Salutations to comrade As`ad--not me

"In response to the announcement, Asad Ghsoub, an activist for the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel in Lebanon, which spearheaded the campaign against Fabian said, “We can’t be but happy because she knows that what she did has consequences… She cannot say ‘I love you Israel’ and expect us to welcome her. She would be out of her mind if she thinks we’re going to welcome her.”"  It is hilarious that NowHariri is mourning yet another victory for the BDS movement in Lebanon.  March on.

Lobbyists for Bahraini repression

"In November the Washington Times posted an article favorable to the Bahraini regime. The article was written by a former U.S. 5th fleet commander who later became a Lockheed Martin executive.
It turns out that the article was placed in the Times at the request of the Sanitas lobbying firm which works on behalf of the Bahrain government. The article urged the U.S. government to support the Bahraini government in cracking down on pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain. While deploring the violence the U.S. in effect did support the crackdown and said nothing against the sending of GCC troops into Bahrain to help quash the protests." (thanks Saeed)

The Arab Civil War

Comrade Amer writes about the Arab civil war.

Saudi-Israeli alliance

"Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF) Director General Yair Hirschfeld briefed A/DCM and EconCouns January 14 on the latest session of a track-two working group on Middle East peace that includes participants from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Authority, as well as Hirschfeld and at least one other non-official Israeli." (thanks Farah)

In Egypt: the revolution has not even started

"Egypt's military rulers told human rights advocates Monday that at least 7,000 civilians have been sentenced to prison terms by military courts since Hosni Mubarak was ousted — an astoundingly high number likely to fuel debate over how much the revolution has changed the country."