Category Archives: Arab Counterrevoltion

Apartheid, Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Arabian Peninsula, Bahrain, GCC, Human Right, Salafi, Saudi Arabia

Politics of Apartheid in the Persian-American Gulf…….

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF
“When King Hamad came to power in 1999, he initially sought to put an end to the violence and sectarian tension that had characterized much of the 1990s by releasing political prisoners, expanding freedoms for the press and civil society, abolishing the most repressive aspects of the security apparatus, and encouraging dialogue with the opposition to help draft a new constitution that would devolve authority to an elected parliament. These efforts gained overwhelming support from most Bahrainis who yearned for more political and civil liberties, and particularly from Shi’a who faced systemic discrimination in the political, economic, and social spheres. Despite initial expectations, however, the resulting 2002 constitution failed to deliver on the King’s promises, dashing hopes and creating deep mistrust between the ruling family and the political opposition. Tensions were exacerbated when an alleged government report was leaked in 2006 detailing a plan to weaken the Shi’a community politically and alter the country’s demographics through the systematic naturalization of Sunni expatriate workers…………..”

Not only did the al-Khalifa fail to fulfill their contract with the people of Bahrain, the one agreed at independence. (Their failure to democtratize as promised did not much bother the elite who were not victimized and it certainly was welcomed by the other oligarchies of the Gulf states). It was, it is, the apartheid system that they and their retainers of the elite have insisted on keeping in place. Of course getting rid of the apartheid system would mean a more open political system and more freedoms. More important, it would mean the election of an effective legislature and accountability for corruption by the ruling dynasty. That is why the rulers of Bahrain and their masters and protectors in Saudi Arabia, the absolute tribal princes, insist on keeping the discriminatory system in place. That is why they have resorted to fanning the flames of sectarian fears and passions among the people of Bahrain and the people of the Gulf GCC region. That is why they are willing to foot the bill for the importation of foreign mercenary thugs and torturers by the regime.
What they don’t understand is that the people of Bahrain (and one or two other Gulf states) are not like the people of Saudi Arabia who have been trained and terrified over several generations to silently bow and accept the writ of the princes. Even the people of the Arabian Peninsula are stirring now against the restrictions imposed by the potentates and their Salafi lackeys among the clergy.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

9/11, Al-Qaeda, Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Iran, Saudi Arabia, US Foreign Policy

From the Middle East to the Caribbean: It was the week of “Stupid”………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF
Al-Qaeda calls Ahmadinejad ‘stupid’. They advised him to be “logical” not “ridiculous”. The Salafi terrorist group is pissed at the Iranian president for disseminating conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks at the UN. Ahmadinejad was probably just trying to needle the U.S. government with his talk, but he also got an unintended benefit by pissing off the Salafi terrorists.

Castro calls Obama ‘stupid’
. Castro maybe at least half right about that. The whole Cuban blockade by the United States is stupid. It has nothing to do with freedom for the Cuban people; it has to do with winning elections in Miami and some other congressional districts. If freedom was the goal of these boycotts, Saudi Arabia would be the first country on the American boycott list (and Bahrain would have NATO planes bombing it).
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Egypt, GCC, Human Right

Human Rights: GCC and Egypt and Jordan and Morocco, Terra Humorless…………..

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

This new rumor about inviting Egypt to join the Gulf GCC could be a way to inject some Egyptian humor into the GCC. Is it to offset Jordanian lack of humor? A humorous Egyptian to offset a surly Jordanian (some claim, probably unfairly, that is the only kind of Jordanian there is), although it might take more than even a sunny Egyptian or two to offset a truly surly Jordanian. Egypt would be a great candidate, humor-wise, to join the GCC. These eighty or ninety million humorous Egyptians will more than offset the 20 million or so GCC citizens who are mostly humorously-challenged (I admit) plus the five million totally humorless Jordanians and any among Moroccans who lack a sense of humor. (My knowledge of Moroccan humor is extremely limited, although I had some great fun with a couple of Moroccan friends I had met in Vienna when we were all younger. I also know something about Algerian humor: they are still waiting for it at the station).
Of course all this would not be relevant to the GCC if the citizens of the GCC were a little bit more humorous (actually if they were a lot more humorous). But we do have a trace of a sense of humor, which is an improvement over, say, Jordanians or even Syrians. (Did I ever write about my experience with Turkish humor? It is probably second only to Jordanian and Palestinian humor in terms of non-existence, but close enough to Syrian and Lebanese).
Anyway, let me cut the bull and say it: the GCC needs Egypt, especially now that it plans to expand into Jordanian territory, terra humorless. Humor should be considered as a human right, even in Jordan.

