Iraqi Politics: a Flashback
Apparently the Sunni insurgents in Iraq are splitting up. Right now, it looks like some are ending their alliance with al-Qaeda. Soon there will be other break-ups along tribal and clan lines as well- there are already signs of splits even within the parliamentary Tawafuq Sunni group. The Shi'as have their own two major divisions, between the Sadrists and the former SCIRI, the al-Hakeem group. The Da'awa Party of PM al-Maliki was the main target of the Ba'ath regime and the scourge of its royal allies in the Persian Gulf tribal monarchies during the 1980s. But the Da'awa does not have a large popular base now: the Sadrist movement has taken over much of that.
Some news reports now claim that part of a major Sunni insurgent group in Iraq, dubbed the "the 1920 Revolution" has been shifting away from al-Qaeda and may be receiving U.S arms to fight its 'former' allies.
Ironically, the 1920 Revolution, later called al-thawra al-Iraqiyya al-Kubra , was a rebellion against the British occupation after World War I and its plan of creating a mandate in Iraq. It led to some cooperation between the majority Shi'as and the Sunni ulema religious elders against the British. Grand Ayatollah Shirazi issued a fatwa at the time, pointing out that it was against Islamic law for Muslims to countenance being ruled by non-Muslims.
The Sunni elites had in the past supported the Tukish-Ottoman rule, and they saw an opening with the Brits, which they exploited. They quickly became the favorites of the likes of Gertrude Bell and Percy Cox. The Shi'as and the Kurds were vehemently opposed to British rule. Those two groups bore the brunt of British anger and armor, as their villages and towns were bombed and shelled.
In the end the British were forced to form an 'Iraqi' government for the new country, but this government was not totally 'Iraqi': it was mainly a Sunni regime, formed largely of imported former Ottoman lackeys from Syria and Hijaz and local Ottoman lackeys from places like Baghdad and Samarra. In the end the British had their revenge on the rebellious Shi'as: they gave the power in the new Iraqi state to the Sunni minority, who held it with force until 2003. The Kurds, as usual, got the worst deal: they were effectively relegated to third-class citizenship, just behind the Shi'as.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Failed States:
Foreign Policy magazine has issued its list of "Failed States" for 2007, for all its worth:
The Arabs win the gold, the silver, and the bronze this time: the top three states, i.e the three most failed states on the list, are members of the Arab League. The Africans are close behind, nipping at their heels.
There are eight Arab states among the top 60. Which means that almost half the League members are defined here as failed states of one degree or another. Many other grossly mismanaged Arab states are probably not defined as such only because of three important letters O-I-L. A steep drop in petroleum prices, although unlikely right now, could easily double the number of failed Arab states: remember, when crude prices were at around than $ 10-15 a barrel, Saudi Arabia was largely considered a near-failed state.
The top eight Arab states include, by improving order (from worst to less bad?): Sudan (1), Iraq (2), Somalia (3), Yemen (24), Lebanon (28), Egypt (36), Syria (40).
There are 20 Moslem states among the top 60, and 7 among the top 20.
The top 20 (the worst 20) are all African, Arab, or Moslem states, with the exception of North Korea and Burma (this dubious company should make Kim Jung Il in his Dear Leader tight khakis really pissed).
Palestinian Divisions:
Arab media report that the Fatah-PLO in the West Bank is threatened with a split of its own. Icons (or relics, depending on your politics) of the Old old guard such as Farouq Kaddoumi and Hani Al-Hassan have raised objections to President Abbas' policies regarding the peace process and disarming some militias.
Meanwhile, the prospect of holding U.N supervised elections in both Gaza and the West Bank is being raised, but it looks like neither side wants the elections on his own territory (where are you Jimmy Carter when they need you?)
Then again, what happens if Hamas wins again, in BOTH territories? This possibility cannot be dismissed if the elections are fair and open- the Fatah has dug a deep hole of corruption for itself since the Oslo agreement. And Palestinian voters are crazy and desperate enough to do it. Perhaps all those Fatah ministers and ex-ministers can be persuaded to give back the money, liquidate assets across Europe and points beyond. Perhaps with a little help from their friends....perhaps a few millions of those famous BAE billions that were received by a certain influential Saudi prince-diplomat-ambassador in Washington, and eluded the British SFO, with the help of Tony Blair?
Which brings me to Mr. Blair, mostly a nice guy, really, in spite of his Alfred E. Newman looks- come to think of it, isn't there another very famous Western leader who also resembles Alfred E. Newman?
But don't hold your breath for yo Blair to achieve a breakthrough in his new job as 'mediator' in the Middle East.
Iranians are getting restive over the government's inept economic policies and its renewed crackdown on reformers and women who show some hair. Last week, gasoline had to be rationed, and this hit people where it really hurts, especially in a country that sits on an ocean of petroleum.
Cheers
Mohammed
Foreign Policy magazine has issued its list of "Failed States" for 2007, for all its worth:
The Arabs win the gold, the silver, and the bronze this time: the top three states, i.e the three most failed states on the list, are members of the Arab League. The Africans are close behind, nipping at their heels.
There are eight Arab states among the top 60. Which means that almost half the League members are defined here as failed states of one degree or another. Many other grossly mismanaged Arab states are probably not defined as such only because of three important letters O-I-L. A steep drop in petroleum prices, although unlikely right now, could easily double the number of failed Arab states: remember, when crude prices were at around than $ 10-15 a barrel, Saudi Arabia was largely considered a near-failed state.
The top eight Arab states include, by improving order (from worst to less bad?): Sudan (1), Iraq (2), Somalia (3), Yemen (24), Lebanon (28), Egypt (36), Syria (40).
There are 20 Moslem states among the top 60, and 7 among the top 20.
The top 20 (the worst 20) are all African, Arab, or Moslem states, with the exception of North Korea and Burma (this dubious company should make Kim Jung Il in his Dear Leader tight khakis really pissed).
Palestinian Divisions:
Arab media report that the Fatah-PLO in the West Bank is threatened with a split of its own. Icons (or relics, depending on your politics) of the Old old guard such as Farouq Kaddoumi and Hani Al-Hassan have raised objections to President Abbas' policies regarding the peace process and disarming some militias.
Meanwhile, the prospect of holding U.N supervised elections in both Gaza and the West Bank is being raised, but it looks like neither side wants the elections on his own territory (where are you Jimmy Carter when they need you?)
Then again, what happens if Hamas wins again, in BOTH territories? This possibility cannot be dismissed if the elections are fair and open- the Fatah has dug a deep hole of corruption for itself since the Oslo agreement. And Palestinian voters are crazy and desperate enough to do it. Perhaps all those Fatah ministers and ex-ministers can be persuaded to give back the money, liquidate assets across Europe and points beyond. Perhaps with a little help from their friends....perhaps a few millions of those famous BAE billions that were received by a certain influential Saudi prince-diplomat-ambassador in Washington, and eluded the British SFO, with the help of Tony Blair?
Which brings me to Mr. Blair, mostly a nice guy, really, in spite of his Alfred E. Newman looks- come to think of it, isn't there another very famous Western leader who also resembles Alfred E. Newman?
But don't hold your breath for yo Blair to achieve a breakthrough in his new job as 'mediator' in the Middle East.
Iranians are getting restive over the government's inept economic policies and its renewed crackdown on reformers and women who show some hair. Last week, gasoline had to be rationed, and this hit people where it really hurts, especially in a country that sits on an ocean of petroleum.
Cheers
Mohammed
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Saudi offshore satellite television station Alarbiya, controlled by a royal prince, has been leading a crusade (no pun here) against what it sees as Shi'a (Shi'ite) expansionism. This started ever since a Shi'a- Kurdish led coalition was elected to run Iraq. But it has escalated since the Israeli-Hezballah war last summer and the increased rivalry between the Shi'a block in Lebanon (Hizballah and Amal) and the Saudi-allied Hariri block and its partners (Mr Saad Hariri is also a Saudi citizen). This trend is evident all across the Saudi press, especially the offshore media like Asharq Alawsat (Middle East), Alhayat, and Alarabiya.
These media outlets often, almost daily, exchange their editorials and opinion columns. Alarabiya periodically reports on 'uncovering' Shi'a 'converts' around the Arab world. It has reported on Algerian security uncovering teachers who had 'converted' to Shi'ism, and has extensively reported on allegations of Egyptian, Sudanese, and especially Palestinian conversions. It never mentions whether these converts hide in dark catacombs, but it does imply that there is something sinister about the whole thing.....it is soooo un-Wahhabi.
Today it headlined with a report of a dangerous new trend: Shi'as in Egypt seeking to establish a house of worship!!! Oy vey, what will they try next? A synagogue in Riyadh?
Cheers
Mohammed
These media outlets often, almost daily, exchange their editorials and opinion columns. Alarabiya periodically reports on 'uncovering' Shi'a 'converts' around the Arab world. It has reported on Algerian security uncovering teachers who had 'converted' to Shi'ism, and has extensively reported on allegations of Egyptian, Sudanese, and especially Palestinian conversions. It never mentions whether these converts hide in dark catacombs, but it does imply that there is something sinister about the whole thing.....it is soooo un-Wahhabi.
Today it headlined with a report of a dangerous new trend: Shi'as in Egypt seeking to establish a house of worship!!! Oy vey, what will they try next? A synagogue in Riyadh?
