Egypt Between "Simulacra" and "Secular Criticism:" An Interview with Jadaliyya Co-Editor Adel Iskandar on France24

THE INTERVIEW - Adel Iskandar, author of ‘Egypt... by france24english

الديمقراطية العربية على طريقة ‘داحس والغبراء’!

د. فيصل القاسم

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

أظهرت المرحلة الانتقالية التي تلت الثورات في بعض البلدان العربية، وخاصة في مصر وتونس وليبيا، أن تطبيق الديمقراطية في العالم العربي ليس بالسهولة التي كان يتصورها البعض قبل الثورات، فالكثير من مثقفينا وسياسيينا وإعلاميينا وكتابنا كانوا يعتقدون أن الديمقراطية يمكن أن تبدأ أوتوماتيكياً في بلادنا بمجرد سقوط الديكتاتوريات وإجراء انتخابات حرة وحقيقية، لكن الأوضاع التي تشهدها بلدان الربيع العربي، بما فيها سورية، أظهرت أن الديمقراطية ما زالت سرابا في هذا الجزء من العالم لأسباب تتعلق بتركيبة المجتمعات العربية ذاتها من الناحية السياسية والعقائدية.
فنحن حتى الآن ما زلنا مجتمعات قبلية وعشائرية وطائفية ومذهبية و’ميتافيزيقية’، وهو ما يتعارض تماماً مع جوهر الديمقراطية بشكلها الغربي المتعارف عليه، فقد أظهرت معظم الانتخابات التي جرت قبل الثورات العربية وبعدها أن الشعوب ما زالت تصوّت في الانتخابات على أسس طائفية وعشائرية وقبلية وجهوية ومناطقية، لا على أسس وطنية. 
بعبارة أخرى، فما زال الكثير من مجتمعاتنا عبارة عن تجمعات متنافرة من القبليين والطائفيين والعشائريين والمذهبيين. وإذا ذهب أحد للتصويت في أي انتخابات، حتى لو كانت بلدية، فهو يصوت لابن القبيلة والعشيرة والطائفة والمذهب، لا على أساس الكفاءة والوطنية. 
ولا شك أن الأنظمة الساقطة والمتساقطة لعبت دوراً كبيراً في صنع هذا التشرذم وترسيخه بدل صناعة المواطنة التي هي اساس الاستقرار وجوهر الديمقراطية، لأن ذلك يناسبها ولا يناسب الاوطان وتداول السلطة، ولا ننسى أن معظم أنظمتنا الحاكمة تحكم منذ عقود على الطريقة الاستعمارية الشهيرة ‘فرق تسد’، فكما أن الاستعمار كان يعزز التناقضات العرقية والطائفية والقبلية بين سكان البلدان التي كان يستعمرها كي يبقي أهلها منشغلين بخلافاتهم وصراعاتهم ليسهل التحكم بهم وضربهم ببعضهم البعض، كلما اقتضت الحاجة في ما لو فكروا بالثورة عليه، فإن الأنظمة التي تزعم أنها وطنية حكمت بعد خروج الاستعمار من بلادنا بالطريقة الاستعمارية نفسها وابشع منها، فالكثير من تلك الأنظمة جاءت إلى السلطة وفي ذهنها ليس بناء أوطان جديدة بعد جلاء الاستعمار، بل كوكيلة مدفوعة الثمن للمستعمر لا أكثر ولا أقل، لهذا ظلت كل الأمراض التي زرعها الاستعمار في بلادنا على حالها بعد خروجه، لا بل إن بعضها تفاقم واشتد واستعصى بوجود الأنظمة الوطنية المزعومة، ببساطة لأنها زايدت على الاستعمار في دق الأسافين بين أبناء الوطن الواحد كي تضرب المكونات الاجتماعية ببعضها البعض من أجل أن تعيش على تناقضاتها وصراعاتها، وكي تبقى تلك المكونات منشغلة ببعضها البعض بدل التفكير بالثورة على رأس الفساد والإفساد في تلك المجتمعات، هذه الأنظمة التي تتشدق بالوطنية، والوطنية منها براء. 
لكن بالرغم من الاستراتيجية الاستعمارية التي زرعها الطواغيت العرب الساقطون والمتساقطون في مجتمعاتنا العربية، إلا أن الجماهير في أكثر من مكان تغلبت على بعض أمراضها وثارت في وجوههم، فأسقطت بعضهم، وما زالت تناضل من أجل إسقاط البقية. 
لكن، هيهات أن تكون تلك الجماهير قادرة على التخلص مما يمكن أن نسميه بالإرث الاستعماري ‘الوطني’ الذي زرعه الطغاة داخل تلك المجتمعات، فقد لاحظنا كيف أن الطوائف والقبائل في بعض بلدان الربيع العربي راحت تصارع بعضها البعض أثناء الثورات وبعدها بدل الوقوف صفاً واحداً في وجه الطغاة. 
ولو نظرنا الآن إلى بعض البلدان الثائرة لوجدنا كيف أن بعض الطوائف تقف مع الطغاة بدل الوقوف مع بقية الجماهير التي ثارت عليهم. لماذا؟ لأن الطواغيت زرعوا ونموا في أذهان وعقول المكونات الاجتماعية بذور الخوف والفرقة والتناحر المذهبي والقبلي والطائفي والشعائري، وربطوا مصير بعض الطوائف والأقليات بمصير الطغاة أنفسهم. وعندما وجدت بعض الطوائف أن بعض الطواغيت في خطر، راحت تقاتل أولئك الذين ثاروا في وجه الطواغيت ظناً منها أن نفوق الطواغيت قد يجعلها عرضة للانتقام أو التصفية من الجماعات والطوائف والقبائل الأخرى. وبإمكاننا أن نرى هذه المصيبة في بلدان مثل اليمنوسورية وليبيا.
لكن غياب الصراعات الطائفية والمذهبية في بلدان مثل تونس ومصر لا يعني أبداً أن تحقيق الديمقراطية يمكن أن يكون أسهل بكثير من البلدان الأخرى. لا أبداً، فقد أظهرت الثورتان المصرية والتونسية أن الصراع السياسي القائم على الأحقاد الدينية والعلمانية لا يقل خطورة في إعاقة مسيرة بناء الديمقراطية في بلادنا.
فبينما أن الصراع السياسي في البلدان الديمقراطية يكون عادة على مشاريع سياسية غير مقدسة، فإن الصراع في بعض بلداننا ما زال يتخذ صيغة الصراعات المقدسة، فلا الإسلاميون مستعدون حتى الآن لقبول نظرائهم غير الإسلاميين، كي لا نقول العلمانيين، ولا غير الإسلاميين مستعدون لقبول الإسلاميين، بحيث تحول الصراع السياسي في مصر وتونس مثلاً إلى ما يشبه حرب ‘داحس والغبراء’ التاريخية أكثر من صراع سياسي حضاري. 
وقد رأينا كيف انتهى الوضع في مصر إلى انقلاب من قبل غير الإسلاميين على الإسلاميين، بالرغم من أنهم فازوا في صناديق الاقتراع. والأمر نفسه يتفاعل في تونس، ولا ندري إذا كان سيصل إلى ما وصل إليه في مصر. 
وكما أن الإسلاميين يتهمون منافسيهم ‘العلمانجيين’ بأنهم انقلابيون وغير ديمقراطيين، فإن ‘العلمانجيين’ يتهمون الإسلاميين بأنهم إقصائيون مهما تظاهروا بالديمقراطية، وأن مشروعهم يهدف إلى بناء دولة ‘إسلامية’ إقصائية لا تقبل بالآخر. 
ولا بد من الإشارة هنا إلى أن خصوم الإسلاميين لا يقلون تعصباً وإقصاء وحتى تكفيراً، فلدى ‘العلمانجيين’ العرب طريقتهم الخاصة في ‘التكفير’ والإقصاء لا بل الاستئصال. وقد رأينا كيف تصرف ‘العلمانجيون’ الجزائريون الإستئصاليون ذات يوم مع الإسلاميين، إلى حد أن كلمة ‘استئصالي’ صارت مرادفة لكلمة ‘علماني’ في الجزائر.
وبناء على هذا الوضع التناحري الخطير في بلدان الربيع العربي الحالية والقادمة بين المكونات المجتمعية والسياسية، فإن الديمقراطية في بلادنا ستكون شكلية وانقلابية حتى يقضي الله أمراً كان مفعولاً، فالديمقراطية في الغرب لم تستقر إلا بعد أن اختفت الصراعات الدينية والطائفية والقبلية الضيقة، وأصبحت المجتمعات علمانية حقيقية، وليست كالعلمانية العربية المزعومة التي تحولت إلى أصولية مرعبة، وبعد أن تحول الصراع داخل المجتمعات الغربية من صراع ‘مقدس′ إلى صراع سياسي غير مقدس، بينما ما زال الصراع في العديد من بلادنا بين تيارات دينية ولا دينية لا تعترف بحق بعضها البعض في الحكم والسيادة. 
لهذا نرى هذا الاضطراب الخطير في بلدان الربيع العربي التي دخلت اللعبة الديمقراطية، فوجدت نفسها بين سندان من يريد أن يحكم باسم الدين والعرق والمذهب ومن يعتبر التيارات الدينية ورماً خبيثاً يجب استئصاله.
وبناء على هذا الوضع، فسيمر وقت طويل قبل ان تستقر المجتمعات المنبثقة من رحم الثورات، وتمارس الديمقراطية كما تمارسها المجتمعات المتحضرة الاخرى.

