Monthly Archives: February 2012

Terrorism, War on Iran

Another Iranian Terrorist Plot in Canada, Will UNSC Act?…………

 

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“At least three people were killed Sunday when a passenger train derailed near Toronto, Canadian officials said. All three people were employees of Via Rail Canada, Michelle Lamarche, a spokeswoman for the railway, said, calling it a “very sad day for Via.” At least 45 passengers were injured, three severely, according to John Marginson, chief operating officer of Via………….”

The UN Security Council will no doubt eagerly meet on this, if the Canadian government requests it. Or if requested by Saudi Arabia the United States. At least three Canadians killed is a serious matter, especially if the there are Westerners of the ‘white’ species. The Security Council also met quickly last week and condemned the attacks on Israelis in India and Thailand, attacks that did not kill anyone. The Security Council somehow forgot to vote to condemn the attacks on Iranian academics who are being killed by bombs on the streets of Tehran. Must have been just a lapse on the part of Ban-Ki Moon, especially now that I understand he is not running for another term.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Counterrevoltion, GCC, North Africa, Salafi, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia

The First Arab Revolution Dies: Frenching Saudi Princes in Tunisia………….

 

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“Non-religious individuals and groups ignited and then brought into being the Tunisian revolution. Mohamed Elbouazizi, who was not a religious man and whose act of self-immolation was condemned by many religious authorities, is the iconic figure of the Tunisian uprising that started the Arab Spring. But when the dust settled and the first elections were held across Tunisia, Islamists and their allies took the biggest share of the votes – not the likes of Elbouazizi. Although more than 58% of the voters did not endorse Ennahda, leaders of the Islamist party have acted as if they had an absolute public mandate to govern. Using the institution of the Constituency Assembly, the leaders of Ennahda cobbled together a coalition government headed by a former political prisoner and a historical figure of the Islamist movement. Members of Ennahda controlled the main ministries, including foreign affairs and interior. But the first decisions of the government have shown the speed with which religious idealism has given way to practical realism. One such decision is Prime Minister Hammadi Jebali’s first state visit to Saudi Arabia: a good example of decisive, even cynical, realism. Saudi Arabia is a wealthy clan-ruled Arab state in the Gulf region…………..”

It looks like the visit of Tunisian leader was a formality, to seal the deal. Tunisia is a resource poorer Arab state, meaning it has no petroleum. It has had some Gulf GCC investments, especially in the tourism industry. Tunisia also has had a certain culture and a cosmopolitan atmosphere that is almost certain to be finished now, damaging the tourist industry. From now on it may be quasi-Salafi chic. This visit is to tell the Saudi princes that Tunisia’s revolution is done, that it is open again for business.
To show that he is serious, Tunisia’s regime is making the correct Saudi-style noises about Syria and it is silent about Bahrain and Yemen (very Saudi-style and Western-style). Any day now I expect the Islamist regime in Tunis to issue a Qaddafi-like fatwa banning French in public places, replacing it with short Salafi Gulf  dishdashas (Saudi thobes) and the Saudi red shmagh ghutra. (Also encouraging Saudi style stag French-ing among the elites).
Who knows, once Bin Ali is done with his Wahhabi re-education in the Saudi Gulag, once all his secular misconceptions have been cleansed by the royal Salafi muftis, they may rehire him as an adviser in Tunis.

Cheers
mhg


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Anti-Semitism, Arab Revolutions, GCC, Israel, Religion, Salafi, Saudi Arabia

Another Saudi Killing Fatwa: on Assad and Hezbollah and Israelis and Jews…….

 

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The prominent Saudi cleric Shaikh ‘Aayidh al-Qarni has issued a fatwa that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad should be killed. He is quoted that killing Assad now has priority over “killing Israelis” under current circumstances. (Netanyahu may feel comforted by that small favor). He fatwad that obeying Assad is like disobeying the creator (God, Allah, Yahweh). He did not say it in so many words but his silence implied that obeying the absolute al-Saud princes is like obeying the creator (God, Allah, Yahweh) and that obeying the rapacious shaikhs of Bahrain is the next best thing to obeying the creator (God, Allah, Yahweh). …. … Shaikh al-Qarni added that Hassan Nasrallah (of Hezbollah) is a heretic sinner and that his testimony in defense of the Syrian regime is as worthless as the testimony of a Jew. The shaikh is quoted to address Assad “Aren’t you ashamed? Even Jews didn’t do as much to Syrians as you have done”.

Media Wahhabi faux-liberals and Salafis along the Persian-American Gulf are all excited, going orgasmic, over this Wahhabi masterpiece of bigoted fatwa (is there any other kind?).
Cheers
mhg


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CIA, Iran, United Nations International Organizations, US Foreign Policy, War on Iran

From Baghdad to Tehran: Deception, Fear-Mongering, Murky Waters……

 

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“Even as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a new report Friday that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment program, American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb. Recent assessments by American spy agencies are broadly consistent with a 2007 intelligence finding that concluded that Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program years earlier, according to current and former American officials. The officials said that assessment was largely reaffirmed in a 2010 National Intelligence Estimate, and that it remains the consensus view of America’s 16 intelligence agencies. ……..At the center of the debate is the murky question of the ultimate ambitions of the leaders in Tehran………..”

