Hillary admires Henry Kissinger and Bernie admires Winston Churchill.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Can someone explain this anomaly to me regarding US propaganda?
US government and media propaganda say (rightly, I am sure) that ISIS terrorists hides among civilians. Yet, whenever US (but not Russia) bombs ISIS positions, only terrorists are killed and never women and children. What gives?
Richard Engel of NBC News predicts the Middle East: highly qualified for the task
This newest prediction: ""Out of this chaos, strongmen will emerge": Richard Engel sees an authoritarian future in the Middle East".
An older prediction in 2012 from the batch of Hillary's emails: ""Per Engel, morale very high among FSA — they sense they are winning".
Mr. Engel: will it rain tomorrow in Modesto, California?
PS He is the same guy who had praised his captors in Syria for being moderate rebels.
An older prediction in 2012 from the batch of Hillary's emails: ""Per Engel, morale very high among FSA — they sense they are winning".
Mr. Engel: will it rain tomorrow in Modesto, California?
PS He is the same guy who had praised his captors in Syria for being moderate rebels.
the land of the French Revolution: the plight of Muslims in France--under a socialist government, mind you
"He is now one of hundreds of French Muslims who have been placed under house arrest under the state of emergency declared by President François Hollande after the Paris attacks by the Islamic State. He must tap his way to a police station three times a day to check in with the authorities....Critics of the new emergency security powers say the human cost of such warrantless searches, about 3,300 of which have been conducted since the Paris attacks, has been disproportionate to their efficacy. Less than 1 percent of raids have resulted in new terrorism investigations, the Interior Ministry acknowledges. Many people whose homes have been searched, like Mr. Muradyan, complain that their privacy was invaded, their families frightened and their property damaged."
liberalism and Palestine
"As always, there is not a word about the oppression and brutality imposed on Palestinians as part of Israel’s decadeslong occupation. She does not even acknowledge, let alone express opposition to, Israel’s repeated, civilian-slaughtering bombing of the open-air prison in Gaza. That’s because for Clinton — like the progressive establishment that supports her — the suffering and violence imposed on Palestinians literally do not exist. None of this is mentioned, even in passing, in the endless parade of pro-Clinton articles pouring forth from progressive media outlets."
British profit from bombing civilians in Yemen
"The Saudi-led coalition of nine Sunni states began its attacks on Houthi-controlled areas of neighbouring Yemen in March last year. The airstrike campaign and naval blockade has so far claimed the lives of over 6,000 civilians. Bombing raids on schools, medical facilities, mosques and markets, according to the UN, have violated international humanitarian laws, with regions of Yemen facing acute levels of famine." "The Saudi-led operation claims to have targeted only Houthi military targets. However the UN report documents multiple attacks on civilian populations."
Kerry asks Hollywood to spread even more propaganda
"The meeting -- which included executives from NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Walt Disney Co. -- was organized by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Jeff Shell. Shell is chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, of which Kerry also is a board member. The independent federal agency oversees all U.S. civilian international media. Its worldwide networks include Voice of America, which could play a role in countering propaganda from Islamic State, said one person familiar with the meeting. The attendees discussed a variety of issues, including perceptions of America's image around the world," (thanks Amir)
War crimes are publicly and matter-of-factly discussed in Israeli media
"Should Israel Flatten Beirut to Destroy Hezbollah's Missiles?
Most of Hezbollah's 100,000 missile arsenal are hidden in civilian areas. Israel should examine now the ethical and logistical consequences of its first use of extreme conventional weapons against them."
So what happened when the Algerian football team faced the Palestine team?
Something odd happened in this game: the Algerian crowd forgot about his national team and cheered for the Palestine team and even chanted for the liberation of Palestine. Algerians tell me that Hawari Boumedyan has to be credited for inculcating the Algerian people with the love of Palestine.
Saudi regime goes to war against ISIS? Where and When?
