U.S. is using white phosphorus that kills by burning to the bone

"Photos posted on a Pentagon-managed public affairs website show a U.S. Army artillery unit in Iraq using white phosphorous munitions, specifically M825A1 155mm rounds." "The United States has used white phosphorus in Iraq before, notably in the 2004 battle for Fallujah, when Marine artillery batteries were scrutinized for firing the munitions on entrenched insurgents. In Afghanistan, white phosphorus was used by U.S. troops, primarily in the country’s restive east. In 2009, NATO forces there were accused of burning an 8-year-old girl with the munitions."

On the Middle East

New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, the Nation Magazine, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat and Al-Riyadh have all become indistinguishable.

NYT's support for wars

"However, it’s worth noting, The New York Times‘s editorial board has supported every single US war—Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Libya—for the past 30 years."

German-Israeli covert operations

"According to the documents — which were submitted for the trial of a former German spy — Western surveillance agencies, Israel likely among them, operated a tax-haven company to fund various security-related operations." "Mauss claims that the fund in question was opened in the mid-1980s in Panama by Western security services for various activities, and has served since then for covert security operations around the world."

Israel & Paraguay

"And while Paraguay stands little chance of ousting Colombia as Israel’s regional BFF — the current Colombian president has, after all, boasted of being “the Israelites of Latin America” — Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes has put a lot into the relationship, particularly during his recent visit to Israel." "Cartes himself, meanwhile, was described in a leaked cable from the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires in 2010 as the head of an “organization believed to launder large quantities of United States currency generated through illegal means, including through the sale of narcotics, from the TBA (Tri-Border Area) to the United States.” All the more reason, presumably, to shift the blame for illicit Tri-Border Area activity to other parties. Looks like Paraguay and Israel will make one hell of a team." (thanks Amir)

Facebook disables accounts of Palestinian editors

" “There has been no given reason for closing the accounts,” Quds’ al-Akhras said. “We believe this is the result of the agreement between Israel and Facebook. It is very strange that Facebook would take part in such an agreement, given that it is supposed to be a platform for free expression and journalism.” Al-Akhras said that it was particularly dismaying that Facebook would take this action as Quds got its start in 2011 as a Facebook-only platform." 

This is how the US ignited the Lebanese civil war

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "This is how the US Ignited the Lebanese Civil War: Secret Negotiations with Israel in the Administration of Franjiyyah."

Ian Black citing Faysal Qasim of Aljazeera

Faysal Qasim of Aljazeera has become known for posting the most sectarian, vulgar, sexist, and exterminationist posts about Syria (he used to be pro-Syrian regime by the way).  Ian Black is citing him below.  But in this week, I have noticed that most if not all Western correspondents on the Middle East have lost all sense of pretense of professionalism and are posting crude propaganda.
Ian Black (@ian_black)

9/24/16, 9:20 AM

‎Putin and friends who "kneel only before God״ ⁦‪twitter.com/kasimf/status/…‬⁩

John Kerry explains why the alliance between his "moderate" Syrian rebels and Jihadi terrorists is perfectly logical

"But, he said, “it’s very hard to separate people when they are being bombed indiscriminately and when [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad has the right to determine who he’s going to bomb, because he can, quote, ‘Go after Nusra,’ but go after the opposition all at the same time because he wants to. You create a confusion that is impossible to separate out.”"

Saudi rehabilitation of terrorists

In this interview with the mouthpiece of King Salman, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, an American official praises the Saudi program for the rehabilitation of terrorists, which recently produced the successor to Abu Muhammad Al-`Adnani.

This dude makes it sound as if 20 books per year is a lot of books

"Since we’re well aware of how much the president reads — something like 20 books a year, I’m told — it would be presumptuous of me to suggest anything to him."

When Nation magazine covers the Syrian war: Syrian writers against US and Russian military intervention in Syria

Is this a joke? I know that you can't trust anything on the Middle East from the Zionist Nation magazine but this is like a farce.  The signatories to this statement, like Sadiq Al-Azm, have been advocates of NATO intervention from the very beginning and most of the writers here work in Gulf regimes media, which have been calling for MORE--not less--US intervention in Syria.  Burhan Ghalyun is even one of the signatories.  Their protest is not against US military intervention in Syria but against US agreement with Russia over the cease-fire.  But those nuances are too inconvenient fro the Zionist policies of the Nation magazine.

When the Syrian rebels impose sectarian sieges: rarely in the US press: not in the WP or the NYT

"A punishing siege imposed by Islamist rebels has cut off these two sister towns in northwest Syria for the last 18 months, leaving them at the mercy of truck bombs, mortar barrages, and the terrifying staccato of sniper fire.

The two towns lie in Idlib province, a predominantly Sunni Muslim region southwest of Aleppo. In March 2015, the entire province was overrun by a powerful jihadist coalition known as the Army of Conquest.  The exception was Fuah and Kefraya, two Shiite villages whose roughly 17,000 residents have remained, even under a devastating blockade, loyal to the government. For most, there has seemed to be little choice: Shiite Muslims are seen as apostates by Islamist hard-liners, and the Army of Conquest has threatened to wipe them out.  “A massacre is inevitable — maybe not for everyone, but certainly for the young men. They are always sending them threats on walkie-talkies,” said Mohammad Hassan Taqi, head of the towns’ crisis committee. “But all the possibilities are there: killing, rape, imprisonment of some, to be used as bargaining chips with the government,” he said. The plight of these two Shiite towns says much about how Syria’s sectarian mosaic has been fractured since the onset of the war. In a country where Shiite and Sunni villages were once spread across the landscape in relative harmony, more and more Syrians are being uprooted into sectarian blocs, their borders becoming new fault lines in the greater Sunni-Shiite conflict. A key to the fate of Fuah and Kefraya — and one of the only things keeping the towns intact — is the Four Towns Agreement, a complex truce forged in September 2015 linking the fate of the two Shiite communities in Idlib province to that of Zabadani and Madaya, a pair of Sunni towns controlled by Syrian rebels near the capital, Damascus. Those towns have also been subjected to a relentless siege, in this case by pro-government forces, that has left residents on the verge of starvation."

