Free Alaa!

Sandmonkey:

Alaa, blogger, co-founder of the egyptian blog aggregator Manalaa and democracy activist, got arrested today during a protest to support the Judiciary's branch fight for independence. He, and about 10 others, were rounded up in the street, beaten up and thrown in a police car. Amongst those who got arrested were at least 3 girls, and the police beat up at least another 2 girls as well.

The way it worked, the police made sure to press the demonstartors close to the egyptian musem, where they cordoned them and wouldn't let them leave, while continiously hurling insults at them. The demonstartors tried to get the police to let them go for half an hour, but no avail. The Police cordon then opend where a group of plainly dressed police officers and thugs rushed in and started beating up the demonstartors and dragging them on the asphalt till they threw them in the police vehicles. The Police also made sure that none of the satalite news channels would be able to get video footage of what they did by not allowing the press to come close and keeping them away the entire time.

Go to the link for the rest, and updates.

Morning Report: May 7, 2005

Israel appoints Iran expert as security council chief. Debka: 'New focus on Iran prompts appointment of deputy Mossad chief Ilan Mizrahi, 56, as Israel’s next National Security Council chief. He replaces Gen. Giora Eiland who asked to be relieved of the post last year. DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report the new appointee, an experienced field operative, is a world class authority on Iran and expert on Muslim and Arab affairs, although less conversant with Palestinian issues. Selecting Mizrahi for the job signposts PM Olmert’s order of strategic priorities. The NSC’s relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem places a security-clandestine branch directly alongside the incoming prime minister. He acquires an ace in secret diplomacy should he wish to bypass defense minister Amir Peretz, foreign minister Tzipi Livni or his inner security cabinet, for discreet exchanges with Washington, foreign intelligence chiefs, or key Arab officials. Mizrahi knows how to reach the right person without go-betweens. He also prefers to keep a low personal profile, a rare attribute in Israeli officialdom. Father of three, the prime minister’s new national security adviser spent four years as deputy Mossad chief. He has a master’s degree in Oriental Studies.' (Debka)

Changes in the CIA. In from the Cold reports: 'Indeed, the CIA of the future will be a shadow of its former self (no pun intended). Much of its analytical function will eventually move to other organizations, such as the National Intelligence Council--which works directly for the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte--or the recently-established National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC). Both are seen as more logical homes for much of the analytical capabilities that once resided at Langley, when the CIA chief also led the nation's intelligence community.' Spook86 predicts resistance to incoming Director George Hayden's reforms, but expresses confidence that Hayden is the man for the job. Full analysis at the link. (In from the Cold)


Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Euston Manifesto Makes the BBC

Dreams Into Lightning congratulates Norm Geras and the writers of the Euston Manifesto for upholding the highest values of the British and European liberal tradition - and getting a spot in the BBC News:

A pub on the Euston Road in London was the venue for a document that has caused quite a stir in political circles in Britain and the United States.

The document, called the Euston Manifesto, was drawn up in a series of meetings at O'Neill's, opposite the British Library and not far from Euston station.

It is set for a public launch on 25 May (not at the pub), but it has already been published and extensively discussed on the internet, where it had its origins.

It was drafted by a veteran left-wing academic, Norman Geras, professor emeritus in politics at Manchester University. Geras runs his own blogsite called normblog.

"We wanted to declare support for values that are being compromised," he told me.

"We did not want a socialist document but one which would appeal to others who are liberal and democrats.

"For example, it is quite regular to read about terrorism that 'Yes, putting bombs on buses is bad, but you need to understand it'.

"The word 'understand' has two meanings. It means to explain and to condone - and that 'but' often tends to condone the act."

And then there's a lot of blah-blah about whether the Euston group should be ashamed of the support of neo-cons like Bill Kristol, and predictable rejoinders from the New Statesman and the Guardian. Never mind, go read the article anyway.

