conspiracies in Syria

My weekly article for Al-Akhbar: "Conspiracies in Syria".

The Homs Revolutionary Council

The Homs revolutionary council is basically a cocktail of Wahhabis, Ikhwan, Hizb at-Tahrir, free lance religious fanatics, and informers for the Syrian regime.

Battalion of Yazid Bin Mu`awiya

I have mentioned before that the lousy Free Syrian Army chooses Islamic names for its units and battalions.  But comrade Amer observed that they named one battalion after Yazid bin Mu`awiyah: the man was no military commander and his only claim to fame is that he ordered the killing of Husayn and mutilated his severed head.  The sectarian agenda of those people are only hidden to Western reporters who don't read or understand Arabic.  

Lebanese Anonymous

"Cyber activists hacked into four Lebanese governments websites on Thursday, defacing the home pages in an apparent bid to raise awareness over the country's rampant corruption.  The activists, referring to themselves as Lebanon Anonymous claimed via Twitter that they defaced the sites for the Directorate General of Lebanese General Security, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, and the Municipality of Beirut." (thanks Hicham)

Pro-Democracy Activists

Yesterday, on the BBC they kept referring to the staff of the various American NGOs as "pro-democracy activists".  I thought it was hilarious.  So everybody who works for Freedom House or Republican Institute is automatically a "pro-democracy activist".  It is really funny.  It is too obvious.

Fear in their eyes

The interviews with residents in Baba Amr that were aired on Syrian regime TV were very disturbing.  The residents looked afraid as they talked to the regime's reporters.  

Feltman

Can someone send me the full text of the remarks by Jeffrey Feltman on Syria from yesterday? I want to make a few comments. Oh, and I want them NOW.

psychological operations

I classify this story under the file of psychological operations: "he State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses, The Cable has learned." (thanks Shawna)

Stratfor:

Documents of Stratfor have not impressed me one bit.  They basically are press selections with little original information.  Look at this one about CIA operations in Lebanon.  Nothing new in it.

lies of the Syrian Ikhwan-led opposition

"Activists said that they had been planning their retreat for days, with scores of residents led to safety before the withdrawal was announced."  So they have been lying all these weeks when they claimed that the residents were trapped?  Is this in the same line of lies like the claim by the Free Syrian Army that they did not flee Baba Amr but that they "tactically withdrew"? Is this like Arab armies in 1967 who merely "tactically withdrew"?  Between the lies of the Syrian regime and those of the Free Syrian Army the real plight of the Syrian people is lost.

Neil MacFarquhar and agitation against `Alawites in the New York Times

Look at this sinister sentence: "During the biggest demonstrations to date in Damascus, on Feb. 18, Alawite civilians emerged to help suppress a mostly Sunni demonstration."  What is his source for this claim?  And how would his informants know that those civilians were `Alawites? Is this like Hitler who used to claim that he could tell a Jewish person while walking the streets of Vienna?  

Burhan Ghalyun

Syrian opposition website, Al-Haqiqah, claims to "uncover" the true background of Burhan Ghalyun.  It claims that Ghalyun was a spokesperson for the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's armed wing.  There is absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever.  I don't like Ghalyun one bit and see his role as being destructive and what I know about inside deliberations inside the leadership of the SNC makes me disrespect him even more.  But he was never an Islamist and was a staunch secularist very early on in his life (that was before he fell in love with Qatar and Saudi Arabia's rulying dynasties in recent months).

New York Times

New York Times casually open its op-ed pages for Israeli officials or former Israeli officials to call for and agitate for bombing of Iran, or some Arab country.  Would the New York Times allow Arabs to write "opinion pieces" in which they call for bombing of Israel?

Slaughter in Syria

A student pointed out to me this: like there is an academic panel at the University of Massachusetts titled "Slaughter in Syria."  I don't have a problem with the title if the same panel would allow for a panel titled "Slaughter in Palestine" or "Slaughter by Israel." 

hilarious

It is hilarious when Saudi media mock Syrian constitution (when Saudi Arabia has no constitution) and they mock Iranian elections (when Saudi Arabia has no elections to speak of).

Did you Syrian regime infiltrate the rebels of Baba Amr?

