Christian Jihad Organization

Do you know that a Lebanese right-wing Christian militia was formed in the late 1980s with the name of Christian Jihad Organization?  I don't see any references to it in books except in the book by Antoine Jubayli on the Phalanges Party.  

Netanyahu and his lies: the Fox News interview yesterday

It was quite an interview.  I have never seen a more fawning interview: and by the founder of the tabloid TMZ.  Apparently Trump, who is friends with Levin, arranged for the interview with Netanyahu.  Netanyahu is such a liar that in the course of one hour, he lied blatantly and fundamentally contradicted himself at least twice: at one point, he said that as a child he never thought about the "threats" that Israel faced and the dangers he was in.  Minutes later when asked about when he first started to think about the dangers facing Israel, he said: since I was a child.  Kid you not.  In the hour interview, the word Palestinian was not mentioned once, and the interviewer did not ask anything about them.  They did not exist as far as he was concerned and Netanyahu could not be happier.  When people talk about Netanyahu's father, notice that no one mentions the work that he did for Jobotinsky.  The writings of Jabotinsky are his racialist doctrine (he spoke about the "racial recipe" of nations) are never mentioned in US media.  My wife had told me that I will be upset if I watch it, but it was so ridiculous that it did not even upset me as it usually would.  

The Sleepover: by KhalidAlBaih

#Khartoon - Sleep Over - after the lifting of the sanctions #Sudan joins the #Trump #Saudi #Israeland #Egypt

Map of Ottoman Lebanon during WWI

Source here.  (thanks Talal)

Egypt and Jews: US and Muslims

There has been a debate about Jews of Egypt on the pages of the lousy Haaretz.  Of course, the debate is among Zionists exclusively.  It started with this article in which the author asserted the truth: that there has been no mass explosion of Jews from Egypt.  This American then responded with a frantic plethora of fabrication and unsubstantiated claims just to make the point.  But the article is ridiculous:It invents facts when no facts exists and typically projects Nazi analogies about Arabs.  Notice he does not mind fudging the issues: nationalization of wealth (affecting not only Jews) become anti-Semitic nationalization: the Cairo fire (which resulted in the fire of many stores) becomes exclusively targeted against Jewish owned stores, and when laws targeted people holding French and British citizenships, it becomes a law that only targeted Jews (when it affected non-Jewish holders of French and British citizenship).  But here is the deal: neither article talk about the Lavon Affair and about how the Zionist occupation state jeopardized the status of Jews in Arab lands in more ways than one: not only by claiming that it is a state for ALL JEWS of the world but also by recruiting among Jews of Egypt (not to mention other cases) for its terrorist Mossad operations. That was not mentioned.  But the author protesting the first article basically admits: that there was no mass expulsion but that the atmosphere became hostile, which I won't deny.  But let us compare the US after Sep. 11: 19 hijackers came from outside the US (and they were not recruited by any official state claiming to represent world Muslims--imagine if this was the case) and perpetrated a terrorist attack which was condemned by world Muslims (except some kooks).  How did the US respond? It unleashed a wave of Islamophobia and blatant hatred of Islam and Muslims from which this country has not recovered: and there were mass arrests and expulsion of innocent Muslims, and contingency plans were discussed for the internment and expulsion of Muslims . I will say this: George W. Bush AND Trump invited Rev. Franklin Graham to officiate during their inauguration, and the man is one of the most repugnant haters of Islam and Muslim in the world. If what Graham says about Muslims and Islam is said about Jews and Judaism, the man would be despised and shunned in every Western country in the world.  Instead, he is treated like a national treasure here and is received as a head of state in Western capitals.  The president of the US today has officially called for a ban on ALL Muslims.  There was no such thing under Nasser of Egypt: the regime never sanctioned an official anti-Semitic movement like there is an anti-Islam movement in the US promoted by many members of Congress (Democrats and Republicans).  So if a Muslim were to leave the US in response to the wave of Islamophobia, would that be considered a mass expulsion of Muslims from the US?  Also, notice that laws affecting Jews in Egypt were passed during the monarchy under the British colonial rule.  Is that not significant?  And most importantly, if there was such a mass explosion of Jews, how come there was always Jews in Egypt even if the numbers became very small?  But let us go back to the analogy of US and Muslims vs. Egypt and Jews: if Sep. 11 terrorism was sanctioned by a state which claims to represent ALL Muslims, would that not have resulted in even more public hostility to Muslims in the US?  