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

Who is responsible for the starvation of Syria's children:
The Syrian regime, the international community or the Syrian opposition?

With about 400 responding so far, 55% said the Syrian regime, 27% said the international community and 18% said the Syrian opposition.

Hezbollah shows strain of Syria war

Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV address that Syria's friends would not let it 'fall in the hands of America'. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Ian Black writes: The 30-year-old 'axis of resistance' based on Iran is still alive and supporting Bashar al-Assad

"Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, sounds more troubled than defiant when he talks about the war in Syria these days. This week he publicly lambasted Saudi Arabia – backing the rebels who are fighting Bashar al-Assad - for blocking a political solution to the crisis at the proposed Geneva II peace conference.

But Hezbollah's decision to throw its full military weight behind the Syrian president has also been a highly significant factor in the conflict, peaking with decisive fighting at Qusair in the spring. Thousands of its men have been deployed in Damascus, Deraa, Homs and Aleppo. Casualty figures are estimated at around 200 killed. The organization is described as "fatigued and over-stretched." Earlier this month some 1200 Shia fighters are said to have been withdrawn. Blowback has come to Lebanon too, with car bombs in Beirut's Shia southern suburbs. Hezbollah needs to avoid clashes provoked by Lebanese Sunnis which would force it to pull back from Syria and fight at home.

Now there has been another setback, with Israeli planes reportedly targeting Russian-made missiles intended for Hezbollah in the Syrian port of Latakia – the sixth raid in the last few months. The lesson is that the war in Syria, now in its third bloody year, makes it much easier for the Israelis to strike at Hezbollah without provoking a response. Nasrallah and Assad already have quite enough on their plates.

Politically, Hezbollah probably had little choice but to rally to defend the much-vaunted "axis of resistance" it forms along with Iran and Syria. The cost, though, is proving painfully high for an organisation whose raison d'etre was always fighting Israel but which is now busy killing fellow Arabs in a neighbouring country – and in a viciously sectarian atmosphere to boot.

Nasrallah's language about a political solution in Syria echoes the current line from Damascus and Tehran. Hopes may be growing for some kind of rapprochement between Iran, the US and the west, focused on the ever-contentious nuclear issue - to the chagrin of the Saudis and their conservative Arab allies. But there is still no sign that Iran's support for Assad – probably far more significant than assistance to the rebels from the Gulf states - is fading. Recent remarkable film footage broadcast by the BBC showed Iranian Revolutionary Guards not only training Assad's men but fighting on the ground in Syria – in the face of repeated denials from Tehran.

