So, let's review the "innocent" facts here.
In July, a trailer for the film was posted on YouTube. In September, a stooge dubbed it into Arabic and brought it to the attention of the Arab-language press. Just in time to provoke convenient riots, (which anyone could have predicted as a response to such stimulus), and then the perfectly-timed attacks on the US embassies/consulates in Benghazi and Cairo. Which all just happened to take place on September 11th.
And you expect me to accept this as coincidence? While it's true I was born in the afternoon, it was not yesterday afternoon. And this whole affair reeks of Mossad. It follows the same pattern of manipulation, provocation, and false-flag attacks, a pattern which goes clear back to the Lavon Affair of the 1950's, (which Israel finally admitted to in 2005).
This is just too damn convenient, and if we ask ourselves cui bono?, the one clear answer, the one clear winner from all this, if it is accepted at face value, is Israel. An Israel whose ever-more-strident demands for someone, anyone, to attack Iran, are being increasingly ignored and marginalized. An Israel grown desperate for attention.
There is no innocence on display here, dear reader. There is no innocence at all. This is a display of pure, naked, bloody-hands-up-to-the-elbows guilt on the part of the Zionists.
Showing posts with label egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egypt. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Virginity Test
The problem with peaceful revolutions is that they leave the power structure of the former government intact.
If you're still under the impression that the incredible courage of the Egyptian people has actually gained them something meaningful, watch this video and be disabused of that illusion. Only the names and faces have changed. Egypt is still a military dictatorship.
In summary, she and a group of other Egyptian women dared to protest the beating of some of her friends by security. They were all arrested, beaten, and tazered repeatedly. After a night in custody, she was forced to strip naked so a nasty little man in a dirty labcoat could stick his finger up her vava for a "virginity check".
So Mubarak is to be thrown to the wolves, and the Rafah crossing has been opened, within limits. These are worth something, I admit. But the revolution has been quietly and very successfully hijacked by the powers that be. So-called "peaceful revolution" is a waste of time and sacrifice, as are most other half-measures.
And the sad reality of life in America today, is that I dare not say more on this subject. The First Amendment ain't what it used to be.
If you're still under the impression that the incredible courage of the Egyptian people has actually gained them something meaningful, watch this video and be disabused of that illusion. Only the names and faces have changed. Egypt is still a military dictatorship.
In summary, she and a group of other Egyptian women dared to protest the beating of some of her friends by security. They were all arrested, beaten, and tazered repeatedly. After a night in custody, she was forced to strip naked so a nasty little man in a dirty labcoat could stick his finger up her vava for a "virginity check".
So Mubarak is to be thrown to the wolves, and the Rafah crossing has been opened, within limits. These are worth something, I admit. But the revolution has been quietly and very successfully hijacked by the powers that be. So-called "peaceful revolution" is a waste of time and sacrifice, as are most other half-measures.
And the sad reality of life in America today, is that I dare not say more on this subject. The First Amendment ain't what it used to be.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Israel Attacks Gaza Aid Ship, again...
Once again, the Israeli Navy has attacked an unarmed aid ship in international waters. This, like the attack on the Mavi Marmara, is an act of piracy, pure and simple.
Details are skimpy at this time, but a vessel of the Egyptian navy was apparently also involved, which shows how much the "peaceful revolution" has really changed things in Egypt. The Egyptian government and military are still Israel's puppets.
As I said, details are still scanty at this time, but the vessel was intercepted and fired upon in international waters, which is the definition of piracy.
More information here
Details are skimpy at this time, but a vessel of the Egyptian navy was apparently also involved, which shows how much the "peaceful revolution" has really changed things in Egypt. The Egyptian government and military are still Israel's puppets.
As I said, details are still scanty at this time, but the vessel was intercepted and fired upon in international waters, which is the definition of piracy.
More information here
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Alexandria, 50 years ago
Foreign Policy magazine is, for the most part, little more than a conservative propaganda organ. But every now and then, they do publish something well worth looking at.