Cheers
Mohammed
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Queen of England bestowing a knighthood on Salman Rushdie has stirred a lot of controversy in the Middle East. Arabs, Pakistanis and Iranians are pissed about it, to put it mildly. No word from the mellow Turks yet, the Afghans don't count in this case, and the wily Nigerians are trying to figure out a way to use the issue in their national specialty: the world renouned oil and banking charity scams. Soon there will be emails and letters flying from Lagos, Abuja and London offering a part of the Rushdie fortune, a knighthood by the Queen, or perhaps a new lofty title by some Pakistani shaikh.
But the furor is not as would have been expected in the past, say a few years ago. Normally this would be a good sign, except for the factors behind it. Too many issues, or regional disasters, compete with the Old Queen and the irreverent author for the headlines these days: Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, Nuclear weapons, sectarian issues, etc. Perhaps if the Queen had waited until Christmas Eve......
A Pakistani organizaton of 'ulema, Islamic religious leaders, has countered the queen's action with one of its own. The Council of Pakistani 'Ulema, with 2,000 clerical members, has awarded Usama (Osama) Bin Laden a new title: Sword of Allah. Now, old Usama can't go around being called Sir Usama, not yet, but he can be called Saif al-Islam, or just plain 'Saif'. Come to think of it, this is the very same title bestowed on Saddam Hussein in the 1980s by some of the elite 'thinkers' (that is what they were called), and elite poets (and very elite poetesses) among his future Arab victims on the Gulf. Except they called him Sword of the Arabs, instead of Sword of Allah. They weren't as ambitious for him as the Pakistanis are for Usama.
As for old Usama (Osama), you infidel kaffirs in the West can call him plain 'Sword' if you wish.
Cheers
Mohammed
But the furor is not as would have been expected in the past, say a few years ago. Normally this would be a good sign, except for the factors behind it. Too many issues, or regional disasters, compete with the Old Queen and the irreverent author for the headlines these days: Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, Nuclear weapons, sectarian issues, etc. Perhaps if the Queen had waited until Christmas Eve......
A Pakistani organizaton of 'ulema, Islamic religious leaders, has countered the queen's action with one of its own. The Council of Pakistani 'Ulema, with 2,000 clerical members, has awarded Usama (Osama) Bin Laden a new title: Sword of Allah. Now, old Usama can't go around being called Sir Usama, not yet, but he can be called Saif al-Islam, or just plain 'Saif'. Come to think of it, this is the very same title bestowed on Saddam Hussein in the 1980s by some of the elite 'thinkers' (that is what they were called), and elite poets (and very elite poetesses) among his future Arab victims on the Gulf. Except they called him Sword of the Arabs, instead of Sword of Allah. They weren't as ambitious for him as the Pakistanis are for Usama.
As for old Usama (Osama), you infidel kaffirs in the West can call him plain 'Sword' if you wish.
Cheers
Mohammed
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Saudi media, mostly owned or controlled by royal princes, has a large supply of mercenary journalists in reserve. These are often non-Saudi Arabs who have seen the light, discovered the joys of an absolute tribal monarchy, and shifted their ideology toward extolling the virtues of said tribal absolute monarchy. They are supposed to lend outside credibility to whatever the newspaper has to say.
I have selected an article from the Saudi newspaper Asharq Alawsat, one of several candidates for what I have in mind, written by someone named Ghassan al-Imam. Here is an abridged example of such groveling huat journalisme: (the italics in parentheses are my own comments):
“I have always said that the Moslem Brotherhood (such as Hamas) are not qualified to build a democratic and cooperative relationship (such as exists in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states?) with other political forces, once they have taken political control (surprise, surprise). I want to continue talking of the Arabhood of Saudi Arabia (another surprise, give the word ‘Arabia’ in the name), and the necessity of facing up to the fierce foreign and alien (referring to both the USA and Iran) assault on the Arab nation, whether in the call for jihad or in the name of American calls for democratic reform….
“I am not presenting here some propaganda for the Saudi policy, but I am presenting an explanatory vision of the history of the Saudi state through three centuries (try seventy five years). My vision differs from the traditional visions, with the goal of correcting deliberate distortions that are done to a historic Arab state. These are also done from outside by groups that take sanctuary overseas (could they do that in Riyadh, par exemple, without getting their heads chopped off?)
“Several years ago, I explained the history of the Saudi State in a series of articles, on these very same pages. I was shocked to discover that Arabs, and many Saudis, do not know this epic, struggling history (he uses the term ni’dhali, which implies fighting for freedom and justice, or perhaps the right to strike). However, an individual effort is not adequate. We need for historians, academicians, and thinkers (but no booty kissers?) to present a modern vision of the ‘Saudi Project’ to future generations (and how do you present a modern vision of a tribal absolute monarchy-theocracy?).
“The Saudi state had the aim of unification from the outset…...the Saudi family used its alliance with the faith deliberately to promote unity among the tribes….as a precursor to modernizing them (what a sneaky thing to do)…..
“The nineteenth century was a fierce fiery Saudi struggle for liberation, and some Saudi rulers paid a high price for it (so, we do have a Nelson Mandela al-Saud somewhere).
“King Abdulaziz was a visionary, who bided his time wisely for thirty years, before declaring his unified state (of course first he had to defeat and take over such autonomous regions as the birthplace of Islam Hijaz and oil-rich al-A’hsaa, but these are mere details) , and when he did declare his project o Arab unity, he gave the country the name of Arabia (very decent of him, and I thought that has been its name since before Islam, as in Arabia Deserta. He also gave the country his own family name).
“King Abdulaziz’ vision was even socialist, as when he established a cooperative farm (was this on the model of a Soviet Kolkhuz, or an early Zionist Kibbutz? Was the King inspired by Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Jabotinsky, or Ben Gurion? Alas, the writer does not say.) ……”
Such groveling nonsense has been a hallmark of a lot of the media in the Gulf, particularly the Saudi media.
Cheers
Mohammed
I have selected an article from the Saudi newspaper Asharq Alawsat, one of several candidates for what I have in mind, written by someone named Ghassan al-Imam. Here is an abridged example of such groveling huat journalisme: (the italics in parentheses are my own comments):
“I have always said that the Moslem Brotherhood (such as Hamas) are not qualified to build a democratic and cooperative relationship (such as exists in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states?) with other political forces, once they have taken political control (surprise, surprise). I want to continue talking of the Arabhood of Saudi Arabia (another surprise, give the word ‘Arabia’ in the name), and the necessity of facing up to the fierce foreign and alien (referring to both the USA and Iran) assault on the Arab nation, whether in the call for jihad or in the name of American calls for democratic reform….
“I am not presenting here some propaganda for the Saudi policy, but I am presenting an explanatory vision of the history of the Saudi state through three centuries (try seventy five years). My vision differs from the traditional visions, with the goal of correcting deliberate distortions that are done to a historic Arab state. These are also done from outside by groups that take sanctuary overseas (could they do that in Riyadh, par exemple, without getting their heads chopped off?)
“Several years ago, I explained the history of the Saudi State in a series of articles, on these very same pages. I was shocked to discover that Arabs, and many Saudis, do not know this epic, struggling history (he uses the term ni’dhali, which implies fighting for freedom and justice, or perhaps the right to strike). However, an individual effort is not adequate. We need for historians, academicians, and thinkers (but no booty kissers?) to present a modern vision of the ‘Saudi Project’ to future generations (and how do you present a modern vision of a tribal absolute monarchy-theocracy?).
“The Saudi state had the aim of unification from the outset…...the Saudi family used its alliance with the faith deliberately to promote unity among the tribes….as a precursor to modernizing them (what a sneaky thing to do)…..
“The nineteenth century was a fierce fiery Saudi struggle for liberation, and some Saudi rulers paid a high price for it (so, we do have a Nelson Mandela al-Saud somewhere).
“King Abdulaziz was a visionary, who bided his time wisely for thirty years, before declaring his unified state (of course first he had to defeat and take over such autonomous regions as the birthplace of Islam Hijaz and oil-rich al-A’hsaa, but these are mere details) , and when he did declare his project o Arab unity, he gave the country the name of Arabia (very decent of him, and I thought that has been its name since before Islam, as in Arabia Deserta. He also gave the country his own family name).
“King Abdulaziz’ vision was even socialist, as when he established a cooperative farm (was this on the model of a Soviet Kolkhuz, or an early Zionist Kibbutz? Was the King inspired by Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Jabotinsky, or Ben Gurion? Alas, the writer does not say.) ……”
Such groveling nonsense has been a hallmark of a lot of the media in the Gulf, particularly the Saudi media.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Panmunjom of Palestine, Arab Political ED and the Blue Pill
Interesting, Mr. Bush mentioned a possible Korean style situation for Iraq- he meant a South Korean style US presence. Now we might have a different Korean style situation for the Palestinians: a North Korea-South Korea style of division, something like a Gaza- West Bank division. Ironically, that would make Israel the Panmunjom, the truce village, of the divided Palestinian areas.
Speaking of hypocrisy: The US government and other allies are resuming aid to the Palestinian government, now that President Abbas has dissolved the popularly elected Hamas government and installed a pro-PLO unelected cabinet- for the West Bank only, of course.
An Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo stressed the importance of supporting ‘legality’ in both Lebanon and Palestine. Typically, they did not specify who was legal and who was not in these two cases, although it is understood by all what they meant. Normally whoever is in power is considered legal, no matter how they got there.