Nor does Iran's intimate relationship with Hezbollah show any sign of changing. The group wasby a Lebanese writer as "Iran's most successful strategic investment outside its borders." It had "defended Iran's security in the Arab-Israeli conflict and secured its position on the shore of the Mediterranean and within the Levant." Israel says Iran has ensured Hezbollah has been re-supplied with missiles since the 2006 Lebanon war. Hezbollah's patrons are the Islamic Republic's hardline supreme leader and the Revolutionary Guards, not the emollient President Hassan Rouhani.

It is also a very long-standing relationship. In a new book on Hezbollah's "global footprint," the US terrorism expert and former Treasury official Matthew Levitt traces links dating back to the devastating bombing of the US marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983. According to court testimony, a few weeks earlier the US had intercepted a message from the Iranian intelligence ministry in Tehran. It instructed Iran's ambassador in Damascus, Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, to contact Hussein al-Musawi, the leader of Islamic Amal (a precursor to Hezbollah) and to direct him to "take spectacular action" against the Americans. The warning did not prevent the attack, which killed 241 US and 58 French personnel.

Thirty years is an age in international politics and much has changed in the Middle East since then. But as Syria's crisis rages on with no end in sight, Damascus, Tehran and Hezbollah are still very much on the same page - and on the same side.

Egyptian TV station suspends satirist Bassem Youssef's show

CBC channel stops broadcast of comedian's show after he mocked Egypt's widespread pro-army sentiment

Patrick Kingsley in Cairo

• theguardian.com, Friday 1 November 2013

"An Egyptian television station has refused to air the latest episode of its star satirist's comedy series, after his show drew criticism for mocking the current fervour for Egypt's army.

Private channel CBC stopped the Friday night broadcast of Bassem Youssef's show minutes before its 10pm airtime. Instead, a broadcaster read out a statement explaining that Youssef's production team was involved in a dispute with the channel's board over contractual and content issues.

The channel did not give further details. But earlier this week a CBC newscaster read a statement distancing the channel from Youssef's criticism of Egypt's widespread pro-army sentiment, censuring him for using "phrases and innuendos that may lead to mocking national sentiment or symbols of the Egyptian state." It came amid a bitter backlash against Youssef – from both the government and parts of the public. On Tuesday, prosecutors launched an investigation into the first episode of Youssef's new series, in which he controversially warned "that fascism in the name of religion will be replaced by fascism in the name of patriotism and national security" – a clear criticism of the policies of Egypt's new army-backed government. A day later army supporters held a protest outside the studio in central Cairo in which his second – and now cancelled – episode was being filmed.

Bassem Youssef – known in the west as Egypt's Jon Stewart, after the American political satirist – rose to global prominence last year for lampooning Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president who was ousted in July. Then as now, his satire led to an official state investigation into his work. But whereas CBC stood by their star when he came under attack by the Morsi administration, six months later Youssef's channel appears unwilling to back his criticism of Morsi's successors.

While the show was pulled by Youssef's employers, rather than the government, its removal will worry those who saw his show as a bellwether for free speech in post-Mubarak Egypt. There are currently few other anti-establishment voices in both private and state media, with media barons either solidly supportive of the current government, or too afraid to criticise it.

Youssef flew to the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning, but it is understood that his trip is unrelated to the show's cancellation."

Al-Jazeera Video: طائرات إسرائيلية تقصف موقعا عسكريا سوريا

تدمير الصواريخ بعد الكيميائي للحفاظ على الاسد

رأي القدس

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

في تعليقه على تخليه عن السلاح الكيميائي، نقلت صحيفة ‘الاخبار’ اللبنانية يوم 26 ايلول (سبتمبر) عن الرئيس السوري بشار الاسد قوله ‘أصلا نحن صنعنا الكيميائي في الثمانينيات كسلاح ردع في مواجهة السلاح النووي الاسرائيلي، الآن لم يعد سلاحا رادعا، لدينا اليوم اسلحة ردع اكثر أهمية، واكثر تطورا حيال اسرائيل، والتي يمكننا ان نعمي بصرها في لحظات’.
وفي لقاء بثته قناة ‘المنار’ اللبنانية في 31 ايار (مايو) الماضي توعد الرئيس بشار الاسد قائلا بالحرف ‘ابلغنا كل الجهات العربية والاجنبية وخاصة الاجنبية، اننا سنرد في المرة القادمة’. وذلك في اجابة على سؤال حول عدم الرد على إقدام اسرائيل على قصف اهداف عسكرية سورية في كانون الثاني (يناير) وايار (مايو) الماضيين.
المرة القادمة التي تحدث عنها الاسد حدثت يوم الاربعاء الماضي، الثلاثين من تشرين الاول (اكتوبر) حيث قصفت اسرائيل قاعدة عسكرية في جبل صنوبر قرب اللاذقية ودمرت بطاريات دفاع جوي من طراز 17 ـ SA.
السلطات السورية تجاهلت الضربة الاسرائيلية العسكرية، واسرائيل امتنعت عن التعقيب، لكن الادارة الامريكية كشفت خبر مسؤولية اسرائيل عنها، مما اثار امتعاض تل ابيب خوفا من ان يشعر الاسد بالاحراج ويضغط للرد او يضطر حزب الله للانتقام، حيث ان الحجة الاسرائيلية ان صواريخ 17 ـ SA التي تم تدميرها كانت متجهة الى حزب الله في لبنان، لكن وللاسف ومرة اخرى، لم يأت الرد السوري، وما زالت اسرائيل تبصر ولم تصب لا بالعمى ولا حتى بالعمش، وتواصل عربدتها بالمنطقة.
قصف اللاذقية وتدمير الصواريخ، يتزامن مع نجاح المفتشين الدوليين بالعمل بسرعة غير مسبوقة للتخلص من الاسلحة الكيميائية السورية وتقليص احتمال استخدامها من جديد، واعلان منظمة حظر الاسلحة الكيميائية ان سورية دمرت كل معدات الانتاج والمزج في منشآت الاسلحة الكيميائية المعلنة، ملتزمة بمهلة حددت لها ضمن برنامج لنزع السلاح. وما يثير الاستغراب هو هذه الدقة والنشاط بالعمل غير المسبوق لمؤسسة تابعة للامم المتحدة في مناطق حرب، مما دعا وزير الخارجية الامريكي جون كيري للاعراب عن افتخاره بدقة عمل فريق المفتشين، مؤكدا ان الادارة الامريكية لا تقبل بأقل من هذا العمل بعد الاحداث التي صدمت العالم وخلفت اكثر من 1400 قتيل سوري بريء، ولكن يبدو ان هذه الادارة تقبل ولم تتحرك امام مقتل اكثر من 120 ألف سوري باسلحة تقليدية، وجودها لا يهدد اسرائيل.
بعد التخلص من الترسانة الكيميائية السورية، وتدمير الاسلحة الصاروخية، يبدو ان الادارة الامريكية تعتبر نظام الاسد الانسب، ولا داعي لمحاربته ودعم الثورة ضده، بل لا بد من الحفاظ عليه ولا داعي للمغامرة بنظام جديد لا تعرف ما سيكون موقفه من الكيان الصهيوني.

