Sunday, November 30, 2003

The Elvis of Academia: (thanks to Beta-blogger)
I should have a special section called Embedded Scholars: Noah Feldman will win first dishonorable mention. The late Edward W Said so disliked this Noah Feldman. We, in Middle East studies, never knew or heard of this fellow until the US war of colonization in Iraq. The US colonial administrator then hired this Feldman, a law professor at New York University, and New York Times published a laudatory profile about him. It was all about how this expert is going to help the poor Iraqis write their own constitution. It was so annoying and so traditionally colonialist that you felt being taken back in time. And then he was everywhere: NPR and other media outlets sought him to explain the poor feeble-minded Iraqis to the American people. And in one story in New York Times he observed that people in the Middle East “who do not normally act rationally” have been recently acting rationally. Kid you not. So I have been quite annoyed with this guy, as you can tell. And then yesterday, in the New York Times (November 29th, 2003, p. A7), he was quoted: he was, of course, expressing his objections to democracy and elections in Iraq because “the wrong people could get elected.” Imagine.
Patriot Act author has concerns
An Iraqi town: the writer Mohammad Bazzi is now Middle East correspondent for New York Newsday: originally from South Lebanon, he grew up here, and covered local NY stuff for years before they allowed him to cover the region
American wounded approach 10000 (thanks Allen)
A US soldier from Montana honestly describes Iraq duty as a nightmare: Not in the New York Lies
Image of US lawlesness
The Wal-Mart that you do not know:
Who is under attack by the FBI?
The US administration's best hope was the Iraqi police. Now they suspect the US-trained Iraqi police to be working for the enemy. Oh, shit.
You need a govt permission to change the color of your car in Saudi Arabia:
Bush has new nuclear weapons in store for you: in the cause of liberty, liberation, freedom, liberte, emancipation, etc.
..and then there is this little problem of Iraqi militias
UK prisoners in Guantanamo will be allowed to go home: the rest: they can rot forever, US govt decided.
Robert Fisk on the censorship of truth in US military
Franco-Arabs turn to the right:
Western democracies and their commitment to development: the US record
The rise of high tech India

Saturday, November 29, 2003

Judge for yourself: this is from a transcript of White House press reporters asking Bush questions upon returning from Baghdad:
THE PRESIDENT: Good job.
Q: What kind of ball cap was it? What did it say on it?
DR. RICE: Mine was in my bag, it was --
Q: A Cleveland Brown's hat?
Q: It was actually -- I didn't have a Cleveland Brown's hat.
Q: That would have been a dead giveaway.
DR. RICE: That would have been a dead giveaway.
THE PRESIDENT: Here are the names of the people here.
Q: We would love to get some video of you up here sometime, sir.
Q: What does it say, Blake?
THE PRESIDENT: -- something like this.
Q: Did you really pull it down that low?
THE PRESIDENT: No. We had pretty tinted windows. We went through a gate where --
Q: They thought, who in the world is that?
THE PRESIDENT: Eddie said, we're coming to a gate.
Q: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm telling you, this is -- again, had this been jeopardized in any way, we wouldn't put myself and/or you all in this position. And we were very -- we were cautious and we needed to be. And I want to thank you for honoring that. This is an historic trip. And it'll reverberate in such positive ways for these kids who are -- and these soldiers who are far away from home serving us. And it's exactly what I wanted to do.
Q: Thank you.
Full report: Academic freedoms and national security in a time of crisis (thanks Hussein)
To my readers in the Arab world. I have received a few emails from readers in the Arab world asking that I create an Arabic version of this website. I am seriously considering either making an Arabic version, or creating a new Arabic website. Unfortunately, Neal, may he be praised, does not know Arabic to help out.
Another innocent victim of Sep. 11
AFL-CIO is facing major financial crisis: solution? Stop funding the Democratic Party.
Guns for hire by the CIA.
Congress wants no federally-funded study of sex. Sex is quite unpopular in US.
This, THIS, makes Angry Arab angrier: this Kennedy family spoiled brat has the audacity to lecture us about the environment, while he flies around in a private jet, and has not noticed that wars are bad for the environment. Tell him to go to his family compound and watch TV.
Apparently, Bush was brought to Baghdad kicking and screaming. His aides had to prod him, hoping for some political boost for his campaign.
In the new (and presumably liberated) Afghanistan: if a woman gets married, she cannot pursue her education. Yes, there was such a law on the books, but the communists discarded it, and US allies brought it back to life. Long live American liberations.
Please help welcome the 102 F16l fightetr jets, destined for Israel, and worth some $4.4 billion. They will bomb and kill, but for the cause of peace, of course.

Friday, November 28, 2003

Why all this noise about this Bush’s trip to Iraq? Well, it proves that Iraq is safe and peaceful. Yes, the president stayed for two hours only, but that was close to 120 minutes. Not a short period of time, especially if measured by dog years standards. To be sure, the trip was a sneak visit, and lights were turned off, and he threatened to return the plane (he called it “this baby”) if the press leaked the news. It proves that the president is right: he is making progress (do not tell him that a US soldier was killed hours after his departure). And we are told that he met with Iraqis: that was true: 4 of the most enthusiastic puppets of the Iraqi puppet council were whisked (probably blindfolded) to a secret location so that they could shake hands with this historic leader. In the short speech that Bush made, “freedom” and “free” were used no less than 7 times. And the US media is going crazy over the trip; and they insult their own American troops, that they worship so deeply, by suggesting that the two hour trip was a great boost to troop morale. Why?
The plight of Muslim deportees
Sarah Hale and the history of Thanksgiving Day
Rumsfeld frets over Muslim schools: let them study in Christian schools, he affirms.
In a post-war self-review by 3rd Infantry Division, the error was found: that the US should have called its troops "occupiers" and not "liberators." From a leaked document to globalsecurity.org
Debating polygamy in Indonesia.
A CIA analyst defends the manufacturing of intelligence on Iraq
And who are the democrats after all? US considers allowing some elections in Iraq, but only to appease Ayatollah Sistani
Scandalous: how Save the Children was ordered to halt its criticisms of US war by its US branch. This is why even NGOs are suspect in developing countries, often for good reason.
Iraqi General dies in US custody: in the USA Today story, it said he died of natural causes, but that "investigation techniques" were being reviewed. He may have naturally and accidentally beaten himself to death, or he may have naturally shot himself with a gun not in his hands. Many things could have "naturally" happened. Do not jump to conclusion. He may have traveled back in time for the SF earthquake of 1906.
US asks for more time to deal with UK prisoners in Guantanamo: a century or two would be needed, Powell says.