U.S. forces will be in the Middle East long after ISIS, Carter says

"The Pentagon's two top leaders said Wednesday that the U.S. military will keep forces deployed to the Middle East long after the defeat of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria."

more U.S. soldiers sent to Iraq

"If President Obama signs off on the military’s plan for more troops, the number would rise above 5,000. There are other U.S. troops inside Iraq that the Pentagon claims are on “temporary” assignments, though some of these deployments last up to one year in country. Counting these troops, the new forces going to Iraq will push the unofficial number of American forces on the ground in Iraq to over 6,000 troops." (thanks Amir)

The politics of US aid to Israel

"Grants started to replace loans in 1974. The U.S. government shortly afterwards started to permit Israel to spend twenty-six percent of the annual military grant on purchases in Israel—a unique arrangement, since by law recipient countries must spend all of their Foreign Military Financing in the United States. The result of this has been the build-up of a large Israeli military industry. This industry often relies on U.S. technological inputs, and the United States forbids Israel from manufacturing crucial heavy weaponry, such as fighter jets, in order to maintain control over Israel.

It trusts Israel—a settler-colonial state—with its own weapons industry since the chances of a peoples’ revolt amongst the dominant Jewish sector of the Israeli population is slim-to-none; the weapons will not be turned against the Israeli elite, let alone the United States, as they might one day in Arab countries where revolt is more likely. But it trusts the Israeli elite only so far—for that reason it maintains a monopoly on many of the production lines the Israeli army needs, in order to maintain a veto over Israeli foreign policy.

Furthermore, as the Times suggests, public U.S. military aid can be embarrassing for the Arab states. Several of these states have pretended to be at war with Israel even while maintaining friendly terms with the United States, Israel’s main patron. Although this dynamic was less of an issue after the Camp David Accords with the Anwar Sadat dictatorship in Egypt in the ‘70s, the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and increasing ties between Israel and the Gulf States, Israel’s colonial repression of the Palestinians continues to be an issue for the surrounding Arab populations. Hence the need for some subterfuge as to who’s actually building Israel’s weapons, and indeed for the United States’ commitment to the peace process—a shadow-play meant mainly for the consumption of the Arab popular classes.

Earlier U.S. military grants, in the 1970s, often went to subsidiaries of U.S. corporations based in Israel, which devoted a significant portion of its budget to developing a trained and educated work-force, capable of aiding in technological development and working in highly-skilled positions in the arms industry.

Later U.S. military grants to Israel were often a quid pro quo, as Israel increasingly took on the work for which the United States could not publicly take responsibility, given popular unease in the States over aid to fascist dictatorships. As the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network note in their well cited report, Israel’s Worldwide Role in Repression,

In the 1970s, Israel armed the brutal military regime of the Argentinian Junta that imposed seven years of state terrorism on the population, including the torture and “disappearance” of an estimated 22,000-30,000 left-wing activists, trade unionists, students, journalists and other alleged anti-regime civilians."

Selective definition of terrorism

"The US has spent the bulk of its war-on-terror existence raining terror on various parts of the globe - a factoid that should have by now become tiresome to repeat, save for the fact that it has not yet managed to cross the threshold of mainstream discourse. Even before the attacks of 11 September 2001, the US had already carved out a name for itself in the realm of extremely violent behaviour, ranging from more blatantly violent campaigns of indiscriminate bombing to the less overt starvation of an estimated half a million Iraqi children via sanctions."

Zionist and racial/ethnic purity

Max Blumenthal: "Explicitly racist and quintessentially liberal Zionist full page ad in NY Times by @AbrahamCenter warns of Israel's loss of ethnic purity"

The courageous George and Amal Clooney

"AMAL CLOONEY SAYS SHE AND GEORGE ARE 'AWARE OF RISKS' IN TAKING ON ISIS". And this man was the cheearleader for the creation of the war criminal state of Souht sudan.  I am not yelling but this headline came in capital letters and it makes me type in capital letters.  

The best summary of Jordanian election results

A reader summarized for me the results of the Jordanian elections: 2/3rd of the members were reelected, and the rest are Muslim Brotherhood and the filthy rich.  Congratulations. Give the King Mo' Money.

Israeli settlements and international law

see this file. (thanks Yasmine)

Zionist-Saudi Alliance

Joe Lieberman serves Saudi regime propaganda

Syrian rebels returning spies to Israel?

"Syrian Opposition forces will return the body of Eli Cohen, the Israeli spy who penetrated the Syrian regime during the early 1960s, the Lebanese news network LBC has reported."

Remember the articles in which Thomas Friedman was praising and his corrupt Kurdish tribal party? Super embezzler, Hoshyar Zebari, sacked

"Embattled Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, facing accusations of financial and administrative corruption, was sacked Wednesday by Iraq’s Parliament. 

Zebari lost a vote of confidence 185-77, with 14 abstentions, Iraqi MP Baker Amin told Anadolu Agency.  Haitham al-Jubouri, an MP for Iraq’s State of Law coalition, has accused Zebari of allocating state funds for his personal use, including some $2 million for his personal security detail."

the risk to an American of being killed by a refugee in a terrorist attack is 1 in 3.64 billion

"The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, published a report last week finding that, each year, the risk to an American of being killed by a refugee in a terrorist attack is 1 in 3.64 billion — a far cry from the three-in-a-bowl notion expressed in Trump’s tweet."