تقديرات إسرائيلية: الأسد لن يرد على قصف قاعدة اللاذقية

Arabs48.com

HOW DO YOU SPELL COWARD?

BASHAR ASSAD!

قال موقع يديعوت أحرونوت، مساء الجمعة، إنه على الرغم من التسريبات الأمريكية التي أكدت وقوف إسرائيل وراء قصف المواقع السورية ، فإن التقديرات الإسرائيلية تشير على أنه ، وكما حدث في المرات السابقة، فإن النظام السوري لن يرد على العمليات الإسرائيلية، بالرغم من تصريحات سابقة بأن سوريا سترد على كل اعتداء إسرائيلي.

وقال الموقع إن مصدرا رفيع المستوى، أبلغ وكالة رويترز للأنباء أن إسرائيل لا تتوقع أي رد سوري فالأسد يقوم بنزع أسلحته الكيماوية لأن هذه هي مصلحته، وهو قادر على اتخاذ القرارات المناسبة.

في المقابل استذكر الموقع تصريحات لعناصر في المعارضة السورية استنكرت القصف الإسرائيلي، مشيرا إلى أن قوات الأسد نفسه محبطة من نجاة إسرائيل من أي عقاب، وهي تواصل شن هجمات على سوريا دون أي رد فعل رسمي من النظام، الأمر الذي يزيد من غضب مؤيدي الأسد. 

Canadians Held 50 Days in Egyptian Prison After Documenting Massacre Speak Out Following Release

Democracy Now!
A MUST WATCH!
"As Egypt sets a date for ousted President Mohamed Morsi to stand trial for inciting the murder of protesters, and the Muslim Brotherhood calls for mass demonstrations, we speak with two people who witnessed one of the bloodiest massacres of Morsi supporters by Egyptian state forces. Acclaimed Toronto filmmaker John Greyson, and emergency room medical doctor Tarek Loubani were in Cairo on August 16, en route to a humanitarian mission in Gaza when they went to film a protest and then rushed to the scene of a massacre — Greyson reportedly began filming the shooting’s aftermath while Loubani treated some of the injured. Then, along with 600 Egyptians that day, the pair of Canadians were swept up and detained without charge. They were held in cockroach-infested jail cells with as many as 36 other inmates. Greyson and Loubani launched a hunger strike while supporters in Canada mounted a massive campaign to lobby for their release. Then, early October, the pair were freed. They have since returned home to Canada where they continued to call for the release of their Egyptian cellmates who remain imprisoned. We go now to Toronto where we are joined by Greyson, who is also a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. And, in Ontario, we’re joined by Tarek Loubani, an assistant professor at Western University. He is a Palestinian refugee and one of the architects of the Canada-Gaza academic collaboration, a project that brings doctors from the West to Gaza to train physicians...."

Real News Video: Racism, Occupier and the Occupied - Blumenthal Pt5

In the final episode of this Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Max Blumenthal responds to critics who say he has not dealt with the effect of terrorist attacks and anti-Jewish propaganda in the Arab world in strengthening racist and apartheid opinion in Israel

Real News Video: Architect of Apartheid in Israel: "If we don't kill, we will cease to exist" - Blumenthal Pt4

In this episode of Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Max Blumenthal looks at Arnon Sofer, one of Israel's most important strategic thinkers, who developed plans to defend Jewish demographics

Egypt’s Human Rights Abuses: Made in USA?

"It’s time to ensure that Egyptian human rights violations don’t come labeled “Made in the USA.”

On Oct. 9, the U.S. government announced that the U.S. was suspending millions of dollars in military aid to the Egypt. That was good news, but it’s not enough.

The White House decision fell short of the kind of systematic review necessary to bring public transparency to U.S. arms sales to Egypt and stronger protections against U.S. weapons being used in human rights violations.

On October 8, Amnesty International sent a letter to President Obama calling for three steps to protect Egyptians against the risk of human rights violations involving U.S. arms exports.

The letter made three requests:

• Stop putting lives at risk: The U.S. government should publicly halt the transfer of all small arms, light weapons, related ammunition, equipment and vehicles that bear a substantial risk of being used by Egypt’s security forces to commit human rights violations. These human rights violations include the violent dispersals of crowds and unwarranted lethal force against protesters.

• Make U.S. arms exports public: The U.S. should publicly disclose its arms exports and transfers to Egypt. The arms sales of greatest concern are often of low dollar value and seldom subject to public scrutiny or Congressional reporting requirements. The U.S. public needs to know what weapons its government is sending to Egypt, and why.

• Don’t train violators: The U.S. should prioritize training and assistance arrangements that include rigorous practical exercises and operating standards designed to advance full respect for international human rights law. Egyptian participants – both trainees and trainers – should be vetted to make sure they are not themselves implicated in serious human rights abuses.

Our letter followed several Amnesty International reports finding that Egyptian military and security forces used excessive and lethal force used against Egyptians. Time and time again, Amnesty International found that Egyptian forces targeted and used live ammunition against bystanders and unarmed protesters. Not only that, but Egyptian security forces failed to meet international standards that require that lethal force be used only in situations where lives are in danger......"

