Dirty little secret

"The “dirty little secret,” Obama told Leno on Thursday, is that “most of the stuff that got us into trouble was perfectly legal.” An even dirtier secret is that a prime mover in keeping that stuff legal was Summers, who helped torpedo the regulation of derivatives while in the Clinton administration. His mentor Robert Rubin, no less, wrote in his 2003 memoir that Summers underestimated how the risk of derivatives might multiply “under extraordinary circumstances.”"

Advising Biden on the Middle East

She learned Middle East studies as an assistant to Elliott Abrams. I kid you not.

Made in the USA: TALIBAN!

"The United States is prepared to discuss the establishment of a political party for the Taliban in Afghanistan, a U.S. diplomat says."

Labor Strikes in Egypt

"Going through the post titles in just two Egyptian blogs specialized in covering strikes happening in Egypt -- Egyptian Workers by Kareem El Behery and Tadamon Masr (or Egyptian Solidarity) -- we can outline a chronology of the strikes."

From Prince Nayif with Love

Prince Nayif bin `Abdul-`Aziz would like to thank Robert Worth of the New York Times for this tribute.

The new Dubai

A Western correspondent in the Middle East sent me this about Dubai (he/she doesn't want to be identified): "It's definitely quite a scene here. The UAE government is now saying that the country's economy could contract this year, but since Abu Dhabi is fully expected to still grow by some 4 percent that means Dubai is seriously dragging the place down. Rents are collapsing as we speak. People are holding back on taking out new rent contracts because properties are expected to be say 20,000 dirhams less per year within two months. The roads have noticeably less traffic on them and the shopping malls are less crowded. Most of the insane projects have been frozen, such as the second palm island and the islands in the shape of the world, and the 'Dubailand' project to build hotels as exact replicas of the main Pyramid at Giza and Eiffel Tower. All of this means that the place has actually become liveable. The prices are becoming reasonable and the traffic is bearable. Knocked down a few notches, it's a pleasant place for a while. But it's still full of construction carried out by people whose homes you never see and there are still plenty people coming here. And Sheikh Mo's book of poetry has now hit the shops."

Let me give you this tip

I can tell you this: if you read an article about the Israeli terrorist army and you encounter the word "anguish" you know that the article 1) is a propaganda piece on behalf of the Israeli terrorist army; 2) that the article may contain mild criticisms of the Israeli terrorist army but not for what it does to the Palestinian victims but for what it may do to the security of the usurping entity. As in: "expressing anguish over the growing religious nationalist elements of the military." (thanks Olivia)

Pragmatic fanatacism

"The recently elected Israeli mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, is heading to the US this week on a fund-raising tour that will bring him to New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco and Florida." Ethan Bronner of the New York Times refers to this fanatic right-winger as "pragmatic".

Zionist killing has not stopped

"Palestinian medical sources reported on Sunday morning that two children were killed after unexploded ordnance, dropped by the Israeli army during the Gaza war, exploded near them in Gaza City."

Prince Sultan

Prince Sultan's health continues to improve: funeral arrangements are under way.

Phalanges and Genius

Apparently, the Lebanese genius from yesterday who invented something that "may" cure something is the head of the Phalanges Party in Washington, DC. (thanks Hani)

Raising their voice against the Palestinians

El-Nashra (a website owned and run by the son of May Al-Murr--who was a fascistic, phoenician kook who went to Israel after the Kahan commission report to show solidarity with Ariel Sharon (kid you not)) raises its voice against the Palestinians in Lebanon. Somebody need to tell El-Nashra to stick to their Phoenician ramblings and that between the Palestinians and the Lebanese Army the Palestinians are always...right. (thanks Layal)

Zionism will wither away

"MOST FUNDAMENTALLY, we see a growing assault on both the legitimacy and security of the State of Israel." You bet. And it will only grow.

From the India of Nehru to this

"India next month will launch a new "remote-sensing" satellite built with Israeli "inputs," the Indian Space Research Organization said Saturday."

Drastic change?

"So Algeria is still a long way from true normality. Major-General Muhammad Mediene still runs the security service, as he did in 1990s, when even officials admit that more than 6,500 people were killed after last being seen in the hands of the security forces. Under five more years of Mr Bouteflika, do not expect drastic change."

American innocence abroad

I mean, I can't believe this Chinese provocation. If there is anything that can prove American innocence abroad it is this: "According to the Americans, their unarmed ship Impeccable, under naval supervision but with a civilian crew, was peacefully surveying the ocean floor in international waters about 120km (75 miles) south of China’s Hainan Island (see map). Five Chinese boats—naval and civilian—approached her on March 8th. Chinese sailors reportedly waved Chinese flags and told the Impeccable to leave. The Impeccable turned fire-hoses on one boat to stop her getting too close. Chinese sailors stripped to their underwear as their boat closed in. Two of the Chinese boats forced the Impeccable to do an emergency stop, before she eventually withdrew. The Chinese say the Impeccable was on a spy mission. Detecting submarines is indeed one of her roles, and Hainan is home to Chinese submarine bases. Moreover, says China’s foreign ministry, the vessel was in China’s exclusive economic zone. It accused the Impeccable of violating international and Chinese law. The Americans said it was the Chinese who had broken international law by not respecting the safety of a “lawful” ocean user."

