"Peru sets potato exhibition" (thanks Maryellen)

"But he has stopped short of supporting Schakowsky and Senator Bernie Sanders's legislation seeking a ban on using Blackwater and other armed contracting companies in Iraq. One of his top foreign policy advisers told The Nation earlier this year that Obama "can't rule out [and] won't rule out" using these companies in Iraq."

Who says Arab royalty are not talented? "The reclusive singer is alleged to have accepted the huge sum to sing tracks composed by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Isa Khalifa." (thanks Ibrahim)

What on earth is "founding director of the Center for Middle East Research, 1992"??

"The applied research institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ) reported that Israel, since the Annapolis conference held in October last year, has embarked on building tens of thousands of settlement units in the West Bank and demolished 90 Palestinian houses at the pretext of illegal construction."
"As Mahmud Darwish had written:
"All that you have done
to our people is
registered in notebooks."

"Södertälje, just south of Stockholm, are being subjected to harassment and hate crimes, according to police." (thanks Ali)

""Barack Obama had to make a choice between his Jewish supporters and his anti-Israel supporters like Jimmy Carter, and he did not choose Jimmy Carter. And that was an embarrassment for Jimmy Carter and a show of disrespect. And I'm very glad he made that decision. It was a good decision, a wise decision, a moral decision."" For Dershowitz to speak on morality is like Larry Flynt talking about good taste. (thanks Naseer)

Walid Jumblat is visiting LA. My sources tell me that he is avoiding criticizing Hizbullah this time around. He will then move to DC where he will meet with Cheney and Abrams. He will thank them both for "liberating" Lebanon for him. Yesterday, Jumblat said that "it is certian that Lebanon occupies a special place in the hart of the Americans and the present and future administration." No, I did not make this bullshit up.

Abu Mazen censors this site in Palestine because it aired criticisms of him and Dahalan. (thanks Marcy)

You blame the American occupation and the Shi`ite sectarian militia of Badr for this outrage: "Al Tanf camp for Palestinian refugees from Iraq has to be in the top five of worst situated refugee camps in the world. It violates every principle of proper camp siting. In the no man's land between Syria and Iraq, it is within the border zone itself. It is completely exposed on one side to a highway, where trucks alternately speed by or sit idle for hours at a time waiting to make the border crossing. A 20-foot high concrete wall forms a second boundary. The site itself is in a culvert about 10 feet below the highway, making it a flood plain when it rains heavily. Refugees live in tents in the exposed area, forced to endure summer temperatures that climb well over 100 degrees and winter weather that drops near zero. Last winter, tents collapsed under a heavy snow fall."

The Prince is angry: ""Piracy is against everybody. Like terrorism it is a disease that has to be eradicated."" (thanks Jad)

"Saudis label pirates 'terrorists' after $100m loss." Saudi princes will label you a terrorist after a $1 loss.

"Yet this priceless legacy is swiftly being lost. "Years from now, I don't know what archaeologists will find when they do excavations here," laments Salah Al-Houdalieh, director of the Archaeology Institute at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. "They are destroying a cultural heritage that belongs to every Palestinian, to every human being."" Some Westerners don't mind the bombing of Iraq and West Bank, but they sure get upset over the looting of artifacts, especially from the pre-Islamic era.

"According to the Iraqi official, one agreement would be related to the withdrawal of US troops from the country and the other one would determine the framework for political, economic and legal cooperation between the two sides."

"government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is systematically dismissing Iraqi oversight officials, who were installed to fight corruption in Iraqi ministries by order of the American occupation administration, which had hoped to bring Western standards of accountability to the notoriously opaque and graft-ridden bureaucracy here." Who does not love the expression "Western standards of accountability"? Wow. In other news, a Senator from Alaska is on trial for adhering to Western standards of accountability. (thanks Olivia)

"Thirty-five rights advocates from Adalah-NY and Brooklyn for Peace rallied Monday evening outside the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York's Times Square to protest a fundraiser held there by the Brooklyn-based Israeli settlement group the Hebron Fund, the right groups said in a statement." But James Zogby disagreed. He said that Arabs were wrong in juging the Hebrong Fund. In return for his position, Zogby was permitted to have his picture taken with directors of the Hebron Fund. (thanks Mohammed)

"Regardless of U.S. policy, regional resistance is likely to persist, frustrating efforts to maintain the status quo or impose a peace that fails to deal with fundamental injustices and inequalities. There have been two Palestinian intifadas (uprisings) against Israeli occupation in the past 20 years, and there are warnings of a third. Israel will find it increasingly difficult to justify its policies to global public opinion and will face a growing challenge from the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Efforts to pursue Israelis accused of war crimes in the Occupied Territories through universal jurisdiction will intensify and may begin to bear fruit. Palestinians in Gaza will refuse to remain besieged. Palestinian citizens of Israel will continue their own struggle for democracy."

This just in. James Zogby said that Arab Americans were too hasty in misjudging Bush. He said that Bush really would like to liberate Palestine, if he obtained the support of Arab Americans. In return for his position, Zogby was permitted to have his picture taken with Bush.

"??? ??? ????? http://angryarab.blogspot.com ????????? ??? ????? ????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????."
But there is no discussion on this site as the comments' section was closed down. There was a discussion about the Saudi King's toast on my facebook page. The CNN reporter was confused.

Bush Doctrine has not died. "US President George W. Bush Monday called Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi to discuss the end of the "painful chapter" between the two countries that included the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, the White House said Monday. "The president called Libyan leader Colonel Kadhafi to express his satisfaction that the claims settlement agreement was fully implemented on October 31," said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe of a 1.5-billion-dollar payment to compensate victims of terrorism. "The two leaders discussed that this agreement should help to bring a painful chapter in the history between our two countries closer to closure," he said....A senior State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity that Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam would meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice here in Washington on Tuesday. "He is here on a private visit but very often times when you have significant political figures who come to the US for a variety of different reasons, the secretary as well as others will see them," the official said."

Zeee plane. Zeee Plane. The Lebanese Air Force introduces its only plane to the Lebanese skies. It will be used in the airshow on Lebanon's (so-called) Independence day. Let us hope it does not crash.

""I was in the meeting in Ramallah. Then-senator Obama did not say this, the story is false.""

"The proposal gives Israel an effective veto on the return of Arab refugees expelled in 1948 while requiring it to restore the Golan Heights to Syria and allow the Palestinians to establish a state capital in east Jerusalem." (thanks Marcy)

"According to the White House, tonight's dinner to kick off the G-20 summit includes such dishes as "Fruitwood-smoked Quail," "Thyme-roasted Rack of Lamb," and "Tomato, Fennel and Eggplant Fondue Chanterelle Jus." To wash it all down, world leaders will be served Shafer Cabernet “Hillside Select” 2003, a wine that sells at $499 on Wine.com."

This party is one of the reasons for the failures of the Arab left.

This is probably the most sovereign leader in the world today: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday he would guarantee security for Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar if he ever wanted to negotiate and said Western allies should remove him or leave if they disagreed with that." (thanks Wassim)

"Lebanon's Salafists, often equated with terrorists in much of the Arab world, have teamed with Saad Hariri and his mainstream Future Movement to become part of the country's political order." (thanks Olivia)

"Iraq also obtained a significant degree of jurisdiction in some cases over serious crimes committed by Americans who are off duty and not on bases." Of course, non-serious crimes in other cases will be rewarded by the Iraqi puppet government.