Blame the US government for those innocent Iranian civilians who were killed in plane crashes in Iran

"Over the past four decades, hundreds of Iranians have died in crashes caused by malfunctioning or poorly maintained aircraft."

New York Times explains the rise of ISIS, Nusrah, and Ahrar Ash-Sham and various Islamist Jihadi variants in Syria

"Communities took up arms to defend themselves".  And where did those communities buy the arms from, and who funded the arms sales?

Ba`thist "elections"

Jordanian elections deserve the same respect that Ba`thist elections deserve. Do you respect Ba`thist elections? 

Understatement about Jordanian "elections"

"leaving the government firmly in control of an institution that has little real authority in this monarchy anyway."

Why US gives billions in aid to Jordanian regime

According to the Times it is for the refugee crisis: "Maintaining stability in Jordan is a top American priority in the region and the United States is providing $1.6 billion this year to help it cope with the crisis". Excuse me but Lebanon has also accommodated 1.2 million Syrian refugee and never got anything  near that figure from the US. Did you forget the payback for peace agreement with Israeli occupation state?

An American professor explains why US bombing of civilians is acceptable

"As long as there are airstrikes, “there’s always going to be some percentage of the strikes that are going to go awry,” said Robert Farley, a professor at the University of Kentucky who has written about the use of American air power."

Zionist “whitewash protocol.”

"Israeli and Palestinian rights organizations have challenged the credibility of Israel’s inquiries into possible military misconduct during the 2014 war in Gaza, with one group describing the internal legal process as a “facade” intended to try to stave off a war crimes investigation by the International Criminal Court.

In a report released on Tuesday, the group, B’Tselem, a left-wing Israeli organization that focuses on allegations of rights abuses against Palestinians in Gaza and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, characterized the military’s system of internal investigations as a “whitewash protocol.”

“The work of the military law enforcement system does nothing more than offer the illusion that Israel is fulfilling its obligations to investigate breaches of law,” the group said."

US-backed coalition air strike hit a house, killing 19 civilians

From a reader: ""At least 19 civilians were killed on Wednesday when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a house in western Yemen, according to residents, medics and a local official."

The victims

Yemen: On the brink of starvation

Physicians without Borders II

Physicians without Borders today declared that Saudi bombing of Yemenis have been good for the health of the Yemeni children.

Physicians without Borders

Physicians without Borders today declared the Saudi King as "the best Physician in the world".  

Senate tacitly endorses U.S. role in Yemen war

"The Senate overwhelmingly agreed to proceed with arms sales to Saudi Arabia on Sept. 21, in effect casting the first vote on US participation after 18 months of war in Yemen." "We now have a war in Yemen, and yes we are directly involved in that war," Paul said. "And yes, this is a vote not just about weapons; this is a vote about whether we should be at war in Yemen." "

Sen. Corker claims that U.S. weapons can help the Saudi monarchy "fight terrorism"

"Corker also claimed that U.S. weapons can help the Saudi monarchy “fight terrorism.” Saudi Arabia has, at best, a mixed record on terrorism. As the U.S. State Department and the European Parliament have both acknowledged, “Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.” Moreover, Saudi Arabia has spent tens of billions of dollars exporting its fundamentalist state Wahhabi ideology — which is very similar to the ideology of ISIS and al-Qaeda — throughout the world, fueling extremist groups."

Repugnant Exploitation of the Holocaust is permitted by American Zionists if done by Zionists

" "[Think about if we] want to cut off military aid to [Iran] because of human rights violations when the people on the other side are watching Iran destroy the Mideast, threaten us and create the possibility of a second holocaust of the Jewish people," Graham said."

Israeli embassy in London linked to anti-BDS "black ops"

"The new director of the Jewish Labour Movement was an officer at the Israeli embassy in London for the past year, The Electronic Intifada can reveal." "In an August 2014 interview with Jewish News, when she was incoming president of the Union of Jewish Students, Ella Rose promised to “combat BDS.” "Recently, the director general of the Israeli government ministry charged with fighting BDS said the ministry was using its $45 million budget to wage a “battle” against BDS “with a lot of secrecy.” According to one veteran Israeli security journalist, the ministry is engaging in “black ops” against activists around the world, which may include “defamation campaigns, harassment and threats to the lives of activists” as well as “infringing on and violating their privacy.” "

Jordanian elections

I follow the Jordanian tribal-clannish-royal "elections" with the same zeal in which I follow the results of camel races of Gulf royals.

How many strongholds does Hizbullah have?

"Hezbollah has ramped up its influence from its stronghold in southern Lebanon, despite being classified as a terrorist group by various foreign states and despite its control of a militia." (thanks Basim)

You see, Saad Hariri is suffering from serious financial crisis

And Saudi royals are refusing to meet with him to bankroll his company, Saudi Oger.  So he is trying everything: including having people writes articles for him in praise of Saudi regime: "Contrast this with what Saudi Arabia has done for Lebanon. In the 1980s, while Iran was busy directing its proxy militias in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia helped the country reach a historic agreement to end its civil war."

This is hilarious. Look at the mild language director of HRW uses about (not against) Saudi regime

Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth)

9/22/16, 7:41 AM Saudis are now owning up to finding Islamic extremism in the past, but have they stopped? Very unclear. bit.ly/2d3uhuXpic.twitter.com/2Ay5RF10Ea

How Israel pressured US Berkeley to cancel a course in mid-semester

"According to an Israeli TV station, the Assn. of University Heads in Israel had "covertly" tried to stop the course. Administrators said the reason for pulling the plug was procedural — that proper approval had not been obtained."