Pure coincidence

"The Israeli government also sent a New Year’s message to the Iranian people on Friday, although administration officials and Israeli officials insisted that the gestures were not part of a coordinated plan. “I know we notified allies about our message last evening,” the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said, but he added that he did not know if Israel had also notified the United States ahead of time. Some experts said the fact that the American message was sent on the same day as Israel’s had the potential to dilute the effect of Mr. Obama’s message, by linking it to Israel, whose government has been much more hostile toward Iran."

Soiled with...Zionism

"In every room of the various departments - literature, film, culture for children and youth books, discs, pamphlets and documents were piled up, soiled with urine and excrement. There are two toilets on every floor, but the soldiers urinated and defecated everywhere else in the building, in several rooms of which they had lived for about a month. They did their business on the floors, in emptied flowerpots, even in drawers they had pulled out of desks. They defecated into plastic bags, and these were scattered in several places. Some of them had burst. Someone even managed to defecate into a photocopier. The soldiers urinated into empty mineral water bottles. These were scattered by the dozen in all the rooms of the building, in cardboard boxes, among the piles of rubbish and rubble, on desks, under desks, next to the furniture the solders had smashed, among the children's books that had been thrown down."" (thanks Electronic Ali)

Land of miracles

A "giant" radish was found in South Lebanon.

Ten years passed

The talented Layal Haddad reflects on her past (thanks As`ad--not me)

Mother's Day

Mother's Day (in the East and West) offers an opportunity for societies to vomit patronizing, condescending, and sexists views of women and their roles.

Livni's Friend and the (alleged) embezzler of Samed

"Ahmed Qurei, the leader of the Fatah faction's delegation to the Cairo inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialog, has demanded the formation of a PA government with a political program carrying a "crystal-clear recognition of Israel", Ziad Al-Nakhala, the deputy secretary general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, revealed."

The joke that is the Lebanese Army with the two planes

"Palestinian factions in Lebanon accused the army on Saturday of contaminating Iranian food aid destined for a refugee camp by using sniffer-dogs to search the shipment. "Camp residents refuse to eat what the police dogs have soiled," several Palestinian factions in northern Lebanon, including the Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said in a statement received by AFP."

Ahmad Chalabi Speaks

Read this account of Ahmad Chalabi. What is interesting is that he is revealing his very close relations with the Iranian regime and its intelligence service as snuck into Iran as the US invaded. With him in those meetings with Iranian military and intelligence officials was none other than the democracy advocate (and poseur par excellence, Kanan Makiya). But what really appalled me is the way this Chalabi guy invoked the name of Hanna Batatu and his great book. Batatu was my teacher and mentor and I know what he would think of the channigians of Chalabi and his cohorts. Also, note the role that King Husayn played in the affairs leading ot the invasion of Iraq. (thanks Dan)

Salim Huss is a decent man but...

"Dr Salim el-Hoss is 80 now but remains a staunch defender of human rights and democracy, an opponent of the death penalty and an outspoken supporter of Palestinians. He finds it difficult to climb the steps to airliners, he confessed to me on our way back from Qatar this week, but reads as voraciously as ever. When I recommended to him a long article on American torture, he read it right through to the end and then put the paper down with a slap on his knee. "Terrible, terrible," he muttered." In 2000, weeks before he resoundingly lost to Rafiq Hariri, I asked him whether he was going to respond to Rafiq Hariri's dirty sectarian campaigning, and he told me: I will not stoop to his level. Salim Huss is a decent man but his weak personality and lack of charisma has been a great gift for his opponents in the Hariri family.

Kershner does her best to malign the Western supporters

"Four villagers have been shot dead here since last summer. The youngest, Ahmed Musa, Mr. Musa’s nephew, was 10." (thanks Olivia)

They are shocked and outraged

"Ten U.S. Muslim organizations threatened this week to cease working with the FBI, citing "McCarthy-era tactics" by the agency, including efforts to covertly infiltrate California mosques." Does that mean that Ibraheem Hooper of CAIR will no more speak to the US media to praise the Bush administration? Because that would be a relief for me. (thanks Sellam)

American propaganda in Arab media

American propaganda is so crude when it permeates Arab media. Like lately, I have noticed that pro-Saudi Arab media have been consistently publishing (on the front page) pictures of US soldiers gently playing with Iraqi children. Look at this picture on the front page of the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman. And by the way, this is the newspaper founded by Saddam's chief propagandist, Sa`d Bazzaz who--along with Kuwait editor, Ahmad Al-Jarallah, were key in building Saddam's personality cult in Arab media in the 1970s and 1980s. (thanks Amer)

Is this American mentality?