PS Nir sent me this comment (citing with his permission): "this is a scam. its not vietnam where they go to bars and brothels. americans dont go off bases in iraq when they are off duty. so there will never be a case of an american soldier or marine committing a crime off duty, they are always on duty, but it allows the iraqis to claim a small victory".

"Among the known Clinton Foundation donors are the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a foundation linked to the United Arab Emirates, the governments of Kuwait and Qatar, and a tycoon who was the son-in-law of Ukraine’s ousted authoritarian president."

Madawi Al-Rasheed on the Saudi interfaith dialogue. When Madawi speaks on Saudi affairs, you listen.

Proud to serve. "The U.S. military has barred Iraqi interpreters working with American troops in Baghdad from wearing ski masks to disguise themselves, prompting some to resign and others to bare their faces even though they fear it could get them killed."

"Mark Kimmitt, the U.S. assistant secretary of State for political-military affairs, briefed AIPAC leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., on a range of strategic issues in the Middle East, including recent arms sales to a number of Arab states." That is nice, no?

"Only 6 percent of Americans think the United States should stand behind the Palestinians in Middle East peace talks, according to a recent poll of voters conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and commissioned by The Israel Project. Comparatively, 66 percent of those polled said the U.S. should support Israel in the peace process. Some 80 percent of GOP voters and 59 percent of Democratic were among those backing U.S. support for Israel." (thanks Zaki)

""The Palestinians are younger and poorer today than they were when we started the peace process in 1993," he said. "And I have never met a single poor Palestinian anywhere in the world except in the Palestinian territories. Every single Palestinian I know in America is a millionaire or a college professor, and I say that with deep respect, but when there is a conflict, when there is an absence of security, there is always an absence of opportunity."" (thanks Jefferson)

"In a letter to University Musical Society President Ken Fischer, the Middle East Task Force (METF) of Ann Arbor said "since the JSO is one of the primary promoters and exporters of Israeli cultural life, one of its functions is to boost Israel's image on the world stage. In this way, the truth about the Israeli occupation of Palestine becomes suppressed, and its institutionalized attacks on Palestinian cultural heritage are ignored. Any attempt by the US hosts of the tour to develop ties with this Orchestra, therefore, amounts to condoning Israeli apartheid."

"A previous version of this story was removed by editors after we became aware that some facts in the story were incorrect. That story has been replaced with this updated version." Zionists always insist that their version of the story is the correct story. And the story went form an attack on Palestinian students to a story of a "clash" or "fight." In one week, it will be about Palestinians trying to perpetrate a terrorist act in Berkeley. (thanks Niki)

For those looking for a succinct definition of Zionism, here it is: "Israeli border police prevented 15 trucks loaded with medication from entering the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to a de facto Health Ministry representative."

I will try not to sound angry about what Ray Hanania has written here. But please spare me those wild theories: that Obama will be picking all pro-Israeli team but...only to help the Palestinians? "If Barack Obama wants to nudge Israel back to serious negotiations with the Palestinians, he would not surround himself with pro-Palestinian advisers. That would make it impossible for him to pursue a genuine and just peace between Palestinians and Israelis." Not a very intelligent argument here. This remind me of a dinner back in 1993. Rashid Khalidi came to speak at SAIS in Washington, DC. And then we went to dinner afterwards with students from SAIS. We started talking about Fouad Ajami, and this Kuwaiti student started saying that we misunderstand Ajami. Please explain, I asked him. He said that Ajami is carefully plotting his rise in the American political establishment, and then after he secures his place....I interrrupted him and said: Let me guess. He will then liberate Palestine? (thanks Maddy)

I mean this is silly. There is in fact more evidence that Muhammad (as a person, leaving the question of prophethood aside) existed than there is that Jesus existed. I asked once an international expert on Jesus whether there is evidence that Jesus had actually existed. She said: it is most likely that Jesus probably existed. But this man may win the Nobel prize in literature only because this idea outrages Muslims, although nobody has heard of the guy, and the story has not been getting any attention. (thanks Saba)

No, he can't. No, he can't. "The Institute for Science and International Security, headed by David Albright, one the world's top experts on nuclear weapons and the prevention of nuclear proliferation, recently released its report urging president-elect Barack Obama to take a number of measures to avoid such an outcome, including convincing Israel to halt production of its nuclear weapons." (thanks Sellam)

"Around 3:30 A.M., I heard the sound of stun grenades exploding. After that, there was banging on the door. My aunt and I went to open it. When I opened the door, a few policemen burst in with black masks on their faces. They had five huge dogs with them. They ordered us to leave the building immediately. I told one of them that I wanted to get dressed because I was in pajamas. He said he would go into the room with me and I shouted at him and didn't agree. He swore at me. Then the policemen hit me in the back and slapped me. One of the dogs came over to my leg and almost attacked me. Out of fear, I kicked it. Because I kicked the dog, the policemen hit me again, and one of them grabbed me by the hair and threw me to the floor. One of the policemen stepped on my back and the others kicked me and continued to swear at me."

"A SCOTTISH human rights activist has filmed the Israeli navy firing machine guns at unarmed Palestinian fishing boats in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the Gaza Strip." (thanks Marcy)

"On 2 November, a military court of appeals judge in Ofer Military Base denied the appeal of Salwa Salah and Sareh a-Siuri, both seventeen years old, to overturn renewal of the administrative detention orders issued against them." (thanks Olivia)

This picture is taken from the New TV news report yesterday. It is making the rounds on Arabic websites and causing quite a stir. Of course, people should drink (and drive) and consume crack cocaine if they wish. But the irony is that: if a poor Pakistani or Indian is caught with a drink in Saudi Arabia, they would suffer horrific consequences. (thanks Ali)
PS Zeynab says that a better picture shows him drinking water (or `Araq without water).

A reader in Damascus sent me this: "Just wanted to tell you that I can view your blog from Damascus, Syria again without the need for false proxy software. It's been steady for a couple of weeks now. "

"The U.S. military will seek to buy as many as 10,000 all-terrain, blast-proof trucks in an ``urgent'' competition to supply vehicles to protect troops in Afghanistan."

New TV aired a tape of Bush toasting King `Abdullah in Washington and wondered if the Saudi religious police saw that.

Dubai Miracle. I received this note: "Do you know how time is kept for horse stamina races? There is something fishy here. Only you (and your readers, I stand corrected) will fully appreciate the irony in this. If you quote it, please remove my name. Sheikh Mo Bin Rashed won the race thrown by his in-laws, and his sons finished second and third, with one second of delay between each rider.

Shaikh Mohammad, riding "Kumait- Kevin De Narzox" won in a time of 4 hours, 59 minutes and 55 seconds.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown Prince was second place, in a time of 4:59min and 56 secs.

Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, finished third after clocking 4:59 mins and 57 seconds."

Saudi King--interfaithing. (thanks Emily)

The secret police (or the private state-named, Hariri militia) of Lebanon. (thanks Raed)

Wealth and tax in Lebanon.

"President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies, advisers say, an approach that is almost certain to create tension within the Democratic Party."

