You have to see this. Right-wing "human rights" organization "Freedom" House, publishes annual ranking of "free" countries around the world. It was a major tool in US foreign policy during the Cold War as "fredom" was defined was the extent to which a country conforms to US wishes. Notice in this ranking, Jordan, Morocco, and Bahrain (the same three countries saluted by Bush in his state of the Union speech) are ranked ahead of Lebanon. Well, Lebanon, with all its problems, is certainly more free and more open that the three countries. Jordan is certainly one of the more oppressive states, especially as they have a long (probably proud for the Saudi royal family of Jordan) record of torture against dissidents.

"Up to 70% interest - credit card aimed at the poor"

"On July 29, according to lobbying records reviewed by NEWSWEEK, the Saudis' leading Washington fixer, Adel Al-Jubeir, met with Karl Rove to, among other things, "give a status briefing on the Kingdom's reform efforts and war against terrorism.""

"US accused of plan to muzzle al-Jazeera through privatisation"

"Israel satisfied by U.S. decision to recall Syria envoy." Really?

Bush's allies in the Middle East: "Guantánamo inmate tells of Libyan death threat."

Ayatollahs for Bush: they have to form to be grateful to Bush for brining them to power in Iraq. Who knows? With 4 more years of Bush, he may spread Mullah rule throughout the Middle East, and sell it to Americans as "victory for freedom."

It is almost a week since I was last able to post. It was quite frustrating. So many things have happened, and yet George W. Bush kept making progress in Iraq. I felt silenced, and perhaps suspected a conspiracy to shut the site down. Whom did I suspect? I was certain it was remnants of the Ba`th regime. No, it was Iran. No, no, it was Saddam's former deputy. Come to think of it, it was Syria. But then again, Zarqawi is certainly responsible. No, I meant to say the Ba`thist exilees in Damascus. But then again, it could be the former intelligence apparatus of Saddam. I am back with a vengeance.

testing..

Goddamn it, work!
-Neal

test post
-neal

...testing..

testing...yet again
-Neal

Just testing again
-Neal

Test post. Experiencing technical difficulties.
-Neal

...testing.

Another test post
-Neal

Testing...just testing
-Neal

testing...

testing.

...testing.

afdad

...testing.

...testing.

Testing.

"Sorry George, but Iraq has given you the purple finger: The party likely to win the election opposes the US presence and policies."

"It is hard to know what to make of this passage. It appears to attribute some responsibility for the horrors of Sept. 11 to left-leaning professors in Western universities. This astonishing accusation is offered without a shred of evidence or explanation, without even a footnote of substantiation."

"Freedom"??!!! "The Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation has met in Tripoli with William Burns , the US Assistant Secretary of State, who arrived in Libya on Wednesday. William Burns hailed Libya’s continuing efforts in promoting peace and stability in and the world. He also praised progress, development and significant economic modernization Libya’s witnessing."

"Bush Administration's First Memo on al-Qaeda Declassified"

Introduction to Gilles Kepel's The War for Muslim Minds (thanks Amir)

Did I not tell you that Bush is bringing Ayatollah rule to Iraq? "Islamic Parties Carry Iraq Local Vote"

"The influence of Muslim literature in the United States." (But Jonathan: did we really need to know that Madonna, Demi Moore, and Goldie Hawn like Rumi?)

"More than half of the benefits from this backdoor tax cut would go to people with incomes of more than a million dollars; 97 percent would go to people with incomes exceeding $200,000."

"Foreign fighters associated with Abu Musab Zarqawi and his al Qaeda-affiliated insurgent group, who once were seen as the prime opponents along with tens of thousands of criminals freed by Saddam Hussein before the war began in 2003, are now described as lesser elements but still a source of danger."

Israeli "settlers threw stones at Palestinians and tried to pull Palestinian drivers out of their vehicles in attempts to commandeer them."

"Iraq." 

"Eason Jordan resigned last night as CNN's chief news executive in an effort to quell a bubbling controversy over his remarks about U.S. soldiers killing journalists in Iraq."

"According to some people interviewed, it is exactly for these reasons that Al-Hurra is not getting the audience they are aiming for. "Can they expect the Arabs to watch them if they don't show Palestinians being killed, and don't portray Israelis as oppressors?" said Nabil Dajani, professor of communications at the American University of Beirut. "The U.S. has a lost cause here in the Middle East unless they change their policy on Palestine. I think Al-Hurra is doomed," he added."

By Ali Farzat. 

The fanatical Right loves to declare the death of the Left, repeatedly.

Arthur Miller, is dead.

Jeune Femme sur la Plage (date?). Philip Wilson Steer. (If there is a better rendition of the sun's reflection on water than this painting, I have not seen it). 

"Out of the $2.5 billion Congress has appropriated for Afghanistan since 2002 (a minuscule amount compared to Iraq), only $72.5 million (less than 3 percent) has been dedicated to women’s programs."

"A U.S. human rights group accused the United States on Thursday of torturing terror suspects at U.S. prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, alleging at least 37 detainees have died during interrogations."

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (via Buzzflash)