So last Friday, in an interview with The NY T, the Prez mentioned approaching elements of the Taliban, if his administration’s review recommends it. He cited an argument he attributed to Gen. David H. Petraeus that “part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us.” The Prez added that “there may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and in the Pakistani region, but the situation in Afghanistan is, if anything, more complex.”
This does'nt mean the Obama camp will go running to the door of Mullah Mohammad Omar, but maybe it should...Omar has been accused of guiding commanders in southern Afghanistan from his base in Quetta, Pakistan, raising money from wealthy Persian Gulf donors, and delivering guns and fresh fighters to the battlefield. And even if the United States eventually opted for talking with Taliban members, it is more likely that those Taliban members would be talking to Afghan officials, rather than directly to the dirty American invaders.
Still, the NY T noted in a recent article that, "there is a growing belief, particularly among experts who have been advising the Obama administration on Afpak policy, that it is important to peel away some lower members of the Taliban, in sort of a divide-and-conquer strategy. General Petraeus, the head of the United States Central Command, said last year that one element of the counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq that might be applicable in Afghanistan was outreach to what he has described as “reconcilables” among the insurgents."
Yet under that principle, Mullah Omar is not considered “reconcilable.” But a local Taliban district commander might be. Enter Mullah Salam, a former Taliban commander who was persuaded by the British, with the aid of the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, to cross sides in 2007. He remains ostensibly loyal to NATO forces, and some British officials mention him as an example of how a campaign to woo Taliban district commanders might work.
Still the question remains on wheter Mullah Salam’s defection has helped or hurt the war effort. The British installed him as district governor in Musa Qala, in Helmand Province. Mullah Salam has since been the focus of complaints from the local populace; he is unpopular and corrupt, the locals complain, adding that he demands bribes and tributes from anyone who needs something.
“The key to winning back the population is to establish legitimate government,” says Clare Lockhart, a former adviser to the Afghan government and the co-author of “Fixing Failed States” (Oxford University Press). “If you give people a government with sufficient credibility — and basic jobs — you can win back their trust.”
Another often cited key to Afghanistan is ending war in the region...yea, ok. That was'nt too obvious was it. Of course, the best thing we could accomplish is an end to the hostilities, and then we can work on the rebuilding process. I get it. And getting to the absence of war may require making the American public comfortable with the idea that the Taliban might not necessarily equal Al Qaeda.
Another often overlooked element is that some lower-level Taliban members attack coalition forces simply because, say, the foreigners didn’t ask permission before entering their valley. Or because a Taliban commander paid each Taliban member the equivalent of $20 a day to do so. So, once we can understand and essentially recruit the Taliban back to civility either through respect or a pay off, only then we can relegate Afghanistan back to small snippits in the end of the B section of the daily Times.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Who is in the Sadr Militia, screamed the ignorant grunt
I don't think this is officially part of the hearts & minds campaign.
Click here to watch the Iraqis' getting heckled on YouTube
And sound off in the comments...
Click here to watch the Iraqis' getting heckled on YouTube
And sound off in the comments...
An update on the situation in Mauritania...
Here's a little update to the reasons Mauritania expelled the Israeli ambassador...looks like THE ROOSTER may be a sage with magical extra sensory powers.
"Arab sources commenting yesterday on the announcement by Mauritania said that the authorities there took such steps because of the weakness of the local ruler, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The coup that brought Abdel Aziz to power was the last in a series to plague this Arab country in western Africa. Abdel Aziz was backed by Islamist groups who oppose ties with Israel.
Abdel Aziz declared the suspension of ties with Israel at a conference in Doha on January 16, during the last few days of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. At that same gathering, Qatar announced that it was suspending relations with Israel, and Israel's economic mission to that Gulf principality was closed.
Mauritania has had diplomatic ties with Israel since 1999 and has been the only Arab country that kept its embassy in Israel throughout the intifada. However, pressure from Libya and Algeria, and what appears to be a large transfer of cash from Iran, led the regime there to order the closing of the embassy."
Here is the part that THE ROOSTER theorized was the actual motivational factor: "Foreign Ministry sources in Jerusalem said that pressure from Libya and Algeria affected the stance of the Mauritanian regime. The Libyan leader Moamar Qadafi is expected in Nouakchott tomorrow. His arrival is intended to grant the regime there the legitimacy it seeks. Qadafi had made it clear that he expects Mauritania to limit its ties with Israel.