Grotesque Islamohpobia of the Independent Newspaper: Las Vegas shooter and his motives

"Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock had visited the Middle East during a series of cruises, police have revealed. Investigators remain stumped as to Paddock’s motives but said he visited the contentious region on a cruise. The region, where Isis and other jihadi groups have a presence in some areas, may be of interest to security services because of speculation Paddock became radicalised. He also took at least 11 other cruises to other destinations over the last several years, the AP reported."   So he made one port stop in Egypt, and that made him a terrorist serial killer?  (thanks Basim)

How to "recover" from homosexuality? Egyptian press now mimics the kookiness of US religious right

A story of a man who recovered.

Yet another doctorate for Saudi King

Russia also bestowed honorary doctorates on the Saudi king.  How ironic: one of the most uneducated men in the world has the largest collection of honorary doctorates--and all deserved, I am sure.

I bet you are.

"Oscar-Winning Producer Harvey Weinstein at Algemeiner Gala: ‘I Am Israeli in My Heart and Mind’"

Nicholas Kristof visits North Korea 2

One of the complaints he made about North Korea is that he was offended by its jingoism.  Jingoism? More than US jingoism? Really?

Nicholas Kristof visits North Korea

Basically, he wants more sanctions on North Korea and more threats and more cyber-warfare.  This is American liberalism.  He compares his visit to his visit to Iraq before the US invasion but forgets to tell you that he supported the war then.

Nicholas Kristof has a comprehensive article on North Korea based on empirical research he conducted there

"and this five-day trip".  Now, does a Western journalist need more than five days in a country to become an expert in its affairs really?

Don't you like it when the White Man visits a developing country and assesses the intelligence of the natives? I do

"the students are extraordinarily bright".  Oh, thank you. That is so nice of you.

The Empowerment of women: according to Western donors

"When non-Western women already have strong political identities, their removal is sometimes required even if it involves pushing them back into the very roles from which empowerment was meant to deliver them. In Sri Lanka, a former soldier for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam told one of my co-authors that she and other ex-fighters were offered classes in cake decorating, hairstyling and sewing. A government official confessed that despite years of training programs, she had never seen any of the women earn a living from these skills. It’s time for a change to the “empowerment” conversation. Development organizations’ programs must be evaluated on the basis of whether they enable women to increase their potential for political mobilization, such that they can create sustainable gender equality. On the global stage, a return to this original model of empowerment requires a moratorium on reducing non-Western women to the circumstances of their victimhood — the rape survivor, the war widow, the child bride. The idea that development goals and agendas should be apolitical must be discarded."

And Tillerson is supposed to be the reasonable one in the administration:

"Tillerson wondered aloud whether the entire effort to improve relations with Iran wasn’t doomed by history. “We have more pounds, and our hair is gray,” he said. “Maybe we don’t have it in our capacity to change the nature of this relationship, because we are bound by it—maybe we leave it to the next generation to try.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I’m not a diplomat.”"

Dexter Fiklins version of US diplomatic history

"The U.S. has given billions of dollars to help expand trade, fight disease, and foster the growth of democracy." Where in the Middle East has the US ever spent a penny to foster the growth of democracy except in countries which are not allies of the US? And even in those countries, the US always opted for reactionary or fascist or right-wing death squads or putschists.

Dexter Filkins writes about Victoria Nuland like she is a model diplomat: she is the one who famously yelled "fuck the EU"

"Typical of those who have left is Victoria Nuland, a thirty-two-year veteran who spent her formative years in Moscow during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nuland speaks Russian and French; she served in Vice-President Dick Cheney’s office and worked for Secretary of State James Baker under George H. W. Bush; her last job was as Obama’s Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs."

The extent of Saudi Zionism: Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashid

The Zionist advocacy of Saudi regime propagandists and puppets has reached a new level: Saudi regime reliable propagandists for decades, Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashid, writes that all Israeli  wars, massacres, invasions, and assaults since 1973 have been in self-defense, first against the PLO and then against Hizbullah--according to his account.  

Where was the Post when Israel leveled the whole of Gaza? Where was the Post when Gaza children were slaughtered?

"Humbert shared an aerial photo from 2000 showing patterns of walls from atop the mound. The area “was the first city of Palestine to have a city wall,” he said. Now, “the field work you see in the photo is totally destroyed.”" (thanks Basim)

Look at the kind of trash you read in US media: feeling sorry for Israeli pilots for training to bomb Iran (New Yorker)

"I talked to a commander of the [Israeli] Air Force and said how much my heart goes to those young pilots who exercise for this thing and had to fly very long [routes], with refuelling midair and sometimes flying very low. The very exercises were extremely demanding. We did practice, and it could have been done." Are we supposed to read this and say: oh, those poor Israeli pilots who are exhausted from training to bomb Iran?

People are announcing their withdrawal from Twitter in droves in Saudi Arabia and UAE

There is a clear pattern: not only were people pressured, threatened, arrested and coerced over tweets or even silence or reluctant to spew government propaganda on social media: but people (writers, journalists, and academics) are leaving twitter in droves for fear of offending the regimes.

