Category Archives: Arab Revolutions

Arab Revolutions, Egypt

Egyptian Maturity with Xenophobia: Blaming Obama and Patterson…….

      

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Many Egyptians, on both sides, who should know better are playing a silly “point the finger game”. Each side is blaming the other and foreigners who are supposedly plotting with it. Each side claims the Americans prefer and are plotting with the other side.
Egypt is some 5,000 years old. It is older than the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the GCC states, Russia and a few other countries combined. Even adding Iran to the bunch will not change that. They are a very mature nation. So they should stop the political xenophobia and blaming foreigners. They should stop pointing the finger at Obama or U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson or the Saudis or the Turks or the Iranians or even Israel. Just follow an independent policy instead of burning foreign flags and effigies.
They are the masters of their own fate. Well, the real masters of their fate, the military, are part of Egypt.

Genug, basta, assez, bass, khalas, kifaya…………
Cheers
mhg

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Arab Politics, Arab Revolutions, Egypt, GCC, UAE

UAE High-Level Delegation Seeks a Victory March in Cairo………..

      

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Speaking of Dummies books, Arab media report that the UAE is planning to send a “high-level” delegation to Egypt. Somehow the shaikhs seem to think Egyptians have plenty of time for social visits in between riots, street battles, and trying to form a government.
There are conflicting reports as to who will lead this high-level delegation or whether they will be carrying sacks of cash. One of my Abu Dhabi sources claims it may be headed by chief of Dubai police and shadow foreign minister of the UAE former Staff Sergeant Dhahi Khalfan. She reports that Khalfan believes his tweets helped trigger the anti-Morsi protests and the military putsch that overthrew the Muslim brotherhood. She reports the delegation aims to set up tents in Tahrir in a show of solidarity for the military and the overthrow of Morsi. Another source insists one of the ruling Bin Zayed Al Nahayan brothers will head the delegation. The shaikhs, she reports, may land at Cairo wearing General Al Sisi t-shirts.
My other Cairo source reports that Egyptians are not excited about this UAE delegation. Some of them think the Abu Dhabi shaikhs are in a hurry to march in their own victory parade in Cairo. Others think they are trying to rub it in the Qatari wound, adding insult to injury. Some say it might be a message to the Saudis or the Iranians, or both. Others wonder if General Ahmed Shafiq, the old Mubarak crony who advises the Al Nahayan (not sure WTF on what) will be part of the delegation, if the shaikhs will nominate him for president of Egypt.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Egypt

An Egyptian Bestseller Book: The Presidency for Dummies……

      

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I saw the Twitter timeline of Egypt’s military-appointed Interim President Adly Mansoor (@Adlymansoor). I read some of the tweets, and looked deeply at his picture, well as deeply as possible in this case. Trying to see into his soul, such as it is. I suspect it may be a parody account, at least for the sake of Egypt I hope it is a parody account. I believe the photo is not a parody, alas it is real.
Still, I have seen the guy on television, so I started to wonder if there is a book titled “The Presidency for Dummies“. You know the series: Cooking for Dummies, Math for Dummies, XHTML for Dummies, Eating for Dummies, etc. Anyway, if there is such a book as “The Presidency for Dummies”: I suggest that he read it, I also wish Mohammed Morsi had read it one year ago.
Wait, I just remembered another gem. Egypt is in another unusual situation: it now has two deposed presidents both of them awaiting trial, so far. Before the end of this year there may be three of four deposed presidents awaiting trial. I suggest that the book “The Presidency for Dummies” be assigned reading for all Egyptian politicians, nay for all activists from all parties.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, GCC, Syria, Weapons deals

Of MANPADS and Syrian Salafis and Gulf Potentates……….

      

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“The main conduit runs from Turkey into northern Syria, where the rebels control swathes of land, including all the main border crossings. Large shipments of arms come mainly from Qatar, which flies in weapons from Libya, an ally that was plentifully supplied by the Qataris during the uprising two years ago against Muammar Qaddafi. Turkish intelligence agents accompany the weapons into liberated parts of Syria, to be handed over to chosen groups, such as Liwa al-Tawheed, a large one active around Aleppo. The arms are distributed down the chain. Rebel commanders say Turkey’s fairly open-door policy also lets arms provided by private donors be smuggled in. Some come from Libyan revolutionaries, others from rich Salafist sheikhs in the Gulf. A black market functions energetically, too. That may explain some of the sophisticated anti-tank missiles seen in rebel hands. The New York Times has reported that Qatar has supplied some man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), despite American pleas that they should not.………………”

