Saudi-Zionist alliance: Bernard Lewis interviewed in the mouthpiece of Prince Salman

This is funny.  Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, the mouthpiece of Prince Salman, interviews Bernard Lewis (in English by the way and not in Arabic, and I have never ever heard that Lewis gave an interview in Arabic) and treats him as a friend of the Arabs and Muslims.  But this is my favorite part of the interview:
*Through your long confrontations with the Middle East, professionally and culturally, who is your favorite contemporary writer in the Arab world?
-Rifa`ah Al-Tahtawi*

* من خلال مواجهاتك الطويلة مع الشرق الأوسط مهنيا وثقافيا، من هو كاتبك المعاصر المفضل في العالم العربي؟
 - رفاعة الطهطاوي

PS * Tahtawi died in 1873.

Media of Saudi princes

 
This is the media of Saudi princes: The mouthpiece of Prince Salman reports on its front page that the Saudi King went on a car ride. Kid you not. 

rumors about Syria

So the opposition spread a rumor that Bashshar was killed today, so the regime spread rumors that Riyad Al-As`ad of the FSA was killed today.  Lies and counter-lies.

Hitto rejected as an American: ha ha ha

This is hilarious: so the US-funded and US-trained armed gangs in Syria reject Hitto as a transitional prime minister because of his American appointment and citizenship.

Killing an Iraq story in the Washington Post

"The Washington Post killed my assigned piece for its Outlook section this weekend which mainly covered media failures re: Iraq and the current refusal to come to grips with that (the subject of my latest book)--yet they ran this misleading, cherry-picking, piece by Paul Farhi claiming the media "didn't fail."  I love the line about the Post in March 2003 carrying some skeptical pieces just days before the war started: "Perhaps it was too late by then. But this doesn’t sound like failure."

Here's my rejected piece.  I see that the Post is now defending killing the article because it didn't offer sufficient "broader analytical points or insights."  I'll let you consider if that's true and why they might have rejected it. "

war crimes by both sides in Syria

"In a report in March to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic accused both sides of targeting medical care as part of their military strategy. “Medical personnel and hospitals have been deliberately targeted and are treated by parties to the conflict as military objectives,” the report said.

The 10-page report documented a litany of abuses by government forces and rebels: Treatment has been denied on sectarian grounds. Hospitals and clinics have been attacked. The government and rebels have limited care in medical facilities to their own supporters. Doctors and nurses have been forced to accept the bodies of executed opposition fighters and to register them as deceased patients...

Doctors Without Borders has also documented how both sides have devastated health care across the battered nation. “Providing medical care was transformed into an act of resistance, a crime, and medical structures became military targets,” it said in a report this month."

Blueprint of the new Syria

"o why and how did this happen in Raqqa? Put simply, it’s because the regime had diluted its forces here, deploying them to other parts of the country, and because the forces aligned against Assad were mainly Islamists, largely outside the broad umbrella of the more secular, loosely organized, and in some cases poorly disciplined Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The offensive was spearheaded by Jabhat al-Nusra (which the U.S considers a terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda), the Salafist Ahrar al-Sham brigade and Jabhat al-Wahda al-Tahrir al-Islamiya (a grouping of some two dozen battalions)–all non-FSA groups who prefer the term Mujahedin (holy warriors) to revolutionaries, the label many FSA use to describe themselves.
A special unit of Ahrar al-Sham called Liwa Omana al Raqqa (or the Brigade of Security for Raqqa) was tasked with securing government installations after they fell, protecting public and private property and maintaining services to the city.  The unit was specifically formed with this aim, according to its commander, Abu Tayf, a history graduate who used to work in real estate. “We had sleeper cells inside the city for a long time. When we entered the city, they rose and implemented the plan,” he says. “The project was devised a long time ago.”
There are also spray-painted messages around the city warning against theft. “A thief’s hand will be cut. Signed Jabhat al-Nusra” is plastered in many places, including outside the Real Estate Bank, which like the other banks in the city, is guarded by Nusra.
Several commanders of various Islamist units said they prevented some FSA units from entering the city, either during or after the battle, because they feared they might be more interested in looting than fighting. In at least one instance, an FSA unit was turned away by force, after an exchange of gunfire. “We did not forbid the free army, we forbade people who we suspected wanted to cause trouble in the city,” says Dr. Samer, “emir” of Jabhat al-Wahda al-Tahrir al-Islamiya who formerly went by the nom de guerre Abu Hakam. “I’m talking about certain individuals or battalions, but we don’t forbid people from Jihad.”

