The Australian violent kidnapping attempt (of children) in Lebanon II

I have been angry at the audacity of privileged Australians who went to Lebanon in order to kidnap little children from their fathers. The hired Australian goons also hit the grandmother and the maid (the hitting of the maid didn't make it into Western media accounts, naturally).  Look, it seems that the children are victims of their parents: both parents seem to have been cruel to their children.  A relative of the father tells me that he indeed is guilty of depriving the children of their mothers, and he admitted that he broke into the email account of his ex-wife.  That is the kind of father.  All that however does not excuse the cruel decision of the mother who, using her race privilege and nationality privilege, thought that she could just storm into Lebanon and kidnap her children.  Of course, they will be released from jail because they are not Africans or Asian.  We know the legal standards of a country like Lebanon.   I don't like the father but he has a point here:  ""If the tables were turned, if I were to show up in Australia trying to kidnap someone ... I would have probably been shot on the spot, called a terrorist," he said.  The 32-year-old father also said he wasn't willing to drop charges against Faulkner because he believes it would also lead to the release of the news team who filmed the operation, and those who carried it out."

The ruins of US diplomatic convoys: when the US ambassador in Lebanon toured the ancient ruins of Tyre

"Touring Tyre on foot can be tiring, to be sure. But whether US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly was too tired or too busy to get out of her car to survey these marvelous vestiges of antiquity, nothing excuses her regrettable decision to drive a convoy of vehicles over this ancient site, damaging a stone wall in the process."

The deadly convoys of US diplomats around the world

Whenever US diplomats move in their convoys in Lebanon, it is always near-misses.  They are accidents about to happen.  It is the mentality that the safety of the US diplomat is far more important than the lives of the natives.  They often shoot in the air as the cars moves through narrow streets.  I have always argued that American (ostensible) humanitarianism and care are as deadly as US bombs: "As the convoy barreled through a village in northern Cameroon on Monday, a 7-year-old boy darted to the road, excited to see the chain of white S.U.V.s carrying Samantha Power, the first cabinet-level American official to visit the country since 1991.  Distracted by a thundering noise, the boy glanced up at the helicopter providing security from above. Suddenly, he was struck dead — killed by the same convoy that had brought officials to showcase American efforts to help protect West Africa’s women and children.  After hitting the boy, one S.U.V. carrying State Department employees pulled to the side of the road. The rest of the motorcade continued on its way."

CNN Arabic is a mere propaganda tool for Saudi regime

Arabic versions of Western media are either tools of Qatari regime (like Huffington Post Arabi) or tools of Saudi regime (like CNN).

As regional foes of the US achieve victory against ISIS, US takes credit

This article mocks recent US military self-congratulation: on how the US government has been recently taking credit for advances against ISIS at the hands of its enemies in Syria, while US clients among the rebels retreat in the face of ISIS. Really funny.  

Syria is a replay of Afghanistan

"I confess it took me a long time to see and then acknowledge that the Pentagon was not serious about defeating or degrading or doing anything else with regard to the Islamic State. The questions then became: Could it be that Syria is a replay of Afghanistan in 1979-1980, when Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter’s national security adviser, persuaded the peanut farmer from Plains to finance the Islamist militias that eventually became al-Qaeda?"

Canada's foreign policy

"By selling LAVs to Saudi Arabia, Canada is in effect acting as an agent of U.S. foreign policy." "Traditionally, Canadian arms sales to the Sunni-led kingdom were arranged under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. This is the first time Saudi Arabia has done business directly with Canada. And make no mistake, this is a deal between the government of Canada and a serial human-rights abuser, and not, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sought to characterize it, as one involving “a manufacturing company here in Canada” and the Sunni-led kingdom. So, enough with the hypocrisy." "In selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, Canada is taking sides and making a good buck in the process."