Who is right and who is not? The constitutionally elected president of Lebanon along with its constitutionally elected Speaker of Parliament (one side of the current Lebanese divide), or the constitutionally elected Prime Minister and his remaining ministers (the other side of the divide)? About one third of the Arab countries boycotted that Cairo meeting: what is the point if the whole system suffers from a severe case of ED? ED here could mean Electoral Dysfunction, but then again, it could also mean something more personal and therefore more serious, as in maybe 'they won't be ready when the moment is right'- quel embarassment!
I suppose in Arab terms an unelected regime in the West Bank is more legal than an elected and nutty one in, say, Gaza. And if there is a way to make it a hereditary regime, as in a hand-me-down, father-to-son regime, then it would be even more legitimate.
An embarrassment: the Lebanese army has been fighting for many weeks to root out the Fath al-Islam terrorist group in the Nahr–el-Barid refugee camp, and it has the support of all major political factions in Lebanon. If there are only about 200 or so armed men, then how come it is taking so long?
I read a comment on the Aalarbiya website about the differences between Lebanon to Syria, in terms of culture and democratic values. A Saudi commentator said that when he crossed from Syria to Lebanon, it was like moving from the 15th century to the 21st century. He did not say how it felt when he got to Lebanon from his own country.
Cheers
Mohammed
Interesting, Mr. Bush mentioned a possible Korean style situation for Iraq- he meant a South Korean style US presence. Now we might have a different Korean style situation for the Palestinians: a North Korea-South Korea style of division, something like a Gaza- West Bank division. Ironically, that would make Israel the Panmunjom, the truce village, of the divided Palestinian areas.
Speaking of hypocrisy: The US government and other allies are resuming aid to the Palestinian government, now that President Abbas has dissolved the popularly elected Hamas government and installed a pro-PLO unelected cabinet- for the West Bank only, of course.
An Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo stressed the importance of supporting ‘legality’ in both Lebanon and Palestine. Typically, they did not specify who was legal and who was not in these two cases, although it is understood by all what they meant. Normally whoever is in power is considered legal, no matter how they got there.
Who is right and who is not? The constitutionally elected president of Lebanon along with its constitutionally elected Speaker of Parliament (one side of the current Lebanese divide), or the constitutionally elected Prime Minister and his remaining ministers (the other side of the divide)? About one third of the Arab countries boycotted that Cairo meeting: what is the point if the whole system suffers from a severe case of ED? ED here could mean Electoral Dysfunction, but then again, it could also mean something more personal and therefore more serious, as in maybe 'they won't be ready when the moment is right'- quel embarassment!
I suppose in Arab terms an unelected regime in the West Bank is more legal than an elected and nutty one in, say, Gaza. And if there is a way to make it a hereditary regime, as in a hand-me-down, father-to-son regime, then it would be even more legitimate.
An embarrassment: the Lebanese army has been fighting for many weeks to root out the Fath al-Islam terrorist group in the Nahr–el-Barid refugee camp, and it has the support of all major political factions in Lebanon. If there are only about 200 or so armed men, then how come it is taking so long?
I read a comment on the Aalarbiya website about the differences between Lebanon to Syria, in terms of culture and democratic values. A Saudi commentator said that when he crossed from Syria to Lebanon, it was like moving from the 15th century to the 21st century. He did not say how it felt when he got to Lebanon from his own country.
Cheers
Mohammed
Friday, June 15, 2007
Saudi Arabia does not have a good record of successful mediation among warring Arab or Moslem factions. Not even the holy city of Mecca could make warring and feuding factions abide by the accords they sign within her. It is almost worse than during the Jahiliyya (that is the ancient days of paganism to you kaffirs) when accords among Arab tribes were respected, up to a point of course.
Accords signed in Mecca, Riyadh, or Taif to stop bloodshed in areas as diverse as Kuwait (July 1990) Afghanistan (1990s), Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine have been broken as soon as the parties returned home. In fairness to the Saudis, hardly any accord signed to settle an Arab or Moslem dispute has been respected, no matter where it was signed.
Famously, a few months ago the Palestinian Hamas and Fatah were brought to Mecca, and they agreed to sign a peace accord and agreed to share power. It was an untenable accord between the utterly corrupt (PLO-Fatah) and the hopelessly fundamentalist (Hamas). It also became untenable because some Arab media, especially in the Persian Gulf monarchies, gloatingly pronounced Hamas, until recently the favored recipient of their aid and support, as good as dead. The kleptocracy of Fatah and the PLO were pronounced preferable to the extremist and absurdly anti-peace Hamas- never mind that it was the kleptocratic nature of Fatah leaders, as well as Gulf money, that lead to the growth of Hamas.
Now all the wisdom of King Abdullah, Big Abdullah of Saudi Arabia not Little Abdullah de Jourdanie, and perhaps the huge sums of money disbursed, have been wasted.
Money is made to waste in the Arab World- easy come, easy go: just ask BAE and the now-muzzled British SFO investigators. But wisdom? Now that is a scarce resource in the region (psssst to the Salafis of Arabia, I have heard from several reliable and unimpeachable sources that Solomon was Jewish, but don’t swallow you ghutra in despair. That was a long time ago- he would probably convert to Salafism if he were around these days).
Unfortunately it begins to increasingly look like wisdom is also in short supply in Washington as well. The popularly elected Hamas should have been engaged rather than cornered and starved. Also, the Fatah-PLO boys should learn to play their cards closer to their chests- premature gloating is NOT a good strategy in a poker game where the winner takes all.
Increasingly, the choices facing other Arabs as well are being restricted to traditional despotic kleptocracy or despotic fundamentalism. It pays for Arab regimes to restrict their opposition to the fundies and jihadists (unless they are allied with them): nothing would insure Washington’s support more than waving the fundamentalist threat. Almost like the good old days of the Cold War.
Cheers
Mohammed
Accords signed in Mecca, Riyadh, or Taif to stop bloodshed in areas as diverse as Kuwait (July 1990) Afghanistan (1990s), Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine have been broken as soon as the parties returned home. In fairness to the Saudis, hardly any accord signed to settle an Arab or Moslem dispute has been respected, no matter where it was signed.
Famously, a few months ago the Palestinian Hamas and Fatah were brought to Mecca, and they agreed to sign a peace accord and agreed to share power. It was an untenable accord between the utterly corrupt (PLO-Fatah) and the hopelessly fundamentalist (Hamas). It also became untenable because some Arab media, especially in the Persian Gulf monarchies, gloatingly pronounced Hamas, until recently the favored recipient of their aid and support, as good as dead. The kleptocracy of Fatah and the PLO were pronounced preferable to the extremist and absurdly anti-peace Hamas- never mind that it was the kleptocratic nature of Fatah leaders, as well as Gulf money, that lead to the growth of Hamas.
Now all the wisdom of King Abdullah, Big Abdullah of Saudi Arabia not Little Abdullah de Jourdanie, and perhaps the huge sums of money disbursed, have been wasted.
Money is made to waste in the Arab World- easy come, easy go: just ask BAE and the now-muzzled British SFO investigators. But wisdom? Now that is a scarce resource in the region (psssst to the Salafis of Arabia, I have heard from several reliable and unimpeachable sources that Solomon was Jewish, but don’t swallow you ghutra in despair. That was a long time ago- he would probably convert to Salafism if he were around these days).
Unfortunately it begins to increasingly look like wisdom is also in short supply in Washington as well. The popularly elected Hamas should have been engaged rather than cornered and starved. Also, the Fatah-PLO boys should learn to play their cards closer to their chests- premature gloating is NOT a good strategy in a poker game where the winner takes all.
Increasingly, the choices facing other Arabs as well are being restricted to traditional despotic kleptocracy or despotic fundamentalism. It pays for Arab regimes to restrict their opposition to the fundies and jihadists (unless they are allied with them): nothing would insure Washington’s support more than waving the fundamentalist threat. Almost like the good old days of the Cold War.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saturday, June 09, 2007
A Shift in Iraq Policy? Who Invented Corruption?
The United States has been pressing the Iraqis to disarm the troublesome (Shi'a) militias. The Arab regimes and their owned and paid-for media have been quite noisy about disarming the militias, as well as installing a quasi-military dictatorship. Now the US military is arming new (Sunni) militias, who just happen to be the ones that were busy killing American soldiers and Iraqis over the past four years. They probably also just happen to be the Ba'athist officers who gassed Kurds, massacred Shi'as and pillaged Kuwait.
So what is the policy now: disarm and disband the militias, or arm them??
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, reported this past week by the British press (The Guardian, etc.)to have received paybacks (a.k.a bribes) worth 1 billion pounds (about $ 2 billion) for an arms sales by BAE deal to Saudi Arabia while he was in Washington, was quoted in the media as having said in an interview that "Saudi Arabia did not invent corruption". Ok, true, but then neither did Hitler invent aggressive wars and genocide- he just perfected them.
Some media in the Gulf are debating whether to blame the last hurricane Guno that devastated the southern Gulf on Iranian mullahs, Syrian Ba'athists, or sneaky Zionists. The fundie Salafis tend to take it as a sign of God's wrath for even thinking of allowing women to drive.
Cheers
Mohammed
So what is the policy now: disarm and disband the militias, or arm them??
