israel--before it was even created.  He also talks about the mysterious tweet sent by Hamzah in October which was interpreted as a swipe against his brother, and in classical Arabic poetry--so the insult is double. (thanks Yusuf)

Map of control between Syrian regime and armed groups in Damascus

I sent the map that is being circulated about areas of influence in Damascus to Akram in Syria to ask for his opinion. He wrote:

"It’s true to a large extent but the map should be read with cautious and in the light of the following remarks:

• I can’t explain the difference between the light and the dark degrees of the same color. Dos the darker color mean tougher control? I can’t tell.
• Important part of the countryside of Damascus is absent from the map: al-Kalamoun Plateau located to the north of Damascus (on the map to the above al-Tall). This plateau contains many major towns:

• Seidnaya, Ma’aloula: Christian majority, label is green though the roads to these towns are dangerous.
• Yabroud, Qara: Christian-Muslim, dominated by local militias with some unwritten understanding with the military. In Yabroud for example, as I’ve been told, the gunmen organize the traffic within the town!!!
• Nabeq, Deir ‘Attyia: Christian-Muslim, label is green

• The term “controlled” should be taken in its relative meaning which varies with each case:

• In areas colored with red the presence of the government is reduced to the “long arm” of the air force and the artillery and to the basic services that can be described as remote (drinking water and sewerage, electricity and telecom) when they are available. I also can tell that the government is still supplying flour to the bakeries and the government employees are still receiving their salaries even in cases where they can’t reach their workplaces (schools, municipalities, police stations,…). While the armed groups are deployed extensively in these areas, they can’t (and possibly they don't care to) impose a government-like authority, even if they claim the contrary, though they roam these towns and between them with their 4x4 vehicles or set up roadblocks and checkpoints and inspect the passing cars.
• The case of Jobar: Jobar, located in the eastern part of Damascus, is, administratively, one of the Syrian capital’ neighborhoods, but from both demographic and urban-texture points of view, it can be considered a separated town that belongs to the countryside more than to the city itself (if you look at Google Maps you can see that it’s connected to the neighboring town of Zamalka (which, in turn, is connected to Irbeen and so on, while it’s separated from Damascus by a tiny open terrain). Until three or four months ago, Jobar was under the full control of the regime, but since then, it started to be infiltrated by the armed groups, with few gunmen in the first days, then with tens and then with hundreds or perhaps thousands (I can’t tell) under the nose of the lcorrupt security forces and with collaboration of sympathized residents. However, it’s hard to say that Jobar is a red area. Labeling it with blue would be more accurate (at least for the time being).
• The case of Jaramana: Jaramana is a town located to the east of Damascus and is mainly resided by Christians and Druze (the readers can refer to some of my previous post about this town). The green in the case of Jaramana means that the town is under the control of the Popular Committees (local armed groups who bear the responsibility of protecting their own town with very loose coordination with the security forces). The municipality and the other public services are fully operable.
• The case of Zabadani: this town is located to the north east of Damascus bordering Lebanon (the upper-left corner of the map) in the heart of an area known for its touristic advantages (Bloudan, Boukein, …). As far as I know, the town is controlled partially by local militias and it’s better to be labeled with blue.
• Some places labeled with blue can’t be considered “under mixed control”, but rather under no control. They resemble the Wild West of the 19^th century more than anything else where law is enforced selectively and with a discretionary manner by local armed groups of both sides and random killing, looting and mutual kidnapping (for ransom or for hostage exchange) are very common practices committed by all parties and by security personnel working on their own. This case applied particularly on Qadam, Haoush Blass, Sbeineh (located in the map center).

• I can’t describe myself as a military expert nor do I pretend that I know every in the battleground, but he are some remarks that must be taken with great cautious:

• The human losses of both sides (and among the civilians of course) are much, much, much bigger than it is announced. Each side knows very good its own losses and the losses of the other side but they are accomplice to hide the exact numbers. It’s also amazing to notice that the number 30-39 thousands dead, , circulated in the international media, is still steadfast for several months without being challenged by any of the regime’s backers or enemies. Is this the limit that the great forces (US, Russia) can bear before they feel the need to intervene to stop the this senseless massacre in Syria.
• Large part of Damascus countryside is under the rebels de facto control. For the Syrian regime, the first concern for the moment is to keep “the core” Damascus (excluding Jobar which is officially part of the “city”) under its firm control, while the outskirts (except Jaramana) remain a battleground of an endless number of attacks and counter-attacks that continue until the regime falls or an international solution matures."