Canadian children's book

"Under the heading Moving Out, the book claims: “When the European settlers arrived, they needed land to live on. The First Nations peoples agreed to move to different areas to make room for the new settlements.” The First Nations peoples moved to reserves, the workbook later notes, “where they could live undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of the settlers”. "

a champion of Hillary Clinton

"In public, he presents himself as a liberal lion, a champion of women and a winner of not just artistic but humanitarian awards. In 2015, the year Ms. O’Connor wrote her memo, his company distributed “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary about campus sexual assault. A longtime Democratic donor, he hosted a fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton in his Manhattan home last year. He employed Malia Obama, the oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama, as an intern this year, and recently helped endow a faculty chair at Rutgers University in Gloria Steinem’s name. During the Sundance Film Festival in January, when Park City, Utah, held its version of nationwide women’s marches, Mr. Weinstein joined the parade." (thanks Amir)

Jewish population in Palestine before Zionism: Simon Schama

"Meanwhile, those who imagine that the Jewish longing for Jerusalem and Zion began in the 20th century, if not as a post-1945 response to the Holocaust, might be shocked to learn that not only was there a substantial Jewish population in Palestine throughout this period – Schama introduces us to the Arabic-speaking Musta’arabi Jews of Safed – but, at intervals, “messianic electrical surges” would pulse through the wider diaspora, “the travelling tribe, telling them they needed to get to Jerusalem asap”.":  If by substantial, you mean some 24,000 Jews versus over 600,000 Arabs.

Harvey Weinstein and Israel

Among his sayings is that he won't ever produce a movie which is opposed to Israel.

On Human Rights Watch's report on Saudi regime hate speech

I heard from Saudi citizens inside the kingdom. They have major complaints about the report by Human Rights Watch on Saudi regime's hate speech: they said that the organization only focused on Islamists in the kingdom totally ignoring the fact that Saudi liberals are most guilty in the hate speech campaign (see this article by a Saudi regime liberal).  Critics of the report rightly point out that the report basically blamed the weakest element: the religious establishment while totally exonerating the Saudi regime and its liberal establishment inside the kingdom.  One critic said: "the report said 99 correct things but only to promote one falsehood".

In Saudi Arabia you can be arrested for "agitating public opinion"

People were arrested in Saudi Arabia for "agitating public opinion".  Kid you not.

How dare you, North Korea, do this? Don't you know that no one arms Arabs against nuclear-powered Israel?

"Throughout the 1980s, it supplied weapons to left-wing Arab states and pro-Palestinian militant groups and in 1988 declared its support for an independent Palestinian state, despite Israel's territorial claims." (thanks Basim)

US is involved in wars that most Americans are not even aware of: this is Niger

"3 U.S. Troops Killed, 2 Wounded In Ambush In Niger".

When Herbert Marcuse almost posed for Playboy Magazine

"Given his new-found notoriety, it was only natural that Playboy wanted to do an interview with him. According to former student and friend Andrew Feenberg, Playboy had offered Marcuse “a large sum of money” for the interview. After receiving the call, Feenberg recounts, Marcuse considered the proposition carefully. His philosophy was one of radical social equality, which, for him, included a fulsome commitment to gender equality. As such, he decided “it was impossible for him to do it”. Whatever positive effects Playboy had in loosening over-repressive post-war sexual norms, it was part of a process that objectified and commodified women. 

But instead of simply declining the offer, however, Marcuse told Playboy he would do the interview, but “only if he could be the centrefold”. The thought of the reserved old German professor, with his “long white hair”, “broad nose” and “enormous ears” (Michael G. Horowitz’s description) gracing the now iconic centre pages of Playboy in 1970 is definitely a rousing one. Unfortunately, the idea didn’t fly with the magazine."

Liberation of women comes to NATO rule in Libya

"Women under the age of 60 have been banned from traveling on their own in an area of eastern Libya under the control of a warlord with extensive ties to the CIA. A Libyan government spokesperson confirmed the new policy to the BBC. He also claimed that women who work for civil society groups and travel abroad are being used by foreign intelligence services."

Gun-related death vs Gun ownership worldwide

Gun-related deaths versus gun-ownership--and I am not for the state--any state--monopoly on gun ownership.