Thursday, November 27, 2003

BBC director on US TV news coverage: Government-owned BBC is better than "free" US media.
A highly objective UN agency censures Iran for its nuclear program; it also praises Israel for its WMD programs AND nuclear, chemical, and biological WEAPONS. It calls on Israel to increase its arsenal for the sake of humanity and world peace. It also lavishes praise for Israeli missile technology, and calls on it to test them ASAP over Arab heads. No wonder UN has produced world peace and harmony.
Is it a war, a picnic, a war of liberation, or an election campaign?
Confessions of Jay Garner
Spoils of Iraq war
Washington Post is concerned that Muslims in Europe are treated as outsiders: do we really think that US can still preach about religious and ethnic equalities to countries of Europe??
This is quite ironic: the Iraqi grand Ayatollah insists on elections; and the liberators, who cannot stop preaching (only verbally) about the virtues of democracy, do not want elections.

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Rape in the Military: (thanks Katie)
US soldier who was accused of brutally beating Iraqi prisoners of war explains himself: "We were doing our jobs. ... It is war."
This week US is blaming Saddam's deputy, `Izzat Ad-Duri, for attacks on troops. But we are not sure who the US will blame on Saturday. That changes. I noticed that New York Lies, or Times, refers to him as General Ad-Duri. Now Ad-Duri is certainly a sinister senior member of Saddam's brutal regime, but he is no general. He also looks like my grandfather in his last dying days. So he is wanted by the US, but he cannot be found. So the US today arrested his wife and his daughter. Justice and liberation in Iraq.
This is cute: members of the Iraqi puppet council want to stay in power, even after elections. But do not judge them harshly. They know they will not win elections. They just want to stay to help in the occupation project. They want to become Senators. Very cute.
This is a picture. A touching image of a sincere and affectionate friendship between two people who for a long time were fond of one another. Saddam and Rumsfeld.
US will move troops from S Korea to Iraq and Afghanistan. And Bush is still reporting progress. And Bremer report declnie of attacks on US troops in the last few...minutes
A campaign to end violence against women
Students from Gulf countries are facing discrimination here in the US, and in...Lebanon
Washington Post reports that the ban on the Arabic TV station AlArabiya was approved by US government. Really? Really?? No Kidding? And we assumed all along that the Iraqi puppet council was an independent council which made decisions by itself, without any interference by the US colonial administration. How mistaken we were.
A setback on the war on hunger, worldwide

Full text of the FAO's report on Food Insecurity
French minister bars a juror because she wears a veil
Armed checkpoints, embedded reporters in flak jackets, brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrators. Baghdad? No, Miami
Guantanamo Bay detainees facing trial by 'kangaroo court', says a Law Lord in UK
US is making small cash payments to Iraqi civilian victims of its shooting, but they have to waive their rights.
I am worried about cruelty against Palestinians and Iraqis, and PETA is worried about cruelty to turkeys.
The brilliant anchorman Tom Brokaw was moderating the debate of democratic presidential candidates last Monday. As he was asking questions about the Iraq situation, he wondered aloud, and with great confidence, whether the Taliban (YES THE TALIBAN) may return to Iraq, YES IRAQ, if US troops withdraw. These are the gifted journalists of the mainstream US press.

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Israel embraces an Italian neo-fascist: which only proves that Zionist leaders really can tolerate real anti-Semites (like the Christian Right in US. They really object to opponents of Zionism and Israel.
As a tribute to past Latin American military dictatorships, US armed forces play an increasing role in surveillance and policing at home.
How thoughtful: Congress expands FBI spying powers as a tribute to the memory of J.Edgar Hoover, Joe Mcarthy, and Joe Stalin.
Suicide rate among US soldiers in Iraq
Dictators we like, love, and cuddle: Musharraf's foe tortured over letter
This is the first time I see something about it in the English language press. Arabic press has reported that the occupation forces (I am sorry, I mean the forces and bombers of liberation) have sent instructions to mosque preachers around Iraq telling them what can and what cannot be said. Muqtada As-Sadr pointed to that last week too. But just because the US forces are violating the rights of Iraqis, and holding political prisoners (among other prisoners) without charging them, and just because newspapers have been closed down and harassed, and just because some Iraqi civilians have been killed, does not mean that the war was not a war of liberation. Be flexible.
War on Women: Rape as a weapon in the Congo.
There is a war in Afghanistan. (Do not tell the American public. Some 93% of them supported the war in Afghanistan and believe that the country is now liberated.)

Monday, November 24, 2003

Nice plug of the Angry Arab News Service on slackisland.org
Who's counting the Iraqi dead? Well, Angry Arab is. Why do you ask?
Perle says invasion was illegal, but that it does not matter. Nothing matters.
Mosul is angry, and it is OUTSIDE that famous Sunni triangle
The Uncensored stories of the Iraq war
New Bill Threatens Intellectual freedoms: but it is ok: the intellect of our president will take care of everybody and everything.
Who is visiting this website? This is a breakdown of the visitors based on their servers, in percentages of total visitors: .net (46.2), .com (24.9), .edu (16.8), UK (6.4), Lebanon (1.5), NGO (0.8) (.org), US (I do not know what a .US server is, anybody knows? 0.5), Israel (0.4), Germany (0.3), .gov (meaning, US government servers--Big Brother/Sister watching? (0.3), Canada (0.2), Australia (0.2), Japan (0.2), Spain (0.2), Netherlands (0.1), France (0.1), Finland (0.1), Belgium (0.1), Switzerland (0.1), Singapore (0.1), Italy (0.1), Sweden (0.1), Yugoslavia (0.1), Poland (0.1), Syria (0.1), .int (international? Anybody knows what that is?), Iceland (0.1), Malaysia (0.1), Qatar (0.1), Saudi Arabia (0.1), Norway (0.1), Denmark (0.1), Mexico (0.1), United Arab Emirates (0.1), Chile (0.1), USA Military (.mil), and Philippines (0.10).
Work is torture for maids from Sri Lanka in the Arab world (thanks Nadya)
"Iraq", not to be confused with Iraq, (read US) appoints an ambassador to the US: she (Rend Rahim, who was one of 3 Iraqis who the president invited the Oval Office prior to war to show the nation that is Iraqis are fond of his war) is an American who cannot read Arabic, and headed the Iraq Foundation which was supported with US funds. I knew Rend but contact between us ended as I strongly opposed her close work with Chalabi and with US war appratus (and our families knew each other socially) and I can tell you that her knowledge of things Arab and Arabic is close to my knowledge of Chinese. But qualifications for new Iraqi diplomats are: subservience to US, desire to to have more US bombs fall on Iraqi heads, admiration for the intellectual abilities of George W. Bush, and willingness to thank American people for all the bombings and occupation of Iraq.
Not good news: Iraqi families (for some weird and inexplicable reason, implies US press) are not happy for the US shooting of Iraqi civilians. But do not they understand that this is for their own good?
Thanks to Jeremy:
"I did a search on that Bush speech and found:

24 matches with "free" in it (counting freedom, free, freed, etc)
4 matches with "liberty" in it
7 matches with "justice" in it.