Israeli-Egyptian-Saudi axis

"According to a senior security official, who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Ya’alon emphasized to his associates that security cooperation between Israel and Egypt had reached an all-time high. The security systems of the two countries share the same interests. Egyptians, for instance, help Israel contain and cordon off Hamas in Gaza. The recent move — the transfer of the two islands to Saudi Arabia — reveals part of the dialogue that has been developing between Israel and its Sunni neighbors." (thanks Amir)

George Clooney and Hillary

In his interview yesterday on ABC News, Clooney explained reasons for his support for Hillary and he brought South Sudan as an example of her great work. South Sudan is one of the greatest disasters of the 21st century, and has dirty Israeli hands in it.

The fake human rights crusaders

"everyone’s favorite human rights activist couple is throwing a fundraiser for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with Haim Saban – an Israeli-American mogul and who considers himself a “protector of Israel.” "Being afraid of speaking out against the many heinous human rights and international law violations of Israel is one thing, but choosing to work with the people who are contributing to those violations is unforgivable."

An Egyptian journalist listens attentively to a speech by Sisi: the next day he wrote praise for it

Muslims on planes in the US

From Basim: "A Muslim Maryland woman claims she was kicked off a Southwest flight after she asked to switch seats because of her religious beliefs."

It all started, according to Makhzoomi, after he decided to call his uncle in Baghdad after getting on the plane. While he waited for takeoff on his flight from Los Angeles to Oakland, California, they chatted in Arabic about an event he'd been excited to attend the day before: a dinner with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "One guy came with police officers within two minutes -- I can't believe how fast they were -- and told me to get off the plane," he said."

What about minority prejudice against the majority in the Middle East? Lebanese Christian bigotry as an example

In Western media, only Middle East majority prejudice is of interest to them.  When Lebanon was ruled by a sectarian Christian anti-Muslim clique, the regime was hailed as a victory for humanity.  There is a whole campaign in Lebanon to not sell Christian property to non-Christians and there is nothing about that.  I think that there is Western sympathy for such measures because it reminds them of Israeli Zionist prejudices against Muslims and Christians.  This add appeared An-Nahar and species that the buyer has to be Christian.  

It is over for Bashshar: four months and he is out

Finally, someone with a prediction.  Muhammad `Allush of Army of Islam says that Bashshar has four months left in power.  It is all over.  

The mouthpiece of King Salman brags: Guantanamo prisoners support Saudi wars and policies

This is a headline in the newspaper of King Salman, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat: "One of the Yemeni returnees from Guantanamo: "The Storm of Resolve" pleased us".

Killian Kleinschmidt a whistleblower who does not take responsibility for his own actions

So he now poses as a whistleblower at the time of his retirement: "Shocking multi-million-pound waste and paralysing bureaucracy at the United Nations have been exposed by a former senior official from the organisation – which receives vast sums from the British taxpayer each year.   Killian Kleinschmidt was the manager of a sprawling camp for Syrian refugees in Zaatari, Jordan.  A veteran of 25 years with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Austrian aid expert has revealed how the organisation was dogged by infighting and an obsession with celebrities.  And he has exposed how senior aid bureaucrats lied about caring for thousands more children than they actually did."  But only a few years ago, he insisted that he was the responsible official: "“I’m the boss, I’m the boss, I’m the boss!” he barked into the phone one morning. “I decide everything,” he explained later. “Whether to fix a fence or to throw out a refugee — everything.”"  Which is which, Killian? 

Saudi royal family blackmails the US

Israel killed over 5,500 Palestinians & not one solider has been prosecuted for murder

"No soldiers were charged with homicide in the slaying of Palestinians during the period of September 2000 to November 2015. In this time frame Israeli forces killed more than 5,500 Palestinians and ten foreign nationals in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, according to the human rights group B’tselem (this figure excludes casualties from both the 2009 and 2014 wars in Gaza)."

Saudi-Jordan-Egypt-Israel alliance

" “There is no doubt that the relationship between Egypt and Israel is at a higher level than ever before. It is also clear that Saudi Arabia has many interests that are linked to Israeli interests. I would also add Jordan to this. I think that there are great common interests here, which serve as a good basis for various relationships,” he said."