"And falsely shouting "socialism!" in a crowded theater such as Washington causes an epidemic of yawning. This is the only major industrial society that has never had a large socialist party ideologically, meaning candidly, committed to redistribution of wealth. This is partly because Americans are an aspirational, not an envious, people. It is also because the socialism we do have is the surreptitious socialism of the strong, e.g., sugar producers represented by their Washington hirelings." (thanks Nabeel)

"A company that is a member of the UN Global Compact for corporate social responsibility has ties to production in an Israeli settlement on the West Bank considered illegal by the United Nations."

Za`tar and U.S. National Security. Yesterday, as I was going through security at Seattle airport, I was asked about some "strange" item in my bag. I did not know what they were referring to. So they removed the bag, and started a thorough search, item-by-item. Until they found that jar of Aleppo Za`tar that a Syrian student in Olympia had given me. They asked me about it: and I had a hard time explaining beyond saying that you mix it with sesame seeds and olive oil. They said that they have to test it in another machine. After a high-tech examination, the Za`tar was found to be innocent and with no terrorist connnections. And then I returned home. Last week, I told my dear friend `Isa in Jordan (who supplies me with best quality Palestinian-Jordanian Za`tar) that I am running out of Za`tar. He sent me a large (very large) shipment of Za`tar through Aramex. It arrived safely but custom officials destroyed the contents of one of the bags, presumably to test the contents of the sealed bags. Fortunately, he sent me five other bags so I was fine.

"Students in two of Chicago's west suburban high school districts won't get a chance to study Arabic next year, despite interest from local families."

"Egypt has drawn up a blacklist of 26 firms in Saudi Arabia that allegedly abuse its workers, of whom nearly a million work in the conservative Gulf kingdom, press reports said on Friday. The reports come a day after Cairo barred doctors from taking up jobs in Saudi Arabia after an Egyptian medic was sentenced to 1,500 lashes and 15 years in jail for allegedly turning a Saudi princess into a drug addict."

"The Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to a steady rise in chronic malnutrition among the 1.5 million people living in the strip, according to a leaked report from the Red Cross." (thanks Marcy)

"To this day, Vietnamese civilians in the Mekong Delta recall the horrors of Operation Speedy Express and the countless civilians killed to drive up body count. Army records indicate that no Ninth Infantry Division troops, let alone commanders, were ever court-martialed for killing civilians during the operation." (thanks Laleh)

"Lebanese majority leader Saad Hariri said that it was "intolerant" for some Lebanese leaders to criticize Saudi Arabia's support for Lebanon, local Naharnet website reported Saturday." (thanks Olivia)

I have written before about James Zogby. I have written before about the Muslim and Arab American organizations in DC: how they have become fronts for the polygamous ruling dynasties of the Gulf and/or for Muhammad Dahlan. This is why when I travel around the US, I never meet Arab Americans who feel that those fronts represent them in any way. But James Zogby is a particularly obnoxious case. This is a man desperately looking for a role (not to be confused with Desperately seeking Susan), and would sell the land and the cows to have his picture taken with anybody who works in the White House. Back in 1993, when Arab Americans were outraged about the appointment of a Zionist fanatic (who was not even a US citizen) in a key post in the Clinton administration (Martin Indyk), this Zogby guy came to his defense saying that he found him to be good. Back then, I called Zogby and told him: You have the right to sound stupid, but please don't speak on behalf of Arab-Americans as you are being stupid. I explained to him that I know of no Arabs that he speaks for, aside from the UAE's ruling family of course. He suggested that we meet and I refused. Later, Indyk hired Zogby's son at the US Department of State (his son is a nice person, having met him once as I debated an Israeli professor at Georgetwon University). After Sep. 11, I said repeatedly, that if Arab Americans and Muslim Americans were to be ever placed in concentration camps, Zogby would volunteer to drive the busses--provided he is permitted to have his picture taken with the prison guards. Here, he tells you that Rahm Imanuel has been unfairly criticized by Arabs. (thanks Soheil)
PS And how dumb do you have to be to believe this: "Emanuel volunteered for a few weeks, as a civilian, doing maintenance on Israeli vehicles." But Zogby here reveals why he likes him: "Rahm accepted my invitation to a luncheon with Arab American community leaders." Community leaders? Community leaders my potato.

Pakistan and passports. Jawad sent me this: "Pakistan government does not just put religion on the passport. That would be too easy, since Ahmedis would list themselves as Muslims. It goes one step further and requires the following solemn and obnoxious declarations:
1. I am a Muslim and believe in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophet hood of Hazrat Muhemmed (peace be upon him) the last of the Prophets.
2. I do not recognize any who claims to be a prophet in any sense of the word or any description whatsoever after Hazrat Muhemmed (peace be upon him) or recognize such a claimant as a prophet or a religious reformer as Muslim.
3. I consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to be an impostor nabi and also consider his followers whether belonging to the Lahori, Qadiani or Mirzai groups, to be non-Muslims.
See for yourself at
. BTW this was a gift from the "Liberal" government of daddy Bhutto in the 70's".

PS Sultan sent me this clarification: "a clarification on the passport issue: "The wording on your page 'gift of daddy Bhutto' makes it appear that the passport declaration was from Ali Bhutto's time. It actually began with General Zia. The statement of religion in the passport was almost dropped by Musharraf but retained when the mullahs were outraged. Bhutto's role was to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims via an amendment to the constitution."

My article in Al-Akhbar: "Hazem Saghiyyah: The (wooden) Sword of Bin Sultan"

Studying in Gaza.
"As Mahmud Darwish had written:
"All What you have done
to our people is
registered in notebooks."

Flu trends in the US. (thanks Haifaa)

"Apart from their apparently limited number, much of the information about the Salafists is a matter of dispute. The movement is splintered and divides into openly anti- and pro-Syrian factions." Which Salafi groups are pro-Syrian? They are all pro-Saudi. (thanks Geoffrey)

"Switzerland accused Israel on Thursday of wantonly destroying Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and near Ramallah in violation of the Geneva Conventions' rules on military occupation."

Sultan sent me this note regarding the article on Saudi Arabia and the conference on bullshit in New York: "It is against the law for an Ahmadi to set foot in Saudi or Kuwait. So, the clerics would be spared the trouble of purging them from any list as they would simply never be given a visa. The Pakistani government notes religion in the passport to further simplify the process."

"But since the American invasion of their country, the reported incidence of sexual terrorism has accelerated markedly -- and this despite the fact that few Iraqi women are willing to report rapes either to Iraqi officials or to occupation forces, fearing to bring dishonor upon their families." But according to Justice Department studies here in the US, many (if not most) women who are victims of rape don't report rape either. Is that also due to the culture of honor and shame in the US?