I would not trouble myself to look for more, it was disheartening."
Saddam is gone; a new pro-US Saddam is in: attacks on press in Iraq continue: the puppet council bans an Arab satellite station.
Army Times predicts: the worst is yet to come in Iraq.
Replies to Tony Judt's article on the binational state in the Holy Land.
Colonial Anthropology is back: A Middle East anthropologist "helps" establish colonial democracy in Iraq. Her next book is titled "The Savage Mind" about Arab culture.
Mullah Oman is back, issuing more threats. But he has no WMDs on him.
One of US favorite dictators had to quit in Georgia: but the oil pipeline can be more important than loyal and delightful dictators sometime.
The New York Times just noticed that FBI is "scrutinizing" (look at the language of this Orwellian newspaper) anti-war demonstrators. This is not new. Since the war in Afghanistan, every anti-war rally had Police capturing faces of people on video.

This is a more critical account, from a..UK newspaper
This is a racist (very racist) website against Arabs, which uses "angry arabs" in its name (thanks to a reader)
Lies of the Times (this should become a permanent feature of the site): This is what the New York Times said on Saturday, November 22, 2003 (p. A 3): "There were in fact relatively few large gatherings of demonstrators during the president's stay, although noisy crowds of several hundred people assembled from time to time outside Buckingham Palace. The main protest march on Thursday was a bit sparse at times and nowhere as big as the weekend antiwar protests in London earlier this year." This when Scotland Yard estimated crowd to reach as high as 100000 (and organizers put the estimate at 200000).

Saturday, November 22, 2003

The question is: what kind of a turning point?
Toxic bullets litter Iraq: may be good for your health, and..liberation.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Members of the puppet council in Iraq accused of taking bribes.
Supporters of Israel can be proud: Israel among the TOP FIVE arms exporters in the wrold.
Among contractors, a race for Iraq deals. Fruits and vegetables of liberation, but not for Iraqis to taste, of course.
The nation is really proud: US detonates its biggest non-nuclear bomb: the MOAB, "21,700-pound satellite-guided GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb." Muslims nations now await its inaguration over their heads, although some believe that it has been tested already over Iraqi heads, but we do not know for sure. The bomb emits gases, and then sets them ablaze over a section of a city or an area. Victory for science over humanity.
This is an outrage. I know that angry arab is easily outraged (as his friend Salih alleges), but this is really outrageous. A top US general now says that capture of Bin Laden is not important. This is an attept to prepare the public for the re-election campaign of George W. Bush, in order to preempt critics who will ask about the plight of Bin Laden, who was wanted dead or alive. The esteemed general implies that Bin Laden is out of the violence business. Absolutely no evidence for that: Bin Laden in his last tape keeps threatening and keeps talking the language of violence and death. This is really an example how the re-election campaign supersedes any other interest or priority, even their declared "war on terrorism."
US war tactics return to Iraq: but end of war was declared back in May.

Friday, November 21, 2003

Full Text: Report of the UN Population Fund: Iraq: Reproductive Health Assessment. Women's conditions worsen.
FBI used murderers as informers: the nation can sleep better now.
I apologize, but I have actually read the full text of Bush's speech at Whitehall Palace in London. I do not have my computer technology on me here, but I would like it if one of the readers would calculate the times the words "liberty," "freedom," "democracy," "liberation" were used by the esteemed dear Leader. And remember that Goebbels--and that sinister Nazi propagandist should know-- defined propaganda as "repitition, constant repetition." The New York Times on Thursday was quite pleased that he quoted philosophers: (Locke and Adam Smith, in question, and one can debate whether they qualify as philosophers, in the same way as George W. Bush and Hegel qualify. He brushed over the issue of WMD, and said that Saddam ignored demands to "end the nightmare for his people." In fact, the US did not (whether under Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, or W. Bush) make a big deal about Saddam's brutal dictatorship. It was all about WMDs. We remember that Bush Sr.'s government permitted Saddam to use his helicopter gunships to slaughter more than 50000 Iraqis, while the US was busy celebrating its military victory at the time: NYC parade and all. In its analysis of the speech, the New York Times (p. A 13, Thursday edition, Nov. 20--remember it for the historical record): noticed the issue of WMDs. So it stated: "No substantial cahes of chemical or biological weapons have been found." LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE; WHEN THEY SAY "NO SUBSTANTIAL" THEY ARE IMPLYING THAT SOME NON-SUBSTANTIAL CACHES WERE FOUND. And it still passes as the best newspaper in the US.
Why the fascination in this country with JFK? Is it a certain secret desire for royalty? And why is he lionized by liberals in US? After all, when the civil rights movement was gaining steem, he yelled at his white advisor on civil rights: "Can't you get your goddamned friends off those buses?" See the biography by R. Reeves.
You may click to watch a videa of Bush's statue being brought down by demonstrators in London
US Arabic Propaganda TV's launch is delayed: could not recruit enough Arabs: It is estimated that Arabs will develop a crush on Bush (and some may fall in love) a week after the beginning of its broadcast. Nation awaits in antiticipation.
Two years after Bush's declared wars on terrorism, we are now told that terrorism, Inc has expanded
Why Eminem, whose lyrics are always directed in their rage against his ex-girlfriends, is a confirmed racist and sexist
Women demand an end to violence in Liberia
energy bill going to fund pseudoscience, lobbiests, and the sleazy chain, Hooters:
The man who was silent and cowardly when it was essential to speak, now cannot stop talking: Hans Blix sees a bleak future of US in Iraq
Being in Washington, DC, I was stuck how many people (people I know and people I do not know) now know that I love fried eggplants. The secret is out.

Only when I travel, I get to be subjected to US visual media. I confine myself to US print media, as the irritation is more contained and I am spared the faces of the rulers. But as I watched some US TV news yesterday, I was shocked: shocked at the extent to which Michael Jackson's story overshadows what is going on Iraq, and shocked at the extent they downplayed the demonstrations in UK (imagine: 100000 (some estimate put the figure at 200000) on a weekday: that is huge for London), and shocked at the extent they (mis)covered the demonstrations against globalization in Miami. One MSNBC anchorperson refused to air the scene of demonstrators in London taking down an effigy of Bush. CNN covered the demonstrators in Miami with such hostility and bias, and only allowed the Police to define the demonstrators. CNN, MSNBC, FOX News: they really are the same: the coverage is the same, the themes are the same, the sensationalism is the same, and even the hairdos are the same. The US has not given up on Ahmad Chalabi: the New York Times quoted some official the other day to the effect that this international embezzler (on whom a US-press CIA leaked report about him stated that people in Iraq either did not know him or felt a strong urge to puke when hearing his name) may become the first prime minister of post-Saddam, US-run Iraq.