Israel sentenced a 13-year-old Palestinian girl to prison

"But now S. is not home. She is in Sharon Prison. A 13-year-old girl, in the seventh grade, she is an inmate in an Israeli jail." (thanks Amir)

Let us not get too excited about Bernie Sanders after the Brooklyn Debate

I think that some of the pro-Palestinian community in the West are getting way too excited about Bernie Sanders after his performance in the debate.  Let us restate the facts as he defined his own views during the debate: 1) he says he is %100 pro-Israel.  He did not leave even 1% for chance.  2) He believes that Israel has "the right to defend itself", which since 1948 has been a Western Zionist license for Israel to commit war crimes and massacres at will. 3) The only bad words Sanders has uttered about Netanyahu are: "I am not a great fan of Netanyahu", and that "Netanyahu is not right all the time".  How this passes as criticisms of Netanyahu is beyond me. 4) He like all other Western Zionists talk about security strictly in terms of Israel, even if he believes that the Palestinians deserve a solution to their economic problems--as if Palestinian resistance has been about unemployment.  4) The thrust for his position about Arab-Israeli peace is what is good for Israel.  That is his motive.  5) to speak of a Palestinian state or of a two-state (non)solution is not earth-shattering: George W. Bush and a segment of the Likud speak of that as well.  Why is not considered important. 6) This is a man who for the interest of Israel speaks glowing about the Kind of Jordan although he believes that Arab Sunni states should do more to share the burden of imperial wars in the Middle East.  Look: it was not courageous on the part of Sanders to utter the words he uttered: to understand this point remember that Sanders was cheered every time he mentioned the Palestinian people.  The Democratic Party has changed and it has become like the Socialist Party of France or the Labor Party of UK: the base (especially among the college aged) are pro-Palestinian while the leadership of the party remains solidly pro-Zionist.  So Sanders, knowing that he won't be president, can safely ride the tide of the enthusiasm of the college youth.  And to speak about "even-handedness" is not that earth shattering: and he spoke about even-handedness while declaring that he is "100% pro-Israel".  Sanders position on Palestine reminds one of the stance of Trump: who also stated that he would be "neutral" about Arab-Israeli conflict while painting that there is no one more pro-Israel than he is.  And all pro-Israeli US candidates speak of Gaza in terms of the terrorism of Hamas and its fire crackers rockets without even considering that Hamas and Palestinians in general are the ones engaged in self defense and not vice versa.  None of those Zionist candidates question the biased premises of Sanders and Hillary and the Republican candidates.  The term "even-handedness" was a cliche terms used by Arabists at the US Department of State until the era of Ronald Reagan, and it was feature of Republican criticisms before the Reagan era.  Go back to the statements of Richard Nixon before he ran for office in 1968: he also spoke about the need for an even-handed US policy in the Middle East, and I think he said that in 1964 during a visit to Egypt when he observed that the pyramids are very big indeed.  And this is not the first time in a presidential campaign that a major candidate violated the talking points of AIPAC: Jesse Jackson did so in 1988 and George McGovern did so also in 1984.  Obama said in his 2008 campaign that no one suffered more than the Palestinian people but then explained that he had meant that the Palestinians suffered because of their own mistakes and crimes.  If Bernie were to become a major presidential candidate with viable options, he would also explain that what he meant by even-handedness is the need for US to be even more pro-Israel.  Look: the Western liberal parties are experiencing a crisis (I write about that in Arabic in my article for Al-Akhbar): the liberal base is at odds with the party establishment not only in terms of foreign policy but also even in terms of economic policies. This explains the rise of Sanders or the election of Corbyn in UK (in Canada there was exuberance displayed among the college aged youth for Trudeau not because he presented liberal programs but because he "looked like a true liberal" and his photo opps seemed to the left of his party's recent record).   If by a miracle Sanders becomes the nominee of his party, he would quickly stick to the party line of AIPAC word-for-word.  I have seen some presidential candidates who initially uttered spontaneous declarations about Palestine only to be reigned in later by the AIPAC establishment.  Dukakis initially spoke spontaneously in 1988 but the party establishment quickly brought in AIPAC man, Martin Indyks who quickly became the AIPAC enforcers for every Democratic presidential candidate since.  But the status of major party rhetoric on Palestine is so abysmal that people in the pro-palestinian community actually cheer and jump up and down when one candidate in a moment of unrestrained conversation declares that the Palestinian people are humans although many of them are terrorists who scare and intimidate Israel.