Such a gem is the new photo essay Once Upon A Time In Egypt, which consists of a few paragraphs of background and nine black and white photographs, taken in Alexandria in 1959.
To quote directly -
The late 1950s marked the end of an era in Alexandria that had begun in the late 19th century, when the port -- then the largest on the eastern Mediterranean -- emerged as one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities. Europeans -- Greeks, Italians, Armenians, and Germans -- had gravitated to Alexandria in the mid-19th century during the boom years of the Suez Canal's construction, staying through the British invasion of the port in 1882 and the permissive rule of King Farouk in the 1930s and 1940s. Foreign visitors and Egyptians alike flocked to the city's beaches in the summers, where revealing bathing suits were as ordinary as they would be extraordinary today.
The photographs are like something out of a time machine. The women seem a bit chubby by the standards of today, when the starving refugee look is all the rage, and the swimsuits are very tame, although they were daring at the time.
But remember this is Egypt. The Egypt that was.
And if you read to the end of the introduction, you'll learn that the girl on the far left of the first photograph, Odette Tawil, would 40 years later marry Elie Moreno, the man who took these photographs. Is life not strange?
Such a gem is the new photo essay Once Upon A Time In Egypt, which consists of a few paragraphs of background and nine black and white photographs, taken in Alexandria in 1959.
To quote directly -
The late 1950s marked the end of an era in Alexandria that had begun in the late 19th century, when the port -- then the largest on the eastern Mediterranean -- emerged as one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities. Europeans -- Greeks, Italians, Armenians, and Germans -- had gravitated to Alexandria in the mid-19th century during the boom years of the Suez Canal's construction, staying through the British invasion of the port in 1882 and the permissive rule of King Farouk in the 1930s and 1940s. Foreign visitors and Egyptians alike flocked to the city's beaches in the summers, where revealing bathing suits were as ordinary as they would be extraordinary today.
The photographs are like something out of a time machine. The women seem a bit chubby by the standards of today, when the starving refugee look is all the rage, and the swimsuits are very tame, although they were daring at the time.
But remember this is Egypt. The Egypt that was.
And if you read to the end of the introduction, you'll learn that the girl on the far left of the first photograph, Odette Tawil, would 40 years later marry Elie Moreno, the man who took these photographs. Is life not strange?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Egyptian Army Steps In, Mubarak To Resign.
In breaking news from Egypt, the army appears to have quietly assumed control of the government, and announced that Mubarak will resign.
AJE is reporting that The Supreme Council Of Egyptian Armed Forces has met, with the Defense Minister chairing the meeting, rather than Mubarak or his new VP Suleiman. In Middle Eastern politics, this is enormously significant.
Mubarak is scheduled to address the nation on live television very soon, so I'll refrain from further speculation.
AJE is reporting that The Supreme Council Of Egyptian Armed Forces has met, with the Defense Minister chairing the meeting, rather than Mubarak or his new VP Suleiman. In Middle Eastern politics, this is enormously significant.
Mubarak is scheduled to address the nation on live television very soon, so I'll refrain from further speculation.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Struggle In Egypt Goes On
While Mubarak scrambles to try to stay in office, the protesters who demand his removal turned out in major force again today. The video below shows hundreds of thousands of protestors in Cairo's central Tahrir square again today, and thousands more in Alexandria, Egypt's second-largest city.
The issues here are being seriously mis-reported in US mainstream media. The politician Sulieman, whom Mubarak has appointed as his new Vice-President, is the former head of the secret police, and has blood up to his elbows. This man is absolutely not a fit candidate to steer the country through a period of transition. He is a criminal and belongs in a prison cell, not an executive office.
It was amusing to watch the US and Israel and scrambling frantically to try to save their puppet Mubarak. It is not at all amusing that they appear to be having some success. You see, they cannot save Mubarak personally in the long-term; if nothing else, he will die of old age soon. What the Zionists, both here and in Israel, need to do is simply to preserve the existing power structure in Egypt. They need to maintain their puppet government which will do its part to keep the Palestinians bottled up, and repress the desire of the Egyptian people for revenge upon Israel.