Nasser sent me this: "It's very clear that the Syrian were watching everything and had agent inside baba amr shooting some of the events of media coverage
Phoner with cnn
Aljazeera correspondent phonier from baba amr and ordering shooting when he comes on air
لطف يكشف مراسلين الجزيرة خالد أبو صالح بابا عمر
Oil pipeline , and the way the rebels carry out the attack and fixing the camera after they planted the bombs
لطف يكشف بالتصوير البطيء والعرض السريع لما حدث عند تفجير خط النفط"

BasSHARON

Many Syrians who are opposed to the Syrian regime now refer to Bashshar as Bas-SHARON.

Arab League Observers

I heard someone in the Syrian opposition observe yesterday: he wondered whether the Syrian regime would have been able to storm into Baba Amr had the Arab League observers been allowed to stay in Syria.  

Prince Nayif is Missing

Look at this news item in Saudi media.  There is a report that Prince Nayif left the kingdom to "outside the kingdom" without specifying where he went.  It only said that he went on a private vacation.  No name was of brothel of destination was provided.

Hamas in the footsteps of Arafat: the track of duplicity

Hamas is very much like Fatah in its heydays: it is an organization up for sale and has a weakness for Gulf oil money.  On Syria: Isma`il Haniyyah offers support for Syrian protesters in Cairo, while Musa Abu Marzuq yesterday stated that Hamas does not oppose the Syrian regime and paid tribute to the Syrian regime stances.  Yet, you don't see criticisms of Hamas--as you see criticisms of Hizbullah--in Hariri, Saudi, and Ikhwan media because their agenda in press coverage is purely sectarian.  

Ikhwan media steals a picture of Palestinians and runs it as Syrian

The Ikhwan media stole a picture of a Palestinian facing an Israeli tank, and runs it as if it is from Syria.  (thanks Khalid)

Sarkozy

Syrian Red Crescent

Ikhwan-led Syrian opposition media have been discrediting the Syrian Red Crescent Society and arguing that it has served as a tool for the Syrian regime. Yet, yesterday, I heard an interview with a spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross on the BBC (the "cross" of the White Man is always a better judge than the "crescent" of the natives), and she showered praise on the Syrian Red Crescent.  

Flash. Pipeline fire in Saudi Arabia

Dissidents in Saudi Arabia tell me that there is a fire in the oil pipeline between awamiyyah and safwa.

talking about Syria

In the Arab world those are not qualified to talk about the Syrian situation: March 14 and March 8 (both of whom were silent about the abuse of murder of Syrian workers in Lebanon, and the propagandists of House of Saud, House of Thani, and House of Nahyan.  

The Asad family

I don't understand.  I wish that Bashshar would make an honest argument as to why the Asad family should continue to rule Syria? He knows that we know that the Ba`th is now an empty vessel and carries no political weight whatsoever. But what is argument as to why Syrians should be killed to preserve the Asad rule?  What are their contributions beyond preservation of Israeli occupation, brutal repression, deceit, and family rule?  What are the gifts of the family that the Syrian people don't possess?  I don't care if he has some support or not, but don't the Syrian people who live in a republic in name deserve to have political succession that is not rooted in family or sect?  

Syrian National Council

The lousy Syrian National Council which guarantees a replacement of the lousy Syrian regime with a lousy pro-Saudi/pro-Qatari regime, has just called on the world to intervene to prevent a "possible massacre" in Homs.  The statements of the council have the same credibility and truthfulness as the military communiques of the Fath Movement under the lousy Yasir `Arafat.  Wait: Burhan Ghalyun was in the Fath Movement. Now I understand. Never mind.

Lebanese government

A building collapsed in Ashrafiyyah in Beirut few weeks ago. Yesterday, the Lebanese government authorized compensation.  It ruled that Lebanese residents in the building would get $750 for rent per month, while the foreigners (mostly Africans) would get $100.  Kid you not. (thanks Karim)

When the New York Times justifies armed struggle

"Government opponents started as a nonviolent movement, but many said they were forced to take up arms in response to the violent government suppression of their uprising."  Well, Mr. MacFarquhar: the same justification can be given to armed Palestinian resistance. Do you think that we will ever read this by you: Israeli opponents started as a nonviolent movement, but many said that they were forced to take up arms in response to the violent Israeli suppression of their revolt. Will we?