Here's why the Euston Manifesto matters. There are many matters of governance on which reasonable people can reasonably disagree - Great Society vs. Small Government, and so on. But these conversations can only take place when there is common ground and a set of shared values and interests. By isolating itself in a shrill, nihilistic orgy of radicalism, the Left not only sabotages itself; it also deprives the greater society of the benefit of a constructive critique.

Whether or not you agree with the social/economic program of the Euston Manifesto, remember that it is an important step toward the renewal of true debate in the Western world - an all-important, intellectual "commons" that seems very much in danger these days.

Euston Manifesto

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Jack Straw Is Out

Free Iran News reports, with no great sorrow, that Jack Straw has been dismissed as the Blair government's foreign secretary:

Dears,

Our most dangerous enemy His Excellency! Jack (Without) Straw got the boot that he deserved.
Please read the following.

Hashem
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ramin EtebarSent: Friday, May 05, 2006 4:44 PM
To: Subject: Tony Blair Fires Foreign Secretary-Jack Straw
Importance: High

Jack Mo-Straw is fired


Ex-Marxist and one of the Leftover Neo-Liberal Old Europe anti-US diplomat who provided direct and indirect support to Islamists terrorists occupied Iran and other anti-American radicals, is now down to toilet of the history. During his time in the office, most of the terrorist groups and groups responsible for 9/11 disaster, were flourished in England.

The UK - and the left faction of the Labour party in particular - are seen by many Iranian activists as collaborators with the islamist regime in Tehran.

AP via Yahoo:

Stung by an election defeat, Tony Blair shuffled his Cabinet on Friday and replaced Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in an attempt to save his own political future and shore up support to tackle crises in Iran and Iraq.

Straw had privately expressed doubts about the Iraq war to his boss and publicly took a different stance on Iran. He described military action against Tehran as "inconceivable," something neither Blair nor President Bush would say, and called reports that the Bush administration has contingency plans for a tactical nuclear strike "nuts."

Margaret Beckett, a Blair loyalist who has been serving as environment secretary, takes over the Foreign Office, becoming Britain's first female foreign secretary.

BBC:

Charles Clarke has been sacked as home secretary in the biggest Cabinet reshuffle of Tony Blair's career. The prime minister is trying to regain momentum after one of the worst local election results in Labour's history.

Mr Clarke will be replaced by Defence Secretary John Reid. Margaret Beckett is the new foreign secretary, with Jack Straw becoming Commons leader.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Morning Report: May 5, 2006

Iran regime thugs continue misogynist brutality. Iran Focus: 'Iranian authorities have launched a crackdown on “mal-veiling” in society and have stepped up arrests of women caught breaching the Islamic dress code. The new crackdown, which began in mid-April, coincided with a call by Majlis (Parliament) deputies for the adoption of a bill to regulate women’s attire during the hot summer months. ... Penalties for disobeying the dress code are severe. Women caught flouting the code can receive lashes, jail sentences, and large fines.' Photos at the link. Also from Iran Focus: ' Iranian authorities flogged 54 people for attending a mixed-sex party in the northern province of Mazandaran, a state-run daily reported. The men and women were arrested by the “anti-vice police” in a park in the suburbs of the town of Babol as they were partying during the night, the daily Iran wrote on Thursday.' (Iran Focus)