No more arms to Iraq, Obama

Nouri al-Maliki is meeting Barack Obama to ask for help 'fighting terrorism' .But it's the regime's own militias that Iraqis fear

• Haifa Zangana
• theguardian.com, Friday 1 November 2013

"Barack Obama is meeting Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, today in Washington. According to the official Iraqi story, they are to discuss Maliki's plea to train and equip Iraqi forces with advanced weapons to fight terrorism. If this is heeded, it will add to the crimes committed by the US against Iraqis since the invasion of 2003, as weapons and equipment made available to the regime have, to date, been used only against Iraqi people.

The Maliki regime blames all terrorist acts (frequent car explosions, often in markets, cafes and mosques) on al-Qaida, selectively choosing not to mention the regime's own militias: Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Iraqi Hezbollah, factions of the Mahdi army, the Badr brigades and the Mokhtar army.

A common belief among Iraqis is that only agents connected to the nearly 1 million strong army and security forces, and especially to the Special Forces (inherited from the occupation, trained by the US and now attached directly to Maliki's office) could carry out such sustained and widespread campaign of terror.

Why is it that so many come to the conclusion that most atrocities blamed on al-Qaida are actually the work of the regime, its factional fighters, and regional actors with links to security services? It is because the regime is the embodiment of the sectarian divide entrenched by the occupation. Its constitution and political process, nurtured by the US and UK, has spawned a kleptocracy of warlords, charlatans, and merchants of religion. Yes, al-Qaida is a presence. But the sectarian political parties that mushroomed after the invasion are also fighting each other, killing thousands of civilians in the process. Almost 3,000 people were killed in acts of violence between July and September this year alone with three times that number wounded. Many of those wounded often die due to lack of medical services. Acts of violence are presented daily on Iraqi TV like the weather forecast in Britain. They are destroying the very fabric of society and pushing people who have been living together for centuries to speak and act about "them" and "us".

Transparency International has described the link between kleptocracy and violence as follows: "Massive embezzlement, procurement scams, money laundering, oil smuggling and widespread bureaucratic bribery … have fuelled political violence and hampered effective state building and service delivery."

Every week, an estimated $800 million is said to be unlawfully transferred out of the country, while Iraqis are left deprived of basic needs.

A climate of fear has been manufactured to allow militias and mafia-like gangs to control daily life while unprecedented campaigns of arrests, detention, torture and executions force dissenting voices to flee the country. In Baghdad, Falluja, southern Nasiriya and other cities, protesters are faced by threats and imprisonment while in Hawija, north of Baghdad, 51 demonstrators were killed and many wounded when security forces and the army attacked a protest camp on 23 April. Three journalists were shot dead in October alone. Iraq is a country where the murders of journalists go unpunished.

Human Rights Watch reports give a stark picture of how fear and terror have been institutionalised: "Forces controlled by the defence, interior, and justice ministries, as well as elite forces reporting directly to the prime minister's office, continued arbitrary detentions of a broad spectrum of detainees, including in secret prisons outside the purview of the interior and justice ministries."

Forty-two prisoners, who included a woman, were executed earlier this month in an act denounced by the UN human rights chief, as "obscene and inhuman". Under current Iraqi law, 48 offences are subject to the death penalty.

No wonder that Iraqis see no way out under the current regime. Even fiercely nationalist organisations like the Association of Muslim Scholars calls for international actions to help Iraq retain its integrity and security.

While Iraqis are struggling relentlessly to achieve that and fight terrorism at the same time, we should also call on the American and British people to take action. They should press their elected governments prohibit security aid, especially arms, to oppressive regimes. Maliki's included."

Israel strikes Russian weapons shipment in Syria

US security official says attack occurred in port city of Latakia and that target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles

theguardian.com, Thursday 31 October 2013


"Israeli warplanes have attacked a shipment of Russian missiles inside a Syrian government stronghold, officials say, a development that threatened to add another volatile layer to regional tensions from the Syrian civil war.

The revelation came as the government of President Bashar al-Assad met a key deadline in an ambitious plan to eliminate Syria's entire chemical weapons stockpile by mid-2014 and avoid international military action.

The announcement by a global chemical weapons watchdog that the country has completed the destruction of equipment used to produce the deadly agents highlights Assad's willingness to cooperate, and puts more pressure on the divided and outgunned rebels to attend a planned peace conference.

An Obama administration official confirmed the Israeli airstrike overnight, but provided no details. Another security official said the attack occurred late on Wednesday in the Syrian port city of Latakia and that the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles.

There was no immediate confirmation from Syria.

Since the civil war in Syria began in March 2011, Israel has carefully avoided taking sides, but has struck shipments of missiles inside Syria at least twice this year.

The Syrian military, overstretched by the civil war, has not retaliated, and it was not clear whether the embattled Syrian leader would choose to take action this time. Assad may decide to again let the Israeli attack slide, particularly when his army has the upper hand on the battlefield inside Syria.

Israel has repeatedly declared a series of red lines that could trigger military intervention, including the delivery of "game-changing" weapons to the Syrian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Israel has never officially confirmed taking action inside Syria to avoid embarrassing Assad and sparking a potential response. But foreign officials say it has done so several times when Israeli intelligence determined that sophisticated missiles were on the move.

In January, an Israeli airstrike in Syria destroyed a shipment of advanced anti-aircraft missiles bound for Hezbollah, according to US officials. And in May, it was said to have acted again, taking out a shipment of Iranian-made Fateh-110 missiles at a Damascus airport.

The Fateh-110s have advanced guidance systems that allow them to travel up to 200 miles per hour with great precision. Their solid-fuel propellant allows them to be launched at short notice, making them hard to detect and neutralise.

Israel has identified several other weapons systems as game changers, including chemical weapons, Russian-made Yakhont missiles that can be fired from land and destroy ships at sea, and Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. Israel's January airstrike is believed to have destroyed a shipment of SA-17s.

Syrian activists and opposition groups reported strong explosions on Wednesday night that appeared to come from inside an air defence facility in Latakia. They said the cause of the blasts was not known."