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, reported this past week by the British press (The Guardian, etc.)to have received paybacks (a.k.a bribes) worth 1 billion pounds (about $ 2 billion) for an arms sales by BAE deal to Saudi Arabia while he was in Washington, was quoted in the media as having said in an interview that "Saudi Arabia did not invent corruption". Ok, true, but then neither did Hitler invent aggressive wars and genocide- he just perfected them.
Some media in the Gulf are debating whether to blame the last hurricane Guno that devastated the southern Gulf on Iranian mullahs, Syrian Ba'athists, or sneaky Zionists. The fundie Salafis tend to take it as a sign of God's wrath for even thinking of allowing women to drive.
Cheers
Mohammed
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Attorney-general knew of BAE and the £1bn. Then concealed it
Goldsmith hid secret money transfers from international anti-corruption organisation
David Leigh and Rob Evans
Friday June 8, 2007
The Guardian
British investigators were ordered by the attorney-general Lord Goldsmith to conceal from international anti-bribery watchdogs the existence of payments totalling more than £1bn to a Saudi prince, the Guardian can disclose.
The money was paid into bank accounts controlled by Prince Bandar for his role in setting up BAE Systems with Britain's biggest ever arms deal. Details of the transfers to accounts in the US were discovered by officers from the Serious Fraud Office during its long-running investigation into BAE. But its inquiry was halted suddenly last December.
Article continues
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The Guardian has established that the attorney-general warned colleagues last year that "government complicity" in the payment of the sums was in danger of being revealed if the SFO probe was allowed to continue.
The abandonment of the inquiry caused an outcry which provoked the world's anti-corruption watchdog, the OECD, to launch its own investigation into the circumstances behind the decision.
But when OECD representatives sought to learn more about the background to the move at private meetings in January and March they were not given full disclosure by British officials, according to sources.
One insider with knowledge of the discussions said :"When the British officials gave their briefing they gave some details of the allegations, but it now transpires, not all of them."
A source close to the OECD added: "We suspected that the British were holding some secret back."
Sources close to the US justice department, whose members help to police the international anti-corruption treaty to which Britain is a signatory, confirmed that UK officials had not disclosed to the group that huge payments had gone to the prince in connection with the al-Yamamah arms deal.
In those confidential briefings at the OECD headquarters in Paris earlier this year, the UK said "national security" reasons were behind the decision to halt the SFO investigation into the case.
They claimed the SFO probe focused largely on old allegations of a slush fund operated by the BAE to provide treats for junior Saudi officials. Last night, a spokesman for Lord Goldsmith said full evidence had not been given to international panel members of the OECD anti-bribery working party at their meetings in order to protect "national security". He said: "The risk of causing such damage to national security had a bearing on the information voluntarily provided to the OECD".
He added: "We have not revealed information which could itself jeopardise our national security. For these purposes the OECD was effectively a public forum, as is illustrated by the fact that you claim to know what [the government] told them."
The Guardian's disclosure of British government complicity in the alleged payment of £1bn to Prince Bandar caused international concern yesterday, with Tony Blair taking a bullish position when questioned at the G8.
Standing beside George Bush, a close family friend of former US ambassador Prince Bandar, Mr Blair said it would have "wrecked" the relationship with Saudi Arabia if he had allowed investigations to go on. "This investigation, if it had gone ahead, would have involved the most serious allegations and investigation being made of the Saudi royal family," he said.
"My job is to give advice as to whether that is a sensible thing in circumstances where I don't believe the investigation would have led to anywhere except to the complete wreckage of a vital interest to our country."
Neither Mr Blair nor the Ministry of Defence made any attempt to deny the allegations revealed by the Guardian.
Prince Bandar last night issued a statement through his lawyers categorically denying that payments made to Riggs Bank in Washington "represented improper secret commissions or 'backhanders'".
He said the payments were made to Saudi ministry of defence and aviation (MODA) accounts of which he was a signatory. "Any monies paid out of those accounts were exclusively for purposes approved by MODA."
He said the accounts were regularly audited by the Saudi ministry of finance and BAE payments were "pursuant to the al-Yamamah contracts". He added: "At no stage have MODA or the Saudi Arabian ministry of finance identified any irregularities in the conduct of the accounts."
BAE last night issued a statement claiming there was full government complicity in any payments it had made with regard to the al-Yamamah deal, which was signed in 1985. The company said transactions were made with the "express approval" of the British government.
"All such payments made under those agreements were made with the express approval of both the Saudi and UK governments".
The fallout from yesterday's allegations may affect BAE's planned expansion in the US.
According to a source in Washington, BAE's $4.1bn (£2bn) proposed takeover of a major US defence company could be in jeopardy because of the disclosures.
The source, assessing the damage yesterday, predicted it will also be harder for BAE to pursue other plans for moves into the US defence market.
BAE could come under scrutiny from a number of US investigatory bodies, including the treasury, the justice department and congressional committees.
Goldsmith hid secret money transfers from international anti-corruption organisation
David Leigh and Rob Evans
Friday June 8, 2007
The Guardian
British investigators were ordered by the attorney-general Lord Goldsmith to conceal from international anti-bribery watchdogs the existence of payments totalling more than £1bn to a Saudi prince, the Guardian can disclose.
The money was paid into bank accounts controlled by Prince Bandar for his role in setting up BAE Systems with Britain's biggest ever arms deal. Details of the transfers to accounts in the US were discovered by officers from the Serious Fraud Office during its long-running investigation into BAE. But its inquiry was halted suddenly last December.
Article continues
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The Guardian has established that the attorney-general warned colleagues last year that "government complicity" in the payment of the sums was in danger of being revealed if the SFO probe was allowed to continue.
The abandonment of the inquiry caused an outcry which provoked the world's anti-corruption watchdog, the OECD, to launch its own investigation into the circumstances behind the decision.
But when OECD representatives sought to learn more about the background to the move at private meetings in January and March they were not given full disclosure by British officials, according to sources.
One insider with knowledge of the discussions said :"When the British officials gave their briefing they gave some details of the allegations, but it now transpires, not all of them."
A source close to the OECD added: "We suspected that the British were holding some secret back."
Sources close to the US justice department, whose members help to police the international anti-corruption treaty to which Britain is a signatory, confirmed that UK officials had not disclosed to the group that huge payments had gone to the prince in connection with the al-Yamamah arms deal.
In those confidential briefings at the OECD headquarters in Paris earlier this year, the UK said "national security" reasons were behind the decision to halt the SFO investigation into the case.
They claimed the SFO probe focused largely on old allegations of a slush fund operated by the BAE to provide treats for junior Saudi officials. Last night, a spokesman for Lord Goldsmith said full evidence had not been given to international panel members of the OECD anti-bribery working party at their meetings in order to protect "national security". He said: "The risk of causing such damage to national security had a bearing on the information voluntarily provided to the OECD".
He added: "We have not revealed information which could itself jeopardise our national security. For these purposes the OECD was effectively a public forum, as is illustrated by the fact that you claim to know what [the government] told them."
The Guardian's disclosure of British government complicity in the alleged payment of £1bn to Prince Bandar caused international concern yesterday, with Tony Blair taking a bullish position when questioned at the G8.
Standing beside George Bush, a close family friend of former US ambassador Prince Bandar, Mr Blair said it would have "wrecked" the relationship with Saudi Arabia if he had allowed investigations to go on. "This investigation, if it had gone ahead, would have involved the most serious allegations and investigation being made of the Saudi royal family," he said.
"My job is to give advice as to whether that is a sensible thing in circumstances where I don't believe the investigation would have led to anywhere except to the complete wreckage of a vital interest to our country."
Neither Mr Blair nor the Ministry of Defence made any attempt to deny the allegations revealed by the Guardian.
Prince Bandar last night issued a statement through his lawyers categorically denying that payments made to Riggs Bank in Washington "represented improper secret commissions or 'backhanders'".
He said the payments were made to Saudi ministry of defence and aviation (MODA) accounts of which he was a signatory. "Any monies paid out of those accounts were exclusively for purposes approved by MODA."
He said the accounts were regularly audited by the Saudi ministry of finance and BAE payments were "pursuant to the al-Yamamah contracts". He added: "At no stage have MODA or the Saudi Arabian ministry of finance identified any irregularities in the conduct of the accounts."
BAE last night issued a statement claiming there was full government complicity in any payments it had made with regard to the al-Yamamah deal, which was signed in 1985. The company said transactions were made with the "express approval" of the British government.
"All such payments made under those agreements were made with the express approval of both the Saudi and UK governments".
The fallout from yesterday's allegations may affect BAE's planned expansion in the US.
According to a source in Washington, BAE's $4.1bn (£2bn) proposed takeover of a major US defence company could be in jeopardy because of the disclosures.
The source, assessing the damage yesterday, predicted it will also be harder for BAE to pursue other plans for moves into the US defence market.
BAE could come under scrutiny from a number of US investigatory bodies, including the treasury, the justice department and congressional committees.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Ghosts of Defeats Past:
This day brings out a lot of "soul-searching" in the Arab World- mostly in the media, and perhaps among some "baby boomer" Arabs. Baby boomer here means the generation that was born between 1940 and late 1950s, almost the same American definition, but it has nothing to do with World War II soldiers coming home eager to procreate and do a lot of begetting. Every Arab generation is a baby boomer because there is always a lot of procreating and begetting: what we lack in quality, we try to make up in quantity.As for Arab governments: there is no soul-searching there, because there are no souls there.