The `Alawite opposition meeting in Cairo

By the way, did the Western media inform you that the so-called `Alawite opposition meeting in Cairo is nothing but a small gathering for the entourage of Rif`at Al-Asad and at the behest of Saudi intelligence.

Lebanese genius: Ilyas Rahbani

This man is quite typical in Lebanon: I wrote about him before, how he has been bragging about two honorary doctorates that he had been "awarded" from two universities in Spain and US (both are now defunct because they sold unaccredited degrees over the internet).  Here, he talks about his own music: how it is celebrated in the US as being on the same level with Chopin and Liszt.  And yesterday, I watched him on New TV: he was bragging, as usual, about his music and about his service as a judge on a Lebanese TV musical talent show.  He said that even the New York Times had written about his great wisdom and musical genius and capabilities as a judge in musical talent.  Of course, being trained in the art of debunking Lebanonese lies and fabrications, I went to the New York Times archives and found one reference indeed to his role there from 2004:  "Mr. Hasan, seeing the intifada and no prospect of work, moved to Dubai, where he had a cousin, and got a job singing at the Dubai Marine Hotel - "Five star," Mr. Daqrouq said. There, the famous Lebanese composer Elias Rahbani, an organizer of "Super Star," heard Mr. Hasan and encouraged him to enter the contest."  Lebanese lies made me the Angry Arab that I am.

Funding the Jordanian royal family

Questions about funding the Jordanian royal family.  (thanks Yusuf)

Chemical attack in Khan Al-`Asal

"In short the kind of device that conventional armies would not be interested in, but a militia group might just be. The area it hit, Khan al-Assal, has been in government hands since 17 March in an area where control often changes hands rapidly between the rebels and the Syrian Army.  All sources we have spoken to say there is a pattern of victims suffering a variety of respiratory complaints from mild breathing difficulty, through fainting and vomiting to loss of consciousness and death. In most cases there were no signs of any conventional blast injuries in terms of external lacerations, burns or fractures, they say. Quite simply, one medical source connected to the hospital in Khan al-Assal said he has never seen anything like it.  Let me stress again this is a war. All sides tell lies. I do not say any of this is credible or otherwise. But I do say that whatever Syria told the UN, the UN certainly found it credible enough to investigate. It is the most detailed account yet of what the Syrians believe happened." (thanks Samer)

Jihadi mercenaries

I wonder why kooky Jihadi mercenaries are not rushing to fight to defend Muslims in Burma? The oil and gas money and orders have not arrived?

King PlayStation of Jordan

From Khelil:  Beyond the WINEP Zionist who published his piece in the WSJ on March 20, their foreign policy columnist (of course, a Likudnik) just two days prior also took to backing King Playstation:

Finally, I'd like to hear Mr. Obama tell Jordan's King Abdullah that the U.S. will back the Hashemite kingdom to the hilt.

Right now, the king is dealing with a long-running financial crisis, the influx of more than 300,000 refugees from Syria, diminishing political support from tribal sheiks, and an assertive Muslim Brotherhood that smells political blood. If the king falls, the U.S. loses an ally, the Arab world loses a moderate, Israel loses a secure border, and a contest for power erupts in which all the outcomes are bad. U.S. assistance to Jordan came to $736 million last year. It's cheap at five times the price. 

Burma pogroms

From Abdallah: It should be noted that some of the less "sophisticated" news sources, like NBC, have been calling the pogroms "Buddhist-Muslim violence", "sectarian unrest", and "clashes" (in reference to last year's pogrom, "that left hundreds of people dead and more than 100,000 displaced — almost all of them Muslim").

Americans cannot comprehend that Buddhists have been the perpetrators of violence (in various contexts) in Southeast Asia for centuries."

Please don't think that Obama fooled Arabs by a silly speech in Cairo five years ago

(thanks Mirvat)

How cute: now Israel also wants to liberate Syria

"Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page Saturday that Israel and Turkey, which border Syria, need to communicate with each other over the Syrian crisis. "The fact that the crisis in Syria intensifies from moment to moment was the main consideration in my view," Netanyahu wrote."

Turkey violated its own promises about Gaza blockade

"Israel did not commit to ending its Gaza blockade as part of reconciliation with Turkey and could clamp down even harder on the Palestinian enclave if security is threatened, Israeli officials said on Sunday."