It is possible that the Iranians don’t like Western “experts” poking around in their facilities: after all, when was the last time the French or British allowed some Iranian inspectors to poke around in their facilities?
So there is no evidence, no smoking gun, that the mullahs are building a bomb. No Dick Cheney to swear that Saddam had a beer with Bin Laden as they plotted 9/11. Only a judge (George Daniels) in New York or was it DC who seems to believe that Ali Khamenei plotted 9/11 with Bin Laden over a pitcher of Mojito (Islamic no-mojo style). But it all helps in the West Bank, as the settlements keep expanding and the prospect of two states dims into a distant future.
Odd how Western officials and media, especially in the USA, assaulted the IAEA under Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei when they cast doubts about Bush and Cheney and WMD in Iraq, yet they hang onto every word of it about Iran. So what has changed other than the new man doing their bidding?
Cheers
mhg


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Corruption, Economics, GCC, Saudi Arabia

Extreme Poverty in a Democratic People’s Kingdom of Arabia…………..

 

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Woman begging in Riyadh (Source: Deutsche Welle)


“In spite of the image of prosperity in which Saudi residents are supposed to live, the past tow decades have seen high inflation in prices by about 400% while the average income increased by only 66%. Ahmad Doud works as a security guards for a company and he used to make $533 a month until King Abdullah ordered that minimum wages be established and that he now makes about $800. His salary is not enough to cover the rent and living expenses of his family and he has taken a second job, although he refuses to say what it is. Saeed is another victim of the poverty in Saudi Arabia whose painful details are lost among the bright image of luxury and prosperity in the kingdom. He secretly makes alcoholic drinks secretly and sells them to make money to cover his family expenses. When asked about a job with the oil and petro-chemical companies that are within tens of miles of his place, he says that he has to be satisfied with inhaling the poisons they emit.
Latest data indicate that the average annual per capita income in Saudi Arabia exceeds $ 20,000, while the average monthly wage of a Saudi citizen in the private sector is about $927….. A short film produced by Badr al-Humood is titled “The Graveyard” and tells about a family of 11 persons that lives in a Riyadh graveyard……… “ Duetsche Welle Arabic

Now compare this to my earlier posting here about the lifestyles of the Saudi princes.
(The lousy translation from Arabic is my own).
Cheers
mhg


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Corruption, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia

A Crime in Manhattan: Plaza Hotel, Saudi Oger, and Lebanese Rumors……..

   

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“Yet the prince’s name was uttered during the trial only once, and only in part, by his butler. His full name is Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd. He is the youngest and assumed favorite son of King Fahd, who died in 2005 after 23 years leading Saudi Arabia. The prince’s wealth is thought to be in the billions. He has few, if any, official responsibilities and appears to focus mostly on bouncing around the globe with his large entourage, said Simon Henderson, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has written about the royal family……… “We’re not talking about the top 1 percent,” Aaron Mysliwiec, a defense lawyer, said. “We’re talking about Michael Bloomberg kind of wealth.” One of the Plaza’s owners is Prince Walid bin Talal, Prince Abdul Aziz’s more famous cousin, who is among the largest single shareholders in Citigroup and in News Corporation, the media company controlled by Rupert Murdoch……… Testimony revealed that some part of that entourage was supplied by the “V.I.P.” unit of Saudi Oger, a large construction and telecommunications company. The unit exists to travel with the prince and cater to his desires, the head of the unit testified………… The ties between Saudi Oger and Prince Abdul Aziz are well known in Saudi Arabia. The company was founded by Rafiq Hariri, who built Saudi Oger into a large company by winning the trust and business of King Fahd………”

I wrote here that Lebanese media reported a couple of weeks ago that the Saudi king gifted, “gave”, Saad Hariri US$2 billion, just like that. Maybe a gift for Valentine’s Day. Hariri denied it, but in Lebanon, a secret doesn’t last long. Like this old saying that I just made up: “A secret doesn’t remain a secret in two places, one of them is Lebanon”. You can try and guess what the other place is but then someone, possibly your spouse, might ask “How did you know?“


Hariri was reportedly unwelcome in his hometown of Riyadh for some time. He had angered the Saudi princes by describing Prince Nayef (Interior Minister and now Crown Prince) as a “bloodthirsty butcher” behind his back. That was during a meeting with some European bureaucrat related to the STL Hariri tribunal. Unfortunately for him, that meeting was recorded and televised by al-Jadeed TV last year.
As for the allegations of rape, I have no idea.
FYI: Saudi Oger is pronounced like “O Jay” not like “Ogre”.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Iran, Syria, US Foreign Policy, Yemen

Hillary Clinton and Democracy Hypocrisy: Yemen and Syria and Iran……

 

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“Syria’s authoritarian regime held a referendum on a new constitution Sunday, a gesture by embattled President Bashar Assad to placate those seeking his ouster. But the opposition deemed it an empty gesture and the West immediately dismissed the vote as a “sham.”…..” AP

“U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday hailed the presidential election in Yemen, offering continuous support to the Arab nation as it confronts challenges ahead. …..”
Only one candidate allowed in Yemen and he “won” 99.8% of the vote, and there were many dead. Clinton must think Arabs are stupid. Here are my rantings on Yemen yesterday.