Moreover, a week ago a senior Iranian official visited the country with a $10 million grant, which had been preceded by the visit of a Mauritanian official in Tehran who announced that ties with Israel would be severed.
"The Mauritanian move is a negative message to the Middle East and serves only the enemies of peace," the Foreign Ministry source said."
For the full post click here.
"Arab sources commenting yesterday on the announcement by Mauritania said that the authorities there took such steps because of the weakness of the local ruler, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The coup that brought Abdel Aziz to power was the last in a series to plague this Arab country in western Africa. Abdel Aziz was backed by Islamist groups who oppose ties with Israel.
Abdel Aziz declared the suspension of ties with Israel at a conference in Doha on January 16, during the last few days of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. At that same gathering, Qatar announced that it was suspending relations with Israel, and Israel's economic mission to that Gulf principality was closed.
Mauritania has had diplomatic ties with Israel since 1999 and has been the only Arab country that kept its embassy in Israel throughout the intifada. However, pressure from Libya and Algeria, and what appears to be a large transfer of cash from Iran, led the regime there to order the closing of the embassy."
Here is the part that THE ROOSTER theorized was the actual motivational factor: "Foreign Ministry sources in Jerusalem said that pressure from Libya and Algeria affected the stance of the Mauritanian regime. The Libyan leader Moamar Qadafi is expected in Nouakchott tomorrow. His arrival is intended to grant the regime there the legitimacy it seeks. Qadafi had made it clear that he expects Mauritania to limit its ties with Israel.
Moreover, a week ago a senior Iranian official visited the country with a $10 million grant, which had been preceded by the visit of a Mauritanian official in Tehran who announced that ties with Israel would be severed.
"The Mauritanian move is a negative message to the Middle East and serves only the enemies of peace," the Foreign Ministry source said."
For the full post click here.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Would you like some Mauritania with your Coffee?
Not like anyone really cares, but that Afro-Arab country called Mauritania used to have full diplomatic ties with the Zionists. Yes, it was mostly symbolic. And thinking back, it was Abu Danger who told me this one drunken night in DC. The conversation went like:
Abu Danger: "Hey, pop quiz, what Arab counties have diplomatic ties with Israel."
Abu "Um like Egypt, (chug my beer and pause) and, like, Jordan?"
Abu Danger: "And, And?!?"
Abu "And, umm, like, I don't know sir."
Abu Danger: "Mauritania!"
I was so embarrassed.
So anyway, in tribute to Abu Danger, I am posting this al-Jazeera article that says that Mauritania--a once Hebrew friendly country--has just ordered their Israeli embassy to close.
Think it has something to do with the recent war in Gaza? YES! Plus, I'm sure that the tribal/nationalist coup a few months ago made it all the easier.
So wake up Israel. Not only did killing 1,500 Palestinians not put Labor and Kadima back in power, but also it continues to alienate the so-called moderates in the region.
And just in case it is not completely obviously, the Egyptians are looking at this whole Mauritania thing. Israel, you should be trying to make friends, not needlessly pissing them off.
Abu Danger: "Hey, pop quiz, what Arab counties have diplomatic ties with Israel."
Abu "Um like Egypt, (chug my beer and pause) and, like, Jordan?"
Abu Danger: "And, And?!?"
Abu "And, umm, like, I don't know sir."
Abu Danger: "Mauritania!"
I was so embarrassed.
So anyway, in tribute to Abu Danger, I am posting this al-Jazeera article that says that Mauritania--a once Hebrew friendly country--has just ordered their Israeli embassy to close.
Think it has something to do with the recent war in Gaza? YES! Plus, I'm sure that the tribal/nationalist coup a few months ago made it all the easier.
So wake up Israel. Not only did killing 1,500 Palestinians not put Labor and Kadima back in power, but also it continues to alienate the so-called moderates in the region.
