All posts by Mohammed Haider Ghuloum

Dr. Mohammed Haider Ghuloum: trained as an economist, been called a few other names..... الشرقية للبنين- المتنبي- ثانوية الشويخ
Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, GCC, UAE

Peninsula Mercenaries, Peninsula Foreign Legion, UAE……..

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I have been wondering, nay worrying, what is behind this large mercenary force being gathered in the UAE? The al-Nahayan autocrats surely don’t expect these Colombians, South Africans, Europeans, Americans, Israelis (possibly) and others to just sit in the desert. They must have a goal for them. Is it as reported to keep the peace by putting down popular uprisings in the UAE and possibly other Gulf areas? Then what is the Peninsula Shield doing in Bahrain (actually it is the Saudis doing it all in Bahrain)?

I suspect that the reason for gathering this mercenary force in the UAE has to do with Saudi Arabia. The al-Nahayan have at best cool relations with their fellow despots in Riyadh. There have been cases of friction in the past few years, and there are still pending border territorial issues that their media tries not to report. The UAE has sparse native population, and has to import foreign labor for almost everything that needs to be done. About 85% or so of the people are temporary imported foreigners (mostly housemaids and laborers, but professionals as well). They can’t form any substantial military force out of that. Even the natives eschew military service in the harsh climate in favor of government jobs. Hence the idea of forming a Foreign-Legion style mercenary force. That would save the al-Nahayan from having to depend on the al-Saud. Apparently (at least to me) they do not like what they have seen in Bahrain and have concluded that if anyone will have to commit atrocities in their country it better be a force under their own command. Hence this large mercenary force.
Cheers
mhg


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Apartheid, Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, GCC, Gulf states

Gulf: Shield from Revolution? Shield of Autocracy? STD Shield?………..

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“The GCC said bolstering the ranks of this shared army would help the countries that belong to it — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar —defend themselves from “external” threats. Like what? Terrorists. Pirates, maybe? How about its own people? Will a larger shared military be used to more effectively douse popular uprisings like the one that took place in Bahrain in March? Just as a protest movement In Bahrain was gaining the kind of momentum that toppled Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak the month before, the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a mandate to send almost 2,000 troops into the tiny little country to protect institutions belonging to Bahrain’s government. It was a show of force that made its point clearly — The Bahraini people marching in the streets were up against something much larger than its own government……..”

The Bahraini, al-Khalifa-connected, secretary general of the GCC opined that “The GCC has also made much progress in giving better life to their nationals compared to other countries”. That “better life” does not cover a majority of Bahrainis, who had face a policy of Apartheid for decades, and now face ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the regime and its Saudi protectors.
I shouldn’t say it, but this ‘shield’ idea reminds me of certain brand names: Trojan, Durex, Naturalamb They are all ‘shields’. But perhaps this one is not as effective as its STD namesakes.
Cheers
mhg


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Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden

Vengeful Bin Laden Coming to an IMAX Near You……

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“ATLANTIC OCEAN—Multiple sources have now confirmed that Osama bin Laden, thought to have been killed and buried at sea weeks ago, has emerged from the Atlantic Ocean, rising to the towering height of 500 feet. The al-Qaeda leader was spotted approximately 25 miles off the coast of the northeastern United States and appeared to be making his way toward land with alarming speed. Fighter jets and battleships are reportedly en route to the scene and are expected to engage bin Laden within the hour. Keep checking……..”

“BREAKING: Severe Seismic Activity Detected Near Location Where Bin Laden Buried At Sea….”

Initially I thought the reported seismic activity near his burial site was related to some latent frolicking under the sea. But, no, he is making his way toward the American coast. His goal? Most likely Robert Gates. Or maybe soon an IMAX theater at a shopping mall near you.
On a more serious mote: notice how the world has quickly forgotten about Bin Laden? He is hardly in the news anymore.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Politics, Middle East

Middle East Peace Index, War Index……………

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Peace indicators:
Level of organized conflict -Armed services personnel -Weapons imports -Military expenditure -Number of conflicts fought -Jailed population -Deaths from conflict (internal) -Potential for terriorist acts -Level of violent crime -Political instability -Military capability/sophistication -Disrespect for human rights -Number of homicides -UN Peacekeeping funding -Number of heavy weapons -Number of displaced people -Neighbouring country relations -Weapons exports -Deaths from conflict (external) -Violent demonstrations -Access to weapons -Perceived criminality in society -Security officers & police.