Zionism is racism, always

"Undercover Tel Aviv police, posing as drunks and prostitutes, have begun arresting refugees and asylum seekers by luring them to steal wallets and other items."

Arab public perceptions of threats to their nations

73% of Arabs consider US and Israel to pose the biggest threats to Arab national security.  (thanks Mirvat)

This is funny: just as Chalabi and Makiyya told Israel that the the Iraqi people want peace with Israel after fall of Saddam

"An Israeli lawmaker says Syrian opposition leaders have told him they want peace with Israel after Syrian President Bashar Assad falls." (thanks Laleh)

How to be removed from a US terrorism list

Apparently, it is easy.  1) direct your terrorism against a regime that the US does not like. 2) move your camp.  

Israeli slave-owners

"A man and woman were convicted Wednesday, in the first such case in Israel, of holding a Filipina in slavery in their Jerusalem home."  It is not the first time. They have held a nation in slavery for decades.  The couple will receive a special honor from the US Congress, I am sure.

Hanna Batatu on the Muslim Brotherhood

"The Sunni insurgents responded by escalating their campaign of terror in Damascus. In 1981, they bombed the prime minister's office in August, the Air Force headquarters in September, and a military recruitment center in November. In February 1982, the "Islamic Revolution Command in Syria" claimed credit for bombing the Damascus offices of the regime's al-Baath newspaper, killing at least 76 people. "It was a great accomplishment to be added to the series of tremendous explosions carried out by the mujahidin," the statement read. "We draw attention to the fact that all the Syrian information media are nationalized and that the explosion was timed for all the authority's hirelings to be present."

For all the stresses put on the Syrian regime, the sharp and unbridgeable sectarian rifts that the conflict had opened made it virtually impossible for the Alawite ruling class to do anything but fight to the death. "[The Muslim Brotherhood] has succeeded in widening the distance between the government and the majority of the people, but not in destabilizing the regime," wrote the historian Hanna Batatu in December 1982. "Instead of splitting the ‘Alawis and thus weakening their foothold in the army, they have, by their anti-‘Alawi practical line, frightened the ‘Alawi community into rallying behind Asad" (thanks Ahmet)

According to this dude, maids in the Gulf are "pampered"

"From flat screen TVs to satellite packages, access to the pool, in-house parties, WiFi connectivity, and designer clothes, some housemaids live the high life, while their employers speak up against reports that most maids are subject to abuse by their employers." (thanks Davy)

Dumb Hizbullah media

Hizbullah TV's website translate an article by Franklin Lamb in which he claims that the late Marie Colvin was pro-Palestinian.  My understanding is that she was not. (thanks Akbar) 

Israel is going down, for sure

"'Baroness Jenny Tonge, a Liberal Democrat peer, has resigned from her position as the party whip after refusing to back down on comments criticizing Israel, according to U.K. media.  “Beware Israel: Israel is not going to be there forever in its present performance. One day the United States of America will get sick of giving £70 billion [$109 billion] a year to Israel,” she said, addressing a group of students at Middlesex University in London last Thursday.  Israel receives approximately $3 billion annually in grants from the U.S.   Tonge criticized the relationship between the United States and the Jewish state, describing Israel as “America’s aircraft carrier in the Middle East,” adding that there would come a day when the people in the United States would say “enough is enough.”  “It will not go on forever, it will not go on forever and Israel will lose its support, then they will reap what they have sown,” Tonge, who has previously been sacked from the party for remarks similar on the Jewish state, said."" (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

This is supposed to be a "revolution"? A farce but not a revolution

Free Syrian Army formed the Hamid bin Jasim brigade.  It aims presumably at forming a monarchy in Syria and serving Israeli interests. (thanks Mysa)

Hizbullah propaganda

Hizbullah's TV, Al-Manar, now relies on the analysis of crude Syrian regime propagandist, Muhammad Darrar Jimmu (who accused me on Syrian regime TV of receiving between $2000-3000 to attack Syrian regime although I offered to do that for free).  (thanks Ziad)

BBC Monitoring Service

I will write in the next two days about the crude propaganda of the BBC.  They are now sending monitoring alert carrying commentary by Abdur-Rahman Al-Rashid: the long time propagandist for various Saudi princes (although he is skilled: he can work for two Saudi princes at the same time).