Amos Oz issues a fatwa about anti-Semitism

"“But if they carry on saying that therefore there should be no Israel, that’s where anti-Zionism becomes anti-Semitism".  So if you say that there should be no Iranian Islamic republic or no Saudi kingdom, it means you are anti-Islam? Because I am against all three.

PS Of course, the article cites me to prove that the agenda of BDS is against the very existence of Israel--which is not, and I wish it is.

French government really wants to help Arab media

"Canal France International (CFI), the French cooperation agency and media operator of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently signed two substantial contracts (worth €2.7million) with the European Union to develop projects in support of independent media in the Arab world.

The first is a two-year contract concerning a project to further the development of independent media in Syria, mainly by providing training.

The project will receive funding of €1.5million, including €1.2million from the European Union (EU). The overall goal is to enable a new generation of Syrian journalists to produce high-quality, professional information today and to become pillars of the post-crisis media in the future.

In April2014, CFI will open a media centre, the Syrian Media Incubator, in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, 60km from the Syrian border, to the north of Aleppo. This collective workspace aims to provide modern telecommunication tools and support Syrian journalists who are determined to continue relaying news from their country, whatever the cost.

As a reminder, CFI already works in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) and Reporters sans frontières(RSF), and, in particular, helped in2013 to set up an independent Syrian radio station called Radio Rozana, which broadcasts from Paris and relies on a network of 30correspondents based in Syria. CFI provided several training sessions for these correspondents in2013.

In2013, CFI carried out 21projects to train 120Syrian journalists and citizen journalists.

The second contract signed with the EU will enable CFI, over a period of three years, to fund projects seeking to develop online information services in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.

These projects are to be led by private or voluntary media services in the countries concerned (newspapers, radio stations, television) or by new independent online information services (“pure play” providers), which are innovative and show strong potential for development. The beneficiaries will mainly be selected through calls for applications, the first of which will be launched in May2014. The funding distributed by CFI under this contract may be as much as €80,000per project. The scheme should provide support for around 30projects over the next three years.

In this way, as the Arab world continues to evolve rapidly, CFI is redoubling its efforts to support the independent media that is destined to play a major part in the fragile processes of democratisation taking place." (thanks Amir)

Cal State San Bernardino study shows hate crimes against American Muslims up 78%

"Recurring terrorist attacks on U.S. soil along with racially and culturally divisive rhetoric on the campaign trail has fueled a 78 percent increase in hate crimes against American Muslims in 2015, a level unsurpassed since 9/11, according to a study by Cal State San Bernardino."

Saudi influence over Arab and Western media: Syrian refugees in the Saudi kingdom of horrors

There are no articles refuting the lies of Prince Muhammad bin Nayif at the UN when he brazenly claimed that the kingdom allowed 2.5 million Syrian refugees into the kingdom. The real figure is zero, of course.

This is classic: the latest from Human Rights Watch in the Middle East: it condemns racism--kid you not

This is really classic. Deputy director of Human Rights Watch in the Middle East condemned the statement of Lebanese foreign minister, Jubran Basil, in which he called for excluding Syrians and Palestinians from nationality laws.  Now of course, Basil is a repugnant figure whose chances of leadership after the passing of his father-in-law are smaller than my chances of being crowned king of US.  But since when Human Rights Watch care about condemning racist and exclusivist statements by politicians?  Of course, they only did that because Basil happens to be opposed to the March 14 coalition with which Human Rights Watch is attached body-and-soul.  The anti-Shi`ite and anti-Alawite statements by Gulf officials and leaders of the Syrian exile opposition (including statements that called for extermination of Shi`ites) never warranted a word of condemnation from Human Rights Watch.  Amin Gemayel made statements against the Armenians (after he lost his parliamentary election) and accused them of disloyalty to the homeland. That never warranted statements from HRW.  The various anti-Palestinian statements by various right-wing leaders in Lebanon never resulted in condemnation by HRW.  And the anti-Syrian refugee statements by Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs never warranted a condemnation. And the sexist statements by Minister of Interior never warranted a condemnation by HRW. But then again: the the last two are part of the March 14 coalition in Lebanon.  Did I not tell you once I heard that the secretariat of March 14 wanted to invite HRW to join?

This is hilarious: Gen. Sisi is met at JFK airport by...members of his own delegation

at least six African countries had drone bases, including Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Uganda and Djibouti

From Amir: ""By 2013, at least six African countries had drone bases, including Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Uganda and Djibouti.318 By arming monarchic regimes and military dictators, US leaders do not promote democracy but instead maneuver in what they claim to be the nation’s interest by collaborating with anyone who will grant the US government license to carry out targeted killing when and where they please."

 

 

Calhoun, L. 2016. We Kill Because We Can. London: Zed Books. Page 309.

US arms for Saudi regime

""I think it's important to the United States to maintain as good a relationship with Saudi Arabia as possible, and I hope we'll defeat the resolution of disapproval of the arms sale," McConnell told reporters, calling Saudi Arabia a good ally.   The Pentagon announced on Aug 9 that the State Department had approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armoured recovery vehicles and other equipment to Saudi Arabia.  The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said General Dynamics Corp would be the principal contractor for the sale."" (thanks Nabeel)

Indian workers in Qatar

"As many as 400 migrant workers working for an electrical company in Qatar have gone unpaid for up to four months, a leading figure in the Indian community said on Tuesday." (thanks David)

You have to watch this lecture about media by Saudi Minister of Culture and Information

Scandalous but not surprising: Physicians Without Borders praises Saudi relief work in...YEMEN

I am not making this up.  I know that the Saudi regime media often lie and fabricate but I was able to get a confirmation from an inside source in Physicians Without Borders.  Physicians without Borders officially praises the relief work of the Saudi regime in Yemen.  I told you before: if there is anything Arabs learned in the last few years is that all Western human rights and relief organizations don't dare to deviate from the foreign policies of Western powers and are willing to cater to tyrannical regimes when they are in line with US policies. Just as UN Secretary General withdrew a report critical of Saudi regime after he was pressured to do so.