Syria chemical weapons: finger pointed at jihadists

"However a senior source close to the Syrian Army has given Channel 4 News the first clear account of what he claims is believed to have occurred on Tuesday. He is a trusted and hitherto reliable source who does not wish to be identified. The Syrian military is said to believe that a home-made locally-manufactured rocket was fired, containing a form of chlorine known as CL17, easily available as a swimming pool cleaner. They claim that the warhead contained a quantity of the gas, dissolved in saline solution. The source said that the town of Khan al-Assal has been in government control since March 13 but - like so much of the area - has been much fought over and parts of the area change hands with relative frequency. Rebel Sunni groups with al-Qaeda sympathies have been attacking the town, where the population is predominantly Shia. The military's version of events is that the home-made rocket was fired at a military checkpoint situated at the entrance to the town. The immediate effects were to induce vomiting, fainting, suffocation and seizures among those in the immediate area. A second source - a medic at the local civilian hospital - said that he personally witnessed Syrian army helping those wounded and dealing with fatalities at the scene. That Syrian soldiers were among the reported 26 deaths has not been disputed by either side."

US sacrifices for the Iraqi people

From a reader:  "Kerry added that he warned Maliki that some members of Congress are beginning to question how Iraq, after receiving so much American help [invading Iraq & slaughtering its people], could be working against the United States now." "The official would not say how the United States is certain the planes are carrying weapons for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an Iranian ally, but repeatedly asserted that is the case. "We know," the contents, the official said."

untapped wealth in Afghanistan

"Protected by armed guards, they spent three months drilling test holes into the snowcapped peaks, as curious goat- and sheepherders looked on. "We hit copper damn near everywhere," said Robert Miller, a Colorado-based mining executive recruited by the Pentagon to help advise Afghan authorities on how to develop the country's natural resources. "It's a very encouraging finding." Studies have found that Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest and most war-torn countries, sits atop hydrocarbon and mineral deposits that could be worth more than a trillion dollars. The Afghan government and its U.S. backers are counting on this largely untapped wealth — including oil, gas, copper, iron, gold and lithium — to bring in cash and create jobs as international assistance begins to wind down." (thanks Amir)

Suspension rates in Canada's largest city

"Aboriginal and black students disproportionately suspended in Toronto public schools"

On the bomb that killed Shaykh Al-Buti in Syria

Regarding this article, here is my reaction to its author:

1) When you say this, Thomas: “‘Compensation’ for these declarations included a crackdown on women rights activism...” Are you implying that Al-Buti was more reactionary and more misogynistic than the clerics who are on the side of the opposition? Are you implying that Al-Buti was, say, was more reactionary that Ahmad Mu`adh Al-Khatib who spent years railing against Facebook, masturbation, and who hailed Saddam Husayn for “terrifying Jews”? Or do you concede that the clerics of the opposition are in fact more reactionary than Al-Buti, who was influenced by the Nasserist-reformed Al-Azhar where he studied? Also, what crackdown of women rights activism are you talking about? Are you referring to the time when Al-Buti convinced Bashshar to rescind an order to ban niqabs on college campuses in Syria?

 

2) Your last section is rather confusing and appears to be propagandistic in purpose when you write: “Therefore, regardless of who actually committed Thursday’s bomb attack (those who accuse the regime stress the fact that the attack took place in a heavily guarded neighbourhood, the al-Iman mosque being located a few meters away from the headquarters of the Ba‘th party; they also insist on the fact that bombing a Sunni mosque is an unprecedented pattern of operation on the part of Syrian insurgents (but it has been witnessed in Iraq), the tragic demise of al-Buti means that the regime has now ceased to enjoy any meaningful source of religious legitimacy among the Sunni clergy.” So you are here recycling the standard unfounded, unsubstantiated accusations by the armed opposition (who basically accuse the regime of every crime and bombing in Syria, including bombs that target the regime or even `Alawite neighborhoods) in order to echo the trend of Saudi-Qatari media which insist that every bomb in Syria (especially when children are killed, as was the case in this particular bomb in a mosque which killed scores of people other than Al-Buti) in order to accuse the regime of killing a man who you yourself label as “the last credible ally among Sunni `Ulama’”? Do you see how the paragraph does not cohere unless you are telling readers that the regime is now going on a rampage to kill its “last credible allies”? You need to decide here: either the regime killed him or he was not then the “last credible ally” of the regime. In fact, Thomas: the opposition realized that the attempt to blame the regime for this murder is quite odd and bizarre, so some opposition groups in fact claimed (rather laughably and posthumously) that Al-Buti joined the cause of the opposition (quietly and silently) only days or hours before he was killed (although, of course, there is no evidence of that whatsoever and the cleric remained loyal to Bashshar’s regime to his last days). 