By the talented Layal Haddad. (thanks Hicham)

"A few days ago Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Prosor held a meeting with Miliband, during which the Israeli official rejected the Secretary of State's argument that the plan to label products made in West Bank settlements was simply part of the U.K.'s attempts to enforce trade agreements. Prosor told Miliband that its initiative to label the products was part of an attempt by Downing Street to influence Israeli policy toward the settlements, and that any other explanation was an excuse." (thanks Zaki)

I spoke yesterday at Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington. I only realized yesterday that this was the college where Rachel Corrie was a student. The lousy cowardly university of the college has not even dedicated a memorial for her. This is a really leftist college with very leftist student body, and where people do "get" the significance of Palestinian struggle. This is a campus where students don't consider voting for the Democratic ticket as the ultimate act of leftism. I met a Palestinian student from Chicago whose baby brother was treated by Rahm Imanuel's father back in the 1990s. She said that when her mother discovered that he was an Irgun terrorist, she immediately discontinued his services. One thing disturbs me: almost always when I give a talk in the US, there is somebody in the audience who believe that Sep. 11 was "an inside job" to quote a member of the audience from yesterday. I always, of course, disapoint believers in those kooky conspiracy theorists when I tell that I don't buy those theories and that I am certain that Al-Qa`idah was indeed behind Sep. 11. The person yesterday (who was highly offended by the use of the world "kooky" in my answer) even believes that 11 of the hijackers are still alive--somewhere with Elvis no doubt. And a Syrian student from Aleppo got me Za`tar from Aleppo: I love Za`tar from Aleppo. But it must have seemed odd as I put the jar of Aleppo Za`tar near me on the table during my talk. I had to tell the audience to resist the urge to make some generalization about Arab culture and jars: I assured them that Arab culture does not dictate that Arab should always address a public with a jar of Za`tar next to them. But I did confirm to them that shoes are highly offensive in Arab culture, assertions to the contrary on this blog notwithstanding.

Look at those two. Please make your own jokes. This is from the Wahhabi conference on religious tolerance: those two buffoons are tolerating one another.

"According to dozens of witnesses on the scene, three organizers for the “Zionist Freedom Alliance” attacked one male and two female Arab students who stood nearby the event holding a Palestinian flag. The assailants were identified by the Daily Californian to include current ASUC student senator John Moghtader, Cal alumnus Gabe Weiner, and performer Yehuda De sa. The paper also reported that all three had been cited by the UC Police Department on several counts of battery." (thanks Yaman)

"“I get threatening phone calls telling me I am going to be killed,” he said. “Today, I carry a gun because I am afraid of the Jews, not the Arabs.”" (thanks Aida)

"Another stark irony hangs over the UN special session this week. Saudi Arabia is one of the world's worst abusers of religious freedom, a fact recognized by the Bush administration when it named it a "country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act in 2004. The king couldn't hold such a conference at home, where conservative clerics no doubt would purge the guest list of Jews from Israel, Baha'is, and Ahmadis." (thanks Wassim)

"Jordan's Queen Rania will accept an award from Internet video-sharing website YouTube for her efforts to help prevent Muslims and Arabs from being stereotyped, her office said on Thursday." Yes, as soon as Queen youtube started posting her tedious and boring commentaries, racism and prejudice ended in the West, once and for all. Queen: go check on your husband, King PlayStation: he may have run out of games already. (thanks Seham)

Comrade Pierre: in my defense, and in defense of the rights of atheists, women, and homosexuals in the Arab world. An important statement.

"In this way the event of Obama has already massively advanced the skills for democracy in the United States. In other ways he seems committed to constraining and even undermining what that might entail concretely. Protesting and appreciating, though, are some of what we do to maintain the optimism of any attachment. They keep you bound to the (political) scene, to the cognitive and affective difficulties of remaining critically present to desire." (thanks Maria)

Something is fishy about this story. I mean, since when do Dahlan gangs prosecute or punish Israeli collaborators? There is something here, I am sure. "After two days of deliberation a Palestinian military tribunal in Bethlehem sentenced on Wednesday a security officer to death by a firing squad after he has found guilty of aiding the Israeli occupation."

" The prime minister said that over the years the State maintained a policy of discrimination, thereby creating a vicious cycle. On the one hand, the Arab community was unable to create management mechanisms, while on the other hand, Israeli governments deprived Arabs of rights that could help them improve their quality of life, he said. "I feel great discomfort over the fact that the State conducted itself improperly for many years, and should have made a fundamental change," he said. "We have not yet overcome the obstacle of discrimination. This is deliberate discrimination, and the gap is intolerable. There is no arguing that some government ministries did not hire Arabs for years."" No, really? I never knew that. I never even suspected it. Isn't Israel the light or (rotten) potato unto the nations?

""Terrorism and criminality are the enemies of every religion and every civilization. They would not have emerged except for the absence of the principle of tolerance."" To illustrate his point, the King called for three public beheadings right there at the UN. (thanks Sean)

This is blatant bribery prior to the parliamentary election. It is intended to bolster to position of the Hariri Salafi camp in Lebanon: "The U.S. embassy has launched an assistance program to help communities surrounding the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $6 million for the program, which is aimed at alleviating the effects of battles at the camp last year, according to a statement released by the embassy on Wednesday."

Kudos to Omar Nashabe of Al-Akhbar: he has been closely monitoring the plight of foreign workers in Lebanon. Here is a file. (thanks Raed)

Let me tell you: it is very clear that you are not funny and you are not any version of Seinfeld. Maybe you are a like a dancing monkey for the occupiers or a Zionist actor, but that is about it. (thanks David)

This is a succinct definition of Zionism: "The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said today it would have to suspend food distribution in Gaza after Israel blocked humanitarian supplies from entering the strip."

"Israeli and Spanish officials engaged in a flurry of secret talks last month to avoid a diplomatic crisis. The reason? A Palestinian nongovernmental organization, or NGO, filed suit in Madrid, seeking arrest warrants against seven former Israeli officers allegedly involved in the 2002 targeted killing of Hamas leader Salah Shehadah in Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry warned the men against travel to Spain for fear of arrest while Madrid tried to defuse the tensions." (thanks Marcy)

This book is out: I have a chapter on Saudi foreign policy toward Lebanon.

Whenever I visit Seattle it always lives up to its reputation by raining on me.

Hariri's foreign policy adviser, Amal Mudallali, writes about the similarities between Rafiq Hariri and....Barack Obama---I KID YOU NOT. I KID YOU NOT. I mean, I know about the physical similarities but what else is there. I will not be mean here because Amal and I were friends during my Washington, DC days. (thanks Zeinab)

Look at those two: King `Abdullah and Shimon Peres. How fitting. In fact, the Saudi-Zionist alliance is very logical: there is a lot in common between the Jewish state and the Islamic Wahhabi state--both of which are founded on the supremacy of sect over all others. And both states were founded on armed conquest--call it Jihad if you want (Muslim and Jewish Jihad that is). Somebody need to find me the text of the speech by Peres as it was delivered because there are texts of the speech that did not include the reference that Peres made from outside the text when he looked at the king and fawningly praised him and hailed him as a model for all Arabs. Model for all Arabs? Let the king roam a street in most Arab capital and see if he comes out alive. I wonder: did the two discussed their favorite ways for killing civilians and torturing prisoners? I mean they have plenty to share in that regard. (AP)

"In June 2003, Mr. Emanuel signed a letter criticizing President Bush for being insufficiently supportive of Israel. "We were deeply dismayed to hear your criticism of Israel for fighting acts of terror," Mr. Emanuel, along with 33 other Democrats, wrote to Mr. Bush. The letter asserted that Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian political leaders "was clearly justified as an application of Israel's right to self-defense." Such killings violate the Geneva Conventions, and the State Department's human-rights report specified that there were more civilian bystanders killed in Israeli assassination attempts than actual targets in 2003." (thanks Electronic Ali)

I feel that this picture captures the personality of George W. Bush--the "leader of the free world", no less.