Denmark is also bombing in Syria--along with the rest

"British, Danish and Australian warplanes took part in the U.S.-led coalition's airstrike Saturday that reportedly killed more than 60 Syrian government troops and threatened to unravel the "cessation of hostilities," military officials said Monday." (thanks Amir)

Restaurant owner puts up “Muslims get out” sign

"A Minnesota restaurant owner is drawing controversy over a sign telling Muslim customers to “get out.”

The sign outside Treats Family Restaurant in Lonsdale, Minnesota, reads “Muslims Get Out.” A second line reads “In Support Of St. Cloud,” reports CBS Minnesota.

On Saturday, a man stabbed several people at a St. Cloud mall, allegedly asking victims if they were Muslim before attacking them.

Restaurant owner Dan Ruedinger said the sign has led to some backlash, but he says business is up so much that he had to call in three extra workers Monday.

“It’s time that people started standing up, not worrying about the PC crowd and do what is right,” Ruedinger said. “And I feel what we’re doing is right. We are not targeting the Muslims in general, just the extremists. And that’s all I can say. It’s my right and I’m going to stand up, and I wish more people would do it.”"

While Western governments prostrate before UAE royals, this is how UAE regime avoided dissent

"Three years ago, the UAE government prosecuted en masse 94 government critics and activists who called for reform in the Emirates.

Since this time, there has been no Arab Spring-like uprising. No anti-government protests that have come close to shaking the ruling regime. Yet the state-sponsored repression of human rights advocates and journalists continues unabated.

Arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, unfair trials, deportations, and revocation of citizenships are among the tactics the UAE authorities regularly deploy to silence dissident voices and make sure that no such uprising takes place within its borders.

This week, 33-year-old Amina Abdouli is scheduled to appear before the Supreme Federal Court on charges related to her activities on Twitter. According to Amnesty International, she stands accused of:"…creating and running two Twitter accounts and publishing information with the aims of inciting hatred against the State and disturbing public order; mocking and damaging the reputation of State institutions; publishing false information about Saudi Arabia and making derogatory remarks about an Egyptian official with the aim of endangering the State’s relations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt…

Social Media and Pol participation lab at NYU: What "ordinary Arabs" think--provided they think in line of what the Gulf government thinks

"Look at this scientific sample selection of Arab tweets: "While it certainly does not comprise a representative sample, the demographic makeup of the Arab online sphere has become progressively more diverse in recent years, and the percentage of social media uses that report discussing politics, community issues, or religion online ranges from 60 to 81% across the region. Social media sites are remarkably popular in the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia boasting the highest Twitter penetration in the world. As a result, social media data provide detailed real-time views into shifting narratives and interest levels in response to events on the ground."  So how representative is this sample when most are in the Gulf and in that region any tweet that does not conform to the views of the governments can land one in jail?   The Washington Post billed this as the views of "ordinary Arabs".  Public opinion surveying is not a science in general, but public opinion surveys of Arab opinion by Western firms are really quackery.  Notice that according to the lab almost all Arabs have one view on Syria--the view which conforms to the views of Washington Post and New York Times and their correspondents in the Middle East.  

Ahmad Rahami's father on FBI's investigation of his son

"“Two years ago I go to the F.B.I. because my son was doing really bad, O.K.?” he said. “But they check almost two months, they say, ‘He’s O.K., he’s clean, he’s not a terrorist.’ I say O.K.”  He added: “Now they say he is a terrorist. I say O.K.”"

The New York Times uncovered major terrorist leanings of the father of Ahmad Rahami

"While the father said he did not harbor anti-American feeling, he opposed the war in Afghanistan."  The jerk opposed the war in Afghanistan? He must surely be a terrorist then.  I suggest for safety to round up all those who opposed the war in Afghanistan. Who but terrorists opposed it?

This won't appear in the uniform Western press: Yazidis withdrew from Syrian National Coalition

Complaining about lack of justice and democracy, Yazidis withdraws officially from the Syrian National Coalition.  Notice that Western media never report what could be harmful to the propaganda efforts and image of Syrian rebels.  

New York Times covers Jordan election

"In Jordan, ideological arguments split the group into rival factions, with one recognized by the government as the official Brotherhood." Ideological splits? The regime split the party and confiscated its property and gave them to its tool.   ""The fact that Jordan is actually holding elections ...in a region that is full of blood and fight and weapons — that in itself is important," he said. "It shows the strength of this country, and the credibility of its institutions and the reform process."" What? Strength and credibility? The lousy Syrian regime held elections, is that also a sign of credibility?  If this sham election is being held in Syria or Iran, the Western media would be mocking it.

Only Zionist media would talk about the sham election in Jordan in this way

New York Times headline: "Jordan Election Seen as Small Step Toward Democratic Reform". Seen? by Whom? by Israel?

Jordanian regime creates its own opposition and Western media cheer its "democratic reform"

"We in Jordan have our own unique example of political participation," says Ms Tahboub. "As an Islamic movement, we're part of the system.  Even when we were boycotting we were part of the official opposition." (thanks Basim)

According to Adonis, the Syrian people didn't protest against the Asad regime: this guy has no connection to reality whatsoever

Read about his latest horrible vulgar Orientalist remarks about Islam and such.  But it just occurred to me, Adonis is a famous atheist and he tours and speaks throughout the Arab world.  I remind you of this given the Western media schtick that there are no atheists allowed in the Arab world.