Middle East compared to others:

Iceland 1 –
Qatar 12 –  Kuwait 29 –   UAE 33 –   Oman 41 –   Morocco 58 –   Jordan 64-  Egypt 73 –   China 80 –    USA 82 –     Bangladesh 83 –    Congo 98   
Saudi Arabia 101-    Syria 116 –    Iran 119 –    Bahrain 123 –    Turkey 127 –   Algeria 129-  Mauritania 130 – 
Myanmar 133 –     India 135 –  
Lebanon 137 –      Yemen 138 –    Libya 143-     Israel 145 –
Pakistan 146 –    Afghanistan 150 –  
Sudan 151 –     Iraq 152 –      Somalia 153

Cheers
mhg

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Apartheid, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Economics, ethnic cleansing, GCC

The Power of Boycott: Business Facing a Dark Future in Bahrain ………

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Economic boycotts are becoming part of the Bahrain revolutionary scene. This is how they started:


  • Some regime     partisans in Bahrain pushed many Sunnis to start the boycott frenzy by advertizing a boycott of some prominent Shi’a businesses that supported the protests (e.g. Jawad Enterprises). Naturally Sunnis have much more buying power per person, but their numbers are small. They may get others to join, like Pakistanis, Saudis, Syrians, Jordanians (basically some of the imported mercenaries). Some of the targeted businesses were also trashed. Yet that was a big mistake as my next paragraph explains.




  • Shi’as, taking a page form their Sunni neighbors, started thinking of boycotts. They have suddenly realized the true power they have: just like American blacks in Alabama did in the 1950s, and others did in India so long ago. They are now advertizing to boycott businesses that support the repression (usually Sunni or some foreign businesses). Many of these businesses went along with the regime and fired many of their Shi’a employees (there are reports that they are hiring in the Indian Subcontinent to replace the fired natives). The firings have added the effect of reduced purchasing power to the anger the Shi’as already felt toward them. Shi’as are a big majority in Bahrain: al-Wefaq, the main Shi’a opposition group won about 64% of the popular vote in the last election. That is not counting other parties and those who boycotted (like al-Haq). They can really harm some major businesses if they boycott them. It looks like they will. Many businesses and shopping malls are owned by al-Khalifa clan members, partnerships, and their retainers and henchmen.




  • Bahrain businesses, through the chamber of commerce, have now frozen relations with businesses organizations in, and now talk of boycotting: Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon (all three states have a majority or plurality of Shi’as, like Bahrain). Typical of the al-Khalifa clan to try to extend their own domestic policy of sectarian Apartheid and ethnic cleansing to the region in order to get out of the mess they created. They want everyone to join in their sectarian game, but that will not solve the serious problem many Bahraini businesses will now face because most of the people will boycott them.


The business outlook in Bahrain looks bleak, much bleaker than the al-Khalifa clan had anticipated.
Cheers
mhg


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Sports

Seriously, no Phallic Pun: Iranian Zob Eliminates Saudi al-Nassr……

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“Iran’s Zob Ahan eliminated Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia and advanced to the Asian Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Isfahan based team beat Al-Nassr 4-1 at the Fooladshahr Stadium. Mohammed Ghazi put the lead Zob Ahan in the first minute of the match.
A brace from Brazilian Igor Castro in the 5th and 63rd minutes poured cold water on Al-Nassr’s hopes. Bader Al-Mutawa from Saudi Arabian team pulled a goal back in the 67th minute but Zob Ahan wrapped up the victory with Shahin Kheiri’s long-range shot in the 74th minute. Hussein Abdulghani from Al-Nassr was sent off in the 89th minute after receiving his second yellow card…………..” Mehr News

Noooo comment. Except to say that “Zob” means penis in Arabic. Now I know why Saudi media only said the al-Nassr lost but declined to mention the victor, Zob.
Okay I won’t resist this: apparently the Iranian Zob was a well-oiled sports machine and managed to penetrate the Saudi goal area deeply. The Saudi team was shafted, you might say, if you were crude.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Culture, Human Right, UAE

United Arab Emirates, NYU , University of Sorbonne, Louvre, Guggenheim, Money, Lots of it…………