Cover of Ka`bah

When Ibn Jubayr visited Mecca during the reign of Salah Ad-Din, the Kiswah (cover) of Ka`bah was green.  There is a dispute among historians as to when the cover turned black.  It is often claimed that this happened during the Abbasid reign. 

Chants from Cairo

From a reader who wishes to remain anonymous:

"On the occasion of revolutionary crowds back in public squares in Egypt, I thought you would enjoy some quality chants. A couple are great and a few are severely lame:

• احلق دقنك، بيّن عارك، تلقى وجهك وجه مبارك(shave your beard, show your shame. Find your face like that of Mubarak)
• علي وعلي وعلي الصوت، دول عايزين الثورة تموت(Raise, raise raise your voice.  They want the revolution to die)
• قالوا حرية وقالوا دستور جابوا مرسى الديكتاتور(They said freedom and said constitution but brought Mursi the dictator).
• أول قراراته الثورية شال السلطة القضائية (His first revolutionary decision is to remove the judicial authority).
• الإخوان المسلمين باعوا الثورة وباعوا الدين (The Muslim Brothers sold the revolution and sold the religion).

cyber learning

""Students learn not only how to rifle through trash, sneak a tracking device on cars and plant false information on Facebook. They also are taught to write computer viruses, hack digital networks, crack passwords, plant listening devices and mine data from broken cellphones and flash drives." (thanks Amir)

Muslim Brotherhood of Jordan: savior of the monarchy

From Ahmet of Tunisia: "Asad, A study in political cowardice. Those folks are literally begging a tottering potentate for a crumb that even the US is thinking two steps ahead. From the same guy who coined the term "clean repression" of the King, the number two of Brotherhood, Zaki Rashid. A translation from Alquds Arabi dispatch: " Rashid said the Muslim Brothers movement is institutional, and is not subject to the emotions of the street. For that, the Shuraa Council of the Islamic Action Front [political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan] hurried to meet two days ago in order to renew their commitment to the slogan of " regime reform" and to disown the slogan of "the downfall of the regime" in parallel with a rising trend emanating from the circles of power which continues to mislead, strike the national unity chord by producing connotations which aims at provoking the Jordanian tribal and social bases, mobilizing the street through the spread of rumors that the the Muslim Brothers are behind the the "downfall of the regime" slogan.

"رشيد اعلن بأن حركة الأخوان المسلمين مؤسسية ولا تخضع لإنفعالات الشارع.. لذلك سارع مجلس شورى جبهة العمل الإسلامي قبل يومن لتجديد ثقته بهتاف وشعار 'إصلاح النظام' وبراءته من شعار إسقاط النظام بالتوازي مع بروز نغمة في مؤسسة القرار تحاول الإستمرار في التضليل واللعب على وتر الوحدة الوطنية عبر إعادة إنتاج الدلالات التي تستفز العشائر والقواعد الإجتماعية الأردنية عندما يتم تعبئة الشارع بإشاعات مسؤولية الأخوان المسلمين عن هتاف إسقاط النظام.""

Extremism and reform in Jordan

"partly due to a backlash against these more extreme slogans among a generally reformist opposition".  So reformism is avoiding criticizing the monarchy, and extremism is the call for overthrow of the Kingdom. 

War of Gaza in numbers: from the Economist

Why don't they just retire? Why don't Saudi prince stay in the job no matter what?

A Saudi reader sent me this recent video of Prince Saud Al-Faysal with the comment:  "retirement is eliminated in their dictionary.  Amazing."

How Bashshar Al-Asad spends his day

This vulgar pro-Syrian regime propagandist in Lebanon, Charles Ayyub, details the daily activities of the Syrian tyrant.  He tells you that he works out every morning and that he has maintained his weight for 12 years and that he orders every bombardment from the air.  So admitting responsibility for atrocities?