Neil MacFarquhar summs it well: " Saudi Arabia, which deploys a special police force to ensure that a narrow sect of Islam predominates in the kingdom, is sponsoring a discussion at the United Nations on religious tolerance starting Wednesday."

"IDF soldier jailed for yawning during Rabin memorial service". That is right. In the Zionist entity, you may kill Palestinian children but you may not yawn during Rabin memorial service.

"The guests should "employ discretion" in expressing affection publicly, says the hotel, with "anything more than a peck on the cheek" likely to result in police involvement."

Lebanese menu of political choices by comrade Khalid

...off to Seattle. I am speaking tomorrow night (7:00PM in Lecture Hall 5) at Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington. Returning on Friday.

"Israeli businesswoman Yardena Ovadia is operating as a mediator in arms sales to the African nation of Equatorial Guinea for sums of up to $100 million, security sources told Haaretz in recent days." (thanks W.)

"Jeffreys' book explores how the sex trade has been transformed from a small-scale, furtive, vilified industry, into a hugely profitable and legitimised one. As such, the text teems with startling figures. There's the fact that the stripping industry is worth at least $75bn worldwide, bringing in $15bn in the US alone - more than the revenues generated by baseball. Or the detail that the pornography business is now so successful and mainstream that it is covered by the financial newspapers, with some companies, such as Beate Uhse - Germany's most successful sex-shop chain - listed on the stock exchange. "Prostitution is now a significant market sector within national economies," she says, with her usual forthright intensity. "The sex industry in the Netherlands, where [prostitution] is legalised, is worth 5% of the GDP."" (thanks Marcy)

"According to a proposal made jointly by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and Vice Premier Haim Ramon, the IDF will evacuate villages that have become launching pads for Hamas and other terror groups and will then raze the villages with artillery, Army Radio reported." (thanks Pablo)

"Israeli police have evicted a disabled Palestinian man and his wife from the home where they had lived for 52 years, in a Palestinian district of east Jerusalem which is now surrounded by hardline Jewish settlers. The eviction came after years of litigation which culminated in an Israeli supreme court ruling in July ordering them out of the house." (thanks May)

"Norway has topped a league of countries in closing the gender gap, followed by three other Nordic nations, a survey by the World Economic Forum says." (thanks Nabeel)

"Israeli President Shimon Peres and Arab leaders including King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia have attended the same dinner at the UN offices in New York." What is wrong with that? Saudi Arabia and Israeli are fully qualified to coordinate their massive violations of human rights. Let them wine and dine. (thanks Laleh)

"Human rights activists are urging the Foreign Ministry to interfere in the case of an Egyptian doctor, sentenced to 15 years in prison and 1,500 lashes in Saudi Arabia for allegedly driving a patient to addiction." (thanks Farrah)

"Bozell said Obama "ran as a Reaganite" and "a fiscal conservative" -- less than two weeks after claiming Obama was espousing "socialism""

"“I defend the United States, Israel and the Constitution. That’s when I get my death threats,” he said." (thanks Joel)

The Cedar Revolution: "Most troubling of all, the mission [in Beirut] says it has been sending a record number of corpses back to Ethiopia. The consulate estimates that 150 women have died in a little more than a year, and there is no accountability. In one recent case, Mekdes Tesfaye Tefera's corpse was found with a noose around her neck. But the consulate has doubts that this was a self-inflicted death and has filed a police report. "They always say, 'she killed herself,'" the social affairs officer said."

"A young blogger and a writer who disguised an attack on the country’s dictator in the form of a love poem have received heavy jail sentences, in the latest blow to opponents of Burma’s military dictatorship."

"She's 23 and never went to school; she tried teaching herself a few times, but it was hard and confusing. Her father talked about hiring a tutor to educate the family; now he's gone and it's not likely a tutor will ever come. Learning arithmetic won't bring back her dowry, won't stop her mother's tears."

Saudi anti-Semites for...Israel.

"A Jordanian editor battling a lawsuit filed by a governor will be held for 15 days while an investigation is completed, the Jordanian military court ruled on Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the decision, calling it a "perplexing and ominous sign of intolerance toward the media.""

"The Criminal Court in Sulaymania found Shwan Dawdi, editor-in-chief of the Kirkuk-based Hawal newspaper, guilty of three defamation charges filed by retired judge Kemal Mustafa, the former director of Sulaymania courthouse. Dawdi was jailed on Tuesday and fined 300,000 Iraqi dinars (US$255) for publishing articles in 2004 on various court problems."

"In hotel corridors where oilmen in business suits once hatched deals over glasses of whiskey, delegates in Birkenstocks and guayaberas discussed Marx and Antonio Gramsci, the leftist Italian writer. Such meetings have become a staple of life in Caracas, with Mr. Chávez’s government flush, at least for now, with petrodollars that can be used to attract sympathetic members of the chattering classes the world over." The NYT would rather that petrodollars be spent on conferences on Ibn Baz and Ibn Taymiyyah sponsored by House of Saud. (thanks Aida)

"A Swedish businessman has put a four metre high statue of Vladimir Lenin in front of his office - in a bid to scare off car thieves."

"As of Sunday, 2 November 2008, new Israeli army guidelines are in force, requiring Palestinian medical personnel from the West Bank who work in Jerusalem hospitals to come in only through the Qalandiya checkpoint in Ramallah. Medical personnel from the West Bank are prohibited from coming to work through other checkpoints, even if these are closer to where they live." (thanks Omar)

Syrian foreign Minister: "'America's Role Is Central'". Angry Arab: Syria's Role is Marginal.

"Iraq's most revered Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani says SOFA should not violate Iraq's sovereignty for even an iota." Tell the Ayatullah to go to sleep, please.

"Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, has criticised US-led troops for killing 14 private security guards in the eastern province of Khost." Is it me or is this puppet finding newly found courage in the waning days of the Bush administration? (thanks Olivia)

"Britain's security agencies and police would be given unprecedented and legally binding powers to ban the media from reporting matters of national security, under proposals being discussed in Whitehall."

"Encircled by half a dozen Jewish settlements like Hashmonaim – all illegal under international law – the village is slowly being sealed off in a fashion that may soon make its isolation almost as complete as Gaza’s."

"Less than a week after an Occupation High Court decision to change the route of the Apartheid Wall in Jayyous, Occupation forces began destroying farmland in the south of the village to make room for the construction of the Wall. They are currently in the process of cutting down some 200 olive trees that have already been marked for uprooting."

Stop the presses. Stop the presses. Flash. Flash. Flash. Another Lebanese genius discovers a cure for "blood diseases." (thanks Ihab)

This is a good rant by Olbermann but why did he have to preface his remarks by asserting that he is not gay? Why do heterosexuals feel the need to affirm their heterosexuality when they declare their support for homosexuals? (I must confess that I used to do that myself--shame on me).