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Uzbekistan: a model country for US foreign policy goals: why cannot all brutal dictatorships around the world be like Uzbekistan? Yes, it is unjust and torture is widespread, but the government is subservient to US foreign policy, and hosts US troops. The march of freedom continues.
Another justification for the war in Iraq (as the search for WMDs continue): Saddam is not only linked to Bin Laden, but he is now being linked to Michael Jackson. That is right. Michael Jackson. Apprently, Michael Jackson had some of his plastic surgery done in hospitals in Baghdad. Support for the Iraq war surges further.
For those of you deceived by Dennis Kucinich: he has the political courage of all other members of Congress: he makes some critical remarks about the war in Afghanistan, and then calls back to withdraw his remarks. He, after all, VOTED for Bush's war in Afghanistan, not to mention his long love affair--maybe a crush--with Israe.
Israel admits lying over one raid; other lies over other raids will not be admitted, however.
Bush asks Israel to soften its humiliation of Palestinians; he promised to do the humiliation himself. He still talks about Abu Mazin fondly, unaware that he is now totally marginalized. But then again, Bush still thinks that Queen Victoria is in charge in UK.
The military media complex
A new estimate of casualties in Iraq
One ton bombs are dropped in Iraq: believed to be particularly and scientifically good for liberating Muslims: Muslims in other countries are now begging US for bombs over their heads. Special requests are being made for the one ton bombs over Muslims' heads.
In other news, the Taliban--yes, the Taliban that were eliminated by Bush's famous war--continue their attacks in Afghanistan, deliberately targeting aid agencies and workers.
FBI powers expand, yet again: all is possible in the age of the "war on terrorism."
While the Bush administration is declaring Afghanistan a success and model for Muslims: aid agencies flee that increasingly violent place: the American march of liberation continues. May we be spared.
Life in Mosul: and who designed the Sunni triangle, and why is it a triangle.
Animal rights groups are fighting Muslims with..pork meat: groups fed pork meat to sheep destined for the Middle East: as a vegetarian, I feel safe.
Some Hindu groups want to fight Muslims with...Procreation: procreators of the world, unite.
The New York Times worries (and rightly so) about anti-Semitism in Europe (which it often equates with anti-Zionism--see a piece last Tuesday in that paper); yet, it never cares about growing evidence of anti-Islamism. But to be fair to the paper, it does not believe that Muslims or Arabs are equal to other human beings.
I am doomed to poverty: belief in heaven and hell is good for economic growth, says this piece of "research"

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Trading in people's lives, literally
Nafta and the False Promises: the case of Mexico: where are the jobs?
Remember: to scroll down to the bottom: you may need to press F11 twice. I will be in Washington, DC for the next few days, but will try to update.
Data on US (and European) arms production
Coke on trial in India
"The Will to be lethal" in Iraq: Liberation proceeds smoothly
The Bubble of American Supremacy
Interview with Gore Vidal
Chomsky on Bush's Imperial strategy
For the Israeli government, opposition to Israeli violence and racism is equal to anti-Semitism.
Washington tries to decrease the number of anti-Israel resolutions at UN: Kofi Annan will oblige. He always does.
Learning from history: the guerilla advantage in Iraq
US levels homes in Iraq: now we know why Rumsfeld was inviting Israeli generals to lecture in the US war college.
The right-wing Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar reports today on the first page that there were secret clauses in the agreement between US colonial administration and the Iraqi puppet council: the secret agreement, according to the paper, permits the US to station troops in 6 military bases around Iraq for years to come(53305 years to be exact). Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, on the other hand, reports on the first page that US military is hard at work in Iraq to revive Saddam's brutal intelligence apparatus, and using Saddam's intelligence thugs for intelligence operations. Furthermore, I want to note that there is resistance in Iraq that is rarely mentioned: the passive peaceful resistance by Iraqis to the occupation. The kind of resistance urged by Ayatollah Sistani who called on Iraqis to refrain from violence but to not cooperate with occupation and to make it clear to the occupiers that they are not wanted.
That pathetic deposed dictator Saddam is back with yet another tape. He wants to come back, and thinks that he is missed by the Iraqi people: can somebody break the news to him, that he is hated, despised, loathed, detested, and resented by Iraqis and non-Iraqis alike. I am 43 years old and I honestly have never ever met an Arab who admires Saddam. Not one. The only people who like him are those henchmen who were on his payroll. And he gets more religious with every defeat he goes through: piety also has become the last refuge of scoundrels.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

I will be on Flashpoint radio broadcast at 5:00PM (Pacific Time) today; you may click to listen live.
Bloody Ramadan
Love thy government: US media displeased over its tensions with the Bush administration.
Remember: to reach the very bottom of the site, you may need to press F11 twice.
Lula challenges Globalization
And in other delightful news, the US considers using nuclear weapons against North Korea
The Ghetto of Tikrit.
Not in the US press: an Iraqi child is shot dead by Iraqi troops: he is accused of masterminding the resistance.
An Italian member of the colonization administration in Iraq resigns; he accused Paul Bremer of inefficiency and failure to understand Iraq. "Where is Iraq," asks Bremer, and "who is Italy?".
Dissent in the House of Saud: Prince AlWaleed and his father Prince Talal have been criticizing their family. The dysfunctional kingdom.
Mayor of London declares Bush "greatest threat to life on planet". Cheney begs to differ: he claims title for himself.
This is bizarre: the pro-Likud Middle East Quarterly and Daniel Pipes pay tribute to Saddam's diplomat Nizar Hamdun; a man who stayed loyal to Saddam all his life.
US steps up aggression in Tikrit: the crime of Tikrit? It allowed Saddam to be born there. Now it is being punished.
Sartre is back in fashion
The Washington Post maintains that the Israeli army is engaged in a struggle over its soul:Too little too late, and too insignificant.
As the war in Iraq proceeds smoothly, the US military makes plans for other future wars.

