by Natasha Tynes | Nov 18, 2005 | Political mayhem
Over 60 Iraqis were butchered today. This horrible attack is the latest in a series of massacres committed by, you guessed it: the insurgents in Iraq. After reading this, the first thought that came to mind was how will Jordanians react to this now.
It is no secret that a number of Jordanians cheered the evil doings of the insurgents, seeing it as a form of "legitimate resistance." Now that Jordan has been hit by what seems to be Iraqi insurgents from Falluja, will Jordanians — including the Jordanian media — publicly denounce the doings of the "resistance" and support ongoing efforts to stabilize Iraq.
Will the Jordanian public and media now support the democratic steps taking place in Iraq, including elections? Do Jordanians realize now that stability in Iraq means stability at home? Let’s wait and see.
by Natasha Tynes | Nov 13, 2005 | Jordan, my nation, Political mayhem
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I just watched the chilling confession of this low-life, bloodsucking terrorist whose efforts to butcher still more Jordanians failed. I really do not know what to say. Words escape me at this moment. I will just reiterate what His Majesty King Abduallah said on CNN last night: " … these people are insane." Here is the link to Alarabiya’s story (Arabic).
Ms. Rousan, do you still think it was Mossad that did this (Arabic)?
UPDATE: Here is CNN article about the Jordanian reaction to the confession.
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by Natasha Tynes | Nov 8, 2005 | Jordan, my nation, Political mayhem
The following paragraph caught my eye yesterday while reading this Washington post article:
Salah Ali and Muhammad Bashmilah, who were living in Indonesia, were arrested in August and October 2003, respectively; Ali in Jakarta and Bashmilah in Amman, Jordan. They were taken to a Jordanian prison and tortured — badly beaten and chained in uncomfortable positions — by Jordanian authorities before being transferred to U.S. custody, according to Amnesty International. Both men had traveled to Afghanistan in 2000 to learn about jihad, but neither man fought against the United States, according to FitzGerald.
Source: [Washington Post]
A number of Jordanian bloggers — here, here, and here — have discussed the issue of Jordan’s alleged involvement in interogating and torturing terror suspects. I have to admit, this issue has been tormenting me for a while. As much as I loathe the evil doings of the bloodsucking terrorists, I believe the Geneva Conventions, which ban torture, should be upheld. It is a tough situation, I know, as many might argue that these particular suspects are not really prisoners of war. I have the same dilemma as Jameed but I’m leaning towards banning the use of torture all together.
by Natasha Tynes | Oct 25, 2005 | Political mayhem
An Israeli club DJ who has helped make ethnic Arab music the hottest late-night trend in fashionable nightspots in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 26-year-old Tel Avivian said to himself ‘if Arab music has become so popular among Israelis, then bringing Arab DJs to Israel will be even better.’
So last week, Einhorn made history of sorts by bringing together Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli DJs under one roof in Jerusalem in the name of coexistence and a common love of fusing together traditional Arab music with club rhythms.
Bridge For Peace featuring Einhorn, Palestinian DJ Khalil from Ramallah, and Jordanian DJ Kalice from Amman, drew over 800 people to Jerusalem’s bursting after-midnight dance club Haoman 17, where Israelis gyrated to the dizzying sounds of the ancient/modern music.
Source: [Israel 21C]
Why I am not surprised that this was not reported in the Jordanian press? I guess journalists shy away from covering these kinds of stories for fear of being labeled "normalizers." I believe these initiatives should be highlighted in the local and the international press as it shows that in spite of the bloody mayhem taking place in our region we can still co-exist peacefully and even create music.
by Natasha Tynes | Oct 22, 2005 | Political mayhem
In a strongly worded editorial the Washington Post is suggesting sanctions be imposed upon Syria.
The Security Council has a good precedent to follow here. When Western investigators linked the Libyan government to the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Scotland, the United Nations applied sanctions to the regime of Moammar Gaddafi and kept them in place until his government accepted responsibility for the crime and surrendered two of its authors for trial. The United Nations should demand no less in this case. The Syrian sponsors of Mr. Hariri’s murder must be identified and brought to justice; if that includes Mr. Assad and his relatives, so be it.
It is extremely frustrating and quite ironic that in the Arab world it is mostly the helpless citizens who pay the price for the actions of dictators and their cronies. The Iraqis paid the price for Saddam’s arrogance, enduring years of sanctions. Now it seems the Syrians will be next.
It is the weekend here and I can’t seem to relax. The repercussions of the Mehlis report could engulf the whole Middle East. If unrest starts in Syria, it might start a domino effect through neighboring countries. I’m worried. Anyway, I leave you with some more reactions from Syrian bloggers:
by Natasha Tynes | Oct 21, 2005 | La Revolutione, Political mayhem
So the truth regarding the assassination of Rafiq Al-Harriri is finally out. The Melhis report boldly points a finger at top Syrian intelligence officials. Surprise, surprise!
I wonder how believers in conspiracy theories in the Arab world (and there are loads of them) will spin this one? How will they find a way to pin the blame on the favorite Middle East culprits, the US or Israel? It will be interesting to watch. Never underestimate the creativity of analysts in the Middle East.
The admirable Lebanese people never fell for his trap, immediately pin-pointing the culprits. Who can forget the demonstrator’s famous chant "Bashar itla3 Barra" or "Bashar get out of here!"
One thing I have been thinking about for the past week or so: How do Syrians feel about the findings of the Melhis report?
UPDATE: Here is a quick wrap up of comments from Syrian bloggers:
- Sarroujah doesn’t believe that the report identified Syrian officials.
- Amarji is hopeful.
- The Damascene blog describes the anxiety among Syrians ahead of the release of the report.
An Israeli club DJ who has helped make ethnic Arab music the hottest late-night trend in fashionable nightspots in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 26-year-old Tel Avivian said to himself ‘if Arab music has become so popular among Israelis, then bringing Arab DJs to Israel will be even better.’ 