Category: The Middle East

Yelling at my computer

 There’s a piece in the “On Faith” section of today’s Washington Post, where John Hagee proclaims his hopes and concerns for Obama.  Of course, he includes this bit of bovine excrement: “When it comes to our ally Israel, one of my chief concerns…”  To which I posted the following comment:  The dirty little secret about …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/27/yelling-at-my-computer/

A question

 Something I have not seen or heard discussed during the rape of Gaza or its prologue… Haven’t there been all kinds of funds and research expended on anti-missile technologies?  Weren’t American systems installed in Israel?  Why, after years of harassment by the pea-shooters of Hamas, and the rockets of Hezbollah and Saddam before them, hasn’t …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/24/a-question/

Lest we forget

 Near the end of Obama’s inaugural address was this stirring rhetoric: “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/20/lest-we-forget/

A prayer for Israel

 Friends,  Yesterday, Al Staggs sent me the poem-prayer below; he has today given permission to share it so please feel free to pass it along.  Al is a former pastor and presently a performer and a poet.  He is probably best known for his portrayals of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Clarence Jordan and just recently published a book …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/08/a-prayer-for-israel/

1 of 2: Katyusha, Katyusha

 Interesting poem by Sean O’Brien, written in response to the latest phase of conflict between Israel and Hamas:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/02/katyusha-gaza-israel-poem-sean-obrien  …about the poem:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/02/poet-sean-obrien-writes-gaza-poem And, in an op-ed piece titled “Inheriting Bush’s blinkers” by Ali Abunimah (co-founder of “The Electronic Intifada” and author of “One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse”), the writer suggests …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/02/1-of-2-katyusha-katyusha/

2 of 2: Katyusha, Katyusha

 Here’s an interesting response from my Irish bard-friend, a linguist (and Russian-language expert) in Dublin… Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 1:54 PM Subject: Re: AA/ACS Katyusha, Katyusha O’Brien is apparently not aware that the Russian nickname for the small and highly unsophisticated rockets (launched en masse in barrages) that Hamas and Hizbullah use comes from a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/02/2-of-2-katyusha-katyusha/

The Brainwashington Post

 Posted 1/1/2009 3:59:06 PM in response to “Hard Truths About the Conflict” by Robert J. Lieber, a professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University, is most recently the author of “The American Era: Power and Strategy for the 21st Century.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123102773.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 Such precision! The splattered brains and entrails of only 1 in 5 …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2009/01/01/the-brainwashington-post/