PS And look at the Greek case of Syriza: which is part of the "radical left" and not the liberal left as in Bernie Sanders case.  Syriza started as part of the radical leftists position on Palestine and within a year established one of the strongest economic and political and security alliance with the Israeli occupation state (and there are accusations that Greece now spies on behalf of Israel at the EU--even if this started earlier it continues).  I remember when Greek defense minister visited Israel last year, I was told that this does not count as he was representative of the right in the ruling coalition, as if the defense minister acts without the consent of the government as a whole.  Look: All European parties (left and center and right) will follow US foreign policy dictates on Israel once they reach power.  Make no illusions about that especially that World Bank and IMF also conspire with US Zionist plotting.  

The Dilemma of Western Left and the Phenomenon of Bernie Sanders

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "The Dilemma of Western Left and the Phenomenon of Bernie Sanders".

"The role of white privilege in the 60 Minutes kidnapping saga"

"It is this perception that leads Westerners to assume they are doing a noble thing in "rescuing" children from a country like Lebanon; you'd never catch Australian journalists lending support to a violent kidnapping on the streets of Paris in a bid to smuggle children across the border.

And a violent kidnapping is exactly what it is, despite the Australian media's reluctance to call it that. CCTV footage shows the "recovery agents," who appear to have Rambo delusions, forcibly snatching the children and knocking a woman to the ground.

While it is not uncommon for journalists to break questionable laws in service of their jobs, exploiting a mother's pain and participating in a violent abduction in which someone could have easily been hurt is surely crossing the line.

Nonetheless, the Australian media has danced around the issue, using terms like "recovery operation", "bring back", "retrieve," and "snatch." The closest anyone seems willing to get to reality is to call it as an "abduction." This is not surprising. After all, "kidnap" is a damning word, one that makes it obvious that what occurred was in fact, a dubious and criminal act. But because white privilege dictates that the West is good, we have to call it something else. We don't kidnap, we rescue and "recover".

If Australians can't even call the incident what it was, imagine how shocked the journalists must be to find themselves in a Lebanese jail. It can be surprising to discover that white privilege does not apply in other countries. That you can't just waltz into a country, wreak minor havoc, and then waltz back out again.

That the 60 Minutes crew felt so comfortable as to actually go along and film two children being abducted in public indicates they were not fully comprehending the gravity of their own actions. And why should they, when for so long the West has gotten away with its endless meddling in the Middle East? The hubris of white privilege mixed with Channel Nine's lust for sensationalism is a toxic brew indeed."

Reporting on the sham election in Syria

It is a sham election for sure, but look at these methods of documentation by Anne Barnard: "In government-held areas, where schools were closed and state employees were warned that they must show up to vote, some said they had cast ballots largely out of fear that they would otherwise be punished."  Can you imagine editors at the Times allowing such language and methods of journalism in covering Israel?

How Israeli propagandists lied when they said that an Israeli firm was able to break into the security protection of the iPhone

Many US media falsely reported that the FBI relied on an Israeli firm to break into the San Bernardino terrorist's IPhone.  Now we know that it was a lie by Zionist hoodlums in the US who would like to promote the services of Israel at every corner.  "The bureau in this case did not need the services of the Israeli firm Cellebrite, as some earlier reports had suggested, people familiar with the matter said."

Anne Barnard does not bother cover images and videos of children who are killed by bombs of Syrian rebels

Only one side has victims in Syria, according to US media: "Residents posted images online of injured children, including an infant whose skull was crushed." And look at her thorough method of documentation: " As many as nine people were killed in the bombings, according to local anti-government activists."