And just in case it is not completely obviously, the Egyptians are looking at this whole Mauritania thing. Israel, you should be trying to make friends, not needlessly pissing them off.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Afghanistan meets COINistan
If I were in charge, I'd set the following four conditions for Afghanistan:
1. Secure as much of the Civilian population as humanly possible, ASAP. Keep in mind that this is the creed of classic COIN: drive a wedge in between the insurgency and the state. If you want to read some contemporary COIN wisdom that is currently being evaluated for Afghanistan, click here.
2. Secure as much of the Civilian population as humanly possible before the ELECTION. If the powers that be want any kind of democracy to last, or even just be legitimized, then they have to have this election go off with "purple fingers."
3. Agreed, Start where you are strong. Don't go charging in to Kandahar proper unless you already have a record of successes. This means that the U.S. and Co. needs to show that are worth their salt. Show that they can help--I mean prove beyond a reasonable doubt to the Afghans that you are worth it--and then it's time to talk about Kandahar.
4. The second hardest thing, over the next year, is going to be supporting our troops in Afghanistan. In fact, resupplying a unit in Afghanistan is twice as expensive than in Iraq. Can you guess? Yeah, getting stuff to our guy’s sucks. Iran, off limits. Central Asian Republics, they keep closing our bases. Pakistan, the Taliban keep blowing up our convoys. Bummer.
So all and all, COIN in Afghanistan is going to be hard. In fact, many who talk about COIN in Afghanistan are not your traditional COIN-inistia's. They are politicals', and other idealists who do not understand the true task at hand. But nevertheless, rumor has it that the Americans are going try and turn Afghanistan into COINistan. It will be quite the battle.
(And P.S.--the U.S just invited Iran to talk about Afghanistan at the same table!!!!)
1. Secure as much of the Civilian population as humanly possible, ASAP. Keep in mind that this is the creed of classic COIN: drive a wedge in between the insurgency and the state. If you want to read some contemporary COIN wisdom that is currently being evaluated for Afghanistan, click here.
2. Secure as much of the Civilian population as humanly possible before the ELECTION. If the powers that be want any kind of democracy to last, or even just be legitimized, then they have to have this election go off with "purple fingers."
3. Agreed, Start where you are strong. Don't go charging in to Kandahar proper unless you already have a record of successes. This means that the U.S. and Co. needs to show that are worth their salt. Show that they can help--I mean prove beyond a reasonable doubt to the Afghans that you are worth it--and then it's time to talk about Kandahar.
4. The second hardest thing, over the next year, is going to be supporting our troops in Afghanistan. In fact, resupplying a unit in Afghanistan is twice as expensive than in Iraq. Can you guess? Yeah, getting stuff to our guy’s sucks. Iran, off limits. Central Asian Republics, they keep closing our bases. Pakistan, the Taliban keep blowing up our convoys. Bummer.
So all and all, COIN in Afghanistan is going to be hard. In fact, many who talk about COIN in Afghanistan are not your traditional COIN-inistia's. They are politicals', and other idealists who do not understand the true task at hand. But nevertheless, rumor has it that the Americans are going try and turn Afghanistan into COINistan. It will be quite the battle.
(And P.S.--the U.S just invited Iran to talk about Afghanistan at the same table!!!!)
Banking in Beirut
Ok, I am on my way out the door to go meet up with The Rooster for some beers. He claims he has "a place." Is he crowing nonsense? I'll let you know in the AM.
Anyway, I wanted to make a quick comment about Beirut. Remember before that nasty civil-war in the 80's when it was the "Paris of the Middle East?" Well as the waves of violence hit, every Tom Dick and Hussein started looking for a new place to invest. The country was left in ruins. And honestly, it never really recovered.
But ever since the Babble-like towers of Dubai came crashing down vis-à-vis the current economic disaster, investors have been fleeing--like the black Jews out of Egypt.
Needless to say, all eyes are going back to Beirut. I mean, it used to be the financial hub for the Middle East, but again? The LA Times had a little praise to give:
"Riad Toufic Salame bucked pressure in 2005 and kept Lebanese banks from investing in mortgage-backed securities. Now the sector is prospering amid the global downturn."
So read the full text and buckle your seatbelts because Beirut is back. Expect to see a massive wealth adjustment coming from the Gulf to the Levant--that is, if the place can stay stable...
And just to make things even more interesting, what if the Hezbollah-led coalition comes out on top in the June election? What if a Hezbollah politician becomes the next foreign minister of Lebanon?