Funny: these weapons, the MANPADS are not manufactured in Qatar of Saudi Arabia. They are made in the West, mainly the USA, and sold to these potentates normally with restrictions on their re-export. So, if they abuse their weapons, break their contracts, just stop selling it to them. You’d think at least The Economist knows that, even if the Western governments did not.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Egypt, Islam, Islam and Elections, Religion

Imams, Potentates, Generals, and Scoundrels………

      

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What is all this with “Imams” these days? Nowadays it seems Muslim Imams are coming out of the woodwork. Suddenly I found out a few weeks ago that Shaikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi is calling himself Imam on his website. Now. More recently, they are calling the Shaikh of Al Azhar the Imam, nay the Grand Imam no less, of Al Azhar. Ali Al Sistani in Najaf does not yet call himself Grand Imam, and I hope he does not. Nor does the Saudi Mufti Shaikh Al, yet. but It is probably coming.

Historically and traditionally anyone who leads people in prayer, prays in front of them, is called Imam. That is what the Arabic “Imam” word means, someone who leads in prayer. It can imply wisdom and experience, but obviously not necessarily so. Even Generalissimo Al Sisi of Egypt can be called Imam one of these days if he leads people in prayer. He just might do that someday if things get tough in Cairo. Dr. Mohamed Morsi never did and we know where he is now. Mr. Erdogan of Turkey has not taken that plunge yet. Bashar Al Assad would never consider it: he knows it won’t work in Syria.
 
This “Imam” business is becoming a fad. Soon the former Shaikh of Bahrain, now self-styled King, will start calling himself Imam. Or maybe the prime minister will. King Abdullah may start calling himself Imam, although he does not lead in prayer. No, not Abdullah of Jordan, the other Abdullah. It will be a problem in the UAE: the rulers of the seven emirates can’t all be Imams. Most likely one of the Al Nahayan brothers. I was just thinking of the goateed Saad Hariri of Lebanon and…………never mind.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, NATO, Syria

General Idriss as the Unlikely Leader of Syria or Yemen: Catfish and Sharks and a Zombie……….

      

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“The new weaponry will be channelled through the Supreme Military Command, a Western-backed rebel body headed by Selim Idriss, a general who defected from Mr Assad’s forces, and whose connections to moderate groups America has been testing with supplies of food and medicine. America’s programme, likely to be based in Jordan, on Syria’s southern border, may in effect amount to a beefing up of a Saudi operation there, which already involves the CIA in training vetted rebels…………. Some reckon it is even too late to achieve the more modest goals of bringing the fissiparous rebel groups under a single command structure and marginalising more extreme elements, in particular the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra. Once a group has seen its fortunes fall, it is hard to resuscitate it. Take, for example, Shuhada Suria (Martyrs of Syria). Just a year ago this group, which operates in the north-west province of Idleb and whose leader sits on the Supreme Military Command, was a leading fighting force. But it has faltered in part because funding has shrivelled, prompting defections to stronger groups, usually more Islamist ones………….”

General Salim Idriss is the man the West (US administration) and presumably Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Yamama is looking at to lead Syria if and when it is liberated by NATO and Bernard-Henri Levy. They may consider him the equivalent of a Yemeni outcome for Syria. In Yemen, the GCC absolute tribal rulers engineered a final resignation of the dictator Ali Saleh and replaced him with his vice president, Generalissimo Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi Bin Zombie (the last name was given him by a Saudi journalist-tweeter). Hadi is famous for breaking post-Saddam Arab records for popular votes (about 99.8%, something not even Kim Jong-Un can get). Yemen is still engulfed in a multi-pronged civil war.

General Idriss looks like a highly unlikely leader for Syria, or of any other place for that matter. But then in fairness, some twelve years ago Bashar Al Assad did not look very ‘leader-ly‘ either. He looks like he should not even be expected to run his supporters in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. More like a catfish in a pond full of Jihadi and other sharks, and we all know there is something wrong with that besides mixing salt and sweet waters.
Yesterday General Abduljabbar Al-Akeedi, apparently chief of the Revolutionary Military Leadership in Aleppo (wtf that be), was reported in Al-Quds Al-Arabi to have resigned from the FSA command in protest. He claimed that the Free Syrian Salafi Army has failed. Could be merely discontent with Idriss as well, could be a premonition of outcome of the battle for Aleppo. Could be both.
Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Economics, Finance, Jihadis, Kuwait, Syria

The Economics of Jihad in Syria: Kuwaiti Opposition Estimates……..