What the Arabic world desperately needs right now is another Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, who is remembered in the Western world as Saladin. Yes, I'm aware that Saladin was a Kurd, not an Arab. But those he led to victory after victory were in large part Arabs; Egypt and Palestine were the lands of his greatest victories.
The issues here are being seriously mis-reported in US mainstream media. The politician Sulieman, whom Mubarak has appointed as his new Vice-President, is the former head of the secret police, and has blood up to his elbows. This man is absolutely not a fit candidate to steer the country through a period of transition. He is a criminal and belongs in a prison cell, not an executive office.
It was amusing to watch the US and Israel and scrambling frantically to try to save their puppet Mubarak. It is not at all amusing that they appear to be having some success. You see, they cannot save Mubarak personally in the long-term; if nothing else, he will die of old age soon. What the Zionists, both here and in Israel, need to do is simply to preserve the existing power structure in Egypt. They need to maintain their puppet government which will do its part to keep the Palestinians bottled up, and repress the desire of the Egyptian people for revenge upon Israel.
What the Arabic world desperately needs right now is another Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, who is remembered in the Western world as Saladin. Yes, I'm aware that Saladin was a Kurd, not an Arab. But those he led to victory after victory were in large part Arabs; Egypt and Palestine were the lands of his greatest victories.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Mass Friday Rally In Egypt
I'm watching the live video coverage from Cairo's central Tahrir square as I sit here sipping my first cup of tea, and frankly, my friends, I am in awe. There are hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in the square, some estimates are over a million, with more arriving all the time. The momentum may have been faltering yesterday, but they are back in force today.
The army seems to be keeping the thugs and security forces at bay, while allowing the protesters free access to the square. At any rate, there has been no fighting so far today, and only a few warning shots fired as the army appears to be skirmishing with the forces that attacked the demonstrators yesterday and Wednesday.
As I have said before, the best live coverage is at AJE's YouTube channel. Stop the video at the top of the page, if it auto-starts, and page down once. You'll find a live video channel one page-width down on the right hand side. About half of the commentary is silly or inane, simply because the anchors seem to feel obligated to be talking all the time, and there isn't really that much to say. But such is the nature of the video medium in its commonly-accepted format, I suppose. At least the other half is highly relevant commentary or reporting from people who are actually on the scene.
As I have said before, I am not a Muslim myself, and I feel no particular desire to become one. But the sight of hundreds of thousands of people kneeling to pray together in that huge square, united for the moment by their common belief, was a very powerful one for me personally. Make no mistake, I am highly engaged with this demonstration on a political level, particularly as it reflects so keenly my fervent desires for change in our own country. But this was a different feeling, a stirring of something beyond the political, beyond the logical, beyond anything that really has an accurate description.
And yet, at the conclusion of that prayer, a speaker stood up and declared bluntly, "this is not about religion or ideology", and the crowd cheered him wildly for it. This destroys any attempt to dismiss these protesters as "religious fanatics". These people are united by their religion, but they are not there to protest about or because of religion, they are there to protest about tangible secular issues like corruption, unemployment, food prices, inflation, and...hey, wait a minute, do those problems sound familiar to you?
Having said that the demonstraters are united by their religion, let me add that although Egypt's Coptic community supports the demonstrations, they are doing so separately, being no fools.
In the midst of this generally positive news, there is one chilling note. The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, stated bluntly that the armed forces of the USA are "standing by to support or intervene".
Excuse me?
The army seems to be keeping the thugs and security forces at bay, while allowing the protesters free access to the square. At any rate, there has been no fighting so far today, and only a few warning shots fired as the army appears to be skirmishing with the forces that attacked the demonstrators yesterday and Wednesday.
As I have said before, the best live coverage is at AJE's YouTube channel. Stop the video at the top of the page, if it auto-starts, and page down once. You'll find a live video channel one page-width down on the right hand side. About half of the commentary is silly or inane, simply because the anchors seem to feel obligated to be talking all the time, and there isn't really that much to say. But such is the nature of the video medium in its commonly-accepted format, I suppose. At least the other half is highly relevant commentary or reporting from people who are actually on the scene.