But what about all the talk and other stuff about elections in Egypt? Will that mean the potentates of the Gulf will also have to run for their offices in elections? And how can, say, five thousand Saudi princes run for office? Will they have to introduce an elected office titled “prince”? Then the Bahrain and UAE potentates will have to run for the job of “shaikh”. Then wtf will the Omani potentates run for since they have neither princes not shaikhs?
Or will the Egyptians elect another absolute king and stay with him for another 30 years?
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Lebanon, Libya, Terrorism, US Foreign Policy

Oh Oh Lockerbie, and STL of Lebanon, and Tony Blair, and the Fab Four………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

“Four U.S. senators visiting Libya say they talked to the country’s new rulers about the need for justice in the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing. The four are part of the highest-ranking American delegation to travel to Tripoli since Moammar Gadhafi was ousted last month. Libya was implicated in the bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people, many of them Americans. Scotland has asked the new transitional leaders of Libya for help tracking down those responsible now that Gadhafi is no longer in power. Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Thursday he is confident the new Libyan government will help. “We’d like to know who else was connected with this”…….….”

These four senators are ‘an item’ now. Let’s call them the unfabulous Fab Four.
I can tell him who was involved. At least two Western governments, only one of them British. Several Western corporations and major banks. Many two or three faced politicians who feigned concern for the victims of Lockerbie and their families while winking and nodding at the deal the British government made with Libya. Then there is Tony: just follow your nose. Tony the Poodle Blair, the one man “have bank account, will travel; no deal is beneath me” show.
Not that I am convinced anymore that Mr. al-Megrahi was the perpetrator. These “international” investigations and courts sometimes have methods and ways that are not kosher (in almost any religion). Not always, but sometimes. Look how they truly fucked up the STL Hariri investigation of Lebanon: most Lebanese don’t believe that they did an honest non-political investigation, nor do I, nor does any other half-wit who has followed the case. Most also think they and their “findings” are irrelevant now: most except for the March 14 in Lebanon and a gaggle of Saudi Gulf journalists.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, censorship, Egypt, GCC

Egypt’s Love Affair with Free Media Resumes, Will Joining the GCC be Next?…………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

“Egyptian security officials have raided the Cairo office of Al Jazeera Mubasheer Egypt, roughing up its staff, detaining an editor and confiscating equipment, the news chief said on Thursday. This is the second time this month Al Jazeera Egypt Mubasheer’s office has been raided after Egyptian authorities said the station and its staff were operating without permits. Since its inception in March, the station was unique in that it carried live broadcasts of all major Cairo protests during the uprising that started in December. The station’s news chief, Ahmed Zein, said the station applied for permits, and was promised it would receive them next week.
Zein said security officers dressed in civilian garb forced their way into the office in the Agouza neighbourhood in central Cairo, refusing to identify themselves and shoving the office staff into one room. When a reporter asked them for identification and a search warrant, the security men pushed her ………..”

Egypt’s junta is resuming the old Mubarak-era raids on the media. They have apparently resumed their dislike for al-Jazeera, even though the network has made up with the Saudis and supports the NATO “mission” in Libya. It is these types of behavior that would endear the ruling military junta (SCAF) to the potentates of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, That may explain some recent rumors about a Saudi invitation for Egypt to join the GCC. If true, the next candidate could be Iran or Turkey or Israel (based on “keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer”). On a more “serious” note, the more logical candidates for membership would be Pakistan and Malaysia since the former sends mercenaries to the GCC and the latter has expressed willingness to send mercenaries. These all would come after Morocco and Jordan have joined.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Libya, NATO, U.S. Congress, US Foreign Policy

McCain and Graham Lose Lieberman, Abandon Iraq, Seek to Settle in Libya, about Grits…………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

“The four lawmakers — John McCain of Arizona, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida — planned to meet with members of the National Transitional Council, which is now governing Libya after the rebels forced Qaddafi from power. Qaddafi’s whereabouts remain unknown, but the new leaders suspect he is hiding in the southern desert of the North African nation. The senators, whose brief visit was largely shrouded in secrecy, also planned to tour Martyrs’ Square and hold a news conference with reporters. They traveled from Malta, where they met with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi on Wednesday……….”