Again and again: when Robert Fisk pretends he knows Arabic

Tons of reader sent me this and people are mocking him all over the internet.  Why does not he retire at long last? Why does he insist on embarrassing himself by wild exaggerations and pretensions.  Here, he wanted to show off his (non-existent) Arabic, and he fell flat on his face: "So it's the "cleaning" of Baba Amr now, is it? "Tingheef" in Arabic."  Tingheef, Mr. Fisk?  Tingheef, Mr. Fisk?  Is that Azari or Arabic? (thanks Salam and many other readers)

Portraits of Bashshar

The giant portraits of Bashshar Al-Asad and his father, Hafidh, are most repulsive.  All stamps on envelopes from Syria carry the picture of Bashshar now (they used to carry picture of Hafidh).  Those portraits induce a strong urge to burn them.

spying on Muslims in the US

"The Obama administration said Monday it has no control over how the New York Police Department spends millions of dollars in White House grants that helped pay for NYPD programs that put entire American Muslim neighborhoods under surveillance. In New York, the police commissioner said he wouldn't apologize.

The White House has no opinion about how the grant money was spent, spokesman Jay Carney said. The Associated Press reported Monday that the White House money has paid for the cars that plainclothes NYPD officers used to conduct surveillance on Muslim neighborhoods and paid for computers that stored even innocuous information about Muslim college students, mosque sermons and social events.

The money is part of a little-known grant intended to help law enforcement fight drug crimes. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Bush and Obama administrations have provided $135 million to the New York and New Jersey region through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, known as HIDTA. It's unclear exactly how much was spent on surveillance of Muslims because the HIDTA program has little oversight.

The AP confirmed the use of White House money through secret police documents and interviews with current and former city and federal officials. The AP also obtained electronic documents with digital signatures indicating they were created and saved on HIDTA computers. The HIDTA grant program is overseen by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Carney said the White House drug policy office has no authority to direct, manage or supervise any law enforcement operations, including the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims.

"This is not an administration program or a White House program," Carney said. "This is the New York Police Department."

The disclosure that the White House is at least partially paying for the NYPD's surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods complicates its efforts to stay out of the fray over the controversial counterterrorism programs. Carney described the Office of National Drug Control Policy as a policy office, but he did not say whether the White House sees the NYPD's programs as good policy."

The true nature of the Muslim Brotherhood: from 1948

"Mr. Sa`id At-Tillawi wrote in Al-Fayha' newspaper describing the Muslim Brotherhood.  One of the most painful experiences of events and incidents for a man that hurts him and make his heart bleed is to see falsehood disguised as righteousness and corruption decorated with the calls of Jihad.  This is the practice of the group that calls itself the Muslim Brotherhood, as if it wants to imposes itself on people and to occupy the arena of religion patriotism nationalism, whereby it would leave no room for anyone who does not belong to this movement...Muslim Brotherhood are a a community dominated by selfishness, and spoiled by world and seduced by life, which made them aspire to fame, fortune and power through the shortest cuts, i.e. the path of the hanif religion and the tolerant shari`ah.  They rode every vehicle to reach their aims and hopes.  People have not forgotten those campaigns that they launched on decent people and the eyes of nationalists during the last election.  These campaigns revealed their true nature and exposed their motives...These simple examples are but a simple introduction to what those Muslim Brotherhood are trying to do now in Syria in the name of religion and holy strugglers (mujahidin) as if God has assigned them to be in charge of religion...As for the Muslim Brotherhood, they have done nothing for Palestine except gathering some of their people and parading them in Damascus before people to satisfy people's instincts and then they sit in training camps.  Palestine issue may be resolved while training for the Muslim Brotherhood [fighters] may not be finished because they are distracted from Jihad by calling on people to mourn, and because they are preoccupied with earthly living to bother with entering the throes of intense war in the holy land." My translation from Muhammad Kurd `Ali, Al-Mudhakkirat, Volume 2, p. 531, 1948.