A year has past and we’re on the threshold of a newer one. Personally, 2007, probably like any other year, had its good and bad things. At the beginning of 2007, precisely on January 15, my beloved grandmother passed away, a person who loved me like no one else. I simply don’t understand how she still appears in my dreams almost a year after her passing away.
On my professional level, I moved to Luxor to work as a sales manager. In spite of the fact that I am very bored in this city, I do consider the move to be positive. Living on your own teaches you a lot and meeting a lot of people has also helped my interpersonal skills.
On the political level, I think 2007 was a good year in Iraq. Violence has decreased dramatically, thanks to the Sunni tribal leaders who turned against Al Qaeda. The number of Iraqis and coalition forces killed has decreased even though 2007 was the most deadly year for US soldiers (because of the surge that exposed more troops). Last December, 534 Iraqis were killed, 1,752 were killed during the same month last year. 22 American soldiers were killed in December 07, that’s the second least month since the war started. The least month was February 2004 that witnessed 20 deaths. 112 soldiers were killed in December 2006. (For more numbers check the excellent http://icasualties.org/oif/)
My hope for Iraq is the continuation of this decline in violence and the witnessing of a political agreement between its 3 major segments.
Lebanon, unfortunately, continues to suffer from the evil protracted by Syria and its cohorts. My hope is that in 2008 the Lebanese finally settles on a president, Syria leaves them alone, gioco poker gratispoker no onlinecarte pokertornei poker onlinesexy poker onlinegioco poker online gratissexi poker onlinedownload pokerstrip poker on linestreep poker onlineamerican pokergioco poker per pcfull tilt pokerscommesse on linegiochi streep pokeraces texas holdempoker gioco completodownload gioco poker gratisgioco video poker gratispoker texas holdem gratispoker ittexas holdem online gratisstrip pokergiocare a pokeronline poker gameonline casino pokerstreep poker on linestreet poker onlinegiocare a poker gratispoker texano gratisgiochi poker per pcpoker tournament softwarepoker gratis italianostrep poker on linegioca poker online gratispoker on line italianostrip poker pc gratisdownload poker on linegiochi online di pokergioco poker gratis,gioco poker,gioco carte pokergiochi 7 card stud in linea,giochi seven card stud,7 card studpoker roomspoker per pcpoker multiplayer onlinegioco poker on linegiochi di poker on linepoker giochi scaricareeurobet pokerstreep poker gratis7 card stud online and Lebanon becomes the jewel of the Middle East once again.
Now to the US. The prospect of a women president in the White House excites me but I personally don’t think Clinton is fit for the job. On November 4th, I would like to see John McCain elected. He is the only one with the experience to fill this position. I know McCain doesn’t excite the hardcore Republicans that much, but currently the polls show that he’s the only one capable of defeating Hillary.
Now to Egypt. 2007 didn’t have much for my country. However, I believe the most significant thing that happened are all these protests by the laborers and government employees. I think we’ll see more of these especially if the government decided to mess up with the subsidies.
As for my blogging, I am not sure when I’ll resume full time blogging. So please stay tuned.
May you all have a splendid new year.
]]>Update:
YouTube has restored his account. Thanks to everyone who contacted them.
]]>There has been a sharp decline in Iraqi and US death in Iraq and this is mostly attributed to the fact that more and more Sunnis are turning against the terrorists. This what might have prompted Bin Laden to appear again and give a message to his killers in Iraq.
“I’ve never been more optimistic than I am right now with the progress we’ve made in Iraq. The only people who are going to win this counterinsurgency project are the people of Iraq. We’ve said that all along. And now they’re coming forward in masses,” Lynch said in a recent interview at a U.S. base deep in hostile territory south of Baghdad. Outgoing artillery thundered as he spoke.
Lynch, who commands the 3rd Infantry Division and once served as the military spokesman in Baghdad, is a tireless cheerleader of the American effort in Iraq. But the death toll over the past two months appears to reinforce his optimism. The question, of course: Will it last?
