Category Archives: Arab Revolutions

Arab Revolutions, NATO, Syria, Turkey

Syria: Who Shot Down the Turkish F-4?………………

    

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“Turkey said its air force jet that disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea on Friday was shot down by Syria, in an action likely to worsen already strained relations between the neighboring countries. A statement following a two-hour security meeting led by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the warplane that went missing near Syria was downed by Syrian forces and that the two Turkish pilots remain missing. It said Turkey “will determinedly take necessary steps” in response, without saying what they would be…………”


The reason the Turks are being cautious in their reaction could be that it was the Russian defenses around the Russian naval base at Tartous that shot down the F-4. Al-Quds Al-Arabi from London hints that is a possibility, that there is speculation the Turks may have tried to test Russian and Syrian reaction on behalf of NATO. Either way the Syrian most likely had the green light from Moscow to take action. They would not have dared shoot at it unless it had penetrated their territory.
It also notes that Russia has supplied Syria with the S-300 air defense missiles, the same type that it canceled for Iran two years ago under Western pressure. No doubt the Turks are being cautious because of the Russian angle, given that the Syrian regime itself has little leverage internationally, is up the proverbial creek internationally.
Cheers
mhg
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Arab Revolutions, Bahrain

Bahrain: Forgiveness or Kicking Asses………

    

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Bahrain regime mercenary forces severely beat some leaders of al-Wefaq opposition group today during a march. They also beat up a lot of other people, but that is something they have been doing every day for the past year and a half. So Ali Salman the leader of al-Wefaq tweets asking God to forgive them, saying that “forgive them Lord, for they know not what they are doing”. Typical al-Wefaq thing. They certainly know, the regime, what they are doing. If it was me, I’d say “Lord, kick their corrupt fat royal asses and smite them and their Goddamned foreign mercenaries….”

Cheers
mhg
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Apartheid, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain

Sporty Potentates of the Gulf, Bahrain Horse Apple………..

    

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“Shaikh Khalid hails HM the King’s continued support. First Deputy of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Horseracing Federation Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa today affirmed that he is a graduate of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa‘s school in the sport of horse riding. Shaikh Khalid highlighted the fact that His Majesty the King was primary motivator for him and Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the sport of horse riding that is an extension to the forefather’s heritage and tradition……….. Moreover, he also spoke about the importance of the GCC countries as he considers them family and friends………..”

He is a son of the shaikh king of Bahrain. He is a deputy to his brother Shaikh Nasser who is the Gauleiter of all sports in Bahrain: sort of like Uday Saddam Hussein used to be in Iraq. So these potentates big and small are busy hailing each other. He says he follows in his father’s footsteps as far as horses are concerned.
Speaking of horses: the whole clan has been dishing out horse apples, they are very good at it even if very few believe them. It is the thought that counts. Quite moving, actually, if it weren’t for the many thousands of their victims who are in prison, in hospital, in the grave, or out of jobs. Hail away, your highnesses. The problem with horse apples is that you can’t get rid of the odor (although some may consider that an aroma rather than an odor).
Cheers
mhg
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Apartheid, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Britain

Musical Chairing in Bahrain, Cool General and Mean Mother………….

 

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Lt. General Bin Technocrat


“The Minister of Interior and Chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Police Academy council Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa today chaired the ninth meeting. During the meeting the educational and training programmes provided by the academy were reviewed………..”

This Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Bin Technocrat Al Khalifa is a mean mother, no doubt (just look at his visage up there, and that photo was taken on a good day). He is in charge of police, security, foreign mercenaries, village and home raids, arrests, torture, imprisonment, sexual assaults, killings, and other such traits and values that the Western world (especially David Cameron and William J Hague) cherish so dearly. IN summary: he is in charge of enforcing the policies that would keep Apartheid in Bahrain in place. He ain’t a Field Marshal yet, that honors is still confined to the commander of the Bahrain military, another Al-Khalifa chap, but as nasty as this one.
If there was justice in this world, both these gentlemen ought to be put immediately under arrest by Interpol as soon as they leave their captive island.
I don’t know about you, but I think all this shit is considered really cooooool among certain elements in our neck of the woods.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, WTF

WTF- Bahrain Branch, Timothy Leary and the Despots……….