Update: The Rooster's spot was a reggae sushi lounge, awesome! Well done cockadootle.
Anyway, I wanted to make a quick comment about Beirut. Remember before that nasty civil-war in the 80's when it was the "Paris of the Middle East?" Well as the waves of violence hit, every Tom Dick and Hussein started looking for a new place to invest. The country was left in ruins. And honestly, it never really recovered.
But ever since the Babble-like towers of Dubai came crashing down vis-à-vis the current economic disaster, investors have been fleeing--like the black Jews out of Egypt.
Needless to say, all eyes are going back to Beirut. I mean, it used to be the financial hub for the Middle East, but again? The LA Times had a little praise to give:
"Riad Toufic Salame bucked pressure in 2005 and kept Lebanese banks from investing in mortgage-backed securities. Now the sector is prospering amid the global downturn."
So read the full text and buckle your seatbelts because Beirut is back. Expect to see a massive wealth adjustment coming from the Gulf to the Levant--that is, if the place can stay stable...
And just to make things even more interesting, what if the Hezbollah-led coalition comes out on top in the June election? What if a Hezbollah politician becomes the next foreign minister of Lebanon?
Update: The Rooster's spot was a reggae sushi lounge, awesome! Well done cockadootle.
Singapore in Bed with the Saudi's? I thought they were monogamous...sluts.
Singapore finds itself in a severe financial and economic situation (yea, and so does the whole world, except apparently the Saudis). If you remember a few weeks past I blogged about how Singapore was the silent little dragon that is behind much of the news we read and blog about. Well seems like I may be on to something, again...
Rumor has it that Abu Dhabi might not come to Dubai's financial aid in this crisis... so what? Well, I discovered a little known fact that in 1989, the Saudis helped out Sharjah when it suffered a banking crisis. What does all these mean?
I have seen concept pictures of Bahrain trying to copy Dubai's Palm Islands. Looks like Doha is trying to make itself a hub of sorts as well. Oman is a more interesting tourist attraction than most of the gulf states and doesn't appear to be as keen to be another "look at us" against Dubai. Kuwait seems more interested in counting their oil reserves and Abu Dhabi more circumspectly is learning from Dubai and trying to out do them.
The competition between all of them seems obvious,not in concrete lbs. but thru their airlines. Dubai has Emirates, Abu Dhabi has Eithad, and Qatar has its namesake Qatar Airways. All three have advertised themselves heavily on Singapore's TV. Ok, so you could take a flight from Singapore to any of the three since 2002, but thats not the point.
The Saudis are the latecomer to the game. They are not into airlines but their bold plans and hefty investments are in the economic cities. Since all the Gulf states have copy cat economic strategies, they are likely to over invest, over build and over compete making it all very unprofitable. Maybe they need a tax write-off...
This financial crisis may have been a blessing to the Saudis. They have been ultra conservative and kept most of their powder dry in safe treasuries and other low yield instruments. Abu Dhabi's foot dragging over Dubai could deliver the UAE now, and eventually the GCC, to the Saudis hands. Especially if the Americans are supportive... In this crisis, Saudi financial resources can go very far. They can buy up potential competition to their economic cities on the cheap and afterward expand beyond the Arabian gulf.
What is going to happen in a small place like the UAE in the immediate future has huge geo-political implication for this region. The maps could well be redrawn quite differently after the dust has settled, all because Abu Dhabi failed to come to Dubai's aid, which gave the Saudis opportunity to buy much of Dubai's assets, taking it out of the competition.
Look at Saudi oil reserves in comparison to her gulf neighbours. All these scenarios may just be postponing the inevitable. All potential flight paths into the future for this region could end up in Riyadh, the Indonesia of this neighborhood.
Now you can guess why Singapore has been expending so much effort on building a relationship with the Saudis. King Abdullah even flew Lee Kuan Yew back to Singapore on his personal Boeing 747 jet. Now that is first class Arab hospitality.
Original post by navimap here...thanks for the support dude!
Rumor has it that Abu Dhabi might not come to Dubai's financial aid in this crisis... so what? Well, I discovered a little known fact that in 1989, the Saudis helped out Sharjah when it suffered a banking crisis. What does all these mean?