A cartoonist at AlJazira (Saudi regime newspaper) mocks women's weight and refers to their stomachs as airbags

Jalal Talbani, dead

This man expelled in the art of political opportunism more than Walid Jumblat.  His political career took him from the far left (he even worked for the organization of Wadi` Haddad although he often exaggerated his role which never involved more than carrying a suitcase or transferring money) to the very far right.  He started his political career working for the Barazani tribal leadership, only to later revolt against it and start an ostensibly leftist organization which rejected feudal landlords.  But later would unite in it when it suited the interests of his lousy political organization.  He could not be called an Iraqi president when his appointment took place under the foreign occupation of the country.  Both he and Masoud Barazani had the blood of Iraqi kurds on their hands, as thousands were killed in the internecine wars between them.  Here is a story about the murder by Talbani's group of Iraqi communists.  He and Masoud would not mind aligning with Saddam Husayn against his Kurdish rival.  The rule of the two groups in Kurdistan was characterized with repression, massive corruption and subservience to outside powers.  I hated this insistence on being referred to by his nickname, as if he was another Ataturk.  I always felt that he was a good liar, more than typical politicians of his generations.  He posed as a different character depending on his audience.  Kamal Khalaf at-Tawil has a good review of his record--a review which you not read in the Western press.  His picture above summarizes his character. 

Some Arab reporters in DC

There are some Arab correspondents in DC who excel in following and mimicking mainstream US journalists in the capital: if they cheer, they cheer with them. If they frown they frown. And if they laugh they laugh with them. And US journalists love to cite them because it is the second best thing to citing oneself. 

Qatari regime and ISIS

It has to be said that Qatari regime media-especially Al-Quds Al-‘Arabi-reports ISIS victories-real or imagined-with great enthusiasm. 

Human Rights Watch isn’t even trying to hide its biases anymore: showing its love for the Jordanian autocracy

Can you imagine a Western human rights organization expressing its love for Iran or Syria or any other autocracy not allied with the US? Can u imagine the uproar? “Expecting better” from Jordanian autocracy? Why? Just because it is allied with Israel?

Nasrallah's speech against anti-Semitism

Today, Nasrallah gave a speech on the `Ashurah religious occasion and he devoted a part of it to clarify that his party does not harbor any ill-will toward Jews as Jews, and that the hostility is directed toward Zionists.  He also made an unprecedented direct appeal to the Jewish people.  This is unprecedented by any standards of Islamist (or non-Islamist) parties in the region.  I guarantee you that not a single media in the West will report this or will translate the segment of the speech.  Those Zionist shops only invest in translating bigoted trash from the Middle East.

Arafat's negotiations with the US in the summer of 1982: beginning of Oslo

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "Arafat's negotiations with the US in the summer of 1982: beginning of Oslo".

Why you can't trust anything in Western media about Syria: so he killed Orouba and Hala Barkat in Istanbul? Mystery solved

As soon as the story of the murder of Hala and Orouba Barakat in Istanbul was spread, ALL Western media and correspondents in official media and on social media insisted that the regime was behind the killing (although the killing was by stabbing and strangulation which--if you watch Dateline on NBC--always indicate personal motives).  Here is the Washington Post on the story: "News of the killings sent shock waves through the community of activists who have sought sanctuary in Turkey as dissidents are targeted by Assad’s security forces in their native Syria....In recent months, her Twitter postings commemorated the lives of civil defense workers killed in bombings by pro-Assad forces and lamented the destruction of the northern city of Aleppo, much of it a rebel stronghold until it was recaptured after a punishing government bombardment in December."  But today, the Turkish government found the culprit (shown above): he is a relative who wanted to marry Hala but she turned him down.  He also had fought with the Syrian rebels.  No corrections will be printed in Western media about this.  

PS You guessed it.  Gulf media now have updated the story: they say that this guy (above) was sent by Syrian mukhabarat on orders from Bashshar to kill the two women, despite the jilted lover story.

An official report of Human Rights Watch refers to "rumors" that Hashd killed ISIS prisoners

There no questions that HRW and other Western human rights organizations adhere to different standards when it comes to enemies of Israel and US.  Similarly, they refer to much stricter and higher standards of evidence when it comes to crimes and human rights violations by allies of Israel and US.  This official report of HRW refers to "rumors" regarding killings by Hashd in Iraq.  Do you think that this organization would ever dare to refer to rumors when it comes to war crimes by Israel or its allies in the region?

Do you notice that avalanche of commissioned articles praising the Saudi lifting of the ban on female driving?

I can't believe the extent to which Western media are hailing the Saudi regime for lifting the ban on female driving.  It shows the hypocrisy of Western governments and media. Let me give you an example: if Iranian regime or Syrian regime were to cancel the death penalty--they won't, but stay along for the argument--do you think that any one in Western media would dare write in praise of such a gesture?  But now that we know the extent of GCC funding of DC and London think tanks, we know that those articles praising the Saudi regime are the results of the "string-attached".

Paid Parental leave across OECD

Mustafa Barazani and Saddam Husayn

Barazani

Notice that Western media--and purely because Barazani is an ally of Israel--never talks about the massive corruption, cruelty, and repression which characterize the rule of the Barazanis.