 

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“Come on, turn on, tune in, drop out, with me
Baby you need a break so lets just run away
Well I’m tired of coding perl, and I’m tired of VBA
Maggie throw your law books away
Turn on, tune in, drop out, give up, with me………. “ Cracker

“Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander,
today received a cable from Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa congratulating him on the graduation of his son Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa from the American University-Washington…………..”
Bahrain News Agency, Headed by Information Affairs Authority President Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa.

But how come the prime minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Bin Technocrat Al-Khalifa didn’t congratulate his grandnephew? Was it because he himself flunked out of college some 60 years ago? Or was it because he chose to listen to Timothy Leary and “Turn on, tune in, drop out” some sixty years ago?
I shall categorize this under WTF- Bahrain Branch.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Revolutions, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria

Syrian Fallout: South to Tripoli, North to Tripoli……

 

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“Like a Tango, it takes two, or more, to do battle” Me

“For a third day in a row, the violence of Syria spilled into the northern city of Tripoli in Lebanon. The AP reports that the Alawites, who support the regime of Bashar Assad, and the Sunnis, who support the Syrian uprising, traded fire in Lebanon using assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades. Five people were killed and 100 were wounded in Lebanon’s second-largest city…………”

This is not the first armed conflict in the area since the Syrian protests started. The ground had been set for trouble in Tripoli long before the Arab uprisings, since 2008 or thereabouts. The Hariri bloc has strong supporters in the predominantly Sunni city, and there are some Alawite residents in the area. Hariri himself cautioned against escalation today, presumably warning his supporters (on Twitter), but it is not clear yet if he still has as much influence. Besides, Saad Hariri is a Saudi first and he will not say or do anything that does not have the approval of Riyadh: the princes can bankrupt him if they get angry enough. Besides, Lebanese officials had complained in recent months of movements of men and weapons across the Syrian border. Besides, al-Qaeda and affiliates see a chance to merge the two ghazwas (holy battles, actually raids) of Syria and Lebanon (and maybe even Iraq in their view). Besides there has been talk of possible Saudi and Qatari weapons being supplied to the Syrian opposition militias, some of the arms no doubt remain in Lebanon. Then there are some defectors from the Syrian military who may also be armed. Besides, the local Alawites are also apparently armed now (like a Tango, it takes two, or more, to do battle).
It is all a formula for an extended conflagration, given that Hezbollah and allies are well-armed and well-trained and dominate in Beirut and the south.
The Tripoli region is now well-armed for the foreseeable future, with fundamentalist groups gaining sway. There are plenty of people on the Arabian Peninsula and in Lebanon with deep pockets who can finance these groups, possibly with the ambitious goal of eventually blocking and severing the link between Syria and Beirut and south Lebanon.
This is one thing the Israelis will not want to touch or manipulate, if’n (if’n) they are smarter now than they were in 1982 and 2006 as far as Lebanese matters are concerned.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Politics, Arab Revolutions, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Regime Dodged a Bullet: Nasser’s Missed Great Chance…………

 

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“In 1958 he wrote a proposed constitution for Saudi Arabia which would have created a constitutional monarchy and expanded civil rights. He began to assemble an elected advisory committee, but his ideas were rejected by the king, and religious leaders in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa declaring his constitution to be contrary to Islamic law. In 1961 the kingdom revoked his passport and attempted to silence him, but he expatriated to Egypt and declared himself a socialist. There, influenced by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Talal continued to push for reform and criticise the leadership of the Kingdom. In 1964 Talal agreed to temper his criticisms in exchange for permission to reenter Saudi Arabia. He is now a successful businessman and prominent philanthropist. Though a senior member of Al Saud, his past political forays may have diluted any hopes of a future claim for the throne, though he denies it. Prince Talal resumed his push for reform in Saudi Arabia in September 2007, when he announced his desire to form a political party (illegal in Saudi Arabia) to advance his goal of liberalizing the country……………..”

The Egyptian media in the Nasserist era called them the “free princes”, a name similar to the Free Officers who overthrew the Egyptian monarchy in July of 1952. Talal and his supporters escaped to Egyptian exile for a few years, under the protection of Gamal Abdel Nasser. Of all the Arab regimes of the 1950s, the Saudi regime was the least endangered by the Nasserist tide. The secret was in the ‘people’: the Saudi people at that time were easily among the least educated and least open Arabs (possibly less than Oman or Yemen but it was a toss-up). They were also shackled then, as they are now, by the ideology of the Wahhabi sect which warns that disobedience to the ruler, no matter how corrupt he is, is a sacrilege and would send you to the “other” hell beyond the current Wahhabi hell. Maybe Nasser got too busy and did not try hard enough to overthrow the al-Saud dynasty. His involvement in Syria and Yemen probably distracted him. That was a pity: overthrowing the Saudi clan would certainly have been Nasser’s greatest gift to Arabs and Muslims.