“On June 14, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement on repression in Iran and Syria to mark the second anniversary of the disputed 2009 presidential election in Iran….“
Ahmadinejad had three candidates running against him, he claimed less than 60% of the vote, I think about 58%. Arab SpringMuch more democratic than the travesty in Yemen, wouldn’t you say? The difference is that he was not sponsored by the Saudi king and the absolute potentates of the GCC and the Western powers.

So, the new definition of democratic elections is simple: they are the elections that are approved by the absolute tribal polygamous Saudi king and the absolute shaikhs of Qatar and UAE and Bahrain. And they are hailed by Western media (CNN, Fox) as true elections. Cute.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Revolutions, Jihadis, Religion, Theocracy

Adonis of Syria: Secular Reactionaries and Islamo-Fascist Revolutionaries……

 

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The renowned Syrian poet Adonis (nom de plume) opines that he understands why many Arab ‘progressives’ are against the Arab revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. He said that some may be right in warning that these uprisings are creating Islamic Fascist states (Islamo-Fascist sounds like the favorite term of the American Republican extreme right wing for Muslims).
Adonis told an Austrian newspaper that the recent movements are now being led by Islamist fundamentalists and fascists and represent a move back toward the Middle Ages. He said that as an example, Tunisia had a secular system established by Habib Bourguiba but that Tunisia now has an Islamic regime. He added that the ‘opposition’ in his country, Syria, wants to change the regime form a military dictatorship to a religious dictatorship. He said that Arab elections now lead to Islamist rule and that even Hitler came to power at first as a result of elections.

ALL Arab states that had successful uprisings are becoming fundamentalist; that is a fact. But then most Arab states that have had no successful uprisings are fundamentalist anyway. Unless you think that Saudi Arabia is a secular democratic kingdom.

(Adonis. I wonder, when he was young, if he was what some American females woiuld call a hunk.)

Cheers
mhg


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Al-Qaeda, Culture, GCC, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

Pakistan Army Demolishes the Alamo of al-Qaeda, Gulf Jakhoor Outside the Soor………

 

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“Pakistani authorities have begun to demolish the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that Osama Bin Laden used as a hideout until he was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in May 2011. “The action was taken to keep the compound from ever becoming a shrine for Bin Laden’s followers,” a Pakistani military official told CNN. “It’s a message that Pakistan doesn’t want to keep anything connected with this terrorist.” CNN affiliate GEO-TV showed video of dust flying into the air from the compound as troops stood and watched from outside……….”


Santa Ana of Mexico never thought of destroying the Alamo after he subdued Texas (briefly). Maybe Sam Houston didn’t give him enough time. It survives in San Antonio de Béxar (now shortened by illegal Anglo immigrants to San Antonio).
The Islamic world has a knack for destroying monuments, especially the parts of the Islamic world that are Salafi Wahhabi or are influenced by that barbaric ideology. From Mecca and Madina to Bamiyan to Abbottabad, monuments to the Prophet and to ancient leaders and to modern terrorist leaders are destroyed. If the Pyramids were in Saudi Arabia, they’d be torn down by the greedy princes to make room for luxury hotels. If they were in Afghanistan or Pakistan, they’d be torn down to make room for a goat herd. If they were in a certain place on my Gulf, they’d be torn down to make room for some jakhoor (look it up or ask some schmuck from the outskirts of my hometown, but it is related to goats and such things).
Cheers
mhg


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Culture and Sports, Middle East Women, Salafi, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Women: Renting IOC and Owning FIFA…………

   

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“When Women’s World Cup soccer fever can overwhelm Twitter, it may be hard for Americans to imagine a place where women are banned from all playing fields. That is Saudi Arabia today. In Saudi, women do not get to compete in elite sport—let alone exercise, play, or even participate in physical education. They can’t even watch a sports match. “No women allowed” is what life is like for girls and women in Saudi Arabia who aspire to run, throw a ball, swim, or ride a bike. In six months, the London Summer Olympics will open with fireworks and fanfare. Teams from every country will parade proudly at the Opening Ceremony. One team, Saudi Arabia, plans to send only men. The International Olympic Committee is the keeper of the Olympic flame, and has immense power over national Olympic committees. In the same way we demand that athletes play by the rules, Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to violate the Olympic Charter’s ban on “discrimination of any kind.”………….”

Okay, we can add IOC and FIFA to Formula One and Interpol and Malaysia and Bahrain and Waziristan and the Salafi groups to the list of organizations (and countries) that the Saudi princes own.  Now that impressive Saudi portfolio has expanded to include the League of Arab States, the GCC, the Organization of Islamic Countries, the Taliban, Fox News (partly), among others. Even the mighty U.S. government can’t claim anything like that. Hell, even the Koch Brothers can’t came close.
Cheers
mhg


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