IRI continues anti-spritual, anti-intellectual persecutions. The Iranian regime continued its war against religion by arresting 52 Sufis and their lawyers, Iran Focus reports: 'Dozens of Islamic mystics and their lawyers have been sentenced to jail and flogging, a state-run daily reported on Thursday. Altogether, 52 Islamic mystics, or Sufis, were sentenced to jail time and flogging and received a fine, the daily Kargozaran wrote. They were charged with “disrupting public order”. They were from among 1,000 Sufis who were arrested in February for taking part in anti-government riots in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. Their two lawyers, Farshid Yadollahi and Omid Behrouzi, were also sentenced to one year behind bars and 74 lashes and fined 10 million Rials ($1,000). Both of the men were also barred from working as lawyers for five years.' Meanwhile, a leading Iranian-Canadian intellectual has been jailed in Iran. The Scotsman reports: 'A prominent Iranian philosopher and writer has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, it was reported yesterday. Iran's judiciary confirmed the arrest, without specifying the charges brought against Ramin Jahanbegloo, who also holds Canadian citizenship. The first high-profile intellectual arrested since the election of the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June, Jahanbegloo is being held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where most of Iran's jailed political dissidents are kept.' BBC: 'A leading Canadian-Iranian intellectual, Ramin Jahanbegloo, has been arrested at the airport in Tehran.
A prominent dissident cleric described Mr Jahanbegloo's arrest as "the height of lawlessness and insecurity". At a gathering to celebrate International Press Freedom Day, Mohsen Kadivar said Mr Jahanbegloo was one of Iran's philosophical journalists. ... Mr Jahanbegloo is a well-known Canadian-Iranian professor with doctorates from the Sorbonne and Harvard University. He has written and edited more than a dozen books on philosophy and political science.' The CBC has this update: 'A friend says former University of Toronto professor Ramin Jahanbegloo, an Iranian-Canadian detained in a prison in Tehran since last week, has been transferred to a hospital. Shahram Kholdi told CBC News on Thursday his contacts in Iran alerted him that Jahanbegloo is in hospital. He is not sure whether the hospital is within the Evin prison, where the writer and philosopher was being held, or is a separate institution. ... Jahanbegloo's family and friends fear he has been tortured. Evin is the prison that Montrealer Zahra Kazemi was trying to photograph when she was arrested on June 23, 2003. Kazemi was beaten so badly by interrogators that she died.' Some sources via Regime Change Iran and Free Iran News Forum. (various)

VDH: The calm before the storm. Victor Davis Hanson at RealClear Politics: 'In the brief present window between Iran's enrichment and its final step to weapons-grade production, we must keep calm and give Ahmadinejad even more rope to hang himself. As his present hysteria grows, exasperated Europeans or jittery neighbors in the region may even prod the U.S. to take action - indeed, to be a little more unilateral and preemptive in letting the Iranians know that their acquisition of a nuclear weapon will never happen.'

Is hanging too good for him? "You're slowly hung," in the words of a former Supermax inmate quoted at AmbivaBlog. For more on Moussaui's new home, go to the link. (AmbivaBlog)

Debka: US says it's on Zarqawi's trail. A current bulletin at Debka reports: 'The US military in Iraq says it is hot on the heels of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Documents and an unedited video of him were found in a rural hideout near Baghdad. Spokesman Maj.-Gen Rick Lynch said Thursday that al Qaeda’s leader in Iraq was throwing all his resources into attacks in Baghdad and was probably somewhere south of the capital where US forces this week launched a series of raids. “We believe it is only a matter of time until Zarqawi is taken down.” He told reporters. “It’s not if, but when.” ' (Debka)

COMMENTARY: The fraying fabric (and nerves) of Middle Eastern islamo-fascism can be clearly seen in today's items. Moussaoui won't get his virgins; he will be left to literally rot in a Rocky Mountain panopticon. He will be sealed away like the toxic waste that he is. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's one-trick pony, can only re-hash the same song and dance routine for so long. Terrorizing women and torturing Canadian writers are old acts, and they'll provide scant security for the IRI regime in the months to come.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Night Flashes

Contemplating Israeli recognition of Palestinian statehood, The Belmont Club argues that 'Israel is paying its neighbors back in their own coin. By shutting itself in it is radiating the Dream of Palestine out. And whether or not Israel can rest securely behind its fortifications, Glick is probably correct in saying that the Olmert withdrawal will threaten both Egypt and Jordan; as well as create (in my view) an immense financial burden for the UN and the European Union' ... Mudville Gazette has the latest on Zarqawi's cinematic advnetures ... Tammy Bruce wonders "Did Moussaoui win?" and reflects on the death penalty ... and Marian at Eight Drunken Immortals is not keen on giving a certain someone a French vacation ... DCat sounds off ...

