Write it on the back of your hand now. The Syria News Wire now lives at newsfromsyria.com.

You will be redirected in 6 seconds. Hold tight.

Forward Magazine has launched its own blog.

It is probably the widest read Syrian magazine written in English. And it features the writing of the brilliant Sami Moubayed and Abdulsalam Haykal. Worth a read.

Britain's Foreign Minister David Miliband is on his way to Damascus - as Syria's remarkable comeback continues.

Miliband's visit comes after Walid Mu'alim made the trip to the UK last month. He's hoping to meet Bashar Al-Assad too.

Yesterday Miliband said "There has been an important change in the approach of the Syrian government.” He praised Damascus for cutting the number of foreign fighters and weapons over the past year.

It is Britain's highest-level contact since Tony Blair came to Damascus in 2001. Blair was humiliated when Bashar lectured him about suicide-bombing in a joint press conference.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy made the first major hole in Syria's isolation when he invited Bashar to Paris to be guest of honour at the Bastille Day celebrations.

Britain's been stuck to the Bush agenda of ignore-ignore-ignore. But with Bush on the way out, and Obama promising negoations with Syria, Britain has jumped into the let's-talk camp.

But what's more interesting is speculation that Britain is trying to take the lead - and steal France's glory. A few years ago, the West was united in isolating Syria. Now those same countries are competing to be Syria's best friend.

The winner of Best Arab Film at this year's Damascus International Film Festival is an odd choice. It is about a Syrian political prisoner.

Out of Coverage focuses on the prisoner's best friend, and the prisoner's wife. His friend dedicates his life to trying to free him, and helping his family survive. But in the end, it becomes clear that he is the real prisoner - even though he isn't behind bars.

Along the way, it also raises questions about corruption, wasta, and arbitrary detention.

It is a brilliant film, and worthy of the award. But it is a mystery how it slipped past the censors, and then got singled out for a prize.

Since it was made, Out of Coverage has been - literally - out of coverage. The DVD hasn't gone on sale and the film hasn't been screened at any Syrian cinema - until this year's film festival.

Out of Coverage is now an award winning film on its home turf. But the story behind the film is even more interesting than the film itself.

Out of Coverage. Writer/Director: Abdellatif Abdelhamid. Syria, 2007. 100 minutes.

Something big is happening to your favourite Syrian news site. (That's this one, silly!).

15TH NOVEMBER 2008.

Exciting!

Please tell me you didn't.

I'm going to ruin the end of this story, because it's one of my pet hates. AND THE BIGGEST CLICHE IN STORIES ABOUT DAMASCUS.

"Modern-day travelers to Syria have their own conversion when they realize how much the country has to offer."

To keep you entertained, here are a few interesting articles I've found (they're not all brand new).

Students speak up for merits of cool Damascus

"When I told people at home that I was coming to Syria to study, they were really worried"

"The Cham Palace in downtown Damascus — our home for the next week — somewhat dims our good mood. The cavernous lobby, defective neon lighting and sulky employees make you feel that you have somehow landed yourself in the Soviet Union of the 1980s. Furthermore, the hotel has the dubious distinction of allegedly having been the meeting place of al-Qaeda operatives and Iraqi insurgents back in 2003."

"The Al Kanar Group stations broadcast in the languages most common and most accessible to young Syrians. Al-Manar mixes Arabic – described as “a relaxed informal Arabic rarely if ever heard here in the past” – and English. Rotana FM broadcasts Arabic and French. Mix FM is all English language. MixFM was launched in March 2007 as the first 24 hour English speaking station in Syria. The use of informal Arabic has been a trademark of Syrian film and, most popularly, television."

George Wassouf has been released, after spending three days in jail in Sweden.

He was arrested after a raid on his hotel. It's claimed he had been in possession of cocaine.

Wasouf cried as the judge decided to free him. A crowd of fans gathered outside the court. As he walked out, he said: "I was framed and now I have been released."

I started to critique this article because of a few factual errors. But it quickly became obvious something more sinister was at play. There were reasons for these errors.

Malik al-Abdeh has written his first article for The Guardian. Unsurprisingly it is about Syria. Why do I say unsurprisingly? Because Malik al-Abdeh runs a group calling for regime change in Syria - but that's not mentioned anywhere on the page.