Monday, November 17, 2003

A note: for the scrolling problem: a reader has suggested that if you press F11 twice, it solves the problem. (Thanks Conrad).
Note: I have been told by some of you that sometimes you cannot scroll down to the bottom of the site. Solution: make the screen go to full page, or vice versa, and that should give you access to the bottom of the site. Neal will solve that problem, I am sure.
The silly NYTimes reporter, John Burns, who was, and is, more enthusiastic about the war than Tommy Franks, returns to Iraq. Read about his heroism: he thinks that he is still being targeted by Saddam. He tells us that he was singled out by the regime for his anti-Saddam articles, which I personally do not recall at all. But he has to make himself a hero. But in this silly report, he wants to please Bush: he tells you that Iraqis are blaming the US occupation in Iraq because Saddam has spoiled their minds.
From the Washington Times: American casualties in Iraq top 9000
"Beacon of Freedom" at work: CIA authorized to kill Americans around the world if suspected of AlQaedah ties. Environmentalists, I think, will not be killed.
This is a most interesting report on Iraq written by former US defense official Anthony Cordesman, who has just returned from Baghdad. He is, in my opinion, one of the smartest defense experts, and is probably the most informed expert on Middle East military affairs. His report, however, is too close to the views of US military in Iraq, as you shall see. (thanks to Munzir)
Full text of the Geneva accord by an Israel and a Palestinian who do not represent anybody. The Palestinian in question, Yasir `Abd Rabbuh, is an opportunist who has (allegedly, according to one inspectors' report) spent thousands of public funds on his home. He shifted loyalties over the years, but remained constant in his love for the limelight. The agreement allows Israel to keep 3/4 of its settlers, and ends the claims of Palestinian refugees. Thomas Friedman is pleased with it. That should be indicative
Full text of the UN special report on Israel's separation wall
Bush ignored warnings about Iraq chaos from British and other intelligence services: he was too busy listening to Bernard Lewis and Fouad Ajami
The terror of the Taliban is back. Bush asks Cheney about the Taliban: "Are they good guys or bad guys?" Cheney tells Bush to not worry about it.
Colin Powell reveals what he does in his private time: he goes around Washington, DC telling young people to not have sex. US spends millions to fund anti-sex programs, and now spends millions around the world to spread the message
Bush tells BBC that there is a connection between Saddam and Bin Laden, Saddam and Unibomber, Saddam and Hitler, Saddam and Timothy McVeigh, Saddam and Nyro, Saddam and Castro, but denies the existence of a link between Saddam and Mussolini
This is a very nasty and sinister statement issued by AlQedah yestserday. It claims responsibility for the series of car bombs around the world in the last few months, and calls them "death cars." It promises more of them. It also calls on its members to get into Iraq. Typically, all the innocent people who have been killed by its bombings are referred to as "spies." Horrifically, the statement threatens acts of violence here in the US. It is in Arabic.

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Be nice to your waiter/waitress, or else
How stupid can US press get? Very, very, very stupid. Time magazine has now solved the riddle: attacks against US troops are the result of $1000.00 offers. But what about the suicide bombers? Those are offered a box of candy to induce them. Time magazine should leave politics to serious magazines and stick to JLo and Ben stories. They also do good stories on why we love ice-cream.
On the children held at Guantanamo
This is explosive: the residents of the Saudi compound that was savagely bombed last week were visited by the Saudi moral police which complained about their lifestyles: Could the bombers have obtained the assistance of these fanatics?
Afghanistan is a mess, not a model of freedom and democracy
An interesting exchange with N. Chomsky regarding Palestine: go to page 6 (thanks to anonymous for sending it to me)
On the career of Seymour Hersh
This is the official statement of views of Ayatollah Sistani regarding the constitutional process in Iraq
Well, the Weekly Standard has closed the case: Now they say (based on a "leaked" Pentagon report by Douglas Faith), that they found the evidence of Saddam link with Bin Laden. No, no picture of the two sitting in a tub together was found . But read this ostensible report: it cites such solid evidence as "Newsweek reported in the last issue...and attributes the link between Bin Laden and Saddam to Sudanese Islamic fundamentalist thinker Hasan Turabi. It just happened that Turabi was interviewed today in AnNahar newspaper and he barely knew Bin Laden, he says. He admits to have met him twice, while the Saudi princes (US allies) met with him tons of time, although Crown Prince `Abdullah only admits to have met him a few times. But the US press is now thrilled with the piece claiming that it is solid proof.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Cheney and the manipulation of Intelligence: making up intelligence when it does not exist
This is too hilarious not to share with you. This person reviewed my last book on amazon.com while admitting that he did not bother to read it: "The book, like all of Abukhalil's other books, is a one-sided opinion on what the current global crisis is all about. However, it fails miserably in being fair and balanced or even informative. This person is basically critical of everything and everyone and brings his own opinions into a debate. His poor attempt to replace Edward Said as a formative expert on the Middle East fails. I would not recommend this book, which I chose not to purchase after breifly leafing though. the book is predictably anti-american. most of the information in it, are either public information or the writer's own personal feelings which are fueled by anymosity and hatred. "
If there is one book to read on Iraq it must be Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978). In 1283 pages, he explains Iraq to you. I was lucky to have studied under the late Batatu at the American University of Beirut, and later followed him to Georgetown. This is what he wrote about the Mosul Revolt of 1959 (this what the American occupiers may unleash): “For four days and four nights Kurds and Yezidis stood against Arabs; Assyrian and Aramean Christians against Arab Moslems; the Arab tribe of Albu Mutaiwit against the Arab tribe of Shammar; the Kurdish tribe of Al-Gargariyyah against Arab Albu Mutaiwit; the peasants of the Mosul country against their landlords; the soldiers of the Fifth Brigade against their officers; the periphery of the city of Mosul against its center; the plebeians of the Arab quarters of al-Makkawi and Wadi Hajar against the aristocrats of the Arab quarter of Ad-Dawwasah; and within the quarter of Bab al-Baid, the family of Rajabu against its traditional rivals, the Aghawat” (p. 866). But Bush understands all that, and the country is reading instead Bernard Lewis. I just finished his last two books: What Went Wrong? And the Crisis of Islam, and he repeats the same things in both books and if you read the article “Return (from vacation?) of Islam” from the late seventies, you do not need to read anything else by him. He has no new ideas; his hostility to Arabs and Muslims has remained constant.

Kanan Makiya is a charlatan and a fraud who, for some reason—it could be his love for Israel and his acceptance of an honorary doctorate from an Israeli university, although he dropped out of MIT, is a darling to the liberal and conservative US media. I saw him on Charlie Rose two weeks ago talking about his work: while he holds a chair in Islamic studies at Brandeis University (although he has never studied Islamic or Middle East studies, but for Brandeis qualifications are ideology and love for Israel, and not such silly matters as degrees and specialization, he has been in Iraq doing work for the puppet council regarding the future Iraqi constitution. The committee (hand-picked by the Americans) has the task of going around the country and asking people what they think. This Makiya told his easily impressed host Charlie Rose, who finds it difficult to shut up (he interviewed me once when he was working for CBS and was quite ill-prepared and asked me what to ask his next guest, the Israeli ambassador), and told him the people from around the country are welcoming this committee and discussing the matters of constitutional formation. That was flat out lie. No such things are taking place. Here what the Economist of September 27th says: ““GO AWAY,” bawled a rabble of men, rattling sabres and cudgels at an Iraqi delegation sent to the southern city of Hilla for talks on how to draw up the country's constitution. “We have nothing left to discuss.” This summer, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa declaring that only an elected assembly has the legitimacy to draw up a constitution. And that, for many of Iraq's 15m Shias, is that.” That settles it for me.
Rules of US occupation in Iraq: You are under arrest because your relative is wanted
tabulation of US and UK casualties' count
US remains blind to Iraqi casualties: Iraqis are never blind to Iraqi casualties
US allies are reconsidering their stance
Rumsfeld warns that US troops may stay in Iraq for years: Mark my words: It will not happen, but not for lack of trying.
I never knew this: there is a special branch of freedom called Bush and Blair
US loves this dictator:

Friday, November 14, 2003

Gore Vidal is always refreshingly unplugged
from my friend Bassam:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae.The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.The huamn mnid rdeas the wrod as a wlohe.
US press has not noticed: but Bush is quite disliked in UK
I used to like and admire Symour Hirsh: I still do. But was so disappointed how he went almost crazily fascistic after September 11: supported the Afghanistan war, and called for lifting those small restrictions on CIA conduct. He has returned to his senses as of late.
Just because my great great grandfather killed, breaded, fried, and eaten your great great grandfather is no reason for you to be mad at me. Come on.
Bitter harvest in West Bank
We told you, says Europe
Why US is losing the intelligence war? maybe by having leaders lacking intelligence?
I am still on my way back to California. The people in Wisconsin I discovered to my amusement (do not tell them I said that) speak in the same way as the people in Fargo. I was even tempted to ask them to play scenes for me from that delightful movie. Remember that bridge over Tigress River in Baghdad that was opened to great fanfare (fanfare is originally an Arabic word, one of many Arabic words that have made their way into English, like cable, rope, sugar, sherbet, alcohol, magazine, banana, etc)? The bridge opening caused unending coverage on CNN and Fox and the rest of the government media. That bridge has been closed, without fanfare. I only saw a reference to it in Arabic press, and today in Chicago Tribute. It was not fit to print in NYTimes, of course. NYTimes has noticed that the "Iron Hammer" bombings have no strategic or military purpose. Chicago Tribute concedes that it was only for morale of the troops, still sagging due to the attacks. In one building, which did not have any weapons and was a textile factory, the troops asked guards to leave before bombing it. CNN, however, still covers the bombings as if they are WWII "strategic bombings." The government is of course in a panic state: worried about the coming election: they say that they will speed up elections, and yet they disagree with the moderate Ayatollah Sistani (who refused to meet with Paul Bremer more than 26 times so far, and the latter keep trying to see him) who insists that no constitution will have legitimacy if drafted by an appointed council. The Ayatollah is more democratic than the democratic occupiers, and their democratic stooges (like that fake democratic Kanan Makiya). But the the stooges rightly fear elections because they have as much chances of success, as I do in running for governor of Alabama (or Texas, or CA, OK or anywhere else in the US, or Lebanon, or anywhere, OK I GET THE POINT, I am not electable).

I was really pleased to meet with the staff of the Progressive magazine yesterday. They have really rejuvenated things up in recent years. But I kept thinking: we in the left in the US need a dose of a sense of humor. Leftwing publications I notice (in Lebanon, US, and other places, but not in Egypt or France for example). That does not in any way mean that we have to compromise our message; but we should not sound like the awful Soviet publications either. That is why Michael Moore and Al Franken are doing so well. We in the left have a reputation, well earned, for being quite boring. We should change that, I think.

My host Jamal, praise be to him, and glory be to me,--always--baked me Manaqish: one of my favorite foods: a piece of Arabic bread dough: you cover it with olive oil mixed with Za`tar (a mix of sesame seeds and Thyme herbs--best one are from Jordan). It was delicious. Angry Arab was not angry for the duration of the consumption of the two manaqish. Upon finishing the delicious meal, Angry Arab resumed his angry state.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

So the US now admits that its forces are holding some 5000 Iraqi "terrorists." They, however, concede that only 20 are "suspected" of ties to AlQaedah. Yet, commander Sanchez yeserday conceded that none of the 20 has proven ties to AlQaedah. Yet, US officials keep peddling the lies about foreign terrorists in Iraq. But the US is working hard to win "hearts and minds" of Iraqis. Toward that end, the Sunni suburbs of Baghdad are now being bombed nightly. Imagine: the US controls Iraq, and now US forces bomb the Sunni suburbs of Baghdad hoping to kill "bad guys." I used to be convinced that Saddam is finished: and I sure hope that he never ever holds power anywhere. But US bombings and stupidity in Iraq are helping the fortunes of the Ba`th. Remaking the Middle East it is.
I cannot believe what is going on in Iraq: some 5000 "terrorists" are now in US custody: they say only 20 of them are suspected of being in AlQaedah. Yet, the commander of US troops yesterday said that they were not able to find evidence of even on person of the 20 being linked to AlQaedah. Yet, they still go around drawing links between Sadda, Bin Laden, Hitler, and Lenin.
I cannot believe what is going on in Iraq: some 5000 "terrorists" are now in US custody: they say only 20 of them are suspected of being in AlQaedah. Yet, the commander of US troops yesterday said that they were not able to find evidence of even on person of the 20 being linked to AlQaedah. Yet, they still go around drawing links between Sadda, Bin Laden, Hitler, and Lenin.
Who is behind the attacks? Gen. says it is not Hussein:
A move to ban cluster bombs: US and Israel beg to differ: they love cluster bombs

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

I only get exposed to the brilliant insights of NPR while in the shower. Just now I heard the brilliant analysis of an NPR correspondent in Iraq: he was commenting on the bombing in Nasiriyyah which killed many Italian troops, along with many innocent Iraqis. He said that Italian troops, unlike American troops, are not nice to the Iraqi people--I kid you not. He went on to say that Italian troops yell at Iraqis and do not treat them nice. In fact, Italian troops clearly did not want to be confused with American troops who are quite resented in the Sunni triangle, the Shi`ite parrallelogram, and the Kurdish trapezoid. I noticed that Italian military vehicles carry huge Arabic calligraphy identifying them "Italians" in order to distance themselves from the Americans. This chaos in Iraq will increasingly help the effort of those who may wish to impose yet another tyrancial rule in the country. So much for the American promises of "freedom" and "democracy" in Iraq, and elsewhere in the Middle East. But to be fair, Colin Powell did promise before the war to remake the Middle East. It has already been remade: into a brutal and bloody chaos, with human rights violations as rampant as ever. "The war on terrorism" continues.
When US troops act brutally, it is called "fierce" in LA Times
Evangelicals and Islamophobia
Court rules that people can be held forever
A secret CIA report warns: more Iraqis are supporting resistance: but they LOVE Bush: how can they not?
Text of Fox lawsuit against Franken: we distort, you decide
Another liar in the Bush administration exposed: will be promoted
US military now admits: Yes, we killed one of our own puppets in Iraq: winning hearts and minds
US troops kill 5 civilians in Iraq: but only after liberating them. Their families feel very liberated.
We were wrong: Iraqis trust Bush: some 1 percent of them believe that he wants democracy: results of Gallup poll that were not announced last September
Iraqi life shattered by US missile: Bush urges that more lives be shattered, in the name of democracy of course. Well, of course.
How the separation WALL will harm Palestinians: they call it a "fence" in the US press although it ranges between 60 to 100 meters in width
Anti-Globalization activists get ready:
Full text of the Medact report on the health crisis in Iraq:55000 Iraqi civilians may have been killed: Bush declares it a clean war
My article in As-Safir: Resistance or Terrorism? Against the Criteria of Bin Laden and Arab Neocons