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Morning Report: May 4, 2006

Moussaoui to die with a whimper. AP via Yahoo: 'U.S. Judge Leonie Brinkema sent Zacarias Moussaoui to prison for life Thursday, to "die with a whimper," for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ... A day earlier, a jury rejected the government's case to have Moussaoui executed, deciding instead to should spend life in prison with no chance of parole. Not all jurors were convinced that Moussaoui, who was in jail on immigration charges Sept. 11, had a significant part in the attacks, despite his boastful claims that he did. ... Brinkema firmly refused to be interrupted by the 37-year-old defendant as she disputed his declaration from a day earlier: "America, you lost. ... I won." "Mr. Moussaoui, when this proceeding is over, everyone else in this room will leave to see the sun ... hear the birds ... and they can associate with whomever they want," she said. She went on: "You will spend the rest of your life in a supermax prison. It's absolutely clear who won." And she said it was proper he will be kept away from outsiders, unable to speak publicly again. "Mr. Moussaoui, you came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory," she said, "but to paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot, instead you will die with a whimper." ' Full article at the link. (AP via Yahoo)

Of cats, dogs, and bloggers. The blogger formerly known as Wretchard the Cat discusses the pros and cons of pseudonymous blogging: 'There's now a movement in the blogosphere to discourage pseudonymous blogging; the argument being that people will write more responsibly when signing under their own names. Let me play Devil's Advocate and assert that bylined blogging may in fact lead to the very opposite: a condition of shrill, polemical writing where the ad hominem attacks will become commonplace. When I used to write anonymously only my arguments mattered. If they were persuasive they persuaded; if they were ridiculous they were held up to contempt. But there were no hard feelings because it was the arguments themselves that bore the weight of both praise and opprobrium. There was no ego to puff up or to be bruised. ...' (Belmont Club)

UN drafts resolution on Iranian nuclear program. Iran Focus: 'Despite the objections of Russia and China, the U.S., Britain and France introduced a draft Security Council resolution Wednesday that would legally compel Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment activities. The resolution does not call for specific consequences if Iran does not comply, but makes clear that sanctions will be the next step. It demands that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development" and calls on nations to prevent the transfer of materials for Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The draft cites Chapter VII of the U.N. charter, which authorizes punitive action for matters designated to be threats to international security. "This resolution does not deal with sanctions," said U.S. Ambassador John Bolton. But he said if Iran did not "back away," the council stood ready to impose targeted sanctions banning Iranian leaders' international travel, freezing their assets and restricting some imports.' (LA Times via Iran Focus)

Sudan-Iran nuke deal? A current headline at Debka asserts: 'Sudan’s Bashir agrees to store sensitive Iranian nuclear equipment - including P-2 centrifuges - against potential military strikes.' (Debka)

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Days Go By

Yesterday, another picture-perfect day in Portland. Today, cloudy, but that's cool too. Spent last night and this morning clearing trash and junk out of the apartment. Today's goal: spend some quality time on creative writing (after I finish procrastinating and doodling around on LJ!).

Found a few of Stephanie's old books: 'The Western Wind', a book about writing poetry; a biography of Ken Kesey by Barry Leeds, autographed by the author; and 'The Recognitions' by William Gaddis. 'The Recognitions' and John Gardner's 'The Sunlight Dialogues' were two of Stephanie's favorite novels, along with several classics of the Beat movement such as Kerouac's 'On the Road'. I never shared Stephanie's appreciation for the Beats, but I did enjoy Gardner's short stories; I especially remember one (based on an event in Gardner's own life) about a boy who accidentally kills his brother with a piece of farm machinery.