 

3) What is missing from your piece is that the exile opposition and armed groups have been denouncing Al-Buti and even calling for his murder for long months. The campaigns against Al-Buti have been relentless by various parts of the opposition particularly because he was a “credible”—to use your language—clerical ally of the regime. What is also missing is that Al-Buti recently supported the Fatwa by Mufti Hassun which attempted to monopolize Jihad in Syria by calling on Syrians to join the cause of the Syrian army, which may have sealed his fate.

Buddhist monks versus Muslim clerics

"The notion of Buddhists, especially monks, rampaging through Muslim neighborhoods with weapons is jarring to the outside world."  It is only jarring because your media consistently portray Muslims (laypeople and clerics) in an unfavorable light while you consistently portray Buddhists (lay people and clerics) in a positive light. 

Zionists lobby for the King of Jordan

You have to understand: part of the mission of the Zionist lobby in the US is to lobby for the preservation and the protection of the Jordanian regime. 

Veiled woman can love and can kiss, rumors to the contrary notwithstanding

From Tunisia.  (thanks Ahmad)

Glenn on covering Syria

Is there any particular reason you do not focus on the Syrian situation in great detail? LDoherty

There are all sorts of vital issues I don't write about much or even at all, and that's usually true for several reasons. In general, those include: time constraints, a lack of expertise, ambivalence, the fact that others are saying everything I would want to, a belief I couldn't make an impact, the opportunity costs of focusing on that topic versus other topics, etc.
As for Syria, US involvement there has been relatively minimal. But it's a very complicated case and passions and emotions are very high, so it's the kind of issue I avoid unless and until I'm able to give it the attention it deserves and feel a reason to do so. I've often cited As'ad AbuKhalil as a great source on all matters Middle East and - without adopting all or even most of what he has said - he covers Syria almost every day and does it very well."

Comic relief: about Morocco's potentate

""In order to scale back military commitments, strengthen indigenous military capabilities, and benefit from the business opportunities Africa poses, the United States would do well to find a local partner that can facilitate all three. A strong candidate to play this role is a staunch US ally, the Kingdom of Morocco: Since Muhammad VI assumed the throne in 1999, the country has worked to establish goodwill, political and economic ties, and a strong security footprint across the continent—both north and south of the Sahara....King Mohammed appears to believe that security in any developing country rests on a combination of military operations, intelligence work and policing on the one hand, and anti-poverty measures, the promotion of religious tolerance and opportunity-boosting political reforms on the other. This is the approach he has employed in his own country since a 2003 triple suicide bombing rattled the kingdom. It was recently consolidated by a new constitution that grants sweeping domestic authorities to an elected chief of government, mandates equal opportunity for women and minorities, and democratizes domestic security by establishing a consultative security council bringing the monarchy and elected officials together."" (thanks Larry)

Flash: Freedom House is worried about repression in the UAE only becausae it tarnishes the image of the pro-US polygamous rulers

"Emirates Crush Dissent at Home, Tarnishing Image Abroad"

"Anti-Muslim pogroms spread in Burma"

"Over the last few decades, the authorities in Burma have trained the population to hate Muslims. Many leaders use derogatory terms for Muslims in public, like "kalar". Recently, things have become even worse with the conflict in Rakhine state and the increasing influence of a powerful monk in Mandalay, Wirathu [Editor’s Note: Wirathu is known for his anti-Islam views. According to several Muslim Burmese activists, he recently visited Meikhtila, where he reportedly criticised the fact that many businesses were owned by Muslims]. We don’t have anyone to turn to for help. Not even Aung San Suu Kyi [Burma’s opposition leader, who after years of house arrest, now has a seat in parliament] will help us, because in Burma, speaking out for Muslims means losing votes." (thanks Carlos)

Israeli ads

I have said it before. If any of the google ads here ever display ads for Israel or Israeli products, please send me link to block forever. thanks

The Zionist who championed the fanatics who now bar him for being Jewish

"The French celebrity philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy was banned from joining the former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Libya this week because he is Jewish." (thanks Sultan)

Why House of Saud fears the internet

From Basim:  "Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti has criticized the social media website Twitter as a “council of clowns” and a place for those who “unleash unjust, incorrect and wrong tweets.” Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al-Sheikh made the statements during a speech to Saudi Arabia’s senior religious scholars on Friday, the Saudi-based al-Watan newspaper reported Saturday. The Grand Mufti argued that the most of young people are wasting their time on chatting and using the internet, especially Twitter."