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

NOT IN US PRESS: AlJazeera and BBC publish photos of US soldiers tying up Iraqi women and children: It is obvious that US is now liberating, not only Iraqi men, but women and children too. And then they wonder why the Middle East is not thrilled with US plans for "liberation"
UN finds no evidence of Iranian nukes; As`ad finds plenty of evidence of Israeli nukes: Bush alarmed
This is cute: Donald Rumsfeld, not to be confused with Donald Duck, now denies saying what he certainly had said prior to war: you judge
Robert Fisk, the best ME correspondent, on how "we deprived the Middle East of democracy (thanks Rania)
TOP US General warns Iraqis that attacks must stop or "liberation" will get more brutal:
A pro-American Iraqi puppet was killed by US troops
Give them credit: US and UK did a great job of avoiding peaceful solutions in Iraq and Afghanistan
US insists that its illegal trade policies are legal: especially in an election year
The career of Gen. Clark
Greek vs. Chinese thought

Monday, November 10, 2003

Zionism as racism
Does the US govt lie? Associates say US distorted the work of Iraqi scientist
Letters from US soldiers
This leaked document was published by globalsecurity.com: 3rd infantry division after action report
Howard Dean once berated a poor single woman on welfare: ""You don't think you ought to work for a living?" (He wrongly assumed that everybody is born filthy rich like him)
Gen. Clark declares his love for Israel in an Israeli newspaper (thanks Nasseer)
Look how the US govt pressures the press
Now it is a battle of perceptions: everday a new lable, a new name to a new war
The occupation of Germany revisited
Can Lenin explain the American Empire?

Sunday, November 09, 2003

My friend Sinan: on tyrants and trees
US Iraq economic policies are illegal: but who cares: Koffi Annan is still taking his 4 years nap
US troops in Iraq proudly fires at "suspected houses": Suspected gardens, roads, and families will also be targeted: Make no mistake about it:Liberation of Iraq is still on-going
Former Mossad chief warns: US and UK created a new holy war: of course, he declares Israel innocent
The US is not pleased with the Iraqi puppet council: they may bring in new puppets: old puppets are not pleased: (Washington Post now asks you to answer a brief and silly survey before you go to the page: make sure you say that your year of birth is 2000
Iraqi doctors dismiss claims that private Jessica Lynch was raped

...and private Jessica Lynch criticizes Bush's exploitation of her "heroism"
Officials now admit: yes, the govt lied, and concocted the threats: In other news, the nation is still trying to know what the UK royal scandal is all about
American troops sewing seeds of hatred in Iraq. Bush asks Cheney: "Is that a good thing"?
Two female POWs: one is black and one is white: one is famous, and the other ignored. Do you know why?

Saturday, November 08, 2003

Changes in foreign language study in the US: the biggest jump in language study is: American Sign Language. Arabic is second: number of students studying Arabic doubled in 4 years: from 5 students to 10 students.
US is losing grip in Sunni triangle: they talk about Sunni triangle as if it is a small area: the town of Falujah itself (and New York Times is convinced that only Falujah people do not like Americans) has more than 250000 people. And the Shi`ite parallelogram is not a fan of US either
Mahmud, 10, went looking for songbirds: only to be shot by Israelis: Bush suspects that he was looking for terrorist-leaning birds
This should qualify as a crime of war: but Human Rights Watch is too busy with other matters: defending right-wing advocates in different parts of the war: so a US helicopter is downed, and US troops responds by indiscriminately pounding a village (even by air): its crime, Saddam was born near it
I do not like John Kerry. Not only because he has such a bad record against Palestinians and Arabs, and not only because he has the audacity of speaking out against the war now after voting for the authorization to go to war, and not only because he is--like Clinton before him--championing the "middle class"--read white Middle Class--and does not say a word about the poor, but his personality bothers me. He acts so earnest, and feigns sincerity. He reminds me of the Red Cross Protestant rich kids that went to my high school, and that I enjoyed mocking. You know: the ones who think that they are better for humanity because they took a trip for a whole week to India nad and had their picture taken with..you know who (the Mother of all Miracles). These are the ones who would admonish you if you do not throw the Pepsi can in the recylcling bin. No wonder I make a point of not recycling (I am just kidding her). Oh, and I feel that people like him always get their punishment: they tend to be born with the charisma of a tomato.

I am really mad about the exploitation of the sotry of Jessica Lynch. She is a victim many times over: she was a victim of those Saddam's thugs who raped her; a victim of the Pentagon's exploitation of her ordeal and the invention of stuff that did not happen; a victim of the sleazy Iraqi lawyer who made up a story to make money out of his fake rescue of her; and now a victim of the sensational media. She has been brave in criticizing the exploitation of her story.
I must have such a heavy accent; I notice that when I am on the road. People who know me and who are close to me (and even my students--I think) get used to my Arabic accent. But with strangers, it is a different story. I asked a flight attendant for "bread." And she kept asking, "what"? "What is it that you want"? And I kept saying, as slowly as I can, "bread." And then she inquired, are you asking for a "bed."? I kidd you not. I was so tempted to tell her: yes, I want a large bed and a down comforter with a thread count that exceeds 375. But then I remembered that Federal laws and regulations now prohibit passengers from ever joking or acting sarcastic with the crew.
If you are not an atheist, this may do the job to make you one: you see, this General Boykin (the one who got in no trouble for attacking Islam, and for seeing Satan in Somalia, and who asserted that Muslims worship an idol) apparently is in frequent communication with God: and one time, God told him through a mega-phone:'Get up and dry your eyes and wipe that stuff from under your nose and get back into battle.'