A lot of the soul-searching this year is done through official, semi-official, and quasi-official media- is there any other kind in the Arab World? Even the now ubiquitous satellite television stations and offfshore newspapers are official-friendly, at least- often they are owned by the same princes and potentates who rule. So, they are being used to fight old battles and settle old scores. It is interesting how the petro-media that dominates these days uses evasive tactics to kick the dead secular, leftist, pan-Arabist horse. In the case of Egypt under Nasser, the big loser of June 5th 1967, for example, the petro-media takes this opportunity each year to attack everyone who was close to Nasser...except Nasser himself. This is a blatant and repeated case of moral cowardice. It is partly psychological, of course.
To this day, Nasser, with all his shortcomings and defeats, oddly represents a period of hope and healthy anger. Nasser was oppressive, but then which Arab ruler today is less oppressive and less intrusive than he ever was? He still has some hold on the Arab baby-boomers born anywhere between 1940 and the mid-1950s. This is more a judgment on the current trough of Arab political life than anything else.
Perhaps one reason is that the current Arab regimes have led their nations to an even more ignominious defeat than the Israelis ever inflicted on Nasser. They seem to have lost the will and the ability to shape events in their own region. Nasser died of a heart attack when he discovered that he could no longer dominate and shape events- a sort of an involuntary version of the defeated Roman falling on his own sword. While nowadays the kings, emirs, and presidents-for-life strut around their summits for the benefit of their media, the fate of the region is shaped by decidedly non-Arab forces. This is the case wherever one looks, from the Persian-American Gulf (this is a good realistic compromise name) all the way to North Africa. Unfortunately, unlike Nasser, current Arab leaders are too thick-skinned and shameless to even suffer heart attacks. As for falling on their own swords, forget about it: they have no swords and hardly any "intestines".
Al Qaeda in Iraq:
I watched a tape on the internet of the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq. One thing is certain to me: the man is not an Iraqi. Although he used classical Arabic, which is the same all over, one can always tell by the way certain words are pronounced. The man is definitly not Iraqi or Syrian. His pronounciation of classical Arabic indicates that he is someone from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, or Yemen.
Cheers
Mohammed
This day brings out a lot of "soul-searching" in the Arab World- mostly in the media, and perhaps among some "baby boomer" Arabs. Baby boomer here means the generation that was born between 1940 and late 1950s, almost the same American definition, but it has nothing to do with World War II soldiers coming home eager to procreate and do a lot of begetting. Every Arab generation is a baby boomer because there is always a lot of procreating and begetting: what we lack in quality, we try to make up in quantity.As for Arab governments: there is no soul-searching there, because there are no souls there.
A lot of the soul-searching this year is done through official, semi-official, and quasi-official media- is there any other kind in the Arab World? Even the now ubiquitous satellite television stations and offfshore newspapers are official-friendly, at least- often they are owned by the same princes and potentates who rule. So, they are being used to fight old battles and settle old scores. It is interesting how the petro-media that dominates these days uses evasive tactics to kick the dead secular, leftist, pan-Arabist horse. In the case of Egypt under Nasser, the big loser of June 5th 1967, for example, the petro-media takes this opportunity each year to attack everyone who was close to Nasser...except Nasser himself. This is a blatant and repeated case of moral cowardice. It is partly psychological, of course.
To this day, Nasser, with all his shortcomings and defeats, oddly represents a period of hope and healthy anger. Nasser was oppressive, but then which Arab ruler today is less oppressive and less intrusive than he ever was? He still has some hold on the Arab baby-boomers born anywhere between 1940 and the mid-1950s. This is more a judgment on the current trough of Arab political life than anything else.
Perhaps one reason is that the current Arab regimes have led their nations to an even more ignominious defeat than the Israelis ever inflicted on Nasser. They seem to have lost the will and the ability to shape events in their own region. Nasser died of a heart attack when he discovered that he could no longer dominate and shape events- a sort of an involuntary version of the defeated Roman falling on his own sword. While nowadays the kings, emirs, and presidents-for-life strut around their summits for the benefit of their media, the fate of the region is shaped by decidedly non-Arab forces. This is the case wherever one looks, from the Persian-American Gulf (this is a good realistic compromise name) all the way to North Africa. Unfortunately, unlike Nasser, current Arab leaders are too thick-skinned and shameless to even suffer heart attacks. As for falling on their own swords, forget about it: they have no swords and hardly any "intestines".
Al Qaeda in Iraq:
I watched a tape on the internet of the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq. One thing is certain to me: the man is not an Iraqi. Although he used classical Arabic, which is the same all over, one can always tell by the way certain words are pronounced. The man is definitly not Iraqi or Syrian. His pronounciation of classical Arabic indicates that he is someone from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, or Yemen.
Cheers
Mohammed
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Some Arab media, particularly those owned by Saudi Arabia and in the Gulf monarchies are complaining that elections in Syria are not fair or real. That is true, elections in Syria are rigged so that the regime will stay in power- after all, this is still an Arab country. But then again, elections in Saudi Arabia do not even exist. In almost all Arab countries that have elections, they are either rigged or limited to bodies with hardly any powers.
Saudi media quote officials that at least four of the Fath al-Islam jihadists who were killed in the battles with the Lebanoese army were Saudis. Others are listed as from several other Arab countries. Some in th media wonder why, if only about 200 armed fundies are in the camp near Tripoli, does the Lebanese army need eight huge transport plane shipments of U.S weapons? The Lebanese army is based on a balance among the various sectors, Shi'a-Sunni-Christian, and any attempt to involve it in internal political disputes will lead to its break-up along sectarian lines. It must be kept out of inter-Lebanese conflicts, otherwise it will break up.
Interesting article by Frank Rich in today's NYT, about how the administration is scapegoating the Iraqi government for its own monumental failures in Iraq.
In Algeria, President Abdulaziz Bouteflika is going to 'allow' a constitutional change that would keep him president beyond his two terms. He wil become anothet Arab despot for life, instead of a despot for two terms only. Bouteflika's party, the FLN or NLF (but never the NFL) really screwed up Algeria's economy and politics for four decades, with the eager participation of little Abdul Bouteflika himself. He broke away for a while, went into blissful French exile, but the military summoned him to power and intends, in true FLN and military fashion, hang onto it for life. Just like everyone else in the Arab World, with the possible exception of Iraq and perhaps one or two other states.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saudi media quote officials that at least four of the Fath al-Islam jihadists who were killed in the battles with the Lebanoese army were Saudis. Others are listed as from several other Arab countries. Some in th media wonder why, if only about 200 armed fundies are in the camp near Tripoli, does the Lebanese army need eight huge transport plane shipments of U.S weapons? The Lebanese army is based on a balance among the various sectors, Shi'a-Sunni-Christian, and any attempt to involve it in internal political disputes will lead to its break-up along sectarian lines. It must be kept out of inter-Lebanese conflicts, otherwise it will break up.
Interesting article by Frank Rich in today's NYT, about how the administration is scapegoating the Iraqi government for its own monumental failures in Iraq.
In Algeria, President Abdulaziz Bouteflika is going to 'allow' a constitutional change that would keep him president beyond his two terms. He wil become anothet Arab despot for life, instead of a despot for two terms only. Bouteflika's party, the FLN or NLF (but never the NFL) really screwed up Algeria's economy and politics for four decades, with the eager participation of little Abdul Bouteflika himself. He broke away for a while, went into blissful French exile, but the military summoned him to power and intends, in true FLN and military fashion, hang onto it for life. Just like everyone else in the Arab World, with the possible exception of Iraq and perhaps one or two other states.
Cheers
Mohammed
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Apparently the fighting in Lebanon continues. The Lebanese army death toll now is put at 22, at least. How many of the jihadists have been killed? It looks like some Lebanese politicians, in their zeal to counter Hezbollah, have financed and encouraged Sunni extremist groups with al Qaeda Wahhabi affiliations. These groups are not fighting Hezbollah now.
In the past Arab regimes, and some Western powers, in their doubtful farsight, financed Islamists as a counter force to the demanding secular opposition (democrats, leftists, pan-Arabists, etc). That gave us al Qaeda, the Salafis, Hamas, and now their Iraqi and Lebanese offspring.
Cheers
Mohammed
In the past Arab regimes, and some Western powers, in their doubtful farsight, financed Islamists as a counter force to the demanding secular opposition (democrats, leftists, pan-Arabists, etc). That gave us al Qaeda, the Salafis, Hamas, and now their Iraqi and Lebanese offspring.
Cheers
Mohammed
Lebanon's Jihadists, Jordan's Gestapo
So, it is happening in Lebanon as well. Some time ago this site warned that a lot of money was going to Sunni Jihadist groups in Lebanon without regard to their real affiliations. Both Lebanese money and Persian Gulf oil money (in some notable cases they are one and the same in Lebanon) was directed toward groups that might weaken the Shi'a Hezbollah or offset its influence, and we warned that some of that money was going to al Qaeda allies, especially around the northern city of Tripoli (the other Tripoli, not the Tripoli of the shores in the song).