He says of his organisation: "we propose a non-violent strategy, which targets the regime where it is most vulnerable: popular support." And it looks like he is using The Guardian as part of that propaganda strategy.

So on to the article. He talks about the recent two-and-a-half year imprisonment for a number of activists:

"In its desperate attempt to emerge from isolation, the Syrian regime appears to have moderated its treatment of oppositionists to avoid further escalation with the west."

"Eight years on, the so-called "reformists" and the "old guard" have been shown to be one and the same."

"Until he was temporarily reprieved by President Sarkozy, Assad's fate looked sealed."

Syria's biggest singer is being held in Sweden, accused of having drugs. George Wassouf is one of the most famous in the Arab World - a sort of Arab Michael Jackson.

There was a police raid on his hotel in Stockholm on Saturday night. It's claimed the forty six year old had 30 grams of cocaine on him.

The raid happened just before a concert - which had to be cancelled.

There have been rumours of Wassouf's drug addiction for years. His voice seems to have been affected by the problem.

America says it may have to close it's embassy. It follows angry
protests in Damascus following Sunday's invasion.

Extra Syrian police have been guarding the compound since Sunday.

Even during the start of the Iraq war the building stayed open,
although the Syrian army stopped protesters getting near the top end
of Abu Rumani street.

The embassy has been without an ambassador for three and a half years.

This is a battle of words. True, eight people died, but everyone knows
Syria is not going to attack America - as it has the right to.

Syria has been invaded. America called it "taking matters into our own
hands". But the real debate is over what Syria is calling it.

On the streets, people are calling this an act of war. But officials
are deliberately steering clear of those two explosive words.

Syria does not want a war, no matter how limited, which is what
America appears to be gunning for.

Instead, they're calling it a war crime. That's telling, because it
frames the attack within the context of what's going on in Iraq. Syria
is making it clear it sees the invasion as a misstep in America's war
on Iraq. It is not an outright invasion.

Syria is as stunned as the rest of the world. It has cracked down on
people crossing the border. It's impossible to travel anywhere near
the border without getting stopped, checked or followed.

And America knows it. It has praised Syria for stopping the flow of fighters.

In Damascus, protection has been stepped up at the US Embassy. And on
the night of the attack there was an impromptu demonstration on the
city centre.

It's been on the cards for years. First it was held up because of
political wrangling in Europe but the head of the European Commission
says he expects a deal in a few months.

Javier Solana is in Damascus meeting the president.

The EU Association Agreement effectively puts Syria in the outer ring
of the EU. It is one step away from membership of the EU.

In 2010 all Association signatories will become part of a free trade
zone with Europe providing a massive boost for Syria's economy justas
the oil runs dry.

Most other EU neighbors have signed yw agreement. Syria is one of the last.

It follows Syria signing up to a high profile part of French president
Nicolas Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union earlier this year.

It's been getting worse. It started a few months ago. As i explained a
few days ago, taxi drivers would pull their seatbelt across as they
approched the traffic lights.

It's all because of the police crackdown.

But over the past few days every time I get in a taxi I hear the same
line - put your seatbelt on. It comes out in an almost pleading,
apologetic voice.

And this is the reason. Anyone who is stopped by the police because
they or heir front seat passenger aren't wearing a seatbelt gets a
2000 lira fine ($40). It's reduced to 1000 lira if they pay within a
week.

One driver complained to me that many old cars just don't has
seatbelts. That doesn't make them exempt. If they're stopped they have
to take their car to a mehanic, get the belts fitted and then go back
to the police to prove they've had it done.

It's becoming routine for drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts -
and not just when they fear they might be caught.

It's all happened very quickly but it might just make a big difference
to life on Syria's roads.

Qabbani - thank you very much for your kind offer. I wasn't in Amman
for long, but maybe next time I'll need your help!

Syria Almighty - yes I heard the story about the Bush letter. But what
struck me as odd was that the story came from just one country. And it
wasn't America or Syria!

Amniyah - lots of photos are coming...it's worth the wait.

Some more live blogging. This time from Coffee and News -
appropriately! - on Jebl Amman. I'm going to tell you what's caught my
eye. It's all subjective.