As I have said before, I am not a Muslim myself, and I feel no particular desire to become one. But the sight of hundreds of thousands of people kneeling to pray together in that huge square, united for the moment by their common belief, was a very powerful one for me personally. Make no mistake, I am highly engaged with this demonstration on a political level, particularly as it reflects so keenly my fervent desires for change in our own country. But this was a different feeling, a stirring of something beyond the political, beyond the logical, beyond anything that really has an accurate description.
And yet, at the conclusion of that prayer, a speaker stood up and declared bluntly, "this is not about religion or ideology", and the crowd cheered him wildly for it. This destroys any attempt to dismiss these protesters as "religious fanatics". These people are united by their religion, but they are not there to protest about or because of religion, they are there to protest about tangible secular issues like corruption, unemployment, food prices, inflation, and...hey, wait a minute, do those problems sound familiar to you?
Having said that the demonstraters are united by their religion, let me add that although Egypt's Coptic community supports the demonstrations, they are doing so separately, being no fools.
In the midst of this generally positive news, there is one chilling note. The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, stated bluntly that the armed forces of the USA are "standing by to support or intervene".
Excuse me?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Events Turn Ugly In Egypt
If you've been following the news, you probably already know that events in Cairo's central Tahrir square have turned very ugly in the last 4 hours.
What you may not know is that the so-called "pro-Mubarak demonstrators" are actually a mixture of government security forces and hired thugs. Pro-democracy demonstrators have shown on Al Jazeera several Egyptian Police identification cards which they took from these so-called "pro-Mubarak" forces. And the army is reported to be standing by observing, but not interfering on either side.
If you want live coverage, I'd suggest that the best is to be found at the YouTube channel of Al Jazeera English. Stop the video at the top of the page, if it starts automatically, and Page Down once. You'll see a live coverage video embedded at the right side, with frequent commentary from a surprisingly informed range of different people. As always, the big difference with AJE is that they have local reporters who actually live there and know who's who in the zoo.
Strange days, my friends, strange days indeed. If you're up for a moment of amusement, imagine how our own President would be pissing his pants if a million of us showed up in Washington DC to protest with such vigor and determination.
What you may not know is that the so-called "pro-Mubarak demonstrators" are actually a mixture of government security forces and hired thugs. Pro-democracy demonstrators have shown on Al Jazeera several Egyptian Police identification cards which they took from these so-called "pro-Mubarak" forces. And the army is reported to be standing by observing, but not interfering on either side.
If you want live coverage, I'd suggest that the best is to be found at the YouTube channel of Al Jazeera English. Stop the video at the top of the page, if it starts automatically, and Page Down once. You'll see a live coverage video embedded at the right side, with frequent commentary from a surprisingly informed range of different people. As always, the big difference with AJE is that they have local reporters who actually live there and know who's who in the zoo.
Strange days, my friends, strange days indeed. If you're up for a moment of amusement, imagine how our own President would be pissing his pants if a million of us showed up in Washington DC to protest with such vigor and determination.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Egypt Update, Monday
Apparently, most of Egypt remains without internet access at all, and it is being reported that cell phone users can call locally within Egypt, but all international cell calls are blocked.
The video below is another of those rambling live reports, but there is none the less a good deal of information to be gleaned. You'll note that when the studio anchor asks the field reporter where he is, the field reporter evades the question. Given that the Egyptian government has shut down the Cairo field office of Al Jazeera and jailed 6 reporters, I'm sure you can imagine why he's not more forthcoming.
(Open Salon readers, the video is here. YouTube has changed it's embed code from the embed command to the iframes command, and Open Salon is not dealing with it yet. Apologies.)
The video below is another of those rambling live reports, but there is none the less a good deal of information to be gleaned. You'll note that when the studio anchor asks the field reporter where he is, the field reporter evades the question. Given that the Egyptian government has shut down the Cairo field office of Al Jazeera and jailed 6 reporters, I'm sure you can imagine why he's not more forthcoming.