As it happened, the plots and counter-plots continued in the House of Saud. In 1964 crown Prince Faisal plotted and succeeded in overthrowing his brother King Saud, who also went on to spend some time in Egyptian exile. The story does not end there: in 1975 King Faisal himself was shot and killed by one of his nephews. That nephew wanted to avenge the death of his father who had been killed during a previous uprising against the al-Saud regime. You can bet the farm that there are many plots and counter-plots these days among the princes of the ruling regime. There are fights over turf, eventual power, and money that rightfully belongs to the people.
Talal bin Abdelaziz is still a little bit of a rebel among the tight al-Saud princes. That is partly because he knows he has been passed for top jobs like Minister of Defense or Interior and that he has no chance of ever becoming crown prince or king. Yet being a prince, he is not doing too shabbily, nor is his son al-Waleed. With these people, liberalism goes only so far, they can mouth rhetoric about openness and moderation but they are as corrupt as the rest of them, and as despotic.
Cheers
mhg


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Al-Qaeda, Arab Revolutions, Qatar, Salafi, Saudi Arabia, Syria

Al-Qaeda Terrorism in Syria, Yoda and the Salafis…………

 

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“Two suicide bombs exploded in Damascus yesterday, killing at least 55 people and wounding hundreds more in the single worst atrocity since the start of the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule last year. The massive rush-hour car bombings, which targeted a notorious branch of the Syrian secret police, sparked a round of claims and counter-claims, with the government blaming “terrorists”………..”

“William Hague condemned suicide bombings that killed at least 55 and injured 300 in the Syrian capital Damascus today and urged the regime to implement a full ceasefire. The Foreign Secretary said civilians continued to pay the price for its failure to end repression and violence despite agreeing to a United Nations peace plan. In the deadliest such terror attacks since the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s government 14 months ago, two explosions tore the front off a military intelligence building. The government and opposition blamed each other for the bloodshed but there were growing concerns that it was a sign that al Qaida-inspired terror groups were beginning to exploit the chaos…………….”

Would anybody commit suicide for the sake of keeping Bashar al-Assad or the Baath Party in power? The answer is clearly a resounding “nyet, nien, non, nope, na, la wa kalla”. On the other hand, Wahhabi Salafi youth, backed by the right fatwas of hate and financed by suspicious sources of money, and aspiring for rivers of wine and renewable energizer-bunny virgins, would go for it. Just as they did and still do in Iraq and before that in New York City.
This is something that others had warned about, as I did, over the past months. This is what happens when the Wahhabi princes and their money and their clerics get involved. The Syrian opposition started with legitimate grievances, they still have legitimate grievances, but once they handed their fate to the fundamentalists backed by Saudi and Qatari money, the die was cast.
William J Hague, pal and enabler of the butchers of Bahrain, is wrong here. Yoda is wrong. Whether the Assad regime stays or goes is now beside the point. Al-Qaeda will be around, terrorizing the towns and cities for as long as it can. The American withdrawal from Iraq has not stopped them, the fall of the Assad regime will not end their terrorism. The so-called Syrian opposition is so fragmented and uncontrollable, that this campaign of terror will escalate and continue no matter who rules in Damascus.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Media, Arab Politics, Arab Revolutions, Iran

Power and Risks of the Political Cartoon: Humorless Iranians, Humorless Arab Despots……

 

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“Fish and chips, sandpaper lips and a rainy pavement.
Soho lights, another night thinking of you.
Black cat, sat on a wall, winks at me darkly.
Suggesting ways and means that I might win a smile,
as you leave the place where you work until 12.30
and the policemen nods as you pass along his beat.
Sweaty feet, troubled brow we’re all in the same game, lady.
Life’s no bowl of cherries it’s a black and white strip cartoon…….” Jethro Tull

