Monthly Archives: June 2009

Both sides not

I wish I had read this before I blogged about the Cairo speech. On Friday the Glenn Kessler and Jacqueline L. Salmon reported Using New Language, President Shows Understanding for Both Sides in Middle East in the Washington Post. But … Continue reading

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More dividends of the Cairo speech

The Saudis are telling Obama to create peace by fiat. Arab patience is wearing thin in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz told US President Barack Obama during their meeting in Riyadh last Wednesday. According … Continue reading

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome, Saudi Arabia | 1 Comment

Beach Blanket Blog Carnival Time

I don’t know about you but summer is easily my favorite time of year.  And even though I haven’t been in school in years I always get a bit restless waiting for it. Fortunately we don’t have to wait any … Continue reading

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SNN is up. I’m not.

This week’s Shire Network News is up, and you folks had better listen to it, because I stayed up way late last night getting it done. I cover, of course, Obama’s Cairo speech.

Posted in Podcasts | 1 Comment

The elusive issue of settlements and pols’ honesty

To start with: I am not necessarily carrying a torch for all Israeli settlers, but there is a long a complicated history of the whole settlement issue, there are different ways to resolve the problem, not inevitably by removing all … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Politics | 1 Comment

Obama’s Cairo speech gets quick results

Obama’s public weakening of support for Israel is getting the results you would expect: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said the US should use aid it gives Israel as leverage in order to pressure the state into accepting … Continue reading

Posted in Israeli Double Standard Time, Saudi Arabia, The One | 3 Comments

The Cairo context

To some degree, I understand the argument that President Obama’s speech in Cairo yesterday wasn’t much different from a speech that President Bush would have given. And if you read some of the more detailed analyses of the speech (like … Continue reading

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Experts know best

Barry Rubin has some fun critiquing credulous reporting on the upcoming Lebanes elections. More seriously, Amir Taheri considers the possibility of a Hezbollah victory: If Lebanon comes under Iranian control it could become one arm of a pincer — the … Continue reading

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Analysis: mainstreaming Jewish conspiracy theories

If you were to read this without knowing the source, where would you suspect it originated? The Arab News? Al-Ahram? Palestinian propaganda rags? Among the long list of problems that cloud American relations with the Islamic world, none is more … Continue reading

Posted in AP Media Bias, Israeli Double Standard Time, Religion | Comments Off on Analysis: mainstreaming Jewish conspiracy theories

Lieberman and defense of democracy

It appears that my last post on the subject caused a gamut of responses. From understanding to that other one (about that other one later). I shall try to answer some of the remarks in a general manner, without mentioning … Continue reading

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Desperately seeking brisket help

My brother bought me a first cut brisket instead of a first cut corned beef brisket, which I discovered only after I boiled it for half an hour. One of my fellow JBloggers had what I thought was a wonderful … Continue reading

Posted in Life | 8 Comments

One quick comment on the Cairo speech

I will have more to say after work, but here’s something to chew on: The Holy Koran tells us, “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that … Continue reading

Posted in Religion, The One | 3 Comments

Strong bond? More like bound and gagged

From the Washington Post: Obama used far stronger and more specific language than his previous remarks on some of the most contested issues in the Muslim world, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although he urged Arab nations to do more to … Continue reading

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6:10 Eastern? The speech is at 6:10 Eastern?

Feh. I’m going to sleep through it. Wake me when it’s over.

Posted in Juvenile Scorn, The One | 1 Comment

The real obstacle

Michael Slackman reports in Arab States Cool to Obama Pleas for Peace Gesture: President Obama starts his much anticipated Middle East tour on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to press the Arab nations to offer a gesture … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | 4 Comments