      

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There is a theory, a plausible one that the Syrian uprising of 2011 started as a non-sectarian non-violent call for reform. Until the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf got hold of it and inundated Syria with money, the ideology of hate, and Salafi Jihadis. I wrote two days ago of Kuwaiti politics and the dominance of tribal Islamists of the political opposition movement.
Local Kuwait media report that the tribal Islamist opposition has called for a mobilization for war in Syria (they called it for Jihad in Syria). A bunch of former opposition tribal Islamist MP’s held a sort of tribal charity ball but stag, a large gathering of men to start a campaign to raise money to equip and arm 12 thousand ghazis (ghazi is Arabic for invader, raider, meaning here Jihadi) for Syria. They have called for every family (that listens to them) to equip and arm one Mujahid to go to Syria to fight. One of them suggested that 700 Dinars (about US $2400) would prepare and send a Jihadis to battle in Syria. (No idea if this amount covers one or multiple multiple wives). That of course does not cover the current cost of operations: food, bullets, shelter, bribes, booze, etc. All that minus current revenues: whatever can be looted as war booty or obtained as ransom for hostages the FSA and Jihadist militias like to take (they are avid hostage-takers and are still holding two Christian bishops and two other priests hostage, in addition to many Alawis and Shi’as).

Some of the well-heeled tribal Islamists at the gathering contributed new non-Islamist cars. One gave a new heathen-made Chevrolet Suburban, another donated a new infidel-made Mercedes-Benz. One former member of parliament got a family to pay for the arming and equipping 28 ghazis (raiders or Jihadis) for Syria. Another former member deposited funds to cover three Jihadis.
None of these worthies volunteered either themselves or their sons or any members of their families or tribes for the “struggle”. They can get other Wahhabi youth to do the bloody deed, and if that fails, they figure they can get the infidel heathen Westerners to do it. There is always senators McCain and Graham (Joe Lieberman has hung up his Syrian Jihadist helmet).

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria, US Foreign Policy

Syrian FSA On a Hot Streak: Accuses Hezbollah of Using Chemical & Nuclear Weapons…………

      

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“The major organization of Syrian rebels, the Free Syrian Army, announced Wednesday that forces affiliated with Bashar Assad’s regime and Hezbollah fighters employed chemical weapons in battles at the outskirts of Damascus, according to Alarabiya network. Assad’s forces are continuing to shell a number of towns and areas within Syria using a range of munitions, especially chemical warfare which, this time around, hit the town of Zamalka, outside of Damascus………………”

The Free Syrian Salafi Army (FSA) must have gotten its hands on a cache of chemical weapons, and they have been putting it to good use. John McCain may believe them again, may have suggested to the FSA to try this method again to get the Obama administration to invade Lebanon as well as Syria. After all, the same WMD “evidence” cooked up between the FSA, France, and Britain got a nervous Obama to put one foot through the Syrian door. It might work in Lebanon as well, since the Saudi-funded Salafi proxies don’t seem to be getting much traction in Beirut so far.
 
Now the FSA, while on a hot streak, can be bold enough to go for the gold: they can claim that they have evidence of Iranian use of nuclear weapons in Syria. If the Western due diligence of the Sarin claim is any indication, it just might work. McCain and much of the mainstream media will back them up, especially if M. Hollande and Mr. Cameron vouch for the veracity of it, as they would. Tony Blair might also poke his head out out to help. The public in the West will hear a lot of talk, media noise, about “nuclear” and “Hezbollah” and will put the two together so that 1+1=5, with a little help from the media. Then we’d all have a beautiful expanded war.
Yeeehaawwww……. (that was Mr. McCain yelling, not me)
Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Salafi, Syria

So Many Friends of Syria but No Quakers: Average Joe and Average Moe and Divinity……………

      

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“Foreign ministers of the “Friends of Syria” bloc will meet on
Saturday in Doha to discuss aid for the Syrian rebels, including
military assistance, according to a French diplomat quoted by AFP. Ministers
of Britain, France, the U.S., Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt will attend the
meeting, the source said on Wednesday. The meeting aims to
address in a “concerted, coordinated and complementary manner” the
concerns raised by the opposition’s military chief during the last
“Friends of Syria” meeting in Ankara last Friday……………..”