"They (the Saudis) did participate in strikes over the weekend," said Peter Cook, a Pentagon spokesman, in a Tuesday news briefing. He did not say specifically what the Saudi actions were, or where." (thanks Basim)
Finally, a courageous American journalist blasts the US media coverage of Syria
"COVERAGE OF the Syrian war will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the American press. Reporting about carnage in the ancient city of Aleppo is the latest reason why."
Thursday, February 18, 2016
A motion by conservatives in the Canadian parliament names me in a passage about hate and anti-Semitism
PS Can I see the Conservatives in Canada for such a libelous comment? My dealings with US legal system has not been encouraging as I am considered according to lawyers I spoke to "a public figure" and thus deserving of defamation.
Why those playing cards were confiscated in Saudi Arabia
A citizen reported seeing playing cards with "Angel" name on them. He assumed that Angel is the Arabic for Injil (Bible) and he reported it to the authorities, and the government swiftly confiscated the offending cards. True story from the Kingdom of Horrors.
Boycott ban in UK?
So it is possible that bodies and universities can still adhere to boycotts provided they say that they are not in any way violating WTO.
Neutrality
Neutrality is considered controversial in US policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict. When Nixon ran he called for "even-handedness" in US policy toward the region, and the phrase was an official stance of the Republican Party at the time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
There are NGOs, and then there are "prominent" NGOs
Today, I Iearned from Western media that there are NGOs and then there are "prominent" NGOs.
Greatest threat to free speech: criminalizing BDS
"There is a very coordinated and well-financed campaign led by Israel and its supporters literally to criminalize political activism against Israeli occupation, based on the particular fear that the worldwide campaign of Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment, or BDS — modeled after the 1980s campaign that brought down the Israel-allied apartheid regime in South Africa — is succeeding." "But only advocates of tyranny could support the literal outlawing of the same type of activism that ended apartheid in South Africa merely on the grounds that this time it is aimed at Israeli occupation (some of Israel’s own leaders have compared its occupation to apartheid)."
US lectures and hectors Russia about the care for Syrian civilians: U.S. bombs civilians lining up to buy bread
"U.S.-led air strikes killed at least 15 people on Tuesday when they hit a bakery in the city of Shadadi in northeastern Syria near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said." (thanks Amir)
Latest from March 14 media in Lebanon: Nasrallah treated by Soviet and East German doctors
From YaHariri website: "Rumors have circulated in Lebanon that Nasrallah is in Tehran to undergo treatment for cancer and is being treated by Russian and North Korean doctors at a Tehran hospital." (thanks Basim)
colonialism and Western human rights organizations
If French and British colonialism had known, they would have created Western human rights organizations back in the 19th century. Western human rights organizations, would have ruled that the Algerian people have violated human rights in their rebellion against the French colonial powers, or that slaves have violated the human rights of their masters in their revolts. Such is the role of Western human rights organizations.
Muhammad Hasanayn Haykal, dead
He was by far the most influential and most read Arab journalist in the last century and this one. No one comes close. The last people who are in a position to assess him are those who wrote for oil and gas media. I had written about him before: he made some major mistakes in his political career: supporting Sadat against his enemies in 1971, not breaking with Sadat until Sadat broke with him. Supporting Mubarak at some point, and then supporting Sisi as of late. He gave his talents to the Nasser regime but he also received unprecedented access from Nasser. He was the product of the Nasser regime but his career extended beyond the Nasserist era. He is a great story teller but he embellished a lot, and had a weakness for elite settings and connections. He was consistent politically but only privately.
Notice: when US bombing kills civilians in Syria, it is not a story: there are no international condemnations
The hypocritical US government just yesterday condemned Russian strike that killed civilians but it won't condemn its own strikes that kill civilians: "U.S.-led air strikes killed at least 15 people on Tuesday when they hit a bakery in the city of Shadadi in northeastern Syria near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the British-based monitoring group, said all of those killed were civilians who gathered outside the bakery at dawn to buy bread."