“An Iranian cartoonist has been sentenced to be 25 lashes for a caricature of a local MP, the semi-official Ilna news agency has reported. Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, MP for Arak, took offence to a cartoon published in Nameye Amir, a city newspaper in Arak. The cartoonist, Mahmoud Shokraye, depicted Ashtiani in a football stadium, dressed as a footballer, with a congratulatory letter in one hand and his foot resting on the ball. Iranian politicians, including Ashtiani, have been recently criticised for interferring in the country’s sports………. Shokraye was subsequently sued by the MP for having insulted him. A court in Markazi province, of which Arak is the capital, sentenced the cartoonist to 25 lashes – an unprecedented punishment for an Iranian cartoonist……………”

Cartoons are the cleverest way to needle Arab (and Iranian) rulers and “almost” live to tell the tale. But they have their risks: you never see a cartoon of the Saudi king or princes anywhere inside Saudi Arabia, and you never see a cartoon of the most senior Iranian clerics anywhere inside Iran (Ahmadinejad is neither a senior cleric nor a prince). Some of the more audacious artists have paid with their lives, others have been attacked, imprisoned, and maimed.
For years the great Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali needled the Fatah leadership of Yassir Arafat (as well as Israel) from the relative safety of Kuwait. He created the character of ‘Hindhala. The PLO reportedly applied pressure for him to be deported from Kuwait in the 1980s. Within a short time from his arrival in a second exile in London he was shot in the face and killed. Openly, some Arab media, as hypocritical then as now, claimed the Mossad had killed him. Everybody I asked knew that he was killed by Fatah operatives on order of Arafat. Then there was Syrian Ali Farzat who was attacked last year and nearly crippled most likely by thugs affiliated with the Syrian regime. No doubt there are many others I am not aware of. There is a clever Brazilian cartoonist (Carlos Latuff) whom the Bahrain rulers (and the Saudi security) would love to get their hands on. I doubt Carlos will be visiting Manama or Riyadh anytime soon. (Don’t even think about it: if they let you in that means they have a trumped up charge ready, like drugs or worse. Remember Egyptian lawyer Ahmed Gizawy. Remember Labanese TV magician Ali Sabat who is on Saudi death row for “sorcery”).
Back to Iran: twenty five lashes for a civil case and not a criminal case, and for a mere lowly politician, an MP! I suspect this sentence is very likely against some article of their own constitution (as are other travesties). I wonder what he would get if he had depicted someone higher, much higher and I mean much higher, than that MP? I am not talking about Ahmadinejad.
Cheers
mhg


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Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Media, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia

Horatio Alger of Arabia: Self-Made Prince al-Waleed Fakes Relocating to Occupied Bahrain…..

 

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“Bahrain has become home to Al-Arab News Channel and its studios. Rotana Group has also decided to relocate its top executive management from Riyadh to Bahrain as per December 12, 2012, while maintaining its studios in Cairo and Beirut. Two agreements have today been signed at The Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Information Affairs Authority President Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa sealed the deals respectively with Al-Arab News Channel director-general and editor-in-chief Jamal Khashoggi and Rotana Media Group Chief Executive Officer Fahd Al-Sukat. Addressing the ceremony, Shaikh Fawaz thanked His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud for trusting in Bahrain’s media openness, deregulated economy and technical and human competences. He wished pioneering Rotana Group and Al-Arab News Channel, along with their media and administrative staff……………”

Also sprach Bahrain News Agency, the least credible news agency in the Persian Gulf region. Which makes it the least credible in the Arab and Muslim worlds which makes it the least credible in the whole wide world. But it is telling the truth, sort of, here.
Read carefully and you see that this agreement is a meaningless political gesture to the ruling clan of Bahrain. The studios of the two networks will remain safely in Cairo and Beirut. Some executive offices will be in Manama (wtf that may mean). The princely partner of Rupert Murdoch, who has mouthed some nonsense about a “minority” in Bahrain who are against the regime, is helping out his family’s new acquisition, the islands of Bahrain. But how long will they keep it against the wishes of a majority of the people? The al-Saud princes will find out that in Bahrain they have bitten more than they can chew (a cliche but useful here).
The prince’s fortune is estimated by Forbes Magazine at about $18 billion. Forbes also claims that, like Steve Forbes, the prince’s wealth is self-made: he was a Saudi Horatio Alger (CanYouFuckingBelieveThat?). Apparently he was flipping burgers in Riyadh at the same time that Steve was flipping burgers in Manhattan. The prince has been showing some interest in Bahrain ever since his family invaded it last year.
Cheers
mhg


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