A lot has changed. The upmarket shopping area of Sweifiyeh is
unregconisable - its massive pedestrian area is impressive. I seem to
remember it as a building site! And the Abdoun bridge is big, bold and
brash.

Shmeisani seems very different too. Two things stuck in my memory of
Amman - one was Frosti the ice cream shop. I struggled to even find it
this time among all the newness surrounding it.

Next, to Jebl Amman, the leafy residential district sitting atop
Downtown. It's as beautiful as I remember. Books@Cafe is still my
favourite spot in town.

People seem angry. Maybe they just don't like me! No one smiles here.
And taxi drivers don't offer cigarettes to their passengers - maybe
that's a Damascene oddity.

There are a lot of public spaces here. Seats on pavements seem to be
well used. But countering that is this place's obsession with the car.

Walking up and down a few of the hills - I can see why.

Live from a streetside cafe in Abdoun, Amman.

I'm jealous that you have so many more Americans - students, workers,
businesses. Not because I particularly like them. Just because it
feels like they are restricting themselves - scared of something they
don't need to be.

Yazan - another Mac user! No, I'm too stubborn to give up my MacBook.
I hate PCs. Although I am grudgingly using them. Do you know where the
Mac shop is? I've heard Mezzeh?

Sharks - yes, the yellow does look very good! Not sure about pink
though! Are you in Damascus?

Amniyah - thanks, I know about all those sites/programmes etc. Do they
work on STE lines as well, or just private lines? If so, what's all
the fuss about 'banning' Facebook about, if everyone knows how to get
round it?

Abu Kareem - EXACTLY my thoughts. If only.

Matt - yes, it is impressive.

Norman - there are plenty of pictures, when I get a fast enough connection.

Does EVERY girl in this city have to be dressed in yellow?

Girls in hijab, with long tight yellow t-shirts. Girls with big hair
in yellow blouses. Girls with blue jeans in - you guessed it - yellow
tops.

Some have black writing, some kind of image, or even a tactically
placed butterfly.

But they're all the same shade. Like someone dumped a huge yellow
paint pot on the city.

I've just been into a cafe in Kasaa (next to Bab Touma), I said one
word, and I was greeted with 'Hello, welcome'.

(Reply to Matt's comment - no, it's Syrian shopkeepers greeting me
this way! I'm having trouble replying to comments in the normal way at
the moment.)

I guess it's always been like this to an extent. White European Arabic
language students are told they will did life easier living with the
Christians.

So they arrive in Damaacus, walk around Bab Touma and read one of the
signs - written in English - advertising a room for rent in an 'Arabic
house'.

What happens is they end up living in a house full of other European
students. Some rarely leave Bab Touma.

They eat in it's restaurants, go out in its bars, and shop in its
streets.

While there's nothing wrong with them being here - in fact it's a very
good thing. There is something wrong with walking up to a shop, as an
Arab and before i open my mouth, I am greeted with 'hello' in English.

This is the best tourist article about Damascus I have seen for a very long time.

It is by London-based NBC journalist F. Brinley Bruton.

She spends a lot of time outside the Old City (yes, there is a Damascus outside the city walls!) and doesn't include the phrase "conversion on the road to Damascus" anywhere in her article.

It is a very thoughtful, original piece. And she clearly has been talking to real Damascenes:

"Someone advised me to not pay too much attention to maps while in Damascus."

"other Westerners tended to look away when we passed. This is the sort of place where tourists appear unwilling to speak to other foreigners, perhaps unwilling to admit that they don’t have the city to themselves."

"Naranj, full of sleek, well-heeled Syrians, has the reputation as the best restaurant in the city."

"The next night we ventured out of the Old City to go to Shameat."

The full piece is here.

McCain's vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin: "building our embassy, also, in Jerusalem, those things that we look forward to being able to accomplish with this peace-seeking nation."

Until now, America's embassy has been in Tel Aviv. Every other country in the world also has their embassy in Tel Aviv (except Micronesia) because they have agreed to wait until the final status of Jerusalem is settled.

Tel Aviv is the de facto capital at the UN. Only Israel - NOT EVEN AMERICA, not even Bush - recognises Jerusalem as the capital.

This is a massive step. There are three main issues in the Palestine-Israel conflict: the refugees, Jerusalem and the settlements.

