Blog archive all
1st December 2010
What to say about the fraudulent Egyptian elections? When I wrote about the rigging process last Sunday and said "There are indications this time that the government may have been too restrictive for its own good" in its efforts to suppress the opposition, I didn't expect it to be quite this bad.… Read more
30th November 2010
Amid all the excitement about the king of Saudi Arabia urging the Americans to bomb Iran, the Wikileaks documents show Sultan Qaboos of Oman taking a much cooler view.
In a two-hour meeting with Admiral William Fallon of Centcom last February, the Sultan remarked that the Iranians are "not fools,"… Read more
30th November 2010
In 1979 Egypt became the first Arab country to make peace with Israel – and it has been handsomely rewarded ever since. After Israel, Egypt was the second-largest recipient of American aid until both were overtaken by Iraq following the removal of Saddam Hussein.
American aid – totalling more than… Read more
29th November 2010
One of the new Wikileaks documents records a 90-minute meetingon January 4 this year between David Petraeus, commander of Centcom, and the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Salih.
Some interesting points:
1. Salih repeatedly asked for 12 armed helicopters ("a topic that he would… Read more
29th November 2010
This is an extraordinary moment for the Arab media. Gleeful anticipation that the latest revelations from Wikileaks would prove deeply embarrassing to the United States has suddenly turned into a realisation that the leaked documents (the first batch at least) portray various Arab leaders in a bad… Read more
28th November 2010
A minority of Egyptians – probably no more than a third of the 41 million who are registered to vote – will be going to the polls today in a parliamentary election where the ruling party has already made sure of winning by large majority.
Talk of rigged elections usually conjures up images of… Read more
27th November 2010
Just two days after a car bomb killed 17 or more Houthi supporters during a Shia religious festival in Yemen, a second car bomb attacked mourners attending a Houthi funeral yesterday. Reports of casualties vary wildly, from two including the suicide bomber (AFP) to 40 or more (UPI).
The latest… Read more
27th November 2010
A 30-year-old Egyptian is due to appear before a military court on Monday, accused of "disclosing information about the Egyptian armed forces" on Facebook. He could face five years in jail if convicted.
Ahmed Hassan Bassyouni set up a Facebook group called "Conscription and Mobilisation Department… Read more
26th November 2010
There's a very strange story going around that Kuwait has banned the use of digital SLR cameras (the sort with interchangeable lenses) in public places, except when used by accredited journalists.
Now, I know that Arab governments have a propensity for banning the most unlikely things for the most… Read more
26th November 2010
Syria and the International Atomic Energy Authority seem to have reached an impasse over nuclear inspections. According to a report this week, Syria is refusing access "to numerous suspect sites and has provided scant or inconsistent information about its atomic activities".
The problems began in… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