This is your candidate: "And I know--and I know that when I visit AIPAC I’m among friends--good friends, friends who share my strong commitment to make sure that the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable today, unbreakable tomorrow--unbreakable forever."

Do you notice that Western media largely ignore attacks on gays and lesbians? "In 2006, Statistics Canada reported that one-quarter of hate crimes were motivated by religion and one in 10 by sexual orientation. Hate crimes accounted for less than 1 per cent of all criminal incidents reported by police." (thanks Ali)

"The IDF did not provide accurate numbers, but the number of Bedouin recruits is estimated to have increased from 50 to 100 since the beginning of this year, making a total of about 300 Bedouin recruits so far. And, an officer in the IDF's human resources department was quoted as saying that the total number of non-Bedouin Arab recruits will reach 350 by the beginning of next year." They are mostly Lebanese leftovers from South Lebanon Army.

"A Swedish court ruled on Tuesday in favor of a government employee who sued his employers for demoting him because he expressed support for Israel and the U.S. on a private blog. During the trial, the defender caused a local upset by calling Hamas a "liberation movement."" (thanks Marcy)

"Here in Alabama, where Mr. McCain won 60.4 percent of the vote in his best Southern showing, he had the support of nearly 9 in 10 whites, according to exit polls, a figure comparable to other Southern states. Alabama analysts pointed to the persistence of traditional white Southern attitudes on race as the deciding factor in Mr. McCain’s strong margin. Mr. Obama won in Jefferson County, which includes the city of Birmingham, and in the Black Belt, but he made few inroads elsewhere. “Race continues to play a major role in the state,” said Glenn Feldman, a historian at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. “Alabama, unfortunately, continues to remain shackled to the bonds of yesterday.” David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, pointed out that the 18 percent share of whites that voted for Senator John Kerry in 2004 was almost cut in half for Mr. Obama. “There’s no other explanation than race,” he said."

Prince Salman's mouthpiece, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, pledges to monitor the Syrian-Lebanese border on behalf of the Israeli occupation army. (thanks Ramzi)

"Emanuel, as Ralph Nader points out in my interview with him below, represents the worst of the Clinton years."

In my Arabic articles, I keep telling readers that political opportunism punishes its practitioners. It kills talents and skills. Just read this article by Hitchens. He was a skillful essayist before he fell in love with Cheney. And did you see how proud he was that he voted? How cute is that? People vote in the kingdom of Jordan, for potato's sake.

"At the King David meeting, Obama smiled and tried to find common ground. Still, according to the Israeli source, "They didn't really go into the details."" Don't worry. Obama will get along with any Israeli leader, even if it was Meir Kahane.

""Every day there are statements and clues about the elimination of Arafat and every day we draw closer to the poisoning theory," Nasser al-Qidwa, a nephew of the late Palestinian leader, told AFP." This charlatan says different things at different times. When he "gets" what he wants from Abu Mazen-Dahlan, he discounts the assassination theory. And when he does not "get" what he wants, he says this to the press. (I went to school at AUB with his sister and I could not stand her).

"A Saudi poet was arrested at his workplace and taken to the religious police headquarters for allegedly writing "heretic" poetry containing "sorcery symbols.""

"Despite blockade imposed on Gaza, 150,000 liters of diesel oil poured into Strip through pipes located under Philadelphi route, while tunnels turn into freeway of goods, essentials." All powers to the tunnels.

"A 25-year-old Thai worker from the Manara Kibbutz in northern Israel was lightly injured, Saturday, after IDF troops along the border with Lebanon mistakenly identified him as a terrorist infiltrator and shot him."

"Rice visits Jenin to tout PA success in combating" other Palestinians.

"Some relief from illusion is necessary, so that we might remember that politics is less about the person and the impossible and beautiful promise he represents than it is about the concrete changes in policy that might begin, over time, and with difficulty, bring about conditions of greater justice."

"According to Lebanese sources, the Jarrah brothers were recruited by Israel during the 1980s, when the Israeli army controlled large swathes of southern Lebanon." This is the same family of Ziyad Jarrah who was one of the 19 hijackers.

Fascists for Israel. (thanks Olivia)

This is Zionism. This is an actual headline in an Israeli newspaper: "Barak seeks OK to hit residential areas"

Lebano-racism. The publisher of An-Nahar (the right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people) said: "Even if they were actually slaves, and not only in the color [of their skin]". (thanks Jamal)

Sources in the Gulf tell me that lines between the factions within the Saudi royal family are clearly drawn. Prince Salman, for example, is strongly opposed to the Saudi-Qatari reconciliation (you can see that in Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat) while Prince Nayif and Prince Sultan are in favor.

Lebanon's president: 11 trips abroad in five months. Who can blame him? There is no country to preside over after all. (thanks Firas)

Do you want to know why I have such contempt for Lebanese culture and for the Lebanese idea itself? This is the answer: "These days status symbols are everywhere - from cars and jeans to cell phones and, now, even chocolate. We all love chocolate, but what is the ultimate price to pay for the delicious dessert? Patchi, the famous Lebanese luxury chocolate-makers, have taken decadence to a new level. Recently, they launched the world's most prestigious and expensive box of chocolate, turning the ubiquitous treat into a coveted possession." Let me tell you. Patchi is the least interesting chocolate I have ever eaten--and you know how objective I can be about Lebanon. (thanks Rania)

"Three workers from the southern Nablus governorate were beaten with stones by Israeli soldiers on Monday." (thanks Marcy)

"Le Liban compte établir des contacts avec l'Abkhazie et l'Ossétie du Sud et n'exclut pas de reconnaître leur indépendance, a déclaré le leader de la majorité parlementaire antisyrienne, Saad Hariri, dans une interview publiée lundi par le quotidien russe Vremia Novosteï." (thanks Abdulatif)

"Apart from the 2006 raid into Pakistan, the American officials refused to describe in detail what they said had been nearly a dozen previously undisclosed attacks, except to say they had been carried out in Syria, Pakistan and other countries." Let me guess. A Ba`thist official will today deny that those raids took place and will affirm that the Syrian regime will respond in the time and place of its own choosing.

"When it comes to our allies in the Middle East, America too often turns a blind eye to their failings of leadership. We rightfully denounce countries with repressive regimes like those in Iran and Syria, but others such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia receive a pass. " - Representative Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL)1
1 U.S. Congress. House, 2005. 109th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional
Record, H4806 (21 June). (thanks David)

Look at this item from the Kuwait Ministry of Defense--and notice that it was buried in the item on the purchase of ice: "??? ?? ?? «??????? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ????????? IFS ????? ????? -/10.142.808 ????? ??? ????? -/2.847.000 ????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? (??????? ??????? ????? ?????) ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ???????»? ???? ????? ?????? ??? «???? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? (??? 2 ????? ?????? 4 ????? ?????) ??? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? 5000 ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ????? ???? ??????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? (????? ??????) ?????? ?????? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????. ????? ??????? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ????????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????? ????????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ?????? 1/7/2008? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ????????? ?????? ?????????»."
(thanks Yahya)

Flash. Flash. Flash. Saudi King receives the award of "The Hero of Fighting Poverty." I am not making this up. Notice that the Saudi paper follows a reference to the king with such expressions: "May God Support him" or "May God Preserve him." (thanks Jamal)

"Livni: We see the need for a Palestine, as long as it's not a terror state". Angry Arab: We don't see the need for Israel, as it has always been a terror state.