Friends of one Syria have been holding a lot of meetings. You’d think they have no other business but Syria. They will meet in Doha (Qatar) again to support the armed militias of that Syria (Free Syrian Salafi Army). They all agree on continuing the battle toward a free democratic Syria that will be no less free and no less democratic than its most ardent supporters: Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the UAE. Logically, things look to have a good chance of reaching that ultimate goal. The obstacle is the battle before that.

Friends of another Syria will meet elsewhere; could be in Waziristan, in some Wahhabi mosque on the Persian Gulf or Najd or Al-Anbar, or more likely somewhere in Western Europe. They seek to support the militias of their own vision of Syria that sometimes coincides with that first Syria noted above. Even though most of their armed men are not even Syrians as they hail from places such as Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Gulf states, Chechnya, Bosnia, and other Europe.

Friends of yet another Syria are to meet in Moscow (or was it Tehran or Damascus) to support the regime of that other Syria. They will focus on logistics of weapons shipments and evading pesky satellites. My source claims they might try some trickery: she reports they might look into the possibility of having Bashar Al-Assad publicly denounce the Iranians, which they expect would lead the Western powers and the Saudis and Qataris to immediately adopt him as their new mascot instead of some Salafi cutthroat (or former regime rat, depending). Once they all cheer Bashar, he can turn around and change his mind. The logic is that if the Saudis and Qataris have allegedly chosen to support freedom and democracy (in Syria only), then whatever shift Bashar makes should be as credible.

Friends of yet another Syria, a political rather than military Syria, are slated to meet at some 5-star hotel in Turkey to discuss other relevant aspects of the new Syria they seek. Some of them will argue about the relevance of the New Syria to the rest of the cosmos; they will do so in French, of course.

Other friends (not Quakers) will split from this last group and powwow in classical Arabic. These latter will focus on weighty issues that are paramount in the very long-term, such as: (a) should one redo his ablutions if he crosses path with a foreign lady who wears shorts and is leading a shih-tzu on a leash? (b) why God trusts princes and clerics more than “average Joe” (make that “average Moe”)? (c) why the Lord, in His wisdom, prefers modesty and a humble demeanor and honesty and conformity in those who are ruled but prefers the rulers to be, if not total bastards (self-made of otherwise), then at least rakish?

Among other agonizing issues………….

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, GCC, Saudi Arabia, Syria

Saudi Goals in Syria, Syrian Goals in Syria: about Democracy and Freedom………

      

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“Saudi Arabia has long urged the West to arm the Syrian rebels as they battle forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. In an interview with SPIEGEL, he explains why. He also says Europe should change its strategy in nuclear negotiations with Iran. SPIEGEL: Your Highness, Saudi Arabia provides Syrian rebels with both money and weaponry. What is the kingdom’s strategic aim?
Turki: The immediate downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the immediate stop of “the killing machine,” as King Abdullah described Bashar-Al-Assad’s response to the demands of his people.
SPIEGEL: Troops from the Shiite radical group Hezbollah, supported by Iran, have joined the fight in support of Assad and could soon begin marching on Aleppo. Are the rebels not currently facing failure?
Turki: For the last two years, the regime and its supporters have been claiming victory with any advance they make on the ground. The Syrian people are determined to achieve what they aspired to when they began their protest…..………….”

Also sprach Prince Turki Al Faisal, former chief of Saudi Intelligence, former (briefly) Ambassador to Washington, currently man-about-towns and conferences and symposiums and overall bon vivant, sort of. No doubt, some of the Syrian people want to achieve their revised goals of their uprising. Originally it was more freedom and democracy. After the Wahhabi princes showered Syria with their petro-money, their sectarianism, and their desperate Paradise-seeking horny lost young men, the Syrian uprising became a sectarian civil war. The goal became to establish a ‘kingdom’ that is a cross between the Saudi kingdom and the state of the Taliban.
General Salim Idriss, nominal boss of the Free Syrian Salafi Army, may have other plans, but he only controls the rooms he uses to meet Western politicians and advisers, for now. General Manaf Tlass, ex-buddy of Bashar Al-Assad had his Saudi debut, complete with a photographed Umrah hajj, then vanished. Probably like the rest of them he is in some 7-star hotel waiting for the results of the bloody Syrian Lotto. Like the Salafis, Jihadists, Muftis, and other 5-star exiles, he is praying toward NATO headquarters in Brussels (or maybe Mons, Belgium), if at all.

Cheers
mhg

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