I have seen concept pictures of Bahrain trying to copy Dubai's Palm Islands. Looks like Doha is trying to make itself a hub of sorts as well. Oman is a more interesting tourist attraction than most of the gulf states and doesn't appear to be as keen to be another "look at us" against Dubai. Kuwait seems more interested in counting their oil reserves and Abu Dhabi more circumspectly is learning from Dubai and trying to out do them.
The competition between all of them seems obvious,not in concrete lbs. but thru their airlines. Dubai has Emirates, Abu Dhabi has Eithad, and Qatar has its namesake Qatar Airways. All three have advertised themselves heavily on Singapore's TV. Ok, so you could take a flight from Singapore to any of the three since 2002, but thats not the point.
The Saudis are the latecomer to the game. They are not into airlines but their bold plans and hefty investments are in the economic cities. Since all the Gulf states have copy cat economic strategies, they are likely to over invest, over build and over compete making it all very unprofitable. Maybe they need a tax write-off...
This financial crisis may have been a blessing to the Saudis. They have been ultra conservative and kept most of their powder dry in safe treasuries and other low yield instruments. Abu Dhabi's foot dragging over Dubai could deliver the UAE now, and eventually the GCC, to the Saudis hands. Especially if the Americans are supportive... In this crisis, Saudi financial resources can go very far. They can buy up potential competition to their economic cities on the cheap and afterward expand beyond the Arabian gulf.
What is going to happen in a small place like the UAE in the immediate future has huge geo-political implication for this region. The maps could well be redrawn quite differently after the dust has settled, all because Abu Dhabi failed to come to Dubai's aid, which gave the Saudis opportunity to buy much of Dubai's assets, taking it out of the competition.
Look at Saudi oil reserves in comparison to her gulf neighbours. All these scenarios may just be postponing the inevitable. All potential flight paths into the future for this region could end up in Riyadh, the Indonesia of this neighborhood.
Now you can guess why Singapore has been expending so much effort on building a relationship with the Saudis. King Abdullah even flew Lee Kuan Yew back to Singapore on his personal Boeing 747 jet. Now that is first class Arab hospitality.
Original post by navimap here...thanks for the support dude!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The guerrillas’ of the Casbah are ever-lurking
Dear Readership,
I originally started this blog 8 months ago so I could host my published articles. And when that got boring, I turned it into an everyday blog for all you sick and twisted Middle East junkies out there. Soon, the bloggers started to grow. It went from Abu Guerrilla (me) to Abu Danger, who is broadcasting live from the West Bank; and now The Rooster, who is hosting me at his flat while I get my trip together for Lebanon. Can you feel it?
But the main reason I write to you in such a mundane and a not-so-smartasstastic voice is that I am A) tired, but B) elated because the Casbah got 54 hits today! Not only is this a new record, but also the participation continues to grow in the comments section. So finish that six-pack you intellectual pacifists and lets keep it crackin'. Lets spread this site through the streets like contraband. This is the Casbah: a forum for understanding and reflecting on the Middle East and Central Asia as we see it. WE ARE NOT PAID. We are not bound to the dogma of any organization and are truly free to bombard the blogosphere with a little something we have come to love called “guerrilla journalism.”
Coming this May, I am going to be leaving my cushy bed in San Diego—armed with an expensive college degree--for the clubs in Tel Aviv, the militia’s ridden streets of the West Bank, the dusty roads of Jordan, that joke of a regime in Syria (who has banned my website), and finally down through the cedars into Beirut where I will be… Trust me, you all will be the first to know when I get a job.
So call home the women and children all you Casbah folk, it’s getting dark and the guerrillas’ of the Casbah are ever-lurking.
From San Diego,
Abu Guerrilla
I originally started this blog 8 months ago so I could host my published articles. And when that got boring, I turned it into an everyday blog for all you sick and twisted Middle East junkies out there. Soon, the bloggers started to grow. It went from Abu Guerrilla (me) to Abu Danger, who is broadcasting live from the West Bank; and now The Rooster, who is hosting me at his flat while I get my trip together for Lebanon. Can you feel it?