"And what about all those terrified Jews who reportedly abandoned their progressive heritage to buy into the smears libeling Obama as an Israel-hating terrorist? Obama drew a larger percentage of Jews nationally (78) than Kerry had (74) and — mazel tov, Sarah Silverman! — won Florida. Let’s defend Hispanic-Americans, too, while we’re at it. In one of the more notorious observations of the campaign year, a Clinton pollster, Sergio Bendixen, told The New Yorker in January that “the Hispanic voter — and I want to say this very carefully — has not shown a lot of willingness or affinity to support black candidates.” Let us say very carefully that a black presidential candidate won Latinos — the fastest-growing demographic in the electorate — 67 percent to 31 (up from Kerry’s 53-to-44 edge and Gore’s 62-to-35).""

For succinct wisdom and insights on politics, I always turn to Thomas Friedman: "Is this a great country or what?"

Neither Hamas nor Fatah. The Palestinian people deserve better--much better.

My article in Al-Akhbar: " 'W': His Arab Legacy"

"That's just how we like U.S. presidents. They give us a green light to do as we please. They fund, equip and arm us, and sit tight. Such is the classic friend of Israel, a friend who is an enemy, and enemy of peace and an enemy to Israel."

"The American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections released a poll today of over 600 Muslims from more than 10 states, including Florida and Pennsylvania, and it revealed that 89 percent of respondents voted for Obama, while only 2 percent voted for McCain. It also indicated that 95 percent of Muslims polled cast a ballot in this year's presidential election—the highest turnout in a U.S. election ever—and 14 percent of those were first-time voters. The Gallup Center for Muslim studies estimates that U.S. Muslims favored Obama in greater numbers than did Hispanics (67 percent of whom voted for Obama) and nearly matched that of African-Americans, 93 percent of whom voted for Obama. More than two thirds who were polled said the economy was the most important issue affecting their decision on Nov. 4th, while 16 percent said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan informed their vote—numbers that put Muslims roughly on a par with the general population."

Arab rulers' gifts to heads of Mossad. (thanks Jasser)

"Swedish minorities face widespread discrimination including a lack of education in their mother tongues, Sweden's ombudsman against ethnic discrimination said on Friday." (thanks Ali)

"According to Vijay Prashad, Chairman of South Asian history and director of international studies at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, Sonal Shah’s Houston-based parents were “not only in the ecumenical Gujarati Samaj, but also in the far more cruel organisations of the Hindu Right, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Overseas Friends of the BJP and the Ekal Vidyalaya. Shah’s parents, Ramesh and Kokila, not only work as volunteers for these outfits, but they also held positions of authority in them. Their daughter was not far behind. She was an active member of the VHPA, the US branch of the most virulently fascistic outfit within India." (thanks Nabeel)

"A joint Afghan and U.S. military investigation has concluded an air strike last week killed 37 civilians and wounded 35 more after Taliban militants launched an ambush from the cover of a village, the U.S. military said." (thanks Olivia)

"Israeli police evicted a Palestinian family at gunpoint from their home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem at 4am on Sunday, in spite of a formal US government protest." I am sure that the US was firm and angry with the Israeli government. So angry that they may increase the level of military aid. (thanks Marcy)

"Mr. Husain is a Muslim who is fond of painting Hindu goddesses, sometimes portraying them nude. That obsession has earned him the ire of a small but organized cadre of Hindu nationalists. They have attacked galleries that exhibit his work, accused him in court of “promoting enmity” among faiths and, on one occasion, offered an $11 million reward for his head." (thanks Aida)

Obama and Saudi King had a nice phone conversation.

I did not have time to write about James Bamford's new book: The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdroppoing on America. It needed a better editor: it reads like a collection of articles put together in a book form. It does not flow like a book. But it contains a wealth of information and it gives an updated version of the real work of NSA (to be supplemented with the author's two previous books on the NSA). It is the most detailed and damning record of internal espoionage of this administration--likely to continue under Obama given his recent vote in the US Senate. But what is most REFRESHING about this book is this: this is a rare mainstream reporter who refers to Israel with disgust and detestation. He does not even hide his contempt for Israel and its crimes. He has a whole chapter of Israeli links to the espoionage industry in the US.

I read this story on the plane yesterday.

Comrade Rami in the New York Times: "But the question that really interests me is about the relationship between Obama and the true center of world power, Kapital. There was an awful lot of money in Obama’s campaign ... A great chunk must have come from carefully planned investments by C.E.O.’s and multinationals." (thanks Marcy)

Salim Al-Huss (former Lebanese prime minister) offers a heartfelt apology: "I apologize if my statement contained in any way an offense to the big sister, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

I slept so well in Charlottesville, Virginia. And I want to thank my hosts at Northeastern University for fetching me Manaqish. And my hosts in Virginia were quite punctual, unlike my hosts in Boston.

A graduation ceremony in Saudi Arabia. (By the way, they are smiling). (thanks Maryam)

"There are nanny goats, nervous goats, and probably even nefarious goats. And now, we learn, there are also Najdi goats – the most desirable and expensive in the world. And, for a mere £16,500, plus shipping, one of these beauties - the newly crowned thoroughbreds of the goating world - can now be yours." (thanks Ahmad)

I hate it when Lebanese politicians pontificate on world affairs. Yesterday, Walid Jumblat criticized Arabs and Muslims in the US because he said that Obama did not thank Arab Americans and Muslim Americans, and he blamed that on...Arab Americans and Muslim Americans.

I would not mind palling around with Obama if he lets me travel in Air Force One--provided that Rahm Imanuel is not on the plane.

"The Criminal Court in Sulaymania found Shwan Dawdi, editor-in-chief of the Kirkuk-based Hawal newspaper, guilty of three defamation charges filed by retired judge Kemal Mustafa, the former director of Sulaymania courthouse. Dawdi was jailed on Tuesday and fined 300,000 Iraqi dinars (US$255) for publishing articles in 2004 on various court problems." (thanks Mariwan)

"Apparently, the authorities had launched a campaign against "gay prostitutes" who are offering their services at a meeting point near a hospital in West Amman."

"Many more were wounded when a wedding party was hit. US officials confirmed civilian deaths and are investigating." (thanks Amahl)

"At Temple College, a community college in Texas, the words in the original German — Gott ist tot — have been barred from a professor’s office door. While the college says that to leave the phrase up would offend others and constitute and endorsement of the phrase, the professor and others see a double standard in place, and a violation of academic freedom." (thanks Julie)

My proud role in poising Qatari-Jordanian relations.

"To perform its stunt, CNN used technology from Vizrt, based in Norway, and SportVu, based in Israel."

""Detainees Are Roasted Chickens for the Police". Under this incendiary headline, a Lebanese newspaper published a report today on torture practiced in local detention facilities." (thanks Olivia)

Yesterday, the New York Times had an article about Arab reactions to Obama's election. The NYT correspondent went to the studio of Al-Arabiyya in Dubai to monitor...Arab public opinion. This is like going to Fox News to monitor American public opinion.

"A group of Saudi activists began a rare public hunger strike Thursday to demand judiciary reform and draw attention to the detention without trial of 11 political reformists."