I hope the senators had a good chat with Mr. Gonzi in Malta (I wonder wtf happened to old Mr. Mintoff?). Glad to see them lose Lieberman and pick up a couple of new sidekicks. I never cared for that weasel Joe, but that’s okay, he did enough damage. Now it is McCain and Graham who seek bases in the Arab world, almost insist on it. McCain probably travels to the Middle East more than he travel to Arizona except at election time and the same applies to Graham. Which tells you something about the quality of the Arizona Tex-Mex cuisine and the grits in these two states. South Carolina did have good grits when I was a freshman there, at least the university dorm did, but that was probably not in Senator Graham’s hometown.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Politics, bloggers, Human Right, UAE

Emirati Activists Charged for Flipping off the Potentates and for Terrorism……..

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

“Six men have been referred to the Federal Supreme Court over charges including perpetrating acts that pose threats to state security, undermining the public order, opposing the government system, and insulting the president, the vice president and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, the UAE Attorney, General Salim Saeed Kubaish, said yesterday.
The six were named as Ahmed Mansour Ali Abdullah Al Abd Al Shehi, Nasser Ahmed Khalfan bin Gaith, Fahad Salim Mohammed Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali Al Khamis, all Emiratis, and Ahmed Abdul Khaleq Ahmed, who does not carry identification papers, were said.
General Kubaish said the crimes are punishable by the Federal Penal Code and the Federal Law on Combating Cyber Crimes.
He said the six were detained after evidence against them was established by investigations……..”

I guess by “cyber crimes” they mean blogging.
They flipped off the ruling potentates, but only metaphorically. Their written demands and comments were very polite, too polite in fact toward the potentates. I’d flip off the potentates and the watermelon court that will no doubt sentence them to prison, unless it is ordered by the potentates to do otherwise.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Apartheid, Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Gulf states

Bahrain Trifecta: American Weapons, Saudi Money, Pakistani Mercenaries………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF


“The United States should delay a proposed arms sale to Bahrain until it ends abuses against peaceful critics of the ruling family and takes meaningful steps toward accountability for serious human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said today. The US Defense Department notified Congress on September 14, 2011, of a proposed sale of armored Humvees and missiles to Bahrain worth US$53 million. The sale would appear to be the first since the start of Bahrain’s crackdown on protests earlier this year. “This is exactly the wrong move after Bahrain brutally suppressed protests and is carrying out a relentless campaign of retribution against its critics,” said Maria McFarland, deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch………….”

The rulers of Bahrain, the al-Khalifa clan, have perfected their game in their Apartheid country. They get Saudi money and troops to keep their throne in the face of a popular uprising, they get all the Pakistani and Jordanian mercenaries they need to subdue their people (paid for by Saudi money and money from other Persian-American Gulf states), and they can get all the weapons they need from America to help subdue their angry and disenfranchised people (also paid for by Saudi and other Gulf money). It is a nice racket, if they can keep it going. Except that they can’t keep it going for long, not with a mini-war warming up between the rulers and most of their people.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Politics, Arab Revolutions, Arabian Peninsula, Human Right, Saudi Arabia

Gangs of Arabia: Oil Fiefdoms and Turf Wars, Ivanhoe and Isaac of Qatif…………

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

The clock is ticking and time is running out for the combatants to position themselves. Here is a summary of the turf wars and how the Saudi pie is being split now among the “next” generation (meaning those in their 70’s and up):