But the main reason I write to you in such a mundane and a not-so-smartasstastic voice is that I am A) tired, but B) elated because the Casbah got 54 hits today! Not only is this a new record, but also the participation continues to grow in the comments section. So finish that six-pack you intellectual pacifists and lets keep it crackin'. Lets spread this site through the streets like contraband. This is the Casbah: a forum for understanding and reflecting on the Middle East and Central Asia as we see it. WE ARE NOT PAID. We are not bound to the dogma of any organization and are truly free to bombard the blogosphere with a little something we have come to love called “guerrilla journalism.”
Coming this May, I am going to be leaving my cushy bed in San Diego—armed with an expensive college degree--for the clubs in Tel Aviv, the militia’s ridden streets of the West Bank, the dusty roads of Jordan, that joke of a regime in Syria (who has banned my website), and finally down through the cedars into Beirut where I will be… Trust me, you all will be the first to know when I get a job.
So call home the women and children all you Casbah folk, it’s getting dark and the guerrillas’ of the Casbah are ever-lurking.
From San Diego,
Abu Guerrilla
Memo to Israel
So those crafty Persians have been at it again. Not only have they claimed to have developed enough fuel for a dinky nuke, but they also have some brash things to say about their first rate terrorist apparatus.
"The enemy boasts about its equipments, including bulletproof body armor, for confronting us, but Iranian scientists in the research centers of the armed forces and the defense ministry have developed a bullet that can penetrate the armor."
-IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari
"The enemy may be more advanced than us in their equipment but equipment is just one dimension of military power, and spirit and tactics are more important than equipment."
-Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Mohammad Hejazi
"The enemy boasts about its equipments, including bulletproof body armor, for confronting us, but Iranian scientists in the research centers of the armed forces and the defense ministry have developed a bullet that can penetrate the armor."
-IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari
"The enemy may be more advanced than us in their equipment but equipment is just one dimension of military power, and spirit and tactics are more important than equipment."
-Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Mohammad Hejazi
Waltz and Bashir director takes on Gaza
One of the general themes I heard from friends who saw Waltz and Bashir is that it didn't represent the Arabs. And while that's cool, especially considering that the Israeli director has every right to tell the story from the perspective of the Heb, it would have been nice to see the "other."
Perhaps this is why he has chosen to make a cool new--and free--movie about the siege in Gaza. So stop wasting your time browsing the Jerusalem Post all you Casbah maniacs and check out this post-modern flick on Gaza.
Perhaps this is why he has chosen to make a cool new--and free--movie about the siege in Gaza. So stop wasting your time browsing the Jerusalem Post all you Casbah maniacs and check out this post-modern flick on Gaza.
Abu Muqawama drinks the Kool Aid?
Upon a few close-door chats with various respected figures of the Casbah, I have come to conclude that the popular blogger, Abu Muqawama, should not join the Center for the New American Security. Simply put: it is a think tank for Likuidniks and AIPAC stooges--like Dennis Ross--to preach an absolutist agenda. And while I like some of the fellows, like Tom Ricks, many are not pragmatic vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian/Arab conflict. If you want to be taken seriously in the Middle East you can't just listen to the other side, you have hear them.
It is for these reasons that I am skeptical about Abu Muqawama going to CNAS. Even though Muqawama has spent time in the Arab World, including a masters from the American University of Beirut, I fear that his independence will be put into question.
Hopefully I am wrong about this one. He is one of my favorite bloggers and has demonstrated a smartasstastic approach to COIN, CT and all those other fun things that all the kids talk about in the Middle East and Central Asia.
So for me Abu M, make sure that those AIPAC nuts don't make you drink the Likuid-flavored Kool Aid. And as for the health coverage that they offer, word on the street is that it isn't much anyway... (I think the Hezbollah clinic in Beirut is much better and is only 5 bucks for the basics.)
It is for these reasons that I am skeptical about Abu Muqawama going to CNAS. Even though Muqawama has spent time in the Arab World, including a masters from the American University of Beirut, I fear that his independence will be put into question.
Hopefully I am wrong about this one. He is one of my favorite bloggers and has demonstrated a smartasstastic approach to COIN, CT and all those other fun things that all the kids talk about in the Middle East and Central Asia.
So for me Abu M, make sure that those AIPAC nuts don't make you drink the Likuid-flavored Kool Aid. And as for the health coverage that they offer, word on the street is that it isn't much anyway... (I think the Hezbollah clinic in Beirut is much better and is only 5 bucks for the basics.)