"In one incident, officials in the Carter administration discovered the prince had deliberately mistranslated an important letter from the then Saudi ruler, King Fahd, to President Sadat of Egypt, to make it sound more conciliatory." (thanks Marcy)

Christopher Hitchens found a Palestinian he likes: "Khalidi's family is a famous one in Jerusalem, long respected by Arab and Christian and Jew and Druze and Armenian, and holding a celebrated house and position in the city since about the time of the Crusades."

"As the detainee repeats the words, the soldiers are heard laughing raucously in the background." (thanks Ihab)

This is Zionism: "The cemetery is 300 to 400 years old, according to the court, but fell out of use after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. Crumbling gravestones are still visible across the street from the construction site. One of them was daubed with graffiti reading "death to Arabs."" (thanks Ibrahim)

"In an interview with Ma'ariv, Emanuel's father, Dr. Benjamin Emanuel, said he was convinced that his son's appointment would be good for Israel. "Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel," he was quoted as saying. "Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." The Ma'ariv article also quoted Dr. Emanuel as saying that his son spends most summers visiting in Tel Aviv, and that he speaks Hebrew, but not fluently." (thanks Electronic Ali)

I am too tired to blog. I have not slept well this week. I just finished my talk at the University of Virginia. What is new? Who won the election? Really? Is Bush still making progress in Iraq? What is the terrorist-son-of-a-terrorist (Rahm Emanuel) up to these days?

"In Congress, Emanuel has been a consistent and vocal pro-Israel hardliner, sometimes more so than President Bush. In June 2003, for example, he signed a letter criticizing Bush for being insufficiently supportive of Israel. "We were deeply dismayed to hear your criticism of Israel for fighting acts of terror," Emanuel, along with 33 other Democrats wrote to Bush. The letter said that Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinian political leaders "was clearly justified as an application of Israel's right to self-defense" ("Pelosi supports Israel's attacks on Hamas group," San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2003)." (thanks Eletronic Ali)

"On a bad joke called: As`ad AbuKhalil" by Hazim Saghiyyah

Just because Obama was elected president it does not mean that US occupation troops have stopped "liberating" neighborhoods in Iraq. This was in Ba`qubah. (Reuters)

Mideast wire posted a translation of Ibrahim Al-Amin's defense of me. (thanks Nicholas)

Remember me: Obama bashing begins here. It was a noisy night in Washington, DC. Cars were parading the streets and honking their horns all night long. People around were very excited and people walked the streets and yelled and shouted in joy. AlJazeera offices: now that was a different story. The chaos there could not hide the festive atmosphere. People took bets and they had a sheet with staff names. I asked who was betting on McCain: no one, they said but they were betting on when the results would come in with news of Obama victory. People were excited and emotional. As I sat with the three anchors listening to Obama victory speech, I would make critical comments. I could tell that people did not enjoy that and there was a white technician who was very emotional got really mad at me because I was being critical of Obama. I ran into Lawrence Korb (former assistant secretary of defence under Ronald Regan) and I asked him if he had endorsed Obama. He said that he did not do that publicly but that he was advising him on defense and national security policies. He said that there is a move to appoint Richard Halbrooke as Secretary of State. I said: but the man (in addition to annoying the hell out of me) is the biggest self-promoter in the world. I woke up to day and put on Fox News: yesterday, at the GYM I turned to Fox and the people in the GYM were about to kill me. Not Fox, they yelled. I said: are you kidding. They are hilarious and I will derive a lot of pleasure watching them this week and in weeks to come. Fox mentioned the headline of Al-Akhbar newspaper which referred to Obma as "the black Jack Kennedy". I was not amused and I did not like that headline by Al-Akhbar at all. Why should the White Man always be a term of reference? He is not Jack Kennedy: and even though I don't support Obama but he is much more capable and effective than Kennedy, and he did not use his daddy's money to achieve victory, and Obama wrote his own words. The festive coverage of the Arab press is really bothering me and I tried to express that in my appearance on AlJazeera. I will write about that soon in Al-Akhbar. Those who supported Obama: you will be disappointed and you will remember my caution. Remember me when Obama will endorse an Israeli war on a refugee camp and on a Lebanese village, and he will call that justified self-defense. Remember me when Obama will mourn the deaths of Israelis and will celebrate the deaths of Arabs and Muslims. Remember me when he orders his first bombing campaign on some remote area of Pakistan. Remember me when he betrays the poor in favor of Wall Street. Remember me when he will betray the aspirations of black people in favor of the white middle class that is now the headline of the Democratic Party. Remember me when Obama will not fight for his health reform plan, and will he not deliver on many of his promises. Remember me when Obama will stick to his campaign promise of opposing gay marriage. Remember me when when Obama will continue to blame the failure of the American occupation of Iraq on the Iraqi people themselves. On Angry Arab: the Obama bashing has just begun and will continue unabated.

I never read an email that is headlined: A Must Read.

Flash: Obama won. I just ran into John Zogby of Zogby International and he tells me that based on his exit polling data, Obama has won the election although he is not sure whether it will be a landslide or not. I pressed him because he last predicted that Kerry had won in 2004, and got very nervous and cautious but said that it would be so shocking if McCain were to win. He allowed me to quote him here.

"A new study by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization has found that Georgia used Israeli-made cluster bombs during its war with Russia, and that the weapons were defective, detonating in populated areas, killing Georgian civilians."

I heard a Senator who support Obama saying on TV: Let us vote. Let us teach the world about democracy. I kid you not. I don't want to hurt her feelings but they even vote in the lousy project of a country called Lebanon. And sometimes elections are less predictable than they are here. Here, the surprise is limited to: Democrat or Republican? This is the choice. If I ever run for office, it will be in Denmark or Norway or Sweden.

American political standards are always off, especially if you compare them to European politics. This is a country where Sarah Palin is considered a "reformer".

"But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list."

"Cynthia McKinney today expressed her appreciation for the support of Professor Noam Chomsky, noted linguist tenured at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In private emails with campaign supporters this week, the respected social critic noted that he had voted Green in 2004, and would be voting for the party ticket next Tuesday, as well." (thanks Maryam)

"Feminists around the world have reacted with horror to a new line of lingerie that comes equipped with a GPS tracking system."

America arms forces of enlightenment in Afghanistan.

"The alleged leader of a Mossad spy network arrested by Lebanese authorities monitored the Kfar Sousa neighborhood in Damascus a few months before senior Hizbullah military commander Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated by a car bomb last February, according to a report published by As-Safir newspaper on Monday."

I am getting tens--literally, as Joe Biden would say--of letters from Arabs and Muslims about their mistreatment at US airports in response to Visa stories from earlier. This really was revealing, even for me. And most of the ones who write me are educated professionals, so imagine how the poor Muslim/Arab immigrants are mistreated.

The difference between Obama and McCain is in the number of bombs that will fall on Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don't like flags, and I don't like nationalisms. But for Palestine and the Palestinians, everything and anything. "Palestinian children wave national flags outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, where producers are still reaching the European marketplace." (Independent)

"Britain is taking the lead in pressing the EU to curb imports from Israeli producers in the occupied West Bank as a practical step towards halting the steady increase in the construction of Jewish settlements." (thanks Zaki)