As of Tuesday, the Pentagon reported 28 U.S. military deaths in October. That’s an average of about 1.2 deaths a day. The toll on U.S troops hasn’t been this low since March 2006, when 31 soldiers died — an average of one death a day.
In September, 65 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq.
Of course terrible civilian casualties such as these can very easily turn this hopefully constant trend.
]]>The top Vatican official for Islam has praised a novel Muslim call for dialogue but said real theological debate with them was difficult as they saw the Koran as the literal word of God and would not discuss it in depth.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, in an interview on Friday with the French Catholic daily La Croix, also said Christians would have to discuss curbs on building churches in the Islamic world in the dialogue advocated by 138 Muslim scholars in the appeal.
Well, I don’t understand why he considers the fact that Muslims believe the Quran to be the literal word of God a hurdle to dialogue. I mean why have theological debates in the first place. Everyone is free to believe in whatever book he/she wants to believe in. No dialogue needed here.
Now, what is understandable is the discussion on Christians’ rights in Muslim countries and especially Egypt. This is fair enough.
]]>To: President George W. Bush
From The Future
Re: Your chance to make history
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to tell you that you are on the verge of fulfilling something you have long desired ever since you stepped into the Oval Office. You have always wanted to do something profound for the future and change the course of the world’s history with it. I have good and bad news for you. The good news is, as I’ve said, you are on the verge of fulfilling this desire. The bad news is that you can easily miss it and drop down as one of the United Sates most failed presidents.
Mr. President, up till today I personally consider you a colossal failure as far as doing something profound in the world is concerned. The world remembers Roosevelt with World War Two, Kennedy with how he made the US loved around the world, Carter with the peace between Israel and Egypt, Regean with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and your father with the liberation of Kuwait. What will the world remember you for? I am afraid your current score is negative.
You wanted Iraq to be what you’ll be remembered for but unfortunately it seems this will not be the case. Iraq will not turn out to be something good anytime soon and currently it’s the blackest spot on your record. It is your Watergate, your Iran hostage crisis, your Iran-Contra, and your Lewinsky.
Don’t get me wrong. Iraq might turn out to be a big success, but that won’t be happening anytime soon. In fact, all conservative estimates predict that might happen in decades time.
Now, you have one more and final chance to make history. It is called Annapolis, Maryland. The upcoming peace summit between the Palestinians and the Israelis that might incompass Arab countries such as Syria and Saudi Arabia. Every US president, ever since the US decided to search for peace in the Middle East, has dreamt of participating in finalizing a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. You have the chance to do so today.
]]>Well, I don’t know if these reports are true but what is definitely true is that Mubarak is getting older and his condition is declining, if not a result of an illness then surely the result of age.
What really pathetic about this situation is that the entire country’s future depends upon the survival of a single man. Two months ago when rumors about his condition spread across the country, it was said that foreign direct investment took a direct hit. It really sucks when you don’t know your country’s future and it sucks even more when it is tied to the existence of a person.
Mr. President, save us and the world the trouble and tell us what you have in mind. I am sick and tired being worried over this.
]]>When asked about the MB’s program clause that bars Christians from running for the president office in Egypt, his answer was as follows:
“In America a Catholic cannot become president and this is based upon the understanding of the American constitution. And the first time that a Catholic ruled America, Kennedy, he was killed after a year and half in office.” (Ana Ikhwan; Arabic link)
Now, I am sure all you Americans out there are having a nice time calling this guy an idiot. He simply doesn’t know how to differentiate between the fact that failing to gain enough votes to become president and being barred completely from running in a presidential election. While it might be true that Kennedy was America’s only Catholic, but that doesn’t mean that Catholic Americans cannot run for president of the USA.
The world is marching forward and we’re still dicussing whether a Christian and a woman can run for president in Egypt. What a wretched nation we are. We had a Christian prime ministers, Christian foreign ministers, and a Jewish finance minister in the first half of last century and we, in 2007, in God damned 2007, are still discussing whether a Christian or a woman can become president. *spit*
]]>(h/t The Arabist)
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