While the Syrian Butcher is Busy Bombing Syrian Cities, White House Confirms: Israel Attacked Syria Airbase

Warplanes Went Through Lebanon, Reports Say

"A massive explosion at a Latakia air base in northwestern Syria was the result of an Israeli attack, according to White House officials. The site contained shipments of Russian anti-aircraft missiles.
The first reports on the strike came out of al-Arabiya, and they claimed a second, still-unconfirmed strike in Damascus as well. Casualties are unclear, but Syria’s state media insisted there were no injuries.
Lebanese news outlets reported Israeli warplanes violating their airspace earlier Wednesday afternoon, and they left the airspace north of Tripoli, heading out to sea, in the early evening. After that, the warplanes attacked Latakia from the sea.
The reports claim that the Latakia base “possibly contained” Russian SA-8 missiles, and that those missiles were potentially headed to Hezbollah, though neither of these assertions has been proven. Israel has repeatedly attacked Syria over the past year."

أكدها مسؤول أمريكي؛ "غارتان إسرائيليتان استهدفتا شحنات صواريخ في دمشق واللاذقية"..

Arabs48.com

تاريخ النشر: 31/10/2013 - آخر تحديث: 20:29

صواريخ مضادة للطائرات قرب اللاذقية

أكد مسؤول بالإدارة الأمريكية، لشبكة "سي أن أن"، اليوم الخميس، على قيام طائرات تابعة لسلاح الجو الإسرائيلي، بتوجيه ضربة على قاعدة عسكرية تابعة للنظام السوري، باللاذقية، الخميس.

وأضاف المصدر الذي فضل عدم ذكر اسمه لحساسية الموضوع، أن الهدف الإسرائيلي كان مخازن للصواريخ ومعدات أخرى للمنظمات الصاروخية، وتم استهدافه بعد أن أحست السلطات الإسرائيلية بأن هذه المعدات من الممكن أن يتم نقلها إلى حزب الله اللبناني.

وكانت قد قالت قناة "العربية"، اليوم الخميس، إن غارتين إسرائيليتين استهدفتا مساء الأربعاء دمشق واللاذقية، وتحديداً شحنات من صواريخ "سام 8" كانت في طريقها من سوريا إلى حزب الله.

ونقلت عن مصادر في المعارضة السورية وأخرى مقرّبة من النظام قولها إن قاعدة صاروخية للدفاع الجوي في ريف جبلة باللاذقية استهدفت بصاروخ أطلق من البحر المتوسط الليلة الماضية.

كما نقلت عن ناشطين سوريين ومصادر إعلامية وصفتها بأنها مقرّبة من النظام قولها بوقوع انفجار ضخم قرب موقع عسكري في مدينة اللاذقية.

وبحسبها فإن صاروخاً قادماً من جهة البحر المتوسط استهدف قاعدة صاروخية للدفاع الجوي بجانب المعهد الزراعي في قرية صنوبر بريف جبلة.

كما تحدثت أنباء عن استهداف منظومة صواريخ "إس 125" السورية التي وصلت مؤخراً من روسيا، وأشارت إلى أن صاروخاً أطلق من بارجة في عرض البحر باتجاه المنظومة الموجودة في قاعدة عسكرية في منطقة اللاذقية.

وبحسب "العربية" فإن مصادر المعارضة السورية تقول إن ريف جبلة يضم قاعدة جوية في مطار جبلة، بها صواريخ للدفاع الجوي من نوع "بوك"، يعتقد أنها استهدفت خلال الانفجار.

وشددت المصادر على تعرّض القاعدة الجوية في جبلة لقصف بصاروخ دون تحديد مصدره، فيما لم يصدر أي تقرير أو اعتراف رسمي حول الهجوم.

إلى ذلك، أبرزت وسائل الإعلام الإسرائيلية النبأ نقلا عن "العربية"، وكتبت "هآرتس" أن المصادر تتحدث عن قيام الجيش الإسرائيلي بشن غارتين في منطقتي دمشق واللاذقية، وأن سلاح الجو استهدف قافلتين تنقلان صورايخ "أس إيه 8" معدة لحزب الله، وأنه جرى تدميرها بالكامل.

وأبرزت "هآرتس" نقلا عن منظمة حقوق الإنسان السورية الناشطة في بريطانيا قولها إنه سمع دوي انفجار قوي في قاعدة للصواريخ تابعة للجيش السوري في اللاذقية. كما نقلت عن شهود عيان قولهم إن الانفجار وقع بالقرب من شاطئ قرية صنوبر في ريف جبلة.

كما أبرزت "يديعوت أحرونوت" النبأ، وكتب المعلق العسكري رون بن يشاي أنه بغض النظر عن مدى صحة الأنباء، فإن سورية تحاول بشكل متواصل، وعلى ما يبدو في هذه الأيام أيضا، نقل صواريخ "أرض – جو" إلى حزب الله. كما كتب أن عناصر حزب الله تدربوا في سورية على تفعيل بطاريات صواريخ "أس إيه 8" المضادة للطائرات في معسكر تابع للقوات الجوية السورية قرب دمشق.

Subverting Saudi Arabia through song

By Brian Whitaker

"It must have been rather mortifying for the Saudi women who risked arrest last weekend by asserting their right to drive – only to see their efforts thoroughly upstaged by men, even if the men involved were supporters of their campaign. 

By this morning, the YouTube video song, No Woman, No Drive, had been viewed 7,778,543 times. Its gentle ridicule of old-fashioned patriarchal attitudes has certainly struck a chord and it may eventually do more to advance the cause of women's driving than most of the previous protests.

Despite all the attention it has attracted, the video itself has not been discussed in much detail, though. This is a pity because  (in my opinion, at least) there are plenty of interesting things to be said about it. So, at the risk of over-analysing four minutes and fifteen seconds of protest song, here goes.

First, it's performed in traditional Saudi dress. Would it have been quite so effective if the singers – Hisham Fageeh and Fahad Albutairi – had been wearing jeans and T-shirts? Probably not. The incongruity of the respectable/conservative attire, coupled with attempts at Jamaican accents adds to the irony.

The song also alludes to Saudi clerics' disapproval of music. Casual listeners might not notice, but it's entirely a capella – without musical instruments. In Wahhabi religious terms this makes it halal – permissible. All the sounds come from human voices, plus some percussion from the clapping of hands, the slapping of chests and, more unusually and amusingly, the scratching of beards.