Lebanon reports today that 13 of its army soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in ongoing clashes with Fath el-Islam, a Sunni extremist group. Even Hezbollah has not killed Lebanese soldiers, at least not in recent decades and not in these numbers. And this is only one group of potentially dangerous Jihadists in the country.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security authorities are apparently trying to decide whether to blame the group's new strength and cockiness on Syria, Iran, or both. In the past Israel was blamed for any such inexplicable and embarrassing developments in an Arab country.
Egypt's Al-akhbar (May 19) reports that Jordanian Mukhabarat (their own Gestapo) has established a new "Division for Combatting Shi'ism". Viva moderation in the new Middle East.
New Saudi currency will bear the picture of King Abdullah, complete with the dyed jet-black beard and moustache. The one riyal note will bear a picture of the "first" Islamic dinar issued centuries ago, but not a picture of the original Roman Dinarius coins issued much earlier, perhaps 2200 years ago.
Cheers
Mohammed
Lebanon reports today that 13 of its army soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in ongoing clashes with Fath el-Islam, a Sunni extremist group. Even Hezbollah has not killed Lebanese soldiers, at least not in recent decades and not in these numbers. And this is only one group of potentially dangerous Jihadists in the country.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security authorities are apparently trying to decide whether to blame the group's new strength and cockiness on Syria, Iran, or both. In the past Israel was blamed for any such inexplicable and embarrassing developments in an Arab country.
Egypt's Al-akhbar (May 19) reports that Jordanian Mukhabarat (their own Gestapo) has established a new "Division for Combatting Shi'ism". Viva moderation in the new Middle East.
New Saudi currency will bear the picture of King Abdullah, complete with the dyed jet-black beard and moustache. The one riyal note will bear a picture of the "first" Islamic dinar issued centuries ago, but not a picture of the original Roman Dinarius coins issued much earlier, perhaps 2200 years ago.
Cheers
Mohammed
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hamas, Fatah, and the Arab-Israeli Civil War
A war rages in the Palestinian territory. It is a civil war with regional parties involved, reflecting a new realignment in the Middle East. On one side is Fatah, Yasir Arafat's organization now led by Mahmoud Abbas, on the other side are the Hamas, which controls the Palestinian legislature and gorvenment.
The Fatah side is getting help from Israel, which has been bombing and/or shelling Hamas strongholds, and Hamas has been firing into Israel. Fatah gets money from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, and gets moral and tactical support from Egypt, Jordan, and the West. Hamas gets support from Iran and Syria, and it has the votes since it won the last election.
The Arab Middle East is basically divided into two new camps, the Israeli-Moderate camp and the Radical camp. The goal of the Israeli-Moderate camp ids to contain and push back the Radical camp, which so far consists of Iran, Syria, Palestinian Hamas, and a lot of Iraqis. And let's not forget al Qaeda and the Shi'a threat, whatever the latter is. The goal of the radical camp is to end and push back what it considers growing American-Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.
The goal of the Moderate camp is to maintain the status quo, ante-Iraq, shore up existing Arab regimes and achieve a final Palestine settlement of two states. It will eventually succeed in the last part of its goal, the Palestine part, because the only feasible solution is two states. As for the status quo, ante-Iraq....we are already post-Iraq, and it is impossible, in American terms, to push the toothpaste back into the tube. Or in Arab terms: to push the genie back into the brass lamp.
Cheers
Mohammed
The Fatah side is getting help from Israel, which has been bombing and/or shelling Hamas strongholds, and Hamas has been firing into Israel. Fatah gets money from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, and gets moral and tactical support from Egypt, Jordan, and the West. Hamas gets support from Iran and Syria, and it has the votes since it won the last election.
The Arab Middle East is basically divided into two new camps, the Israeli-Moderate camp and the Radical camp. The goal of the Israeli-Moderate camp ids to contain and push back the Radical camp, which so far consists of Iran, Syria, Palestinian Hamas, and a lot of Iraqis. And let's not forget al Qaeda and the Shi'a threat, whatever the latter is. The goal of the radical camp is to end and push back what it considers growing American-Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.
The goal of the Moderate camp is to maintain the status quo, ante-Iraq, shore up existing Arab regimes and achieve a final Palestine settlement of two states. It will eventually succeed in the last part of its goal, the Palestine part, because the only feasible solution is two states. As for the status quo, ante-Iraq....we are already post-Iraq, and it is impossible, in American terms, to push the toothpaste back into the tube. Or in Arab terms: to push the genie back into the brass lamp.
Cheers
Mohammed
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Who took the three American soldiers in the Triangle of Death? Al Qaeda has warned the U.S forces not to look for them, which is an interesting new approach by them. And why aren’t they on the internet or some Arabic satellite TV begging for their lives? Reports say the attack on their unit was well planned- presumably so was the abduction. So what happened to the usual audio or video or clip?
There are three possible explanations:
They are dead, but this is the least likely outcome. It is a bad one, but not the worst outcome.
Or, the worst possible outcome: al Qaeda has them, but they are still within U.S.-controlled territory. They can’t get to a video camera or a webcam yet. This is a very likely outcome. It is also the most unfortunate outcome.
Or, the best possible outcome: they are being held by a different group than al Qaeda. The latter is possible and explains the reward announced for information about them. Obviously al Qaeda can’t be the target of a reward offer. Another group might be bargaining for them, which would mean a bidding war between al Qaeda and the Unites States. Or maybe the group is still on the run, trying to get the men out of American-controlled areas. They would know that al Qaeda might merely give them an IOU and tell them to collect their reward when they get to the other world- It may even help them get there. They know they have a better chance of collecting in this world with the Americans.
As U.S and Iranian ambassadors in Baghdad get ready to meet over Iraq, the White House is eagerly minimizing the importance of the meeting. Which makes one wonder: why hold the meeting at all? This looks like a case of the lady who protests too much. Still, this meeting may be scuttled, just like the earlier one a year or so ago.
Persian Gulf Media still largely expect a U.S and/or Israeli attack on Iran sometime soon. But then again, they have been expecting an imminent attack for over a year now. One warmongering newspaper in Kuwait, alseyassah , has been changing its favorite deadline for D-day every couple of months, putting the attack off while its owner/editor consults fortune tellers and the djinn about the next most-likely date.
Gulf diplomats and top politicians, who probably know no more about this than yours truly (that would be moi), try to sound wise and knowledgeable when asked, mumbling vague sweet nothings about nuclear dangers and the dangers of any war in the region. Which is a sure sign that they don’t know much about future plans for the Gulf Region: these plans are completely out of the hands of Arab diplomats and leaders, subject to the interactions and conflicts of Iranian and American policies.
It looks like the much touted Palestinian accord reached in Riyadh between Hamas and the Fatah is dead, deader than Mr. Arafat. Palestinians are again killing each other while Israel celebrates its independence.
There are reports in the media (both Arab and Western) that Saudi Arabia is doing a ‘Bush White House’ in its relations to the Iraqi government. Just as the U.S administrations refuses to talk with its ‘foes’ so the Saudi royals refuse to sit down and talk to al-Maliki and the Shi’a members of his cabinet. They talk with President Talibani (Kurd), Foreign Minister Zibari (Kurd), and Vice President Hashimi (Sunni), but reports indicate that both King Abdullah and his Foreign Minister have refused to sit down with the Prime Minister (Shi’a). In other words, an unelected absolute monarchy has downgraded the elected Iraqi government. That is another example of Arabian chutzpah.
Cheers
Mohammed
There are three possible explanations:
They are dead, but this is the least likely outcome. It is a bad one, but not the worst outcome.
Or, the worst possible outcome: al Qaeda has them, but they are still within U.S.-controlled territory. They can’t get to a video camera or a webcam yet. This is a very likely outcome. It is also the most unfortunate outcome.
Or, the best possible outcome: they are being held by a different group than al Qaeda. The latter is possible and explains the reward announced for information about them. Obviously al Qaeda can’t be the target of a reward offer. Another group might be bargaining for them, which would mean a bidding war between al Qaeda and the Unites States. Or maybe the group is still on the run, trying to get the men out of American-controlled areas. They would know that al Qaeda might merely give them an IOU and tell them to collect their reward when they get to the other world- It may even help them get there. They know they have a better chance of collecting in this world with the Americans.
As U.S and Iranian ambassadors in Baghdad get ready to meet over Iraq, the White House is eagerly minimizing the importance of the meeting. Which makes one wonder: why hold the meeting at all? This looks like a case of the lady who protests too much. Still, this meeting may be scuttled, just like the earlier one a year or so ago.
Persian Gulf Media still largely expect a U.S and/or Israeli attack on Iran sometime soon. But then again, they have been expecting an imminent attack for over a year now. One warmongering newspaper in Kuwait, alseyassah , has been changing its favorite deadline for D-day every couple of months, putting the attack off while its owner/editor consults fortune tellers and the djinn about the next most-likely date.
Gulf diplomats and top politicians, who probably know no more about this than yours truly (that would be moi), try to sound wise and knowledgeable when asked, mumbling vague sweet nothings about nuclear dangers and the dangers of any war in the region. Which is a sure sign that they don’t know much about future plans for the Gulf Region: these plans are completely out of the hands of Arab diplomats and leaders, subject to the interactions and conflicts of Iranian and American policies.
It looks like the much touted Palestinian accord reached in Riyadh between Hamas and the Fatah is dead, deader than Mr. Arafat. Palestinians are again killing each other while Israel celebrates its independence.