Bernie and Arab fascination with him

I don't understand the Arab fascination with Bernie: the man yesterday said: "I am 100% pro-Israel" and there are some Arabs who react with: "Oh, he really loves Arabs. He really does".  

From page 19 of the New York Times: "Muslim Students Report Burglaries and Hate Literature at Idaho State"

Last year, the New York Times had a cover story and a very long article about one case: that a stupid student at UCLA asked a Jewish student running for student government whether she can be fair about BDS issues given her faith.  Of course, such a question should not be asked and religious faith should not be a litmus test or a barrier or a criterion for privilege (as in Israel) either.  But the New York Times wrote the cover story and many US newspapers followed suit and there were campaigns about how anti-Semitism is sweeping US college campuses based on that one incident (and the UC system used that one incident as a justification for the attempt to ban anti-Zionist rhetoric from the campuses).    Yet, this story will not be covered on front pages and it won't lead to articles and reports about how Islamophobia is spreading in the US: "Federal officials and the local police are investigating burglaries and hate literature that appear to be directed at Muslim students attending Idaho State University in Pocatello, where tensions have recently risen over an influx of students from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In an email to Idaho State faculty and students Wednesday, the university’s president, Arthur C. Vailas, said the homes of about 50 Middle Eastern students had been burglarized over the past several weeks. “As a result of these crimes, some of our students are seriously considering leaving I.S.U. and Pocatello,” the email said.""  It will be fair to say that had the students been Jewish presidential candidates would be talking about it today.  

Lebanon in US alliance against ISIS?

I noticed that among the flags of the US-led coalition against ISIS, that Lebanon is represented.  They mean the Lebanese Army, of course.  Is the US government really claiming that the Lebanese Army is the one that repelled ISIS on the Lebanese border and inside Lebanon and NOT Hizbullah?  The US must have a higher opinion of the Lebanese Army than the Lebanese themselves.

US rebel groups in Syria and their fight against ISIS

What happened near the border with Turkey is symptomatic: that US rebel groups in Syria are not doing well at all in the face of ISIS.  And Obama's rhetoric on ISIS ignores a major element about the war on ISIS: that US enemies in the Middle East (from Syrian regime, to Russia, to Hizbullah, to some factions in Iraq, to Iranian military advisors and personnel) have done more against ISIS than US and its allies. This is a fact devoid of political consideration but US won't acknowledge of course.

Diaa Hadid of the New York Times

I went to her page on Twitter yesterday only to discover that I am blocked by her for some reason.  I don't recall ever communicating with her.

ISIS-CIA meetings? NOT in US media

A Turkish newspaper citing Turkish intelligence sources reports of meetings between CIA and ISIS in Turkey.

Mahmoud Abbas actively participates in the Istanbul summit

Watch here.

Sami Kulayb's book on Syria

I have been meaning to mention this: Sami Kulayb (the well-known TV presenter/journalist from Aljazeera and now with Al-Mayadin) published a new book on Syria in the new year titled (in Arabic):  "Asad: between departure and systematic destruction". The book should be read by anyone working on Syria or plan to write about the Syrian war, his or your politics aside.  Don't get me wrong: the writer is very close to the Syrian regime and he was married to a key media adviser to Bashshar, but the book contains previously unpublished documents and perspectives.  He is selective about what to rely on in French press and he has his point of view but some of the documents (like minutes of meetings between Arab League ministers and Bashshar) reveal much about early Gulf plots regarding Syria.  The book needed much editing as it reads like a compilation of articles and less like a book.

They met to discuss the liberation of Palestine

the farce of the election in Syria: Syrian regime's theatrics

What is about Ba`thist brutal regimes? No matter how much they kill and repress, they insist on preserving the fake veneer of elections.  It is essential for Ba`thist dictatorships in Syria and Iraq to preserve the theatrics of elections.  But this as Al-Akhbar reports, the regime is having a hard time selling the rotten product of elections.  