Chairman Carr of Sound of Music died

Chairman Carr of the Sound of Music died. This movie was very special for me as it was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre at age 6. I had a big crush on Ms. Carr (and on Julie Andrews).

Gulf royals compete in getting close to the Zionists: this is the UAE ambassador in the US

Tomorrow Al-Ahram will write this caption for this picture: Gen. Sisi saw a light from heaven

American Muslims on the cases of terrorism

To ask American Muslims and American Muslim organizations to condemn acts of violence and terrorism by individual Muslims is as crazy as asking White Americans and White American organizations to condemn acts of violence and terrorism by individual whites.  Condemnation of violence and terrorism by the population should be expected and not required only from certain group which are deemed to be more suspicious.

Drudge Report

Drudge Report does not differ in any substantial way from the Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda media of the 1930s in Germany.  And there is such acceptance of his role by all in the media establishment, with the Republicans desperate to win his endorsement (as Trump has).

BY the way: he is alive. Desmond Totu dead: a man who was never intimidated by American Zionists

"Desmond Tutu, the noted civil rights leader who became the first black archbishop of Cape Town, compared Israel's treatment of the Palestinians to the apartheid regime that discriminated against blacks in his native South Africa.   Tutu, the Nobel Peace laureate, told News24, a South African media entity, criticized Israeli policies toward the Palestinians in the territories as "humiliating."  "I have witnessed the systemic humiliation of Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security forces," he said in a statement."

Elections in Jordan

Now it is noticeable that US and Western media are not covering the silly elections in Jordan.  As far as selections go, this is not worth covering at all: it is as insignificant as the elections in Syria.  But what is worth covering is the extent to which the regime plays with the elections rules and the conditions in which the candidates compete. That is worth covering but it is becoming rarer and rarer to find US media covering corruption and abuse in regimes that are aligned with US/Israel.  Increasingly especially in the Middle East and also in other regions, US media have become a propaganda voice for US government. 

An Israeli war criminal at Harvard this Wednesday.

Ehud Barak, former Israeli PM and Defense Secretary during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008-09, is coming on Wednesday at 6 pm. 

NGOs in the Middle East

US media and Western human rights groups are more worried about the plight of NGOs in the Middle East than about civilians who die from US or Russian bombs.

Hate Crimes Against American Muslims Most Since Post-9/11 Era

"Hate crimes against American Muslims have soared to their highest levels since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, according to data compiled by researchers, an increase apparently fueled by terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad and by divisive language on the campaign trail."

Saudi Arabia appears to be using U.S.-supplied white phosphorus in its war in Yemen

"Saudi Arabia appears to be using U.S.-supplied white phosphorous munitions in its war in Yemen, based on images and videos posted to social media, raising concerns among human rights groups that the highly incendiary material could be used against civilians."

Who will take over from Adnani within ISIS? Meet the new Saudi graduate of government rehabilitation program of terrorists

So Trad Al-Jarba, is a Saudi national who graduated from the Saudi government rehabilitation program of terrorists.  After he was released by the Saudi regime, has he joined ISIS and is now slated to become the number two figure within ISIS. DO you remember those fawning articles about the virtues of the Saudi rehabilitation programs in the US press? I do.

US helps ISIS takes over Jabal Tharda

"The Royal Australian Air Force has now admitted its forces were involved in the strike, which a Syrian army general claimed was proof the US and its allies were supporting ISIS." "Islamic State said in a statement on its Amaq news channel it had gained "complete control" over Jebel Tharda."

Florida terrorist: According to Schreiber’s Facebook page, he is also a fan of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, IDF Women, the Israeli American Council of Florida

"The man accused of setting fire to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce in Florida a week ago is an ardent supporter of Israel who labeled all forms of Islam as “radical.” "According to Schreiber’s Facebook page, he is also a fan of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, IDF Women, the Israeli American Council of Florida and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America." "On 17 June, Schreiber posted 11 videos from the The Israel Project, a politically connected right-wing organization that specializes in feeding anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim propaganda to journalists and policy makers."

Director of Human Rights Watch is now banking on US bombing to bring human rights to Syria

Kenneth Roth: "As US kills 80 Syrian soldiers, is it sending Assad a signal for his deadly intransigence?" (thanks Amir)

This story was barely covered in US media; can you imagine if this little child was killed by the convoy of a Russian diplomat?

"Vehicle in Convoy of U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Kills Boy in Cameroon".  And did his family receive $400 from the US government? What is the running price these days for a black or brown child killed by the US government?

When New York Times cites "residents" as source of its information: Anne Barnard on Syria

Look at this sentence: "and residents have reported deaths and casualties as well as the use of incendiary bombs". But this is what curious: since 2011, the New York Times has not been able to find any "residents" who reported deaths and casualties as well as the use of incedeniary bombs by Syrian rebels. What gives?  Will there be one professor in some journalism school in the US who will finally teach a course on Western Media Coverage of the Syrian Conflict: Lessons for Journalism 101?

Ben Hubbard on Syria III

"And the day before Mr. Assad’s birthday on Sept. 11, for which his supporters created a fawning website,"  In fact, if you click on the fawning website, it only has Happy Birthday wishes.  But hey, Hubbard can read Arabic (even if accompanied by English translation).