Friday, November 07, 2003

Wars or settling of scores?
Corruption of the Iraqi oil ministry
US is really eager for Turkey, to send troops to Iraq, to die instead of US troops
Z. Brezezinki warns of the dangers of self-centeredness
a 10 year old boy is killed in Gaza: Israel found terrorist blood in his veins
We now know what the US Empire stands for: It is liberty, in case you have not heard: ask Paul Johnson
In case you have not heard, the president of US gave a speech on democracy, and he mentioned (very politely) Saudi Arabia and Egypt, among the usual suspects. The White House pressposkeperson (according to the account of NYTimes) quickly explained the president's remarks and said that he in no way threatened that there would be "conseuquences" for the pro-American dictatorship if those dictarorships continued to be dictatorships. Long live liberty.
For the full text, see

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

For those of you who have been receiving pictures of Iraqi soldiers talking to Iraqi children (presumably as evidence that the Iraqi people love and are in love with US occupation), and for those who heard deputy liar Cheney cite Zogby poll to the effect that Iraqis would love to be bombed again by the US (see John Zogby himself in today's column in NYT distance himself from Cheney's distortion of his own poll), tell people this: The Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education has conducted a survey of Iraqis inside and outside the country, and found out that 76.4 % of Iraqi want the US OUT (not in, OUT) of Iraq. This is from today's Arab neo-conservative, pro-Saudi, and pro-US Al-Hayat.
My friend Virginia's article in TLS:on the One state solution: the only solution
Tariq Ali: on resistance and Iraqi independence
The smearing of Said and Ashrawi: by Robert Fisk
New York Times is trying its best to save Bush of political damage. They had an article yesterday, or the other day, in which they asserted that Iraqis still consider American occupation forces to be liberators and, LISTEN TO THIS, their "tutors on democracy." We are going back in times. Even the French occupation of Algeria was not that vulgar in discourse (they were, in fact, but go along with my polemical overstress). When I am on the road, I get to see more of US TV news which I normally avoid thanks to my three satellites at home (and do not forget my satellite radio--and satellite toaster oven): I saw a panel at the Bush Presidential library at A&M University in Texas (not to be confused with M & M University in Detroit). It featured John Burns of New York Times and Gen. Tony Frank: I swear that John Burns (a British citizen) was more patriotic and more gong-ho than Gen. Frank: Burns tried his best to assure the audience that Iraqis love, and are in love, with George W. Bush. John Burns also almost bragged that he does not know any of the Middle East languages; he forgot to add that he does not know anything about the Middle East either, and it shows. New York Times tell us that schools are refurbished and open in Iraq: UNICEF paid for many of the renovations, and Newsweek adds that many of the US renovations were badly done. The occupation voice, the insincere and annoying Kanan Makiya: urged on Charlie Rose that US arrests tens of thousands of Iraqis: and this pro-democracy advocate also called for the arrest of those who appear on AlJazeera and oppose the US occupation. He did not forget to add that he is opposed to the election of the constitutional council in Iraq; of course, he is opposed: left to their free choices, Iraqis would never elect people of his ilk. Oh, and Bush is saying that he is making progress in Iraq.
Rumsfeld, who does not like Muslim schools, loves this school:
a respected Republican questions Iraq policy
US will form a new paramilitary force: composed of Saddam's former thugs and torturers
US turns him over to Syria, to endure torture
Israel destroys US built wells: Bush orders more wells destroyed, provided they are used by Palestinian civilians
Iraqi hatred of occupation grows: and they are not all Saddam's fans
British arms sales to Israel are said to ignore human rights violations: imagine what you can say about US arms sales to Israel
Third in a series: Inequality of the Bush era
This small town newspaper unearthed unpleasant secrets of the Vietnam war
Daniel Pipes' father (Richard Pipes, a historian on Russia) also has opinions on Middle East: does not think that democracy will work in Iraq: US and its puppets agree

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

It is official now: Gen. Clark declares the US an Empire
Iranian reporters held in Iraq by US troops report severe torture
US and UK do not want to clear land mines from war zones: they believe that they are good in that they kill unwanted poor people
A report from Fallujah
Only in America: the Smithsonian exhibits the plane that bombed Hiroshima: something for national pride?
It is now official and final: US will deny aid to countries that do not respect the US right to commit war crimes
How American hospitals treat its poor (from a UK newspaper)
This is very cool: a special section of the British Library in which you can look at very old books, including Leoanardo's Notebook, and you can flip the pages: You have to easily install Shockwave software for free, and adjust the resolution of your computer---but it is worth it
This is an Iraqi public opinion survey (notice that it differs from American public opinion surveys conducted in Iraq) (thanks Eric)

Monday, November 03, 2003

The US govt has misplaced a few billions: have you seen them?
Ideology over science
The US administration is keeping American dead out of sight
Official website of the US occupation authority: in English and (really bad) Arabic
How US occupation forces treat the press in Iraq:
Even this conservative UK newspaper seeing evidence of Iraqi popular antipathy to US occupation
Death in Gaza
The confessions of Tariq Aziz
US puppet Kofi Annan sends a mission to Kabul to save the corrupt and unpopular regime of US puppet Karzai
Read about American poverty crisis in a......UK newspaper
The administration still insists that the Iraqis love the US occupation: here it talks about celebrations of American misery
Meet Robert Fisk: Need I say more?

Sunday, November 02, 2003

The US in the world: not very popular, I am afraid.
A little story of big Iraq contract corruption
A new campaign strategy by Howard Dean: Appeal to the white supremacists
How we got into this Iraqi mess: Bush, Perle, Chalabi and the rest
Former Iraqi detainees tell their stories: it is not pretty. Cruel liberation.
For those who read Arabic: an important sobering evaluation of the Iraq situation by the respected Iraqi engineer and Saddam's critic Adib Al-Jadir. He went to Iraq, and did not like what he saw.(thanks Wafa')
Bernard Lewis, who was convinced that Arabs would cheer US wars, has a new idea: a Hashemite Kingdom for Iraq. What can we do to urge this man to retire? He was supposed to have retired, but he keeps coming back. I would buy him a new expensive watch if he promises to really retire.
Empire of those men, by N. Chomsky

Saturday, November 01, 2003

If you happen to be from Saddam's village: you are now ordered to register with US troops, and report every time you leave or return to village: Rules of Liberation
A new book reveals: Bush believes that he was chosen by God to be presidnet (well, we know it was not the popular vote)
Read Robert Fisk: from a radio interview
Do you want to know who is behind the attacks on US troops in Iraq: I will tell you. They are: Ba`thists, Islamic fundamentalists, Bin Laden supporters, Iraqi nationalists, criminals, anti-Saddam Ba`thists, disgruntled unemployed, tribal elements, people seeking revenge, and people who detest foreign occupation. And they are not working together necessarily.
In a comprehensive EU poll: Israel chosen as top threat to world peace

Israel, of course, has the explanation: Europeans are antisemitic, say Israeli leaders
This is so touching: It talks about how Paul Wolfowitz dreams of liberating the Arab world. How nice: he also believes that bombs and rockets over the heads of Arabs are the best method of liberation. He means well.
Here, I am quoted criticizing Kofi Annan: this is a brave reporter who works for UN but seems to invite my take against Annan (now he may be fired). Annan's harmful role began long before he assumed the position of Secretary-general: he is responsible for UN failing during the Rwanda massacres, after all
Der Spiegel publishes details of the accounts of the two masterminds of Sep. 11
Orwell vs. Bush: war of words
Cheney selects a Likudnik right-wing, anti-Arab as advisor on Middle East
Memoirs of a brave man
A theory that makes sense: resistance is fueled by desperation and joblessness
Leftist agenda for Bogota?
A History of the Iraq war, through the words of US officials
The Army buries its mistakes
Bush continues to see progress in Iraq, while the reality is something else