Turkish-Israeli relations

 "The White House - Office of the Press Secretary: "I welcome the call today between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Erdogan. The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security. I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities."

"Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan underlined the importance of strong cooperation and friendship between the Turkish and Jewish nations in a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart on Friday, his office said. "Erdogan told (Israeli premier) Benjamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Jewish nations," the statement from Erdogan's office said."

Global mercenaries in Syria

From a reader: ""In my unit, there are several people of several different nationalities: Tunisians, Kosovars, and Chechens. We fight shoulder to shoulder with a unit that includes Americans, Frenchmen, Malysians, Romanians, etc."

"There are now an estimated 80,000 Syrian Islamist fighters engaged in battle, as well as approximately 18,000 foreign Islamist militiamen, according to sources. This includes some 2,000 fighters who are members of the Uighur ethnic group, a Muslim minority of Turkic heritage who live mostly in China."

militant Buddhist monks: not all Buddhist monks are peaceful and quiet

From a reader: ""Some local residents told The Irrawaddy that militant Buddhist monks and laymen went on a rampage through the city in Mandalay Division on Friday morning, destroying mosques and what they believed were Muslim-owned properties. "It's as if they are destroying the town. The situation is now out of control," said a Pauk Chaung quarter resident, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of his safety."

"Burmese monks have often been involved in sectarian violence, with anti-Muslim protests in Mandalay led by the saffron-robed religious leaders last year. Meikhtila is no different."

So what did Australian Defense Forces confirm really?

""An Australian Defence Force spokesperson confirmed Iranian reports that two of its warships had encountered a Royal Australian Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in the Indian Ocean earlier this month, but denied there was a confrontation. "An Australian AP-3C Orion encountered an Iranian frigate during a routine Operation Gateway patrol on 10 March 2013," said a Defence Department spokesperson. The Iranian Navy ships were reportedly heading home after a port visit to Zhangjiagang in China and were nearing Sri Lanka when they were intercepted by the Australian aircraft. The Iranian Fars News Agency claims Iran's 24th fleet, which comprises the support ship Kharg and the frigate Sabalan, forced the aircraft to turn away."" (thanks Amir)

Intellectual intimidation

Glenn Greenwald, perhaps the most courageous US journalist, writes about smearing of Chomsky: "But what is at play here is this destructive dynamic that the more one dissents from political orthodoxies, the more personalized, style-focused and substance-free the attacks become. That's because once someone becomes sufficiently critical of establishment pieties, the goal is not merely to dispute their claims but to silence them. That's accomplished by demonizing the person on personality and style grounds to the point where huge numbers of people decide that nothing they say should even be considered, let alone accepted. It's a sorry and anti-intellectual tactic, to be sure, but a brutally effective one."

Hizbullah's role in Syria

This is the most reliable account of the role of Hizbullah in Syria by publisher of Al-Akhbar, Ibrahim Al-Amin.  The subject is either exaggerated by Hariri-Saudi-Western media or denied by pro-Hizbullah's propaganda. 

Anne Barnard: reporting on Lebanon from Lebanon, this time

Having been reporting on Syria from Lebanon (citing Israeli sources), Anne Barnard (for a change) is today reporting on Lebanon from Lebanon.  An improvement indeed. But read this piece: every reference to unnamed "analyst" (does not) conceal her Hariri media sources.    And she makes no reference to Miqati's growing relations with the House of Saud through Prince Bandar, who now commands March 14 plus Jumblat plus Miqati plus Sulayman (and the latter has been enjoying Saudi and Qatari bribes as of late).   But she also does not tell readers that Miqatri has been (like Hariri) a lackey of Syrian intelligence for years, and that Syrian intelligence intorduced him into the Lebanese political scene.  She also does not mention that he made his fortune through monopolistic contracts with elements in the corrupt Syrian regime.  But by far the funnies part of the article is this:  "General Rifi was a main figure in the Internal Security Forces and whose clout and expertise will be difficult to replace."  How funny is that? I mean, she does not even try to conceal the Hariri media office press releases leaking in every word of this piece.  Expertise and clout? There is no expert in Lebanon except Mr. Rifi?  Is it about clout or about his ties to the House of Saud, especially that he is a board member of the Prince Nayif University for Security and Torture Studies.  Anne Barnard on Lebanon: is either ignorant who does not know any of this, or she knows all this but views her mission as mere propaganda, just as her missing in writing about Syria. In either case, she is not qualified.  Finally, the resignation of Miqati is a Saudi decision, and was delivered by Prince Bandar through Jumblat.