"INHOFE: Well, this is a little worse than that, I think, because you’re dealing with the Middle Eastern mentality. And terrorists, you know, they don’t care about dying." (thanks FLC)

My Debate with the Israeli Consul General

Several people have asked me whether I will shake the hands of the Israeli Consul General in the debate at University of San Francisco. Those who know me, know the answer. For those who don't know me: of course NOT.

Another Lebanese genius

"Lebanese Among U.S. Researchers who Found New Drug that May Prevent Brain Damage". But why is that news? A Lebanese "invents" a cure for cancer once a week, according to the same right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Syrain (people), anti-Palesitnian (people) newspaper. (thanks Michel)

Israeli house-cleaning: on the looters

From Jean Said Makdisi’s (1990:190) memoir, Beirut Fragments:

“After the Israelis left [Beirut in 1982], we began to hear of the most extraordinary aspect of the occupation. Arrests, harassments, shootings, even the obligatory looting: These were what everyone expected, and indeed, they had occurred. But the thing that no one expected, and indeed, they had occurred. But the thing that no one expected was what we, on hearing about it for the first time, greeted with hesitant laughs. Gradually, we discovered that what had seemed like a single incident had become, in fact, a trademark and taken on far more serious dimensions.

“The Israeli soldiers, wherever they had been, had defecated in choice places. On books, furniture, clothes, and carpets; on bedroom floors; near toilet seats and in bathtubs; on school desks; and in shop windows, people found the rotting feces. Someone swore she knew of one house near the airport where the distraught housewife had discovered feces in her washing machine and dishwasher. One man, we heard, went to his office and saw on every single desk except his own the offensive, stinking pile. Triumphantly, he sat at his desk and gloated over his unhappy colleagues. Then he opened his drawer, and there, neatly lying among the files, was his bequest from the Israeli army.

“And so, after all the ruin and tragedy, after the destruction and pain, the dead and the dying, the lacerated bodies and blinded eyes, the burned and disfigured faces, the windows and orphans—after all this there was left only a great heap of excrement. The fires had died, snuffed out in a mound of dung. A ghastly joke, symbol of an overriding contempt, a cosmic stink had become the memorial to those months of agony.”" (thanks Robert)

Judith Miller from Beirut

It takes a week to really understand the country, and to explain to Western readers. "Saad Hariri told our group of US journalists and policy analysts invited by a foundation close to March 14th lunch that he was "reassured" by the fact that the American envoys had visited Beirut before and after their talks in Damascus." Of course, self-respecting journalists don't accept paid-for invitations to cover a country. Hell, even the lousy New York Times categorically refuses such offers. Miller adds: "No breasts or even hairdos are on display here. Dreary Iranian-style apartment buildings rise from the bombed-out craters alongside derelict buildings that Israel carpet-bombed into semi-oblivion in 2006." By the way, her description of the southern surburbs have the markings of somebody who did not visit but who "was told" how it was, or how it was supposed to be. In fact, last time I was there, my friend was commenting how Lebanese popular culture is too strong for Hizbullah to try to prevent it in the suburbs. But what I want to know is this: did Miller who single-handedly found Saddam's WMDs found any Lebanese WMDs in Beirut? (thanks Nir)
PS I am told that the best version of pirated DVDs of the show "the L word" can be found in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Angry Arab on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect

Back in 2001, only weeks after Sep. 11, I was invited to appear on the show that Bill Maher hosted on ABC called Politically Incorrect. It was during a time where I felt that views that were critical of the US were being obscured, maligned, marginalized, and disregarded. I of course accepted the inviation. I was speaking in Merced College the night before, and Maher sent me his limo driver to pick me up and drive me down to LA. They taped the show days in advance. I sat in the green room and then we were ready for the show. The show was supposed to deal with several segments dealing with different issues (including abortion and another topic that i don't remember). I did not know any of the other guests but I recognized Jean Sassoon because she wrote trashy books including one that was particularly trashy called Princess (which I am told was serialized in some tabloids). Sasoon approached me to tell me that she likes Arab men because they are "the best lovers" although she added that she did not want her American boyfriend (or husband) to hear her. I was in a very angry mood politically, and if you remember those days after Sep. 11 you would understand. So we started the show: Maher came before the show and briefly introduced himself and we were told that we have three different segments covering three different topics. And when the show started and then you can see the first segment. During the first commercial break, the producer came to whisper to Maher and then came to me and said that they have decided to cancel the other two topics and that I can proceed with my delivery and that it was good for the show, or words for that effect. Of course, talking about the Middle East is what I do, so I relished the opportunity. And then the show went on. During the break, the "comedic" actor to my right, kept asking me why am I in the US, if I was that critical of the US. And I kept telling him: you call yourself a liberal, and you pose that question to me? Would you ask that question if I were of German background? Because while he would say that, he would add that he was a liberal as if that would excuse or justify his bigotry. In the last commercial break, while the actor was asking me again, I finally said: I give up. I shall answer you. I stay in the US becaus of my deep love for Chicken McNuggets. And when the show restarts you hear Maher saying: Chicken McNuggets? So now you know that reference. During one commercial break, Maher said to me: I bet you are one of those who don't like Israel. I said: you bet right, I don't like Israel one bit. When the show ended, Maher approached me and said: look, I know that you don't like me, but I would like to have you on my show again. I said sure. But his show was cancelled shortly after (although he had me on his HBO show twice through satellite). Sassoon approached me after the show (despite our contentious encounter during the program) and asked to have her picture taken with me. I obliged although I squirmed when she put her hand on my shoulder. So if you see a picture of me with Sasoon that is the story. I never usually accept the tape or DVD that media firms give you after a show, but this time I accepted the tape because my students asked me. And then Maria (my 2nd ex-wife) asked for the tape and I thought that she still has it because I could never find it when people would ask me. Tonight, former student Peter, wrote me to and said that I gave him that tape and that he is going to put on Youtube, and he did. So here it is in full:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Their Beloved, the state

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "Their Beloved, the state: The (Guardians of the) Cedar Revolution Renews Itself (Again)."

House cleaning services of the Israeli terrorist army

""Wherever we were we tried to cause minimum damage," said the paratrooper, who also asked to remain nameless. "We left some of the homes cleaner than they were before we occupied them. We even cleaned a refrigerator that really stunk." Look at those occupiers. They clean your own refrigerators, and often they unclog toilets in Gaza. But let me tell you about this Israeli army of thieves, terrorists, and looters. In 1982, when Israeli invaded South Lebanon, I remember that people in the area near Tyre, would always tell others to never leave anything behind in a house when it is being subjected to Israeli searches because Israeli terrorist occupiers were notorious for stealing matches, cigarettes, food, and any item of little value. (thanks Ben)

Canadian standards

"Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made no apologies yesterday for ending the flow of funds to the Canadian Arab Federation, which he says has expressed support for terror groups. CAF president Khaled Mouammar believes Canada should regard Hamas and Hezbollah as "legitimate organizations," Kenney said."" I must say that the Canadian government has really changed in recent years. In the 1990s, I used to fly to Ottowa regularly performing consulting services with the Canadian government on matters relating to the Middle East. Back then, I was stunned with the open-mindedness and progressiveness of officials I dealt with. Things have changed. (thanks Hicham)

Labor Ghettos in Bahrain

"The Bahraini government is being urged to allocate land for the construction of labour cities across the country to provide workers with safe places to live, away from Bahrain’s residential areas."

Flash: Hariri Tribunal

I have not had a chance to update you about the Hariri tribunal. Here it is in summary: blah.

Israeli kidnappings

When Israel kidnaps Palestinians the New York Times refer to that as "arrests." I will now refer to Palestinian kidnappings of Israeli terrorist soldiers as "arrests."

Bronner would justify it because he is not a child

"An Israeli military court Salem sentenced 15-year-old Nidal Tahsin Darwish Al-Faqih to seven years in prison on Thursday. Nidal, from Nablus, was found guilty of being affiliated with Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades."

GCC and their race-based salaries

"British expats working in GCC states earn more than double the salary of their Indian expat peers, according to the results of the Arabian Business Salary Survey 2009." "But it was the Americans who said they earned the most of the expat communities in the region, taking home an average salary of more than $19,000 a month."

Divine tourism

"Travel operators in the Middle East should focus on capturing the potential of the religious tourism sector, which is currently valued at $18bn per year, says Kevin Wright, President of the World Religious Travel Association. Currently, the majority of religious tourism is driven by the Middle East, but more travel alternatives need to be developed to capture the three billion people across the globe that have religious roots in the region." (thanks FT)

Dubai Miracle...Ban

"UAE telecom operator Du has banned access to online photo site Flickr, meaning that the website is no longer accessible anywhere in the UAE following its prior ban by Etisalat." (thanks Tareq)

Keep talking: we are listening and taking notes

"Another soldier, describing how a mother and her children were shot dead by a sniper after they turned the wrong way out of a house, says the "atmosphere" among troops was that the lives of Palestinians were "very, very less important than the lives of our soldiers"."" (thanks Carlos)