In 2004, Bush said that some settlements will have to remain - breaking with decades of consistent messages that the settlements will be sorted out in the final status negotiations.

...this time.

Ian Black has been The Guardian's Middle East editor since the legendary Brian Whitaker moved to a different role at the British newspaper. They were big shoes to fill, but Black has done it admirably.

He knows Syria - ok, not as well as Whitaker did - and he treats it with a degree of intelligence most so-called Syria 'experts' don't.

But in his latest piece he is wrong. Very wrong.

The piece is called Tension grows between Syria and Lebanon after bombings. But the 'Lebanon' position is represented solely by Sa'ad Hariri - a leader on the wane, and certainly not representative of Lebanon - maybe part of the Sunni sect.

Hariri accuses Syria of "infiltrating extremists to north Lebanon to carry out terrorist attacks targeting the Lebanese army and civilians".

"A "Takfiri" group - standard terminology for al-Qaida".

"The apparent target was a Syrian intelligence office near the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeynab, where many Iraqi refugees live."

"Syrian opposition sources have claimed that one of the victims was an intelligence officer."

"In Beirut, Hariri denounced the deployment of Syrian troops along Lebanon's northern borders. He urged the international community not to allow Syria to intervene in Lebanese affairs under the guise of fighting extremism."

Syria is the frontrunner for a seat in the IAEA - the International Atomic Energy Association, which is the UN's nuclear body.

It is a straight fight between Syria and Afghanistan. Initially Syria was the only candidate. But under US pressure, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan also put their names down for the Middle East and South Asia seat. Iran also applied.

The IAEA was investigating Syria after the US and Israel alleged it was building a nuclear weapons factory. The IAEA said there was no evidence, following a months-long investigation.

It would be Syria's highest profile role since it was on the UN Security Council six years ago.

I'm reposting Tess's comment from the All Eyes on Damascus post, just because it's very apt.

"I find it fascinating how differently people choose to report the bombing: which religious sites are near, how quickly it was reported, the rarity of the bombing, the connections to the last bombing in Syria years ago, a prisoner riot, or a meeting with US officials in New York. Reading those quotes, one would have thought that several different events were being reported, based on how differently the material was presented. Trying to imagine some sort of global understanding is difficult when even the most concrete events, such as this bombing which resulted in 17 deaths, can be turned into just about anything."

Eid will be on Wednesday in Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan and Pakistan.

Eid will be on Tuesday for: Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, the Emirates, Palestine, Yemen, Libya and - controversially - only Iraq's Sunnis.

Could the political split be any more obvious?

Most western media persist in saying the bomb site was "near the Shia shrine of Saida Zeinab". My map clearly shows that is totally misleading.

As Orientalista points out, the attack was much closer to the Palestinian/Golani/Iraqi area of Jaramana. And it was actually closer to the "Christian shrines" in the Old City, if we are going to pinpoint everything in religious terms.

It was about two kilometers down the airport highway, after you leave the Old City, near Bab Sharqi. It happened at the junction for Jaramana.

Click on the map to enlarge.

It has been three days since seventeen innocent people were blown to pieces in Damascus.

The UN, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, Lebanon, Jordan and most of the world has condemned the attack. But one country is missing. Saudi Arabia has not uttered a single word.

The Guardians of the Two Holy Sites have stayed completely silent. They have not said they sympathise with the victim's families. They have not criticised this act of unbelievable terror.

Either they are sickeningly rude, or they agree with the bombing.

Saturday's bomb on the airport road in Damascus was a suicide attack.

A car bomb killed 17 people in the south of the city.

The early results of the investigation show that an Islamist terrorist entered Syria on Friday - the day before the attack.

He came from a neighbouring Arab country - but authorities are not saying which one. That means it could be Lebanon, Jordan or Iraq.

First thoughts will turn to Lebanon, following a report from Britain yesterday claiming that Al Qaeda extremists in Tripoli were planning to attack Syria.

At least 5 people have been killed and 17 wounded in a bus bomb in Tripoli.

The bus was carrying soldiers. It happened in the Buhsas area of the city during the morning rush hour.

It's six weeks since the last bus bomb in the city - which killed 15 people including 10 soldiers.