Whether intentionally or not, this subverts religious objections to music and highlights their pointlessness by showing that suitably musical effects can be achieved in other ways.

The video also manages to include an image of female genitals but, again, this is difficult to object to on "morality" grounds since it's a medical diagram – an allusion to the Saudi cleric who recently claimed that driving can damage a woman's ovaries and lead to the birth of children with "clinical problems".

The song's title and lyrics, of course, are a play on Bob Marley's famous song, No Woman, No Cry – and not for the first time. In 2010 there was also a campaign to bar Saudi Arabia from the Olympics (for discriminating against women athletes) which used the slogan "No Woman, No Play".

But is there more to the choice of a Bob Marley song than a convenient play on words? What does Marley signify for Arabs, and Saudis in particular?

Introducing the song, Fageeh doesn't mention him by name. He simply says: "I heard this song by this Jamaican guy that caught my attention."

While Saudi clerics might not know who he was talking about, there are plenty of Arabs who would. Marley's songs about oppression, poverty and injustice certainly resonate in the Middle East and another of them – Get Up, Stand Up – was sung during some of the early Arab Spring protests in Tunisia and Egypt.

Marley's Jamaican nationality also helps to make him acceptable. As one of a fairly small number of "non-western" singers with a worldwide following, he's not easily portrayed as a product of cultural imperialism.

On the other hand, Marley wasn't a Muslim and Rastafarianism doesn't even count as one of the "heavenly" religions, so presumably Bob now gets a light for his spliffs from the fires of Hell. Were he still alive, his fondness for the ganja would also have got him into serious trouble in Saudi Arabia.

In an intriguing side-note, The Gleaner (a Jamaican newspaper), points out that in 1974 No Woman, No Cry was a minor breakthrough for female musicians. The Natty Dread album, which featured the song, was the first of Marley's albums to include harmonies sung by women. Almost 40 years later, that's still apparently a step too far for the Saudi version which uses male-only voices.

The credits at the end of the YouTube video say it was written and produced by Hisham Fageeh, Fahad Albutairi and Alaa Wardi. Many of the news reports mention Fageeh, the 26-year-old activist/comedian who was mainly responsible for it, and some mention his co-performer, Albutairi, too. 

Less has been said about the third man, Wardi, but look him up and – horror of horrors – he turns out to be Iranian. So again, whether intentionally or not, here is another subversive touch. The video is an example of Saudi-Iranian cooperation at a time when the Saudi regime is hyping up supposed threats from Iran for its own political purposes.

Another interesting observation comes from Robert Lacey, author of Inside the Kingdom, a modern history of Saudi Arabia. Lacey was struck by Fageeh's remark introducing the video when he said he got his inspiration for it "while studying in the US" (he's a graduate of Columbia University).

Lacey links this to the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program – a scheme which has aroused much hostility among Saudi Arabia's more reactionary elements. Lacey, however, views the foreign scholarships as a bit of deliberate subversion by the king, intended to bring about social change:

"No Woman, No Drive provides the perfect explanation of why King Abdullah is currently paying for 150,000 young Saudis to study in the United States (with 15,000 in Britain and still more young Saudi men and women in Europe, Australia, Russia and China) - and why the kingdom's clerics and conservatives hate the programme so bitterly.

"A regime that undermines some of its country's most entrenched prejudices so brilliantly can't be all bad."

Saud Kabli, a political scientist and columnist for al-Watan newspaper, agrees with Lacey and likens the scholarship programme to Muhammed Ali Paça's educational missions to Europe in the 1820s "which helped the buildup of modern Egypt and triggered, later on, the Arab Renaissance". 

"Anyone who visits Saudi Arabia today and engages deeply with the youth will see beyond doubt that young men and women like Hisham Faqeeh are part of a much wider trend whereby Saudi youth are becoming more assertive, more open to the world and more receptive to global ideals.

"The youth of Saudi Arabia are a hidden force of change that will definitely change the society in the coming years, and it seems that the government realises this and even capitalises on it, probably on the hope that change will come eventually from within the society rather than forcefully from the top."

Kabli adds:

"The issue of women driving is only an another round of [the] fight picked up by the religious establishment in hope to preserve their old-entrenched status in the system and the spoils it provides. In my opinion, they will eventually lose this fight and the momentum of the Saudi youth will prevail at the end, not just when it comes to the issue of women driving but many other social issues still in the pipeline." "  

    

Video: Syria footage sheds light on Iran's involvement

BBC

"Footage from Syria appears to show the extent of Iran's involvement in the conflict-ridden country.

The regime in Tehran says it is assisting Damascus by sending advisers from its elite Revolutionary Guards.
But when some rebels captured a video camera, belonging to an Iranian cameraman who had been embedded with the Revolutionary Guards, the scope of Iran's covert activities in Syria became clear. "

Syria: What Chance to Stop the Slaughter?

By Kenneth Roth
October 30, 2013

"How should we make sense of the enforcement of a “red line” prohibiting one horrible weapon that has killed relatively few but leaving untouched the conventional weapons that the Syrian military has used to kill tens of thousands? It is easy to disparage a chemical weapons deal that aims to stop the method of slaughter responsible for fewer than 2 percent of Syria’s estimated 115,000 deaths resulting from the conflict over the past two-and-a-half years while leaving unimpeded the means used to slaughter more than 98 percent. “Red light for chemical weapons, green light for conventional weapons” would fairly summarize the approach...."

Jordan’s restrictions on refugees from Syria reveal strain on host countries

"International support is needed to help Jordan end border restrictions on refugees fleeing the armed conflict in Syria, said Amnesty International.

According to a new report published today hundreds fleeing to Jordan and other neighbouring countries are being turned back at borders.

The report, Growing restrictions, tough conditions: The plight of those fleeing Syria to Jordan, highlights the increasing difficulties faced by people who are trying to escape the conflict in Syria to Jordan, as well as other countries. ٍScores have also been forcibly deported back to Syria. In many cases those allowed to stay struggle to access basic services.

"It is unacceptable that scores of people from Syria, including families with small children seeking refuge from the fighting, are being denied admission by neighbouring countries," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Director of the Middle East and North Africa.