Somehow, I was spared the passion for "intensity at any price" that so consumed Stephanie. What I'm left with instead is this obsessive sense of mission, or simply of duty, to try to put it all together, to make sense of the puzzle. All I'm left with is the pieces.

Introducing the backup site for Dreams Into Lightning!

Seems like this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Not cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

New URL: Official Rollout

I posted on this earlier, but now I'm making it official ... the new home for Dreams Into Lightning is here:
Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad

Posting here at Blogger will continue but the TypePad site is now the primary one. All new material will be posted there first. I'm keeping this Blogger account active as a backup, but I encourage you to bookmark the new site. That URL is:
http://asher813.typepad.com/dreams_into_lightning/

See you there!

Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Ghazal Omid: State Department Sends Wrong Message to Iranians

Iranian activist Ghazal Omid was kind enough to spend some of her valuable time chatting with me on the phone recently. She conveyed her desire to educate the world about the true message of Islam, her admiration for the American people, and her frustration at the false images of Americans portrayed in the media. She also asked me to share the following letter, which she sent to President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

Dear Secretary Rice,

I recently read an article citing your statement that the United States subsidizes Voice of America and Radio Farda with an $85 million budget.

I am an Iranian born, Canadian citizen, author of Living in Hell, I have appeared on more than 160 radio and television shows in the US and Canada denouncing the barbaric mullahcracy that is destroying the Iranian people and threatening the world.

I have appeared on Voice of America and Radio Farda many times in English, Farsi, Kurdish and Afghan. You should be made aware that both censor my anti-regime comments, cautioning me off-air to be respectful to the Iranian authorities.

Many of the people running VOA and Radio Farda left Iran after the revolution as political refugees. Some of them travel to Iran frequently via their Iranian passport while working, as a US citizen, for VOA in the United States. Many have lives and businesses in both countries and are trying to keep their feet dry in both places.

VOA and Radio Farda, use entertainment and pop music and culture to gain the wrong kind of popularity among the youth; it may sell an album but will not sell a nation. The message being broadcast of Iranian society outside Iran is perceived as a hedonistic lifestyle of party goers, night clubbers and sinners who know nothing about Iran, have no respect for true freedom or religion and will never be able to help the future of Iran. They believe that the people of USA, by paying for the programming, approve of the VOA broadcasts.

VOA, Radio Farda and many other Iranian radio and television stations generously subsidized by the United States teach the wrong way to fight the Iranian regime. For instance, in an article in Time magazine about the youth resistance in Iran, the writer asked dissident Iranian youth how they were fighting the government of Iran. They said they demonstrated their opposition by drinking home made whisky on the streets, listening to pop music, dancing the night away, speeding 120 km per hour in the busy streets and smoking marijuana. Is this the image of freedom we want to portray to Farsi speakers of Iran, the Persian Gulf and the Middle East? I do not believe we can fix a problem by creating a new one.

While in Dubai during the month of January 2006, as I watched these images broadcast via satellite, I wondered if the people of USA know how their own media is portraying them. The images of stripper/singer/pop-culture musicians give the government of Iran a tool to fight the West. They use your own funded TV and media to teach hate and convince generations that the US and its people are not only anti-God but have no morals, no conscience.

US soldiers should not die because false images of freedom are being broadcast in Iran and the Middle East. Men and women in uniform, who fight and die for freedom deserve better.

True freedom is not about wearing makeup, being scantily clad, drinking and smoking pot. It is the other side of freedom that is not been properly publicized. The US funded media is exploited by the Iranian regime; telling Iranians that US freedom is nothing but a whore wrapped in a USA flag. This image does not help the fight against terrorism, Iranian regime and hardliners. We need to show respect for each other’s beliefs, morality and religion to gain the respect of the average person.

If we are trying to help the Iranian people, we are sending the wrong message. Iranian people have no choice but go against the culture of sinners. Who can blame them for not liking a grim and false representation of the true nature of people of United States and its Persian population?