Ben Hubbard on Syria II

What is hilarious about this article is that it starts with the standard Western cliche: that Bashshar Al-Asad has only stayed in power by virtue of foreign support: "Despite widespread opposition to his rule, a combination of factors has enabled Mr. Assad to persevere, analysts say. His foes have remained divided and have failed to convince many Syrians, especially religious minorities, that they would protect their rights or run the country better than Mr. Assad."  Yet, by the end of the article--and in passing of course--he made another realization: "But Mr. Assad still has significant support in areas he controls, including among many Syrians who want the war to end and see no alternative to his rule."  Which is which, Ben? Make up your mind.

Ben Hubbard of the Times on Syria

What is fascinating about Western reporting about Syria is not only its outright bias: bias is not new, the US mainstream media have been biased about Israel since its very founding and it only because more biased over the years. It also has been biased in favor of the US position in every regional conflict in the world from the Balkans to Latin America to Africa, etc. But what is fascinating is that the coverage of Syria has went from biased reporting to crude and vulgar propaganda full of emotionalism which are usually eschewed by US media (in theory).  Look at this article and its language: such language would never make it in the paper about the Saudi despot or the Jordanian despot or the Moroccan despot.  The article even cites such quotations: "“Those birds were a deep message from heaven, whereas Bashar’s presence was just a parade, showing the muscles of a weak person,” Mr. Rifai said in an online chat."

If this Human Rights Watch staffer said those same words about Netanyahu he would be out of a job within hours

“The fact that many leaders are considering or willing to deal with him today as if he has not gassed his own people or tortured thousands to death is an indictment of the current policy environment across the world,” Mr. Houry said. “There is a level of cynicism, a lack of ambition.”  Notice that Human Rights Watch staffer, like Western correspondents in the region, only let loose in their rhetoric against tyrants if they happen to be opposed to the Saudi regime.  Can you imagine this same person calling on the world to not deal with the Saudi despot, for example?  If there is one benefit of the Syrian war, it is two: 1) that Adonis would never win the Nobel Prize in literature. 2) that Western human rights organizations and even "relief" organizations have been exposed as being mere tools of US foreign policy.

Has Reuters (which in the past succumbed to Saudi pressures in moving a correspondent out of the country after royal complaints) been bought off?

"Traditional Wahhabi doctrine in Saudi Arabia is ultra-conservative, viewing Shi'ites as heretical, but the authorities welcome them to the haj and accepts Iranian visits to the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation." (thanks Basim)

Ironies of US bombing of Syrian regime troops

1) And you wonder that some (or many) in the Middle East are convinced that the US has been colliding with ISIS from the beginning? Here is a case where there was a military engagement between one side and ISIS and US bombing went against the foes of ISIS (never mind the mainstream Western media narrative that Syrian regime troops never fight ISIS).
2) the audacity of the Syrian regime in its feigning outrage at the violation of Syrian sovereignty.  First, the Israeli occupation has been violating Syrian sovereignty since 1967 (and certainly since the Asad regime took over in 1970) while the Syrian regime has been promising that it will eventually set the time and place of the battle with Israel.  All those foreign armies and fighters in Syria and the Syrian regime woke up to its sovereignty?
3) that the US government claims that it only wants (sometimes but not always) Bashshar Al-Asad out of power) but that it will keep the Syrian army intact.  This reminds one of US handling of the Iraqi army in 2003.
4) It is interesting that US government was more sorry in targeting Syrian regime troops than in killing regularly Syrian civilians in the course of its bombing in Syria.

By the way, the story that this dude is peddling (that Phalanges Party apologized for Sabra and Shatila massacres) is false

Gemayel has never apologized and this statement which he posted is taken from an effort by a group of Lebanese to write what Parties should be saying if they were to atone for their past crimes.

PS Not that an apology for war crimes suffices. 

This is the syllabus of the UC, Berkeley course which the university and Zionist hoodlums found to be anti-Semitic

Read here

Obama's legacy

"The Obama administration has signed a $38 billion military aid pact with Israel in what the State Department boasts is the “single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in US history.”  The record agreement will provide Israel with $3.8 billion annually over 10 years beginning in 2019, up from $3.1 billion under the current deal.  At a time when the US government supposedly can’t afford to provide poor and working Americans with basic services like universal health care – something Israelis enjoy – it is striking that there is always money available to enable Israel’s ongoing destruction of Palestine.  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has expressed opposition to universal health care and free college tuition, cheered the aid deal.  “Senator [Tim] Kaine and I applaud the agreement on a new memorandum of understanding regarding American security assistance to Israel,” said Clinton in a statement released by her campaign.  Clinton also used the deal as an opportunity to saber-rattle against Iran, show off her military hawkishness against ISIS and reiterate her commitment to combating growing activism against Israel’s criminal conduct, which Israel refers to as “delegitimization.”  “The agreement will help solidify and chart a course for the US-Israeli defense relationship in the 21st century as we face a range of common challenges, from Iran’s destabilizing activities to the threats from ISIS and radical jihadism, and efforts to delegitimize Israel on the world stage,” she said, reiterating her January promise to “take our relationship to the next level.”"

Canadian value

"Suspicion of all immigrants who are not white, or are not members of the former British Empire, is a Canadian value. Canada’s founding prime minister, John A. Macdonald, argued that Chinese immigrants to Canada were unfit to vote because they exhibited “no British instincts or British feelings or aspirations.” " (thanks Amir)

Practicing secularism in France

"Mohamed Manoubi a, lui aussi, reçu des appels de soutien de « toute la France et même de l’étranger ». Commerçant tunisien, marié à une Française, il s’est installé à Albert, dans la Somme, en 2010. Il a ouvert son salon de coiffure il y a un mois et demi. « Tout se passait très bien, niveau clientèle et voisinage », nous raconte-t-il.