  1. The crown prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz is seriously ill and highly unlikely to become king. He spends his time between an undisclosed location at home and American hospitals and Moroccan recuperation. He has appointed his son Khaled as deputy defense minister, meaning he is to inherit the ministry as well as becoming the minister of aviation and inspector general (recalling Danny Kaye now).
  2. Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz is next in line and almost certainly the next king. He is a seriously conservative man and is against any type of elections. He famously said a couple of years ago that “Elections can never produce good people of the quality that we appoint” (and that was long before the Tea Party gained control of the U.S. Congress!). He is the minister of interior, in charge of police and security and secret police and terrorism and arrests and prisons and prisoners without charges and whatever goes in the dark cells. He has appointed his son Mohammed as a deputy minister, meaning he is to inherit the ministry when the father either becomes king or dies, whichever comes first.
  3. Then there is the king himself and he is no slouch when it comes to his interests and the interests of his children. Abdullah was head of the National Guard, a parallel army, since forever. Last year he appointed one of his sons to replace him as head of the Guard. Thus the king has staked the permanent claim of ‘his’ branch of the al-Saud clan.
  4. That leaves the Foreign Ministry, forever headed by Prince Saud al-Faisal. He is reportedly ailing without a clear heir. At one time there were two apparent claimants competing for the ministry, or at least there seemed to be, until King Abdullah appointed his son Abdulaziz as Deputy Foreign Minister, thus staking the claim of his own ‘branch’ of the al-Saud clan. Now Abdulaziz has the inside track as compared to Prince Turki al-Faisal brother of the current minister (and the wittiest prince, at least in public) and Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (of the famous BAE Systems bribery case that Tony Blair covered up). The foreign ministry is interesting because has become an area of unexpected competition and turf war. I had assumed it was the private reserve of the al-Faisal clan until Bandar made his move and then Abdullah appointed his own son. Apparently Bandar is a restless type, for he has reportedly made many moves inside and outside the kingdom and was allegedly involved in some palace plots. Apparently all the BAE Systems bribe money has given him more time and funds to pursue his ‘hobbies’. He was even reported at one time to be active in Iraq (not physically, but financially among the Sunni tribes and others). The foreign ministry truly reflects the current territorial infighting among the al-Saud branches: if Abdullah dies before the minister leaves, his son is not guaranteed the top job.


What is at stake is: (a)the future of the throne, (b)the allocation of the petroleum loot among the hungry numerous princes, and (c)power within the top leadership that control the various ministries/fiefdoms.

That is on the ministry or ‘functional’ level. Then there is the real estate, the various provinces, each presided over by a senior al-Saud prince. A prince is the absolute ruler of his province even as he claims allegiance to the king in Riyadh. Does it remind you of Europe in the Middle Ages? Yes, I have read Ivanhoe more than once, read it the first time in Arabic when in ninth grade (Isaac of York, the Jew, would probably be some wayfaring Shi’a from the Eastern province).…….
Did I hear you mention something about “the people” of the Arabian Peninsula? OH, yeah, they were once among the freest peoples of the whole world……….
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]

Arab Counterrevoltion, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia

A King’s Speech: about the Ummah and an Ayatollah……….

   Rattlesnake Ridge   Follow ArabiaDeserta on Twitter   

 
      BFF

“Glad tidings for Muslim Ummah. There was joy and happiness at the news that King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, had left hospital in America after two successful surgeries.
Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh Region, expressed thanks and praise to Allah Almighty Who bestowed good health, recovery and wellness upon King Abdullah
“We are appealing to Allah Almighty for the King’s safe return home to complete the march whose work is devoted entirely to serve his country and people as well as the Islamic and Arab nations,” he said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
Speaker of Shoura Council Sheikh Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh also expressed, jubilation and happiness, in his own name and on behalf of the Council’s members and staff, after King Abdullah left the hospital after Allah Almighty bestowed upon him good health, recovery and wellness…………….”

I wish the old man good health,
knowing that what comes after him, what is waiting in the wings, is bad
news for all the Saudi people. You know “who” I mean (either one of the
two is bad news but the most likely one is worst).
He said that “Allah Almighty bestowed upon him good health recovery and wellness”, which reminds me of the last Wikileaks stuff about wellness and Viagra, etc. Of course the Speaker of the appointed toothless council Sheikh Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh is a cousin or brother of the Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al-Sheikh. Lots of Aal Al Al-Sheikhs come out of the Saudi woodwork on these occasions. I must have written here at least once that all these Aal Al Sheikhs are descendants of the late Imam Mohammad Bin Abdulwahab, after whom the Wahhabi sect (or is it a cult) was named. He is to be distinguished from the late great Egyptian singer and musician Mohammed Abdelwahab who was no Salafi and totally enjoyed many things the old Imam seriously frowned upon. Abdelwahab had some great songs about Egypt (and one about Venice) that are still popular.
Now, how did the king deliver a speech to his country yesterday while he was leaving a hospital in America? Does he have a double? Did he use Skype or Facetime?

Still, pretending that the “king” is the leader of Islam is a stretch, no more credible than pretending that an Ayatollah (Ali Khamenei) is the leader of Islam. It is a myth spread by the vast semi-official Saudi Media and some palace ‘tribal liberals’ in a couple of Gulf states.
Cheers
mhg


[email protected]