Archive for category Middle East
A Hindu Pandith to be Muslim Envoy?! An Insult!
7:48 pm, June 26th, 2009 on Middle East, White House
Farah: Muslim Not Even in Name?
Obama has appointed Farah Pandith (more on this Hindu name after the jump) as a special envoy to the Muslim world. State’s press release follows:
… Clinton has asked Farah Pandith to head the new Office of the United States Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Special Representative Farah Pandith and her staff (S/SRMC) will be responsible for executing the Administration’s efforts to engage with Muslims around the world on a people-to-people and organizational level… Read on »
Oh, oh, oh, Obama = Bush, says Ahmadinejad
6:51 pm, June 25th, 2009 on Middle East, White House
Obama must find it very disconcerting to be compared to Bush, despite his constant grovelling towards the Iranians:
“Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush,” says Ahmadinejad
Perhaps, BHO needs to suck up to Mahmoud a bit more. Just ignoring the protests isn’t enough,
Mahmoud Thinks So
Al Qaeda Now Bombing Iraq to Protest Against American Withdrawal
5:27 pm, June 24th, 2009 on Humor, Middle East
Al-Masri: Confused
Al Qaeda is starting a new campaign to bomb Iraqi cities and kill civilians to protest American withdrawal next week.
Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, described the impending withdrawal as detrimental to Al Qaeda’s long term goals of terrorizing the population of the Middle East and destroying Israel.
“America invaded Iraq without asking us, but they have to receive our explicit permission before they can leave. Who do they think they are? They can’t just leave now,” said Al Masri.
The audio recording of Al-Masri’s statements was embedded in a relatively brief 10 minute video produced by As Sahab Media, Al-Qaeda’s propaganda arm, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. It was posted on jihadist web forums only a short while back.
Obama: I am Watching (and Learning from) Iran
4:51 pm, June 19th, 2009 on Humor, Middle East, White House
The news according to media reports, and the translation into what Obama really means:
US President Barack Obama has warned Iran that “the world is watching.”
Obama: “I am watching and learning how to violently suppress dissent when I institute radical changes in the USA.”
[He] said that the way the authorities dealt with people who were “trying to be heard” would send a message to the international community.
Obama: “Your system needs improvement. I can do better. Yes, I can!”
Ayatollah: Cheater and Liar
11:46 am, June 19th, 2009 on Middle East
It should come as no surprise that the Ayatollah has approved of Ahmadinejad’s re-election claiming:
The Islamic Republic would not cheat
and,
There is 11 million votes difference … How can one rig 11 million votes?
Election Protests Turn into Muharram Matam Amidst Confusion
1:27 pm, June 18th, 2009 on Humor, Middle East
The Infamous Zanjeer
More than 100,000 people attended a “day of mourning” rally in Tehran to remember eight people killed while opposing Iran’s election result. The rally was called by Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former presidential challenger and erstwhile Deputy Fuhrer.
Attendees were soon confused and perturbed by the presence of over 10,000 individuals self-flagellating and engaging in zanjeer matam, in commemoration of the death of Imam Hussayn at the Battle of Karbala. Hundreds of azadars vehemently beat their breasts and heads with chains, swords and knives, bleeding profusely. Men, women, children and infants were observed participating in this ritual generally reserved for the Islamic month of Muharram. Read on »
Does Israel Truly Want Peace?
11:50 pm, June 15th, 2009 on Israel/Palestine, Middle East
Gideon Levy in the Haaretz thinks not:
…Israel does not want peace. The arsenal of excuses has run out, and the chorus of Israeli rejection already rings hollow. Until recently, it was still possible to accept the Israeli refrain that “there is no partner” for peace and that “the time isn’t right” to deal with our enemies. Today, the new reality before our eyes leaves no room for doubt and the tired refrain that “Israel supports peace” has been left shattered…
The main issues with Netanyahu’s plan seem to be:
Looking for peace? Courtesy, Matthew Yglesias.
…Netanyahu has announced he will back a Palestinian state – but only if it is completely demilitarised.
He said a Palestinian state must have no army, no control of its air space and no way of smuggling in weapons..
…”The Palestinian refugee problem must be resolved outside the borders of the state of Israel. “Any demand to resettle refugees within Israel undermines Israel as a state for the Jewish people.”
…”[Jerusalem] must be the “united capital of Israel”
And…
“The speech made no mention of the evacuation of settlements or the freezing of construction. [Yesha Council Director-General Pinchas Wallerstein] hopes this will allow the continuation of settlement.”
Ahmadinejad Declares Fourth Reich; New Persian Empire Forthcoming
3:04 pm, June 13th, 2009 on Humor, Middle East
Soon after the authorities declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the official winner of Iran’s presidential election on Saturday afternoon, the Iranian President announced the creation of the Fourth Reich and his desire to re-establish a new Persian Empire.
Ahmedinejad at the press conference © TopNewsIndia
“Mein Fuhrer Adolf Hitler is my personal hero. He killed 5 million Jews during his Third Reich. I can do better. Israel now has a population of 7 million Jews. I can make Hitler proud by killing them all and ridding this Earth of the Jewish scourge. I hereby declare the establishment of the Fourth Reich with its capital in Shiraz. I hereby declare myself the Fuhrer of Iran,” Ahmadinejad said during a press conference held in Shiraz Saturday evening.
Ahmadinejad alluded to the glories of the Persian Empire by mentioning that it once stretched from Libya in the West to China in the East. “I plan to spread my Reich from ocean to ocean. With the help of the great Iranian peoples, we shall once again rule the world and there shall be no Jewish or Sunni threat to challenge us,” said Ahmadinejad. He went to mention a list of states that had opposed Iran in the past and would face the brunt of his new military might, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE.
The Great Persian Farce
2:10 pm, June 10th, 2009 on Middle East
Elections in Iran lead to completely pre-determined and fully orchestrated results in line with the ideology and currently expedient goals of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and his hard-line, extreme-conservative theocrats. The Parliament, the President and any other elected officers are mere figureheads and puppets in positions created merely to placate the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people. Read on »
Bravo President Obama, Boo Conservatives
1:09 am, June 5th, 2009 on Foreign Policy, Middle East, White House
This is probably the first and last time that the above line appears on this blog. After reading Obama’s speech at the Azhar in Cairo, I am left wondering why President Bush couldn’t have given a similar one during his 8 years. Bush was seen as fighting a war against Islam, despite his earnest protestations, and distrust in the Muslim world and hatred for all things American continued to be exacerbated by perceived American attitudes towards the Middle East, Muslims, Islam and the Palestinian-Israeli problem. Read on »
Finish the wall, please
7:28 pm, May 20th, 2009 on Israel/Palestine, Middle East
The BBC is reporting that Israel no longer finds it necessary to continue building the wall. The Shin Bet head honcho Yuval Diskin feels “that Israel had enough capabilities to prevent attacks from the Palestinian territory.”
Israel has always claimed that it has the capabilities to contain Palestinian terrorists and that it continuously strives to improve its defenses. Israel has pledges from the US to receive almost $30 billion dollars over the next few years. Accoring to the CRS, Israel has received almost $3 billion a year from the US [PDF]. Almost 2 billion of this is for military purposes. It is already one of the largest receipients of US aid, military and otherwise. Read on »
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- BBC
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- Seven dissident suspects charged 2: 29 am, May 19, 2012Six men and one woman in Northern Ireland are charged with a series of terrorist offences, including conspiracy to murder and cause explosions. […]
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When Can Bernie Madoff Invest My Money Again?