(Open Salon readers, the video is here. YouTube has changed it's embed code from the embed command to the iframes command, and Open Salon is not dealing with it yet. Apologies.)
The Truth Is Punished
In a striking display of just how much tyrants hate the truth, (as if the US government's vendetta against Wikileaks were not sufficient proof of that point), the Egyptian government has shut down the Cairo office of Al Jazeera, arrested 6 of their reporters, and blocked transmission of the Al Jazeera signal through NileSat, a satellite communications network controlled by the government.
Obviously, AJE is doing a good job. But I wish I understood a little more of the background. For instance, if one accepts the theory that all Arab rulers are tyrants, and one has eyes to see that the unrest in Tunisia has now spread to Egypt, with evidence of serious unrest in Jordan and Algeria, then obviously all Arab tyrants are in danger. So why is the Emir of Qatar doing nothing to call off Al Jazeera, which has been arguably fueling the flames simply by reporting events so openly and comprehensively? Is the Al Jazeera network really as independent of political control as they claim to be? Given all that I know, (admittedly not a great deal), of Gulf politics, this would seem highly unlikely. And yet, there are only two other rational explanations.
First, it could be the case that events have simply moved forward too quickly for the Qatari political leadership to react. But this would be totally out of character. Qataris are known for being bold and decisive; perhaps not always prudent, but never given to dithering or hesitation. And this has been going on for a week now.
The other possible explanation is that the events in Egypt, Jordan, and elsewhere are moving in a direction that political leadership in Qatar finds to be agreeable. As odd as it may seem at first glance, this explanation actually makes sense under closer examination. While much of the rest of the Arab world has moved progressively toward ever greater pandering to Israel, Qatar has remained steadfastly devoted to the cause of Palestinian liberation. Given the extent to which the Mubarak government has been a tool of Israel, a change in leadership along the Nile could very well work to the long-term benefit of the Palestinians.
Oh, and if you doubt that the Mubarak regime has been Israel's creature, take note that the Israeli government has called on the US and EU to stop criticizing Mubarak. Don't like that story at AJE? Try this one at Haaretz.
The fundamental fact of Middle East politics that is never mentioned in the main-stream media is that opinion on the Arab street is very strongly against Israel, and very strongly in favor of the liberation of Palestine. The reason why the USA and Israel support repressive puppet dictatorships in so much of the Arab world is precisely in order to contain this popular opinion. If the Arab people were allowed to govern themselves democratically, Israel would very quickly be under siege, at least in the politico-economic sense.
Obviously, AJE is doing a good job. But I wish I understood a little more of the background. For instance, if one accepts the theory that all Arab rulers are tyrants, and one has eyes to see that the unrest in Tunisia has now spread to Egypt, with evidence of serious unrest in Jordan and Algeria, then obviously all Arab tyrants are in danger. So why is the Emir of Qatar doing nothing to call off Al Jazeera, which has been arguably fueling the flames simply by reporting events so openly and comprehensively? Is the Al Jazeera network really as independent of political control as they claim to be? Given all that I know, (admittedly not a great deal), of Gulf politics, this would seem highly unlikely. And yet, there are only two other rational explanations.
First, it could be the case that events have simply moved forward too quickly for the Qatari political leadership to react. But this would be totally out of character. Qataris are known for being bold and decisive; perhaps not always prudent, but never given to dithering or hesitation. And this has been going on for a week now.
The other possible explanation is that the events in Egypt, Jordan, and elsewhere are moving in a direction that political leadership in Qatar finds to be agreeable. As odd as it may seem at first glance, this explanation actually makes sense under closer examination. While much of the rest of the Arab world has moved progressively toward ever greater pandering to Israel, Qatar has remained steadfastly devoted to the cause of Palestinian liberation. Given the extent to which the Mubarak government has been a tool of Israel, a change in leadership along the Nile could very well work to the long-term benefit of the Palestinians.