Western human rights organizations
I wrote this in Arabic on social media but here it is: overall, the impact of Western human rights organizations on the status of human rights in the Middle East have been rather negative and destructive.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Take wisdom from the mouths of fools
There is an Arabic proverb: take wisdom from the mouths of fools. Applied to US and Western politicians, it reads: take wisdom from the mouth of the King of Jordan.
A special place in "hell"
There is a special place reserved in "hell" (if it exists, that is) for those who frolic with despots.
#Madeleine Albright
Behind closed doors: mobilising Lebanon's migrant maids
"Gemma Justo, general secretary of Lebanon’s first domestic workers union, has a big problem. How can she start mobilising and organising the country’s 250,000 migrant domestic workers when so few are able to leave their employers’ homes and show up for a meeting?
In front of her sit a small group of Ethiopian women, speaking among themselves. Another problem: Justo, a Filipina, speaks English, the other women Amharic. There is a flurry of activity as someone tries and fails to find a translator so that the women can discuss an upcoming protest march.
“Tea, Nescafé?” Justo asks, trying to get the meeting started. “Whiskey?” she finally says as the women laugh. The meeting finishes early and the women hurry back to their domestic duties, promising to return to try again.
Justo is undaunted. She knows this is going to be an uphill struggle. The fledgling union is yet to be recognised by the government and is operating in a difficult and hostile environment. Lebanon is a dangerous place to be a domestic worker. Human rights groups have documented the widespread abuse of domestic workers. This makes Justo determined to succeed." (thanks Fred)
By the spring of 2011, the CIA and the US allies were organizing an armed insurrection in Syria
"In early 2011, Turkey and Saudi Arabia leveraged local protests against Assad to try to foment conditions for his ouster. By the spring of 2011, the CIA and the US allies were organizing an armed insurrection against the regime." "The hubris of the United States in this approach seems to know no bounds. The tactic of CIA-led regime change is so deeply enmeshed as a "normal" instrument of U.S. foreign policy that it is hardly noticed by the U.S. public or media. Overthrowing another government is against the U.N. charter and international law."
US-supplied cluster bombing of Yemen
"Saudi Arabia’s offer to send ground troops into Syria comes as the U.S. ally faces closer scrutiny over its bombing campaign in Yemen." "Human Rights Watch has released new evidence the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition is using internationally banned cluster munitions supplied by the United States."
Israeli child killers
"Israeli forces shot and killed six Palestinians over the weekend, including three children and a woman, and critically injured a 14-year-old girl."
Time for tyrants to publicize their Israel ties, Netanyahu says
"Netanyahu’s remarks came the same day as Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said there were open channels between Israel and other Arab states, but the “sensitive” situation prevents him from shaking hands with Arab officials in public. He later publicly shook the hand of Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud. Turki is the rare Saudi official who has met openly with a number of Israeli officials in the past. Israel’s covert ties with Sunni Arab states are such that while they cannot display signs of cordiality in public, “we can meet in closed rooms,” said Ya’alon at the Munich Security Conference."
Israeli officer caught on video pushing disabled Palestinian out of wheelchair
"Two horrendous videos emerged from Hebron over this past deadly weekend. In one, after a 14-year-old girl was gunned down in the street, an ambulance waits right next to her as she bleeds and writhe on the ground, but soldiers prevent her from being moved. In the other video, a soldier is recorded callously pushing over a disabled Palestinian man in a wheelchair." (thanks Amir)
If Mr. Regeni had been an Egyptian
"If Mr. Regeni had been an Egyptian, his case might now be all but forgotten. "
the New York Times formula for reporting casualties in the Arab-Israeli conflict
1) You report the Israeli casualties first, without reporting on the circumstances of their death.