The Intellect of Prince Salman

Prince Salman calls for writing the history of Saudi Arabia through the telephone. 

Neil MacFarquhar and Arabic

Readers on Twitter initiated an exchange between Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times and me on Twitter regarding post about Arabic, when he noted that Samar Yazbak spoke to him in Arabic.  I noted that I heard that he conducted interviews through an interpreter.  He wrote:  " 1. Since u asked, studied Arabic @ Esso Elementary, Berkeley, Stanford, Cairo & Middlebury. It is..2 Since you asked My Arabic unkempt but works well. Dialect, subject, circumstance decide translator... 3 Recent solo Arabic interviews: Prof. Talal Atrissi, minister Ali Qanso, Syria actv Roshak Ahma."  I then noted that Yazbak's name was not mentioned in the list of people in "solo Arabic interviews".  He wrote:  "Arabic 90 min. Her translator inserted Eng book titles & plots, odd word, long end riff on democracy."  I stand corrected, I guess.  

uncovered news

 

I am sure that you did not know that a march of tens of thousands of people took place in Morocco in solidarity with the Palestinian people. 

This is a big headline in Al-Quds Al-Arabi

The Qatari daily, Al-Quds Al-`Arabi, has a big headline today about "five young men" defecting from the Syrian regime army.  I kid you not. 

Sunni-Shi`ite conflict in Kabul

Regarding the on-going Sunni-Shi`ite conflict in Kabul.  I mean, is it a coincidence that this conflict all across the Muslim world erupted after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003? Of course, it is not a coincidence and it was a deliberate policy pursued with the full participation of House of Saud. 

sterilizing the people of Gaza

Hussein sent me this:  "Can you imagine the uproar if the comment was made about Jews or African Americans?

"De Winter responded in his speech to the accusations of genocide leveled against Israel, saying that the population of Gaza had only increased over the last few years. “Maybe we should secretly add some means of birth control to Gaza’s drinking water,” De Winter proceeded to propose."

Traitors and collaborators are the only Palestinians liked by the West

Francis from Birmingham sent me this: "I thought you might appreciate this shocking example of media bias in the UK's Daily Mail (see below). It is about the family of the man killed recently in Gaza for supposedly being a traitor and providing information to the IDF. Look how the article treats the man and his family as human beings; shows the families suffering; shows the picture of the poor little girl with her father's photo. When have the deaths of any of the Palestinians killed by the IDF ever been covered in this way? When it is the IDF that is responsible, they are just numbers. They don't have faces, they don't have families. The only death that they covered like this, is the guy who was killed by Palestinians! So only when we can use the story as a stick to beat the Palestinains, only then can we show something of the reality of the suffering in Gaza."

Jim Muir of the BBC

I had a dream that I had a heated argument with Jim Muir of the BBC.  I am not thrilled with this coverage of Syria (from Lebanon) although I really liked his coverage of Lebanon when he wrote for Middle East International years ago.

BBC and the Palestinians

"This is notably true in the Middle East, where the Israeli state has successfully intimidated the BBC into presenting the theft of Palestinian land and the caging, torturing and killing of its people as an intractable "conflict" between equals. Standing in the rubble from an Israeli attack, one BBC journalist went further and referred to "Gaza's strong culture of martyrdom". So great is the distortion that young viewers of BBC news have told Glasgow University researchers they are left with the impression that Palestinians are the illegal colonisers of their own country. The current BBC "coverage" of Gaza's genocidal misery reinforces this."

rulebook

"""To say they are rewriting the rulebook implies that there isn't already a rulebook" said Jameel Jaffer, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Center for Democracy. "But what they are already doing is rejecting a rulebook – of international law – that has been in place since [the second world war]."""

quiet: notice that he only says that after Hamas began to accept the two-state non-solution

""The United Nations envoy to the Middle East acknowledged in an interview with McClatchy Sunday that he has maintained quiet contacts with the Islamist group Hamas for "years," despite the international community's official policy to isolate the group.""