Monday, March 2, 2009
NOW Lebanon talks Syria with Michael Totten
We all know that the Syrian President Assad is on the Casbah shit-list, as he has banned this site from all Syrian computers. In fact, all blogger sites are blocked. And while Assad may have a smokein' wife, he is not popular with Abu G. Why? How bout: autocratic leadership, a heavy hand on political dissidence and a sick fetish for messing with Lebanon to name a few of the pissers.
In a NOW Lebanon interview with American blogger/writer, Michael Totten, takes a stance on Assad's Syria that you don't get in the Times.
NOW: So as an American journalist in the region, what is the best way to deal with Syria — sanctions, war?
Totten: No, not war. Sanctions – I don’t really like sanctions, as they punish the average citizen, so I would argue for sanctions only in the most extreme circumstances, which I don’t think this warrants. I think what the US should do with Assad is just basically tell him to go f--- himself, and don’t talk to him… It didn’t work before, but it didn’t make things worse. I don’t think there’s a solution to the problem, and when there’s no solution, don’t do anything; just wait. As far as trying to talk to Syria or make deals with them, they won’t work. Assad seems to think they’re good for him, and anything that’s good for Assad is worse for everyone else, so my advice to the Obama administration is: Don’t do anything. There are times when it may work in the future. Everything always changes in the Mideast, but right now I don’t think they’ll work.
In a NOW Lebanon interview with American blogger/writer, Michael Totten, takes a stance on Assad's Syria that you don't get in the Times.
NOW: So as an American journalist in the region, what is the best way to deal with Syria — sanctions, war?
Totten: No, not war. Sanctions – I don’t really like sanctions, as they punish the average citizen, so I would argue for sanctions only in the most extreme circumstances, which I don’t think this warrants. I think what the US should do with Assad is just basically tell him to go f--- himself, and don’t talk to him… It didn’t work before, but it didn’t make things worse. I don’t think there’s a solution to the problem, and when there’s no solution, don’t do anything; just wait. As far as trying to talk to Syria or make deals with them, they won’t work. Assad seems to think they’re good for him, and anything that’s good for Assad is worse for everyone else, so my advice to the Obama administration is: Don’t do anything. There are times when it may work in the future. Everything always changes in the Mideast, but right now I don’t think they’ll work.
HC & the redline
Ever since Hillary Clinton kissed Yasser Arafat's wife on the cheek many have been skeptical vis-à-vis her support for Israel. Dubious? I think so. Nevertheless, Clinton has turned in to an A+ AIPAC supporter, rarely breaking from the “pro-Isreal” script.
But this pantsuit political diva has come under increasing scrutiny of late. Many hardcore Israelis and hawks in the American Diaspora have been questioning her commitment to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue.
In fact, the Israeli government just issued a list of "red lines" for talks with the Islamic Republic. So now that Clinton is no longer running for political office (and likely will never be President) will she return to her pragmatic streak and take a more even handed approach to Iran?
But this pantsuit political diva has come under increasing scrutiny of late. Many hardcore Israelis and hawks in the American Diaspora have been questioning her commitment to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue.
In fact, the Israeli government just issued a list of "red lines" for talks with the Islamic Republic. So now that Clinton is no longer running for political office (and likely will never be President) will she return to her pragmatic streak and take a more even handed approach to Iran?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Street Smarts and Liberal Arts (A little more on the Hitchens beatdown)
(This is a short piece that I wrote for the University of San Diego's student newspaper, The Vista)
The Dean of Arts and Sciences has poorly chosen a policy of silence, continuing to ignore my two-week-old article, “The cunning of Liberal Arts.” I continue to ask, how can USD better arm its liberal arts students in this increasingly vocational economy? For four years, seniors have been investing $34,264 per year in tuition to get trained for jobs that no longer exist. It’s time to open the debate.
While we wait for the Dean to check with the bigwigs, did anyone hear what happened in Beirut last week? Christopher Hitchens, the hard-drinking, smoke-craving, Irish atheist, got brutally beaten for writing a comment on a Naziesque political poster. Well done, Chris.