Should there be an attack on Iran, these stations will not become a trusted podium for the USA true messages of freedom. By continually being portrayed as out of touch with reality and more concerned about its own existence and life style, the US is working counter effectively to its goals and wasting a lot of taxpayer money.

You have a great chance to educate Iranians and Middle Easterners and help them stand up to evil. You are losing that opportunity by letting the negative part of US culture to be blown out of proportion. Middle Easterners accept your TV as a synopsis of the life of the real people of America. You have a chance to let them know who you really are and what you can do to help them.

Ghazal Omid

Ghazal Omid is the author of Living In Hell, as well as three forthcoming books: Islam 101, Iran and Its Future, and Poverty in Paradise. Keep reading Dreams Into Lightning for more information.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Let's blogroll!

Immigration debate: Gay Patriot is the site of a friendly debate on immigration. Average Gay Joe says he'll march on Monday: 'I have many Latino friends that are immigrants and a number of them called me all day expressing fear over being kicked out. Some of this is irrational probably stirred up from political opportunists, rumors, and perhaps bad experiences with the governments in their native countries. I say this because some of my friends I know are here legally with valid work visas, yet they too seem to have caught the “fear bug” going around. These folks, mainly from El Salvador, were granted permission to work in the U.S. and have been here for many years. They have married, had kids, bought homes, and in all respects that I’ve seen are the kind of people we want to have in our country. ...' Go to the link for the rest, including AGJ's suggestions for a "hard/soft" approach to immigration. Bruce, the original GayPatriot, responds: 'AGJ outlined some good reasons and also articulated the right immigration policy and on those points I completely agree. But I have to disagree with him marching as he will in effect be lending credence to those who wish not to IMMIGRATE but to INVADE. The groups organizing these marches are not interested in becoming Americans, but well-paid Mexican workers in a place that happens to be called America. ...' Full post at the link.

Fulla fun. Samantha Burns reports on Syria's newest role model for young girls: 'For me, it's good to know that a somewhat similar version of Barbie exists. It's depressing to see girls miss out on all the learning they could be doing with their Barbies because they are too busy escaping into the mind numbing, pathetic video game drone.'

We are amused. Well, sort of. Tigerhawk, guest of the Belmont Club, reacts to the "Two Bushes" comedy routine. On a more serious note, Tigerhawk summarizes a year's worth of analysis in this lengthy post on winning the Long War.

Whose 'true agenda'? Pamela at Atlas Shrugs scrutinizes CAIR's kvetching about the Sudan Freedom Walk. Meanwhile, Judith at Kesher Talk reports that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is being evicted: 'Back home in the Hague, she is being evicted by her neighbors because the fact that Islamists have targeted her for assassination, and therefore requires 24-hr. guard, makes them nervous.'

Uncomfortably numb. Also from Kesher Talk, Judith has a roundup of United 93 posts, and this: 't was interesting that many spoke of being numbed by the movie (as in temporarily emotionally overwhelmed) or un-numbed by the movie (as in emotional catharsis renewing one's focus and resolve). ... [But there is another kind of numbness:] This isn't the same kind of numbness as described by the bloggers above. They are temporarily numb from allowing the drama in the film to deeply penetrate their souls and inform their choices, which is one of the functions of art. The numbness Chesterton describes, which is similar to the reaction I gave examples of in the Mars and Venus post, comes from experiencing the same emotions, but keeping their meaning at bay. The reviewers I quoted are trying desperately to keep Flight 93 from mattering, to themselves or anyone else.'

Imshin has a post about nothing. And a parable.

Marian at Eight Drunken Immortals reflects on the movies, and tries to keep her mind off that whack job Tom Cruise. Roger Simon reports that Chirac and de Villepin have missed an opportunity to keep quiet and possibly slandered Sarkozy ... and it may bite them in the derriere.

Link farm at Creative Destruction. Patti's in Boulder. Neo's slacking. Tammy's not. Beth talks marriage.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.