2) You report Palestinian deaths second and make sure that you describe the circumstances of their death in a manner to make every one of them guilty:
"Palestinians using knives, guns and vehicles as weapons have killed at least 27 Israelis, an American student and a Palestinian since Oct. 1. About 160 Palestinians have been killed in the same period, the vast majority by Israeli security forces. Most were assailants, according to the Israeli authorities."
2) You report Palestinian deaths second and make sure that you describe the circumstances of their death in a manner to make every one of them guilty:
"Palestinians using knives, guns and vehicles as weapons have killed at least 27 Israelis, an American student and a Palestinian since Oct. 1. About 160 Palestinians have been killed in the same period, the vast majority by Israeli security forces. Most were assailants, according to the Israeli authorities."
So Israeli government arrests a Washington Post reporter: so how does the New York Times cover the story?
It manages to praise Israel for its freedoms of the press relying on the right-wing nutty, Freedom House: "The most recent annual report by the research organization Freedom House said that Israel “enjoys a lively, pluralistic media environment in which press freedom is generally respected,”" Of course, it does not tell readers that Reporters without Borders ranked Israel NUMBER 101 AMONG COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
Hunter College did NOT cancel the event with the Israeli advocate of rape, Mordechai Kedar: it merely rescheduled it
"A Message from Hunter Hillel:
We underestimated the response and level of provocation that would result from our invitation to Mordechai Kedar to return to our campus for another program. We have seen in the past days unexpected reactions, knee jerk responses to unfounded statements, and a lack of intellectual due diligence from both the Hunter community and external parties. In light of the unanticipated response, we realized that the venue is simply unable to accommodate the planned event. Although we embrace our freedom of speech and the confrontation that may result in the exercise of those rights, we feel that in this environment and under these circumstances, it is untenable. We have shared our concerns with Dr. Kedar and the program will be rescheduled to later in the semester when we can reserve an appropriate venue and prepare accordingly so that everyone who wishes to attend can do so. We are also considering the idea of using this platform as part of a larger series to discuss these issues in a more strategic and public way. We welcome input from individuals and groups with respect to ways and means to accomplish that goal."
The Racist Israeli advocate of rape of Palestinian women, Mordechai Kedar, explains in a most racist piece of trashy bigotry that he is...a racist feminist
"My laconic, prompt answer was the standard one used in the Middle East, that is, that the threat of raping the wife or mother of the terrorist is the only threat that could prevent him from a suicide attack." You have to click on the footnotes of the article of this Israeli scholar. Such is the quality of Israeli "scholars" of the Middle East.
Minister of Happiness in UAE: silly gimmicks by polygamous ruling dynasties
The Ras Beirut Myth
1) I often wondered why Samir Khalaf has such broken and heavily accented Arabic when he lived all his life in Lebanon.
2) There is nothing unique about Ras Beirut as a place where different sects coexisted. That was Jerusalem before the advent of Zionism, and many Syrian and Palestinian and Lebanese towns were like this. I offer the model of Tyre as one which is far superior to Ras Beirut. All sects have coexisted in Tyre, and even during the war years and without self-praise like in the babblers about Ras Beirut. I also grew up in Mazra`ah quarter in Beirut and we also had several sects, and we lived (to my great misfortune) near a mosque and a church. I hated that location and wished those houses of worship to go away from me.
3) Ras Beirut and its coexistence had nothing to do with AUB: the latter was founded as a hateful sectarian missionary school with utter disdain toward the natives.
4) In the film, Khalaf had a sociological theory about rise of the middle class: that houses in Ras Beirut sprouted because AUB gave professors tenure and they started to build homes. What about homes that sprouted in different parts of Beirut, including Bastah? Who gave those residents tenure?
5) Translations is lousy, including the word for Lighthouse.
6) Most glaring, the film ignores the most imprint role in the formation of Ras Beirut: since the days of Anton Sa`ahah, the secular ideology of Syrian Social National Party was the one which really inculcated the area with secular thought and created this secular atmosphere of coexistence. To its credit, and unlike Lebanese communists, SSNP really took its secularism very seriously.
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