Hamas and Iran

Western media, or experts cited in Western media, are often so ignorant of the realities in the Middle East.  They have been railing about Iranian role in the war on Gaza in the last few weeks.  Most analysts cited did not even know that there has been conflict between Iran and Hamas over the last several months.  Khaild Mish`al relations with Iran has deteriorated as he has been receiving more cash support from GCC countries--not only Qatar. 

split in Hamas

""But the leaders of Hamas's military wing, which is largely based in the Gaza Strip, have taken a different stance, analysts say. In recent years they have received financial and military assistance as well as training from Iran, one of President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, and have remained supportive of the Syrian government.""

full withdrawal from Afghanistan

""President Barack Obama's administration has planned to keep around 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan after formal combat operations in that country end in 2014.""

Lousy Syrian regime repression

The lousy Syrian regime gave assurances to a group of Syrian dissidents that they would be safe if they were to return to Syria for a conference guaranteed by the Russian government.  Well, they returned but one of them, `Abdul-`Aziz Al-Khayyir (a leftist from the Communist Action Party) was kidnapped by the Syrian regime upon his arrival.  He is now languishing in jail and there is news that his health has deteriorated. 

Free Syrian Army blocks up a mosque

"Leaked,,,Video showing free syrian army blowing a mosque to accuse the syrian army of doing it".   or this
(thanks Amir)

Mursi and his clan

Hamdi Qandil writes about Mursi and his clan.  (thanks Joseph)

He is not a racist, just a candid Zionist

"In an ”official comment” published on Facebook yesterday, the Israeli army’s social media guru, Sacha Dratwa, bemoaned the “cynical use” of his “private pictures” (which are actually public, as he himself goes onto say in a muddled statement.)
Boxes & Briefs reported Friday about a photo posted by Dratwa on his Facebook profile, which depicted him posing with brown mud on his face under the caption “Obama Style.”
Dratwa appears to have since removed the photo, but maintains that he has always been “completely candid about [his] beliefs and ha[s] nothing to hide.”" (thanks Emily)

Re: Neil MacFarquhar inaccuracy re Syria

Alan sent me this: 

"Neil MacFarquhar inaccuracy re Syria
Contrast and compare
Neil says: “only eight foreign aid organizations to operate”
European Union say: “granted formal approval to 8 additional International Non-Governmental Organisations”
Neil MacFarquhar in the NYT “Cold Ravages Syria Refugees as Aid Falters” November 24, 2012
Says;
“The Syrian government has allowed only eight foreign aid organizations to operate; all were already working in Syria before the uprising started in March 2011, helping Iraqi refugees.”
European Union HIP (Humanitarian Implementation Plan Syria Crises) Version 2 update 20/07/12 ECHO/SYR/BUD/2012/91000
Says;
“Despite the escalation of fighting and access concerns, humanitarian assistance is steadily scaling up and is now being mobilised and implemented. The Government of Syria (GoS) has by and large delivered on its commitment to facilitate humanitarian aid (made in June at the 3rd Syria Humanitarian Forum) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) has granted formal approval to 8 additional International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) to work in Syria, expanding the number of possible implementing partners in the country (namely Action Contre La Faim, Première Urgence, Danish Refugee Council, International Medical Corps, Help, Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement, Secours Islamique France, Terres des Hommes-Italy).”

Note to As’ad: I attach a copy of the European Union’s Humanitarian Implementation Plan - Syria Crises document as the updated revised edition has removed this reference, perhaps it is seen as to favourable toward the Syrian government / regime."

These are the examples of Saudi "liberals" who serve as propagandists for Saudi princes: the case of Tariq Humayyid

Tariq Humayyid is a long-time propaganda servant for the sons of Prince Salman.  His services got him the position of editor-in-chief of the vulgar and sensational Saudi daily, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat.  In his latest column, he calls on the Saudi government to engage of cleansing (or cleaning) of Saudi universities to expel professors whose views he found to be problematic.  He focuses on one professor of communications in Saudi Arabia.  The reason for his anger is that the professor in question deconstructs on Twitter the articles of Mr. Humayyid and takes it upon himself to deconstruct Zionist discourse in Arab media.