"People fleeing Syria to Jordan and other countries in the region are being hampered by tightening border restrictions. Many of them have already lost everything. Amnesty International urges neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to all individuals fleeing the conflict in Syria. It is also calling on the international community to step up its efforts to help them do so."

More than two million refugees have fled Syria sparking the worst humanitarian crisis of this decade. Most have found refuge in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. At least a further 4.25 million are displaced inside Syria.

"The influx of refugees has placed an enormous strain on countries in the region. Their resources are understandably stretched. However, this should not be used as an excuse for denying people entry or forcibly returning people to the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria," said Philip Luther.

"The international community has an important role to play in offering support to countries in the region who so far are shouldering the burden of Syria’s refugees with minimal resources. Immediate action is needed to step up international humanitarian aid and resettlement programmes and avert a worsening crisis."......"

Peace process is doomed to fail while Israel stalls for time

By Jonathan Cook
The National

".....
All indications are that these talks, like their predecessors, are doomed to fail. The question is whether the Palestinians have the nerve to unmask the charade. If not, Israel will use the peace process as cover while its settlements devour yet more of the Palestinian state-in-waiting."

Egypt: Draft Law Would Effectively Ban Protests

Amend Repressive Draft Assembly Law

"(New York) – A draft law on assembly awaiting ratification by the interim president would effectively give the police carte blanche to ban protest in Egypt. The bill would ban all demonstrations near official buildings, give the police absolute discretion to ban any other protest, and allow officers to forcibly disperse overall peaceful protests if even a single protester throws a stone.

The bill would also require organizers to notify the police in advance of any public meeting of more than 10 people in a private or public place. It would allow the police to ban these meetings, which could severely restrict the freedom of assembly of political parties and nongovernmental groups, Human Rights Watch said.

“This draft law would effectively mandate the police to ban all protests outright and to use force to disperse ongoing protests,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The final law will be an important indicator of the extent to which the new government is going to allow for political space in Egypt.”

Human Rights Watch reviewed the October 21 draft of the Law on the Right to Public Meetings, Processions and Peaceful Demonstrations. As it stands, the draft law falls far short of Egypt’s obligation to respect freedom of assembly under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Human Rights Watch said....."

Saudi Arabian human rights lawyer sentenced to prison for demanding reforms

"Today’s decision by a Jeddah criminal court to imprison a prominent human rights lawyer for having signed a pro-reform statement two years ago is yet another sign of the arbitrary nature of Saudi Arabia’s justice system, Amnesty International said.

Human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair has been sentenced to three months in prison for offending the Saudi Arabian judiciary. The charges stem mainly from his signing a petition in 2011 that criticized the heavy-handedness of the Saudi Arabian authorities in dealing with 16 reformists.

“This trial is a yet another example of how the authorities abuse the justice system to silence peaceful dissent in Saudi Arabia,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Programme Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“This conviction and prison sentence should be quashed. And the pending charges should be dropped. Amnesty International considers anybody put behind bars merely for peacefully exercising the right to freedom of expression to be a prisoner of conscience who must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Waleed Abu al-Khair has been a defence lawyer in prominent human rights cases. Among his clients has been Raif Badawi, a well-known Saudi Arabian blogger who was sentenced in July this year to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for, among other things, insulting religious authorities by creating and managing a website....."

The Meaning of Words

By Maysaloon

"Walid Mouallem has reportedly told the UN envoy Ibrahimi that Geneva 2 will go ahead but only if it is a dialogue between Syrians. This is a statement for public consumption, and the regime's been saying things like this since the start of the revolution. What the regime really wants, above all else, is to isolate the opposition from the West and then let it collapse upon itself. This is simply because the "Assad" way of doing things is to wait until the guests leave the house before unleashing his full fury.

You must understand that this present situation is deeply unpleasant for Assad, what with the entire world scrutinizing him, watching everything that is happening, and passing judgement. He'll let the kerfuffle about his use of chemical weapons pass, this time, but he's getting fed up with the world telling him how to run his affairs, that is, brutally pacifying the country. This time he compromised with the world and gave them his chemical weapons, he can always get more, but next time he will not be forgiving. He will accept attending the Geneva 2 talks in the same way he sees "no obstacles" to his re-running for the presidency in 2014. What of it? He is a Syrian citizen like any other and he believes he has every right to be there. It's inconsequential what the world, Syrians or any rational human being thinks. Bashar al Assad makes his own reality - kudos to him, he would make Nietzsche proud. Assad thinks he is above laws, above morality, above right and wrong. He creates his own conception of right and wrong, and God help you if you cross him. He is magnanimous too, for those who see the errors of their ways, but they have to confess. They have to submit to his view and his understanding of words. Then and only then is their faith and love for this glorious leader complete. They must understand the real meaning he ascribes to words, like Humpty Dumpty does.

Words like the "mosaic" of Syria, the "colours" of the Syrian people, the "terrorists" coming to wreak havoc, "internal" solutions, principled "resistance" to the "Zionist enemy", "Arabism" but without the Arabs, "Islam" but you bring your own knee-pads and tub of Vaseline. Fear God, but fear Asad more. In Assad's universe we do not talk about "Sunni" and "Alawite", that is plain rude. We ignore the fact that the security services all have heavy (coastal and Alawite) accents. There is no "revolution", it is either a "conspiracy" or a "crisis". Once you understand these terms and understand the limits you are to operate within, you can then become either a loyal acolyte or, if you are unhappy with the slice you have been given, you can become a member of the loyal opposition, and criticize others who got more than you and so hope you can get more if you make enough noise. Now you are orbiting in the Assad solar system and you can be a part of the "patriotic" solution.

There is a word, plausible deniability, and Assad epitomizes it. He certainly doesn't care to know that there is rape, torture and murder in the dungeons of his security services. If anything happens these are individual mistakes, and as all powerful dictator of the country, son of the previous all powerful dictator of the country, and commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces he can't be expected to know every little thing that happens in such a big country. In fact why should he know anything, especially about running a country. All he needs to do is feed the wild beasts that keep him in power and that should do the trick. But he does know, enough to be directly responsible for all this misery that has been wrought by him and for him and in his name."