Across the Bay
| On Sovereignty and Hypocrisy | |
Across the Bay  |
I just heard this story on the radio and found this short report at Naharnet:
Needless to say, this is hardly the first time this kind of thing has happened, and it comes in a long list of offenses, such as the smuggling of arms to pro-Syrian thugs inside Lebanon. |
| full article | source | read more | 7 reads | |
| Three Reviews of Fukuyama | |
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Across the Bay |
Here are three very interesting reviews of Francis Fukuyama's latest book that are worth a click. Unfortunately, I don't have the time now to comment on them at more length, but would be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments section (if you've read the book). First, Paul Berman's in the NYT. |
| full article | source | read more | 15 reads | |
| The Brammertz Report | |
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Across the Bay | The new head of the UN probe into the assassination of Lebanese former PM Hariri, Serge Brammertz, has submitted his first report to the UN Security Council. The report itself can be read here (PDF). |
| full article | source | read more | 15 reads | |
| I Should've Known | |
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Across the Bay |
Never give a phone interview. Always do it by email, so that you make sure your own words are printed, and so that you wouldn't have to do what I am about to do right now. The Daily Star ran a piece about the Lebanese blogosphere in which I was interviewed. The article was unfortunately very sloppy in how it misquoted, rephrased, and misrepresented most of what I said. |
| full article | source | read more | 21 reads | |
| Khaddam on Syria, Iran, and Hizballah | |
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Across the Bay |
Former Syrian VP Abdel Halim Khaddam gave an interview to the Israeli-Palestinian radio station "Voice of Peace" in which he reiterated his accusation that Bashar personally gave the order to kill Hariri. |
| full article | source | read more | 19 reads | |
| Lebanon: Communalism and Democracy | |
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Across the Bay | My colleague Raja over at the The Lebanese Bloggers recently posted on Lebanese democracy and the effects of Communalism (also referred to as "sectarianism" or "confessionalism") on that democracy. |
| full article | source | read more | 22 reads | |
| Mideast Monitor | |
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Across the Bay | I am very pleased to announce to you the launching of a new online publication, Mideast Monitor, edited by the formidable Gary Gambill. |
| full article | source | read more | 26 reads | |
| Why the Embassies Burned | |
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Across the Bay |
A few important items on the matter. First, a sharp article by Lee Smith in the WS. |
| full article | source | read more | 29 reads | |
| Juan Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | |
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Across the Bay |
Juan Cole, being the perennial "expert" on everything, decided to once again stake a foothold in Lebanese affairs. The result, as always, is that his foot found its way deep down his mouth. |
| full article | source | read more | 34 reads | |
| What Happened in Beirut? | |
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Across the Bay |
Some people took my last post as a quick and easy "Syria did it" bailout. It's actually not that simple, even when it seems clear that Syria was involved. At this point, and the picture is far from complete, here's what I think happened in Beirut. |
| full article | source | read more | 33 reads | |
| Burning Embassies | |
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Across the Bay | After the Syrian regime helped burn down the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus yesterday (with utter transparency I might add), the trend moved to Lebanon today. |
| full article | source | read more | 28 reads | |
| All the Nonsense that's Fit to Print | |
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Across the Bay |
I spotted this piece of utter nonsense this morning, and I just had to post it. |
| full article | source | read more | 32 reads | |
| Your Patience, Please! | |
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Across the Bay |
I apologize to my readers for the long absence and the spotty posting. I've been incredibly busy doing a few things, which has prevented me from posting on a number of interesting items. |
| full article | source | read more | 23 reads | |
Submitted by admin on Mon, 2006-01-23 00:58.
Swimming Against the Current
| Assef's Frozen | |
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Across the Bay |
The US Treasury Department has decided to freeze the assets of Bashar's brother-in-law and head of Syrian military intelligence Assef Shawkat who was named in the Mehlis report as a suspect in the assassination of PM Hariri. |
| full article | source | read more | 33 reads | |
| Ammar's "Day for Syria" | |
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Across the Bay |
My Syrian readers would want to read and consider this post< |
| full article | source | read more | 31 reads | |
| Mehlis Interview | |
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Across the Bay |
There are several things I'd like to comment on, but I haven't been able to due to other commitments. However, I thought this interview with Detlev Mehlis was worth highlighting. |
| full article | source | read more | 32 reads | |
| Man of the Mountain | |
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Across the Bay | Michael Young conducts a very interesting interview with Druze leader Walid Jumblat. The interview touches on the recent Saudi-Egyptian activity, as well as the security cooperation Asad will sign with Iran's Ahmadinejad, who will be visiting Damascus soon. Jumblat is rightly worried about the involuntary annexation of Lebanon to a diastrous Syrian-Iranian axis. |
| full article | source | read more | 31 reads | |
| Bashar's Worst Nightmare | |
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Across the Bay | The leader of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has told the Financial Times that the MB is willing to "work for political transition in Syria with former regime officials who are ready to commit themselves to democratic change." |
| full article | source | read more | 31 reads | |
| Khaddam and the Saudi Warning | |
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Across the Bay |
Michael Young has written what I think is the best commentary on the Khaddam story and its sectarian undertones. |
| full article | source | read more | 28 reads | |
| Bombshell: Khaddam Talks | |
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Across the Bay | Syria's former VP Abdel Halim Khaddam is singing. In a long interview on Al-Arabiya, only a week after Saad Hariri's devastating interview on the same station, Khaddam all but accused Bashar of being behind Hariri's murder. He confirmed all the threats made to Hariri, including one made by Bashar -- in the presence of junior officers -- and before the last meeting about the Lahoud extension (I think this is the one referred to by Hariri's former aide Nouhad Mashnouq in his interview with al-Hayat earlier in the year). This is one day after Syria's FM Sharaa denied such threats ever took place, and claimed that Hariri "made them up" in order to justify his agreement to extend Lahoud's mandate. Sharaa's remarks were loudly denounced in Beirut. |
| full article | source | read more | 36 reads | |
| Howdy Ho! | |
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Across the Bay |
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| full article | source | read more | 33 reads | |