Al-Qaeda allied group Fateh Al Islam has been fighting a two year war with the army in Tripoli. It's claimed Saturday's car bomb in Damascus was carried out by the same group.

A bomb has gone off in Tripoli.

It exploded near a bus carrying Lebanese soldiers. There have been casualties.

Tripoli is thought to be a centre for Al Qaeda-supporting terrorists. Many have been funded by the Hariri government.

The bomb happened on a Saturday morning, the second day of the weekend. If it had happened one day later, many many children would've been killed.

The explosion happened outside a school - large parts of the building have been destroyed.

Here's what the world is saying about Saturday morning's car bomb in Sayida Zeinab, southern Damascus.

"Seventeen dead in car bomb. This is the kind of headline you'd expect in Iraq, not in Syria." - Hala Gorani, CNN, United States.

"It should be said that no American has been killed by terrorists in Syria throughout the entire history of the country." - Syria Comment, United States and Syria.

"The apartments lining the crowded streets around the mosque are home to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees, many of them poor, unemployed and undocumented. News reports from Syria said the bombing occurred near a state security post. There were conflicting reports as to the nature of the post, with one opposition web site saying it was no more than a car park used by state security services." - Washington Post, United States.

"The security post [near to where the bomb detonated] is not a very important or significant security site; it is for petrol for security patrols. It is very near the Saydah Zeinab shrine. At this time of year during Ramadan, it is very significant. Pilgrims come from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran to visit the shrine. The security post has not been harmed." Al Jazeera, Qatar.

"The blast was the deadliest since a spate of attacks in the 1980s blamed on Muslim Brotherhood militants." - Agence France Press, France.

"The exiled head of Syria's banned opposition Muslim Brotherhood Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni said the attack could be the work of extremist groups or part of a "struggle between security forces. The security agencies have set up terrorist groups and sent them to neighbouring countries like Lebanon and Iraq. I don't rule out that they have slipped from their control and are carrying out such acts." - Agence France Press, France.

"The bombing comes as senior Lebanese military sources told The Observer that jihadis - some based in the Lebanese city of Tripoli - had launched a series of attacks against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad." - The Guardian, Britain.

"In recent years, there have been some reported clashes [with the Muslim Brotherhood], with the security forces killing several suspected Islamist militants, and arresting hundreds more." - BBC, Britain.

"The bombing also occurred less than three months after Islamist inmates rioted at a prison outside the capital, taking hostages and engaging in gun battles with the authorities, in a confrontation that dragged on for weeks." - New York Times, United States.

"The explosion came only hours after Syria's foreign minister held a rare meeting in New York with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice." - Associated Press, United States.



"Despite claims from Syrian groups that Israel was behind the bombing, political and security officials in Jerusalem [sic - you mean Tel Aviv?] denied any Israeli involvement." - Haaretz, Israel.

"Unusually for Syria, whose media is closely policed, details of the attack were reported immediately, with rolling updates on the casualties and investigation." - The Guardian, Britain.

Images, top to bottom: AFP, BBC, AP.

To the seventeen innocent men and women who left their houses in Saida Zeinab this morning, and never came home.

And shame on some people who are suggesting the victims were soldiers and police, who deserved to die. Shame shame shame. Your hunger for power at all costs makes me sick. Crawl back into your hole in Washington DC.

These are the latest pictures from Syrian television:

It happened on Mahlaq Road, on a junction between the airport road, and the road to Sayida Zeinab.

It was 8km from the shrine of Sayida Zeinab. The bomb would have been much more deadly if it happened near to the densely populated area around the shrine.

Saturday's car bomb is the worst attack in Syria since 1986.

Syria has been the safest country in the region. In the past eleven years, there have been no terror attacks (except for extremist attacks on the American embassy, and an Israeli attack on a few rocks).

1997 - 9 died in a bus bomb in Damascus.

1986, March 17 - 60 died in a truck bomb at a military compound in Damascus.

1981, November 29 - 64 died in a car bomb.

Nice to see Agence France Press (AFP) (bottom) stealing images from Syrian Television (top), and then SELLING them.

I'm shocked. Syrian television has already started showing pictures of the car bomb.