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“Numerous death threats, his employer’s demand to transfer out of the country and a middle-of-the-night visit from state security forces were not enough to intimidate the prominent Emirati rights activist Ahmed Mansoor, who recently called for political reforms. Security forces managed to silence him only by whisking him away from his family during a raid on his house on April 8…… Six weeks later, leading international institutions with major stakes in the United Arab Emirates, like New York University, University of Paris-Sorbonne, and the Louvre and Guggenheim museums, remain silent over the detention of Mansoor, a member of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa advisory committee. They have looked the other way as the government widened its crackdown on civil society by arresting four other activists and purging the elected boards of two prominent civil society organizations. By refusing to condemn this repression despite their prominent presence in the UAE, these public institutions are complicit in the abuses of their partner — the UAE government — and do a disservice to their mission of serving the enlightenment of humanity. …………..” Also sprach a good young man.
Samer Muscati apparently doesn’t understand the different missions of these great institutions of learning and museums. NYU, Sorbonne, the Louvre, and the Guggenheim have dual missions.  (1) Their mission at home in Europe and the USA is to educate, enlighten, and improve human conditions. But that is in places like Paris and New York. (2) In other places, in my Gulf region, especially in a place like Abu Dhabi, their role can be put succinctly in one five-letter word: M-O-N-E-Y. In French it is a six-letter word: A-R-G-E-N-T. As for those of us, like Mr. Muscati, myself and many others, who expect more and better from such lofty institutions, their leaders have one word for us: it is a FOUR-letter word. They are too genteel to say it, but we all know what it means.
(Remember, we should try to understand how they see things: what the hell do we, in our region, know about humanity and self determination and freedom? Not enough to offset the good money).
Cheers
mhg


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Bahrain, Corruption, Iran, Saudi Arabia

Pictorial: How to Apply for a Job on the Gulf………

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How to apply for a job in Bahrain, and who to apply to:


Applying in Bahrain (left)

          
Applying in Iran                                                  Applying in Saudi Arabia

     
The honorable way in Bahrain                 Different way (Jacko & the ruler)  

Cheers
mhg


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Arab Media, Israel, U.S. Congress

What some Arabs Saw in the US Congress, Bibi….

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Some Arab media headlines after the Netanyahu speech to a joint session of the US Congress:

“Eulogy for a Hezbollah-controlled’ Lebanon”

“Netanyahu in Congress: America falls on her knee before Israel”

“US Congress looked like a third world parliament heaping accolades on the Great Leader”

“Netanyahu speech was a speech of fear” (Saudi Asharq Alawsat, one of the few that tried to put a somewhat positive face on it)

Some of my own (ArabiaDeserta) live tweets (the last are first):


“Shit! some of these guys are gushing, you’d think they’re shaking hands with John the Baptist hisself…” Me

“Okay, I know the Dome of the Capitol is covered with a thick layer of bull, a lil more than in a normal session…” Me

“There may be some health reasons for all these “standing” ovations (how do you spell r-e-l-i-e-f)..” Me

“Hmm.. Did he just lie? didn’t the Ottomans and British allow freedom of worship in Jerusalem?….” Me

“Now the ijits clapping for annexation of East Jerusalem…..” Me

“I think Congressmen who stood for the “Judea and Samaria” remark wanted to give their brains a rest from the weight…” Me

“Clever #Netanyahu, stupid #Congress: he quickly changed the subject from Palestine to #Iran….” Me
Cheers
mhg


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Culture, France, US Foreign Policy

How Americans Ruined a Great French Game: DSK, BHL, Le Livre Du Visage…………

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“Two French women are filing legal complaints against a junior government minister they accuse of sexual harassment, apparently encouraged to speak up after the recent arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sex crime charges. Gilbert Collard, lawyer for the women, said he had submitted the complaints against Georges Tron, the civil service minister, to a public prosecutor this week and he confirmed to Reuters the accusation was sexual harassment. Tron’s lawyer, Olivier Schnerb, dismissed the complaints and said he had been instructed to respond by filing a defamation complaint in return. Tron, who was quoted by Le Parisien daily as saying the accusations were “incredible”, told Reuters he had informed Prime Minister Francois Fillon about the matter………..” France 24

Leave it to those Les Américains to do it again: ruin a great French cultural tradition. First it was the chewing gum they brought with them to the beaches of Normandie, then the music of Rock and Soul (Josephine Baker was just an early outlier and not mainstream in France), then their subverting language through Jerry Lewis films, then the Internet. Facebook? Why not Le Livre Du Visage? Wait, there is even more…….
Now they have set out to destroy an even greater French tradition: men taking their sexual pleasures wherever they find ‘them’. In that they had the help of a black African Muslim woman who did not see a good white thing when it happened to her, could not just lie down and try to enjoy it. Poor, poor, Dominique Strauss-Kahn: who will it be next? Bernard-Henri Lévy?
Cheers
mhg


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