Al-Qaradawi rules that clerics who support the regime should be killed

This same Al-Qaradawi is now shedding crocodile tears about Al-Buti. (thanks Ahmad)

The Palestnian who stood up to Obama in Jerusalem

This picture celebrating the Palestinian student, Rabi` `Id, who interrupted Obama's Zionist rhetoric in Jerusalem to speak about Palestinian rights is widely circulating on Facebook by Arabs and supporters of Palestine.   Rabi` requested my friendship on Facebook yesterday, and I of course accepted and we communicated some yesterday.  I asked him a few questions about the experience and here are some of his answers (I cite with his permissions):  He said that he was not arrested but that they (Israeli security) at first handcuffed him (after they forced him out of the hall) and told him that he was under arrest.  But after some journalists went out and started taking pictures, the chief of security said that he does not want to cause noise especially before the cameras and ordered that he be forced out and released.  He is a political science student at Haifa University and works as a journalist in Arabs 48 website and in the Fasl Al-Maqal publication.  He is active in the Hizb At-Tajammu` Al-Watani ad-Dimuqrati.  He said that he listened to the first 15 to 20 minutes of the speech before speaking out.  I asked him what provoked him most.  He said:  Obama's adoption to the Israeli historical narrative and his justification to the Zionist hegemony in Palestine: that he talks about democracy and justice and then supports a racist Jewish state.  How does he feel as a black man about the segregated Jews-only buses, he wondered.  He told me that he views Obama as a white colonialist man.He said that he has been receiving an avalanche of letters of support and congratulations, in the hundreds, and from all around Arab world and the world at large, and from Palestinians around the world.  He said a small number of Israelis sent support, and some are not Zionist and some are leftist and some he did not know.  HE said that one person clapped for him in the hall and yelled: Free Palestine.  I encouraged him to respond to media interview requests. 

The lies of the Syrian exile opposition: the story of the killing of Al-Buti

I really have not seen liars worse than the Saudi-Qatari branch of the Syrian exile opposition.  They have been for long months calling the cleric Al-Buti a traitor and an apostate and have even issued rulings for his murder and he has been attacked day and night by opposition leaders and supporters.  And yet: when he was killed (along with scores of civilians) by a suicide bomb (clearly by opposition armed gangs), those same enemies of Al-Buti are vomiting the most ridiculous stories and theories about his murder: that he converted to the opposition the night before, that the regime killed him (presumably because he had only days ago supported a ruling that considered Jihad to be only on the side of the regime), or whatever.  I mean, can they at least vomit lies that are less ridiculous?  If this is the quality of their lies before even reaching power, can they imagine the quality of their propaganda once (or if) in power?

Lies of Erdogan

Of course, I never trusted Erdogan and I never trust Islamists (Sunni and Shi`ite alike before the sectarian traders jump in).  Erdogan used to say that he won't resume relations with Israel unless Israel fulfills several conditions including an official apology and an end to the siege of Gaza.  In reality, the Israeli apology was in fact casual and not official according to diplomatic norms (and was not even offered before the cameras), and the siege of Gaza has not even been reduced.  I used to tell people: I believe Turkish rhetoric when the secret military-intelligence agreements between Israel and Turkey are terminated. 

The role of Turkey

In 2010, when I stayed for a few months in Lebanon, I publicly spoke against confidence in the Turkish role in the region.  I also pointed out that there is a clear propaganda campaign by Turkey in Lebanon on behalf of its government. I warned against trust in the Turkish government in the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Supporters of Hizbullah and the Syrian regime were publicly attacking me for my distrust, and saying that I suffer from chronic negativism.  I mention this for history only. 

Emir of Qatar

In 2010, the Emir of Qatar told me that Prince Saudi Faysal is the number one sponsor of sectarian conflict in Lebanon.  Today, I say to the Emir of Qatar: you are now the number one sponsor of sectarian conflict in Lebanon, and in full cooperation with Prince Bandar, and at the behest of the US-Israeli alliance.  No question about it.