Jordanian regime prepares for its next bogus election

Jordanian regime prepares for the next election by closing down the offices of the largest political party in the country.  Of course, Western media won't bother to cover.

Do you remember when American Zionists in the media and think tank once posed as defenders of the Palestinians in the case of Yarmuk camp?

When it was convenient to their propaganda effort about Syria, Zionists in US and West--including Western human rights organizations--suddenly posed as supporters of the Palestinians in Syria even when Palestinians in Palestine where being butchered by Israeli occupation forces.  But as Yarmuk remains a victim of ISIS and Nusrah terrorists, the camp became forgotten.  "ISIL and Nusra put Yarmouk civilians in line of fire".  To their credit, Aljazeera ENGLISH covered this but Aljazeera Arabic would not bother.

Only two US senators dare go against Saudi regime

"Two US Senators introduced legislation on Wednesday that would halt future sales of aerial munitions to Saudi Arabia until President Obama verifies that the Saudi government is respecting international humanitarian law in waging war in Yemen, that it doesn't support listed terrorist groups, and that it is pursuing all measures to eradicate al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) said that in light of the civilian toll of the US-backed Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, the White House must ensure that American weapons are not being used in attacks on innocents. Both said that it was unclear if the Saudi-led coalition's operations in Yemen, which the US government immediately supported a year ago, advance US interests in the Middle East.

"The more it drags on, the clearer it becomes that our military involvement on behalf of the Saudi-led coalition is prolonging human suffering in Yemen and aiding the very groups that are intent on attacking us," said Murphy."  Of course, both of those Senators don't dare ago against Israel. (thanks Mariam)

Saudi Arabia will allow Israeli ships & subs freedom of passage in Tiran Straits

"Israel's freedom of passage in the Straits of Tiran following their handover to Saudi Arabia was guaranteed in the deal, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said in a Tuesday briefing with military reporters."

Saudi Arabia's goals are consistent with Canada's interests in the Middle East

"Documents obtained by CBC News are shedding light on the strategy the federal government is using to justify the sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia." "The documents acknowledge these concerns noting; "the reported high number of executions, suppression of political opposition, the application of corporal punishment, suppression of freedom of expression, arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment of detainees, limitations of freedom of religion, discrimination against women and the mistreatment of migrant workers." "The acquisition of state-of-the-art armoured vehicles will assist Saudi Arabia in these goals, which are consistent with Canada's defence interests in the Middle East." "

Israel's dirty hands: even Rwanda

"" “There is no doubt that the State of Israel and the defense and foreign ministries knew very well what was going on in Rwanda in real time, just as the entire world knew,” the two wrote in their appeal, adding that the government “continues to impose on the Israeli public a denial of Israeli involvement in the genocide there.” ""

Sisi speech

I watched the entire 1:30 minute speech by Sisi yesterday. It was quite a nervous performance. He was a tyrant in distress.  He avoided saying a good word about Saudi regime, perhaps knowing about the public anger.  He also of course avoided mentioning the Israeli occupation state. He went out of his way to shift the blame to Saudi regime: he said that they have been asking for them.  He then bluntly asked that people stop talking about it altogether.  You know that the tyrant is on his way down in the Arab world when he appears too defensive.  

Israeli genocide deniers

"The Banality of Denial seeks both to examine the passive, indifferent Israeli attitude towards the Armenian Genocide, and to explore active Israeli measures to undermine attempts at safeguarding the memory of the Armenian victims of the Turkish persecution. Such an inquiry into attempts at denial by Israeli institutions and leading figures of Israel's political, security, academic, and Holocaust "memory-preservation" elite has not merely an academic significance. It has considerable political relevance, both symbolic and tangible."

The Arab Gulf Regimes Institute in DC

So comrade Madawi Al-Rasheed was invited to an event at the institute. I was surprised: I told her it is most uncharacteristic that they would invite her.  Sure enough, they cancelled the event even after she arrived to the country.