As Hitchens stepped off his plane onto the Beiruti runway, blasted by the humid Mediterranean air, he met up with some colleagues for a walk on the famous Hamra Street. Coming around the corner, he saw a political poster for the Syrian Socialist National Party (SSNP). He was overcome by the urge to uncap his sharpie and scribble, “fuck the SSNP” for all eyes to see. It was only moments later that a band of SSNP thugs came thundering around the corner and beat Hitchens into a vegetable.
So why Chris, why? It’s been bothering me all week. In researching this affair, I found that American journalist Michel J. Totten was not only present for the whoopin’, but also posted a detailed account on his blog. But back to basics, why did Christopher Hitchens, in his first few hours in Beirut of all places, feel obliged to sharpie SSNP’s propaganda?
Simply put, the SSNP was founded in Beirut in 1932 and molded after Hitler’s fetish of Nazism. Thus, the leadership today is mostly made up of 70-year-old idealistic nuts calling for a Fourth Reich disaster in so-called “greater Syria.” Sexy history aside, Hitchens was reacting to the swastika that some SSNP diehard decided to put on their political contraband.
But what interests me was not the swastika, or the fact that there are some crazies still clinging to this bastard chapter of the European enlightenment; rather, it is what Hitchens, the atheist, said about this whole quagmire. On Totten’s blog, Hitchens is quoted saying, “I think a swastika poster is partly fair game and partly an obligation. You don't really have the right to leave one alone.”
Your first reaction might be: “Wow, Hitchens is just as idealistically driven as those SSNP thugs who jumped him.” True. But it could also be “Wow, Hitchens is spot on for not tolerating the intolerance of Nazism.”
Personally, it seems that old Chris is as dumb as he is smart. But what I can say with certainty is that two summers ago when I was observing the various street clutter in militia-ridden Beirut, I found the merit of my liberal arts education: I became an intellectual pacifist.
The Dean of Arts and Sciences has poorly chosen a policy of silence, continuing to ignore my two-week-old article, “The cunning of Liberal Arts.” I continue to ask, how can USD better arm its liberal arts students in this increasingly vocational economy? For four years, seniors have been investing $34,264 per year in tuition to get trained for jobs that no longer exist. It’s time to open the debate.
While we wait for the Dean to check with the bigwigs, did anyone hear what happened in Beirut last week? Christopher Hitchens, the hard-drinking, smoke-craving, Irish atheist, got brutally beaten for writing a comment on a Naziesque political poster. Well done, Chris.
As Hitchens stepped off his plane onto the Beiruti runway, blasted by the humid Mediterranean air, he met up with some colleagues for a walk on the famous Hamra Street. Coming around the corner, he saw a political poster for the Syrian Socialist National Party (SSNP). He was overcome by the urge to uncap his sharpie and scribble, “fuck the SSNP” for all eyes to see. It was only moments later that a band of SSNP thugs came thundering around the corner and beat Hitchens into a vegetable.
So why Chris, why? It’s been bothering me all week. In researching this affair, I found that American journalist Michel J. Totten was not only present for the whoopin’, but also posted a detailed account on his blog. But back to basics, why did Christopher Hitchens, in his first few hours in Beirut of all places, feel obliged to sharpie SSNP’s propaganda?
Simply put, the SSNP was founded in Beirut in 1932 and molded after Hitler’s fetish of Nazism. Thus, the leadership today is mostly made up of 70-year-old idealistic nuts calling for a Fourth Reich disaster in so-called “greater Syria.” Sexy history aside, Hitchens was reacting to the swastika that some SSNP diehard decided to put on their political contraband.
But what interests me was not the swastika, or the fact that there are some crazies still clinging to this bastard chapter of the European enlightenment; rather, it is what Hitchens, the atheist, said about this whole quagmire. On Totten’s blog, Hitchens is quoted saying, “I think a swastika poster is partly fair game and partly an obligation. You don't really have the right to leave one alone.”
Your first reaction might be: “Wow, Hitchens is just as idealistically driven as those SSNP thugs who jumped him.” True. But it could also be “Wow, Hitchens is spot on for not tolerating the intolerance of Nazism.”
Personally, it seems that old Chris is as dumb as he is smart. But what I can say with certainty is that two summers ago when I was observing the various street clutter in militia-ridden Beirut, I found the merit of my liberal arts education: I became an intellectual pacifist.
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