There are reports in the media (both Arab and Western) that Saudi Arabia is doing a ‘Bush White House’ in its relations to the Iraqi government. Just as the U.S administrations refuses to talk with its ‘foes’ so the Saudi royals refuse to sit down and talk to al-Maliki and the Shi’a members of his cabinet. They talk with President Talibani (Kurd), Foreign Minister Zibari (Kurd), and Vice President Hashimi (Sunni), but reports indicate that both King Abdullah and his Foreign Minister have refused to sit down with the Prime Minister (Shi’a). In other words, an unelected absolute monarchy has downgraded the elected Iraqi government. That is another example of Arabian chutzpah.
Cheers
Mohammed
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Sadrist deputies, representing the Muqtada al-Sadr movement in Iraq’s parliament, have managed to obtain signatures of a majority of 144 members, out of a total of 275, on a bill that sets a time limit for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. No word yet if Muqtada, affectionately called Mookie by neocons, plans to run in the New Hampshire primary against Hillary and Barack.
The draft law was handed to the Speaker of Parliament (a Sunni). The Speaker himself was involved in a quarrel with another lawmaker earlier this week, and he ended up slapping the other man. No duel is expected because of the slap since he used his bare hand instead of a silk glove. Besides, they do not duel in Iraq these days, they ambush each other, or use car bombs.
Another major suicide bombing in Kurdistan killed and wounded at least 200 people. Looks like the center of bloody gravity in Iraq is moving north as the date for the referendum on Kirkuk nears. A bomb near Baghdad killed a mere 50 people or so. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for killing several U.S soldiers and abducting three yesterday. Looks like in spite of its problems with some tribal sheikhs in al-Anbar, al Qaeda is resilient enough to move around and operate in the central and western Sunni regions of Iraq. Taking 3 U.S soldiers alive is an unprecedented thing for the terrorist group. How did it happen? Who slipped? Did some Iraqi soldiers or officers aid and abet the fuzzywuzzies?
Iraq’s largest political party, the Shi’a SCIRI, has decided to remove the R, standing for ‘Revolution’, from its acronym. Which makes sense, since the party is now part of the ruling coalition, and not 'revolting' anymore. Reports also indicate that the party will consider Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in Najaf, its main source of council on matters of faith. This would replace the Iranian Ali Khamenai, to whom they looked for guidance after the assassination of its leader, Ayatollah al-Hakim in the summer of 2003. This would also presumably put some distance between SCIRI (-R) and the Iranian leaders, who love their 'R' and want to continue to be revolting- perhaps not as revolting as som Arab leaders, but close.
Iran’s Ahmadijejad is stalking V.P Dick Cheney around the Gulf. He is making his own round of the Persian Gulf states right on the heels of Mr. Cheney. Almost nipping at his heels.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday beheaded an Ethiopian woman convicted of killing a man over a dispute. The woman, Khadija Bint Ibrahim Moussa, was found guilty of stabbing the victim. Officials said that she had stabbed him in the neck while he was asleep and then beat his head with a glass bottle (she must have been really pissed about something). She was executed in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the second woman executed this year.
Saudi Arabia executes people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape, armed robbery, homosexuality, practicing witchcraft, resorting to witchcraft, consorting with the djinn, apostasy, kicking a television set showing at least one prince on the air, and notconformity, among other things. In fact, Islam never set any punishments for drugs and armed robbery in the Holy Book or the Hadith, simply because drugs did not exist and armed robbery was a legitimate and respectable avocation among the tribes for some time. As for nonconformity: well, Islam was quite nonconformist in its early years, as was the Prophet himself obviously. You don't start a new faith by conforming to the old one- aren't all religions that way at the beginning?
Beheadings are carried out with a sword in a public square. Most of those executed tend to be from poorer third world countries, the exception being those convicted of terrorism.
Cheers
Mohammed
The draft law was handed to the Speaker of Parliament (a Sunni). The Speaker himself was involved in a quarrel with another lawmaker earlier this week, and he ended up slapping the other man. No duel is expected because of the slap since he used his bare hand instead of a silk glove. Besides, they do not duel in Iraq these days, they ambush each other, or use car bombs.
Another major suicide bombing in Kurdistan killed and wounded at least 200 people. Looks like the center of bloody gravity in Iraq is moving north as the date for the referendum on Kirkuk nears. A bomb near Baghdad killed a mere 50 people or so. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for killing several U.S soldiers and abducting three yesterday. Looks like in spite of its problems with some tribal sheikhs in al-Anbar, al Qaeda is resilient enough to move around and operate in the central and western Sunni regions of Iraq. Taking 3 U.S soldiers alive is an unprecedented thing for the terrorist group. How did it happen? Who slipped? Did some Iraqi soldiers or officers aid and abet the fuzzywuzzies?
Iraq’s largest political party, the Shi’a SCIRI, has decided to remove the R, standing for ‘Revolution’, from its acronym. Which makes sense, since the party is now part of the ruling coalition, and not 'revolting' anymore. Reports also indicate that the party will consider Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in Najaf, its main source of council on matters of faith. This would replace the Iranian Ali Khamenai, to whom they looked for guidance after the assassination of its leader, Ayatollah al-Hakim in the summer of 2003. This would also presumably put some distance between SCIRI (-R) and the Iranian leaders, who love their 'R' and want to continue to be revolting- perhaps not as revolting as som Arab leaders, but close.
Iran’s Ahmadijejad is stalking V.P Dick Cheney around the Gulf. He is making his own round of the Persian Gulf states right on the heels of Mr. Cheney. Almost nipping at his heels.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday beheaded an Ethiopian woman convicted of killing a man over a dispute. The woman, Khadija Bint Ibrahim Moussa, was found guilty of stabbing the victim. Officials said that she had stabbed him in the neck while he was asleep and then beat his head with a glass bottle (she must have been really pissed about something). She was executed in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the second woman executed this year.
Saudi Arabia executes people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape, armed robbery, homosexuality, practicing witchcraft, resorting to witchcraft, consorting with the djinn, apostasy, kicking a television set showing at least one prince on the air, and notconformity, among other things. In fact, Islam never set any punishments for drugs and armed robbery in the Holy Book or the Hadith, simply because drugs did not exist and armed robbery was a legitimate and respectable avocation among the tribes for some time. As for nonconformity: well, Islam was quite nonconformist in its early years, as was the Prophet himself obviously. You don't start a new faith by conforming to the old one- aren't all religions that way at the beginning?
Beheadings are carried out with a sword in a public square. Most of those executed tend to be from poorer third world countries, the exception being those convicted of terrorism.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saturday, May 12, 2007
From Jordan To Iraq With Hatred?
When he was in power, Saddam Hussein had a special relationship with the Jordanian press. They always sided with him, elevating him to a position of paramount Arab leader, more so than the foolish Gulf press, which did it for free before his invasion of Kuwait. In Exchange, he was generous with them: cash, gold watches, Mickey Mouse watches, even cars were reported to have been given out by the Iraqi Ba'ath to Jordanian reporters and their editors. It was like a whole cottage industry. But it was profitable for both sides.
The man is dead, but many in Jordan, those who never had to live under his rule, still lament his departure, both from the scene and from this world.
The epitomy of Saddam-philia and hypocrisy was published by a Jordanian columnist named Samih al-Maayytah yesterady, in the Jordanian AL-Ghad newpaper, and eagerly, perhaps gratefully re-published on the website of Saudi Alarabiya TV. Here is a close translation of the article:
(Warning: have a sick bag- barf bag- or a bucket ready nearby).
Here goes:
"The essence of the Iraqi file is not in the hateful American occupation and criminality, that is to be expected from an administration that is manipulated by Zionism and ideology. The problem is that a major part of Iraqi forces has chosen to build its relationship with its homeland bsed on hatred and vengeance. This force does not just hate the old regime, but also hates Iraq, and all it sees is power based on uprooting the others (de-ba'athification?).
"Hatred does not builds nations, and that is why those who have ruled Iraq have failed, because their whole equation was based on hatred, vengeance, and narrow self-interest. The first decision they helped the occupier make was the hateful one of disbanding the Iraqi army, which had defeated Iran (that is indeed news, but I used to think that they also gassed a few people). Then came de-ba'athification which was not aimed at leaders, but it was based on hatred of people, institutions, scientists, and army leaders.
"Hatred made supporters of this government come out into the streets and celebrate the anniversary of the occupation as 'liberation'. There is an explanation for that: hatred made this group come out and celebrate the fall of Baghdad. Why else could anyone celebrate the hated fall of their country to the killers and occupiers?
"It is hatred which makes it impossible for these hateful people to be a source of strength and building for their country.
"Iraq will always live in chaos because those who rule it are obsessed with hatred, and full of hatred toward their country and people. There is no excuse for this hatred. These hateful people will always feel alienated, even with power, titles, and money (was that last one a slip by the author?)..........."
Wow, interesting huh? That was a rather hateful article, and very tribal. Whatever way you look at it, there is an awful lot of hate somewhere in there....wouldn't you say?
Cheers
Mohammed
The man is dead, but many in Jordan, those who never had to live under his rule, still lament his departure, both from the scene and from this world.
The epitomy of Saddam-philia and hypocrisy was published by a Jordanian columnist named Samih al-Maayytah yesterady, in the Jordanian AL-Ghad newpaper, and eagerly, perhaps gratefully re-published on the website of Saudi Alarabiya TV. Here is a close translation of the article:
(Warning: have a sick bag- barf bag- or a bucket ready nearby).