Et puis, lundi 12 septembre, c’était l’Aïd el-Kébir. « C’est notre Noël à nous. » Alors, le week-end précédant la fête religieuse, il poste un message sur la page Facebook de son commerce et indique qu’il fermera l’établissement lundi 12, « en raison d’une fête religieuse ».  « Vers 7h30 dimanche matin, je me lève et je m’aperçois qu’il y a un truc noir devant notre habitation. » Le salon de coiffure se situe dans la maison du commerçant et de sa famille. « Je me dis que ce doit être un sac poubelle, mais non. C’est une tête de cochon grillée. » Mohamed Manoubi porte plainte dans l’après-midi." (thanks Rachid)

Haaretz and Mohammad Dajani: and why is it that all Arab normalizers are NOT smart? It has been my observation since my youth

First he says: "The first time I heard about the Holocaust was at the American University in Beirut, and that, written in Arabic, was the denial narrative."  This is a flat out lie.  He went to AUB prior to 1975, where the professors of history and political science were all people who warned against the use of the Protocols and who talked to their students about the reality of Jewish suffering n Europe.  Who denied to him the holocaust at the university?  Unless he took courses with the fascist sectarian Charles Malik.  I entered AUB in 1978, and both Walid Khalidi and Rashid Khalidi and Hanna Batatu spoke to us against anti-Semitism and I remember vividly how Walid Khalidi bristled when a student merely mentioned the Protocols in class and Walid went on to speak to us about the anti-Semitic origins of the Protocols and warned us against ever citing it as a source. This guy is a fabricator to make himself a hero among his Zionist friend.  Also, the PLO in Lebanon was producing a whole body of literature which rejected anti-Semitism and the denial  of the Holocaust. Unless the guy was a Muslim Brotherhood at the time because the PLO didn't speak about denial of the holocaust, and certainly not Fath which he said he was a member of.  2) Sari Nusaibeh, who is no fierce anti-Zionist, exposed his lies: "In an email correspondence with Haaretz, Al-Quds University’s former president, Nusseibeh, rejected Dajani’s allegations: “It is a great pity Prof. Mohammed wishes to implicate the university in his unfortunate affair." 3) here is another lie: "In 1967, he says, he underwent military training in southern Lebanon".  Another flat out lie by this guy: there was no military training in South Lebanon in 1967 (prior to the Cairo agreement, mind you).  Those who wanted military training either went to Jordan or to Syria.  He made this up.  But here is the political philosophy of this guy: he is opposed to peaceful struggle against Israeli occupation and is opposed to armed struggle against occupation. He wants the Palestinians to just forget the post and move on: "“I don’t support the use of violence, I don’t support BDS and I don’t support anti-normalization. "  Zionists truly like the most unimpressive Arabs and for good reason.  

This is how the US ignited the Lebanese civil war (3)

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "This is how the US ignited the Lebanese civil war (3): Lebanon Blesses Israeli aggression".

This is how a Saudi publication portraying the Congressional law which allows US citizens to sue Saudi royals

No, I am not saying that the Syrian regime would not commit such war crimes but look at this source of documentation: chlorine bomb attacks in Syria

"The finding by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the global chemical weapons watchdog, is based on Western and regional intelligence, the diplomat said."

Four British soldiers 'forced Iraqi teenager into river where he drowned'

""The Ministry of Defence has said it is “extremely sorry” for the death of an Iraqi boy who drowned after being forced into a dirty canal by British soldiers."  "The soldiers involved in Ahmed's death were tried in a British court for manslaughter and acquitted in 2006." (thanks Youcef)

An Open Letter to the UC Berkeley Administration Regarding Academic Freedom

"We, the undersigned, are the students of Ethnic Studies 198: Palestine: A Settler Colonial Analysis, the student-designed Decal course that was suspended yesterday, Tuesday, September 13th.  We are a diverse group of students that includes Christians, Muslims, and Jews; we are white, Black, Latin@, Asian, North American indigenous, Middle Eastern, and more; we study Peace and Conflict Studies, Ethnic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies, Media Studies, Economics and Engineering. In short, we are a sample of some of the wide and varied backgrounds, beliefs, and interests that compose the campus community. One characteristic we all possess in common, however, is a genuine interest in the academic discussion surrounding Israel and Palestine.  For some of us, this course was an opportunity to learn more about an issue we previously knew little about; for others, it was a chance to engage in discussion and debate with individuals whose views on the issue differ from our own. For still others of us, this class also fulfilled unit requirements for financial aid and other considerations. Regardless, these opportunities have been, suddenly and without warning, torn from us by your decision to suspend the class. We hold any claims made by campus administration or by outside organizations against the course to be blatantly false, especially any claims or concerns that the course would only tolerate a single or particular view. We the students collaboratively designed and established community agreements to ensure that we would engage with course content and each other in a mature and respectful manner. Any and all participants were welcome to attend the course, irrespective of background or preconceived perspectives on the subject matter. Therefore, criticisms of the course from outside its attendants are wholly unfounded, and do not reflect the views and opinions of those of us who were excited to engage with this material, and one another, in open academic inquiry.  The decision to suspend Ethnic Studies 198: Palestine: A Settler Colonial Analysis is a violation of our academic freedom. This is an alarming development to have transpire on the same campus that not only hosted the Free Speech Movement, but which also routinely claims and utilizes the same Movement’s legacy to market itself as a world-class institution, a bastion of tolerance and diversity, and the site of intellectual inquiry — inquiry that is sometimes discomforting, but always enriching. Your decision constitutes nothing less than an act of discrimination against students who wanted to debate and discuss this contentious issue in a spirit of genuine sincerity, mutual respect, and open-minded curiosity.  Again: the decision to suspend our course is both discriminatory and a violation of our academic freedom. We demand the reinstatement of the course."