Al-Qaida Needs New Rags, Lebanon Blockaded, Saudi Man Cuts Own 'Cord'

Al-Qaeda Feels Left Out:
Ayman Al-Zawahiri released another video-clip, lest the world forgets him, hiding so far in the rugged tribal lands of Pakistan while Hassan Nassrallah enjoys the limelight and the ambience of Beirut. He invited the American people to convert to Islam. No takers so far. I think he might have better luck if he changes his attire, perhaps to something that does not immediately evoke in some American minds a certain derogatory term related to loose clothes. Has the man never seen these other elders (the kaffir equivalent of shaikhs), the clean-looking fershly-scrubbed Mormon boys and (gasp) girls? And I thought they went everywhere.

Lebanon Blockaded:
The Lebanese Asembly Speaker, Nabih Berri, who also heads the Shi'a Amal (Hope) movement, has called for Lebanese parliamentarians to stage a protest over the continued Israeli blockade of his country.

Middle East reports indicate that the Israeli blockade covers air traffic as well as sea and land movements. Apparently all airliners heading for Beirut airport must now land first in Amman, Jordan for inspection before being allowed to fly into Lebanon. Arab commentators who care to comment on this complain that basically Jordan is playing the role of Israeli inspectors or security agents. All Arab governments have so far avoided this thorny issue in the good old-fashioned Arab way, by simply ignoring it. Some insane Arab commentators have suggested that all Arab leaders should get into a plane and fly into Beirut without stopping in Amman for the mandatory inspection. So far there are no takers.

Iraq:
Looks like a cabinet reshuffle is in the cards for Iraq. It is highly unlikely that the partisan or sectarian mix will change. Arab media also report that former US Secretary of State James Baker is heading a special group charged by President Bush with assessing US policy in Iraq. The reports said that Baker is currently in Iraq holding meetings with top leaders. But if this is true, can he repeat his succeses before Desert Storm (90/91) and in Florida (2000)?

Ayatollah Sistani has warned the Iraqi government that the state must control the security situation, otherwise others might fill the vacuum.


Oil Prices and Reform:
Gulf news reports indicate that the price of Persian Gulf crude is now at the low $60s. That should have no immediate budgetary effect, since the price used for budget planning is much lower than that. The lower oil prices should have positive long-term effects, though- under other circumstances they might force serious attention to economic and fiscal reforms. Usually, when oil prices are lower, the talk of reform escalates, but all is forgotten when prices move up, which they inevitably do, in terms of current dollars.


Saudi Man Cuts own Manhood:
Alarabiya.net reports that a 28 year old man in Saudi Arabia stood up in a mosque during the early morning prayers and made a brief speech to the congregation. He told them that people should be respectful and should cut off any part of their body that moves during prayers. The man took off his clothes as he talked, then he took out a sharp instrument and cut off his penis. reports indicate that the young man had been married three times and that all his marriages had ended in divorce. reports also said that the same mosque witnessed a similar event about a year earlier. Must be something in the water.

Cheers,
Mohammed