Here goes:
"The essence of the Iraqi file is not in the hateful American occupation and criminality, that is to be expected from an administration that is manipulated by Zionism and ideology. The problem is that a major part of Iraqi forces has chosen to build its relationship with its homeland bsed on hatred and vengeance. This force does not just hate the old regime, but also hates Iraq, and all it sees is power based on uprooting the others (de-ba'athification?).
"Hatred does not builds nations, and that is why those who have ruled Iraq have failed, because their whole equation was based on hatred, vengeance, and narrow self-interest. The first decision they helped the occupier make was the hateful one of disbanding the Iraqi army, which had defeated Iran (that is indeed news, but I used to think that they also gassed a few people). Then came de-ba'athification which was not aimed at leaders, but it was based on hatred of people, institutions, scientists, and army leaders.
"Hatred made supporters of this government come out into the streets and celebrate the anniversary of the occupation as 'liberation'. There is an explanation for that: hatred made this group come out and celebrate the fall of Baghdad. Why else could anyone celebrate the hated fall of their country to the killers and occupiers?
"It is hatred which makes it impossible for these hateful people to be a source of strength and building for their country.
"Iraq will always live in chaos because those who rule it are obsessed with hatred, and full of hatred toward their country and people. There is no excuse for this hatred. These hateful people will always feel alienated, even with power, titles, and money (was that last one a slip by the author?)..........."
Wow, interesting huh? That was a rather hateful article, and very tribal. Whatever way you look at it, there is an awful lot of hate somewhere in there....wouldn't you say?
Cheers
Mohammed
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The Arab Toothpaste Plan for the Iraq, Price of Saudi Marital Intimacy
The Saudi-owned media, dominating Arab print and airwaves with its huge overseas outlets (alhayat, asharq alawsat, alarabiya TV, etc...) is again calling for a military-led regime in Iraq, in order to, as they claim, restore order and prepare for a 'more balanced' political system. The editor-in-chief of a major Saudi paper published in London came out openly today for a restored Iraqi army, presumably without its Halabja-era arsenal of chemicals and poison gas, to take over. Does he know that he is proposing to push the Iraqi toothpaste back into its old tube...an impossible task now? Not even the best-paid writers in London can achieve that.
Saudi-owned columnists in the Gulf and across the Arab World are again repeating the same message, which is almost a mantra now.
The main thrust of these arguments is asserting control by a central government, which incidentally will be less Shi'a and less Kurdish.....especially less Shi'a, which would make it more in line with other Arab regimes. Sort of like, dare I say, our erstwhile brothers, our old buddies of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party.
Should this new regime be un-elected, then this would make it even more in line with all the Arab despots, absolute monarchs, and presiedents-for-life. All brothers in....despotism.
Nobody has mentioned anything about the fate of autonomous Kurdistan in this desired re-centralized system...it is the almost-independent elephant in the room that no one mentions.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Sunni political parties have been hinting at withdrawal from the government and perhaps from the political process. Vice President al-Hashimi the other day mentioned May 15 as a target date for some serious work on the constitution, or else.
This is apparently part of a coordinated drive to put some pressure on the al-Maliki government. But the real target is the Bush administration, which is even more susceptible to pressure here, since it is terrified of any appearance of a weakening of the Iraqi political process.
The good news is that the sensible Biden-Gelb idea of a union of autonomous regions is gaining support in the Senate.
Love and Marriage in Arabia:
Alarabiya website reports (May 8) on a strange phenomenon in Saudi Arabia: husbands who refuse to ‘get intimate’ with their wives, and wives who have to pay their husbands for intercourse.
One husband demanded 1000 rials from his wife in exchange for his ‘services’- the site did not report what the going rate is for escorts over there. The wife borrowed the money from her brother and paid her husband in order to have intimacy with him. When she lost after the Saudi stock market crashed and could not repay the money, her brother sued her.
The network reports that this has become more common, and is a major cause for divorce or law suits to force the husbands to perform their ‘roles’ in bed. One wife, who is also a businesswoman complains that she has to pay her husband for each time she needs his ‘services’.
Now, where do you suppose these husbands go for their……fun? Unless there is a national need for ED medication.
Saudi religious police in Jeddah roughed up some people and ejected three Canadian women from an exhibition on 'Education in the Middle East'. This parallel police is called 'The OAuthority for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Sin'. They are dedicated to the prevention of any kind of fun that is not related to eating and drinking soda pop. And no, they do not have their headquarters in Washington D.C.
Cheers
Mohammed
Saudi-owned columnists in the Gulf and across the Arab World are again repeating the same message, which is almost a mantra now.
The main thrust of these arguments is asserting control by a central government, which incidentally will be less Shi'a and less Kurdish.....especially less Shi'a, which would make it more in line with other Arab regimes. Sort of like, dare I say, our erstwhile brothers, our old buddies of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party.
Should this new regime be un-elected, then this would make it even more in line with all the Arab despots, absolute monarchs, and presiedents-for-life. All brothers in....despotism.
Nobody has mentioned anything about the fate of autonomous Kurdistan in this desired re-centralized system...it is the almost-independent elephant in the room that no one mentions.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Sunni political parties have been hinting at withdrawal from the government and perhaps from the political process. Vice President al-Hashimi the other day mentioned May 15 as a target date for some serious work on the constitution, or else.
This is apparently part of a coordinated drive to put some pressure on the al-Maliki government. But the real target is the Bush administration, which is even more susceptible to pressure here, since it is terrified of any appearance of a weakening of the Iraqi political process.
The good news is that the sensible Biden-Gelb idea of a union of autonomous regions is gaining support in the Senate.
Love and Marriage in Arabia:
Alarabiya website reports (May 8) on a strange phenomenon in Saudi Arabia: husbands who refuse to ‘get intimate’ with their wives, and wives who have to pay their husbands for intercourse.
One husband demanded 1000 rials from his wife in exchange for his ‘services’- the site did not report what the going rate is for escorts over there. The wife borrowed the money from her brother and paid her husband in order to have intimacy with him. When she lost after the Saudi stock market crashed and could not repay the money, her brother sued her.
The network reports that this has become more common, and is a major cause for divorce or law suits to force the husbands to perform their ‘roles’ in bed. One wife, who is also a businesswoman complains that she has to pay her husband for each time she needs his ‘services’.
Now, where do you suppose these husbands go for their……fun? Unless there is a national need for ED medication.
Saudi religious police in Jeddah roughed up some people and ejected three Canadian women from an exhibition on 'Education in the Middle East'. This parallel police is called 'The OAuthority for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Sin'. They are dedicated to the prevention of any kind of fun that is not related to eating and drinking soda pop. And no, they do not have their headquarters in Washington D.C.
Cheers
Mohammed
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Secret Shi'a (Shiite) Agenda In Iraq
CNN and the Washington Post, and now other media, have been talking darkly and ominously of a Shi'a (Shi'ite) agenda being pushed by the al-Maliki government in Iraq. The reports talk of a secret office attached to al-Maliki that is pushing a 'Shi'a agenda'. Imagine, a Shi'a agenda in Iraq, where only 65% of the people are Shi'as! What will they try next? Majority rule?
This sounds as ominous and threatening as pushing a Communist agenda (pre-1991), and perhaps more ominous than a Salafi-Wahhabi-al Qaeda agenda nowadays.
It is not clear how exactly this secret office is pushing its secret agenda. The office is accused of engineering the firing of officers who do not help the purported Shi'a agenda. Some (Sunni) Iraqi officers are complaining about it. Some U.S officers (anonynmous, of course, in the best tradition of these days) are talking to the media, hinting that there should be more 'control' of that office. Not a bad idea, but control by whom?? And who is this Dr Bassima, the female mastermind of it all, who is supposed to be like Scooter Libby and Karl Rove rolled in one?
On the Shi'a question (is there such a question ?) CNN and the Washington Post are beginning to sound exactly like the huge, well-financed Saudi media, with its far-flung newspapers and satellite stations (Alarabiya TV, alHayat, Asharq Alawsat, LBC, ART, etc, etc). Is a corporate takeover in the cards?
And what the hell is a Shi'a (Shi'ite) agenda?
Cheers
Mohammed
This sounds as ominous and threatening as pushing a Communist agenda (pre-1991), and perhaps more ominous than a Salafi-Wahhabi-al Qaeda agenda nowadays.
It is not clear how exactly this secret office is pushing its secret agenda. The office is accused of engineering the firing of officers who do not help the purported Shi'a agenda. Some (Sunni) Iraqi officers are complaining about it. Some U.S officers (anonynmous, of course, in the best tradition of these days) are talking to the media, hinting that there should be more 'control' of that office. Not a bad idea, but control by whom?? And who is this Dr Bassima, the female mastermind of it all, who is supposed to be like Scooter Libby and Karl Rove rolled in one?
On the Shi'a question (is there such a question ?) CNN and the Washington Post are beginning to sound exactly like the huge, well-financed Saudi media, with its far-flung newspapers and satellite stations (Alarabiya TV, alHayat, Asharq Alawsat, LBC, ART, etc, etc). Is a corporate takeover in the cards?
And what the hell is a Shi'a (Shi'ite) agenda?
Cheers
Mohammed
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