Oh, and if you doubt that the Mubarak regime has been Israel's creature, take note that the Israeli government has called on the US and EU to stop criticizing Mubarak. Don't like that story at AJE? Try this one at Haaretz.
The fundamental fact of Middle East politics that is never mentioned in the main-stream media is that opinion on the Arab street is very strongly against Israel, and very strongly in favor of the liberation of Palestine. The reason why the USA and Israel support repressive puppet dictatorships in so much of the Arab world is precisely in order to contain this popular opinion. If the Arab people were allowed to govern themselves democratically, Israel would very quickly be under siege, at least in the politico-economic sense.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Latest From Egypt
We do not appreciate how scripted and planned news ordinarily is, until we see and hear the usually-silver-tongued news personalities fumbling and babbling on live TV. The two videos below are both recorded from live broadcasts by Al Jazeera English, and both provide a good look at just how flustered news people get when required to do without their scripts.
Keep in mind that although it is early Saturday in California, it was already late afternoon in Egypt when these were broadcast about an hour ago.
The first is visually interesting, but you might as well turn the sound off, as the news anchors commenting have no more idea what's going on than we do.
The next video is a live interview with a prominent Egyptian blogger now residing in South Africa. Note how the satellite lag on the voice link is driving them both crazy. This is the opposite of the above video; all the information is in the audio. The only thing you'll learn from the visual portion is that this Egyptian blogger desperately needs to spend a few minutes with a razor and a hair brush if he's going to do video interviews. (and we'll just ignore the fact that I look twice as scruffy as he does)
Abdelfataa makes some interesting points, in spite of the talk-overs. First, I was interested to hear him say that the "football clubs" have actually been the biggest force in organizing these demonstrations. It was also informative to hear him confirm that Al-Baradei, the former head of the IAEA, has lost much of his popularity for leaving the country at a time of crisis.
Interesting days, my friends, interesting days indeed.
Oh, and the whining, mealy-mouthed hypocrisy of the Obama administration in calling upon Mubarak to reform. As if our nation had not been giving the Mubarak government 1.5 billion dollars a year to maintain its security state stranglehold upon the Egyptian people, and doing so for decades now. I almost pity Hilary for having to deliver such blatant bullshit. Then again, once you've had Bill Clinton's well-traveled cock in your mouth, I don't suppose a few lies can taste that much worse.
Political cartoons are often a good indicator of how people feel on a subject, assuming they survive the translation process and inter-cultural confusion. For three delicious cartoons from the Arab media that translate just fine, have a look here.
Keep in mind that although it is early Saturday in California, it was already late afternoon in Egypt when these were broadcast about an hour ago.
The first is visually interesting, but you might as well turn the sound off, as the news anchors commenting have no more idea what's going on than we do.
The next video is a live interview with a prominent Egyptian blogger now residing in South Africa. Note how the satellite lag on the voice link is driving them both crazy. This is the opposite of the above video; all the information is in the audio. The only thing you'll learn from the visual portion is that this Egyptian blogger desperately needs to spend a few minutes with a razor and a hair brush if he's going to do video interviews. (and we'll just ignore the fact that I look twice as scruffy as he does)
Abdelfataa makes some interesting points, in spite of the talk-overs. First, I was interested to hear him say that the "football clubs" have actually been the biggest force in organizing these demonstrations. It was also informative to hear him confirm that Al-Baradei, the former head of the IAEA, has lost much of his popularity for leaving the country at a time of crisis.
Interesting days, my friends, interesting days indeed.
Oh, and the whining, mealy-mouthed hypocrisy of the Obama administration in calling upon Mubarak to reform. As if our nation had not been giving the Mubarak government 1.5 billion dollars a year to maintain its security state stranglehold upon the Egyptian people, and doing so for decades now. I almost pity Hilary for having to deliver such blatant bullshit. Then again, once you've had Bill Clinton's well-traveled cock in your mouth, I don't suppose a few lies can taste that much worse.
Political cartoons are often a good indicator of how people feel on a subject, assuming they survive the translation process and inter-cultural confusion. For three delicious cartoons from the Arab media that translate just fine, have a look here.
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