When Imad Moughniya was killed in Kafr Souseh in western Damascus, earlier this year, they didn't even MENTION the bomb for a whole day.



Syrian Television this morning

So, it's been a few minutes since the bomb, and already people are spending their time wishing up conspiracy theories based on their filthy politics, instead of thinking about the fact that seventeen lives have been lost.

Here's what I've heard already:

- The bomb was near the Sidi Kadad Intelligence Headquarters, responsible for monitoring Palestinians in Damascus - it must be Palestinians taking revenge

- The bomb was on the airport road - it must be Israelis trying to hurt a symbol of national significance

- The bomb was in Sayida Zeinab - it must be the Iraqi problem being exported

- The bomb was trying to undermine the stability of the Syrian government - it must be the Americans

- The bomb was revenge for the killing of a top government official last month - it must be the Syrians

- The bomb was revenge for the killing of Hizbollah official Imad Mughniya - it must be the Lebanese

- The bomb follows other attacks across Syria by religious extremists - it must be Al Qaeda

Just think about the dead - instead of how the attack supports your filthy view of the world.

17 people have been killed in a car bomb in southern Damascus

It happened in Mahlaq Road in Sayida Zeinab. Another 14 people have been injured. Sayida Zeinab is the Syrian capital's Iraqi area. Most of the 2 million refugees live there.

The car was packed with 200kg of explosives. Buildings 100 metres away have had their windows blown out.

The government says it can not be sure if it is a terror attack

For the past five and a half years, people have been asking how Iraqis who are killing each other back home, can live side by side in Damascus.

17 people have been killed in a car bomb in southern Damascus.

More follows...

Iran is "at the centre of violence and fanaticism".

Iran "holds back chances for peace, while undermining human rights".

Iran's actions "postpone the establishment of the Palestinian state."

Shimon Peres, ISRAELI Prime Minister.

Can someone explain how this is a vote winner in the US:

McCain "if elected, would not become actively engaged in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and discourage Israeli-Syrian peace efforts".

So keeping the region at war is a policy strategy? Is this what makes Americans happy?

Syria has passed the tests from the International Atomic Energy Agency (the IAEA).

The UN's nuclear watchdog says there is nothing to support America's claims that it was building a secret nuclear reactor in the desert. The tests began following an Israeli air raid on a building which it claimed was being used for a nuclear project.

Israel bombed in September 2007. It stayed unusually silent for days, until Syria made the attack public. America waited until April 2008 to make its claims.

Washington alleged the site was a nearly finished reactor. They showed pictures which looked identical to a reactor in North Korea (although, the photos could have actually been sites in North Korea). Israel released pictures apparently showing North Koreans in Syria.

Satellite images showed the site had been leveled after the attack. America was surprised Syria didn't just leave the bombed-out building as it was. But simply removing the bricks and cleaning the ground would not have removed all traces of nuclear material. The Israeli explosion would have dispersed the materials for hundreds of meters in tiny amounts.

The UN investigation followed soon after the American claims. IAEA investigators were given free access to the site in June 2008.

Disturbing news from Jordan.

Books@Cafe is coming under attack from the unenlightened.

Syrian nationals will be able to apply for British visas in the normal way from next week.

Even though the British Embassy has been operational in Damascus, it has been closed to visitors for years, because of the security risk.

Anyone wanting to travel to Britain had to apply for a visa through the DHL office.

But now, Britain is opening a new Visa Centre in Mezzeh - it will be Britain's second office in Damascus (the other one is the embassy in Maliki).

The address is Building 13, Ground Floor, Al Jazaieree Street, Mezzeh West Villas, Damascus.
Phone: 612 5270 and 612 5271.

It will be open Sunday to Thursday 9am to 4pm.

Walid Junblatt is a heartbeat away from joining the Hizbollah-led opposition.

Two days after publicly breaking up with his ally of three years, Sa'ad Hariri, his party has had a meeting with Hizbollah. In an interview with the LA Times, he accused Hariri of building his own private army, and supporting religious extremists. He also backpeddled in his previous harsh criticism of Syria and Hizbollah, saying it was all just politics.

Now his party is talking to Hizbollah, and preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding - a formal document setting out how they will work together. This is what Michel Aoun did two years ago.

The PSP (Junblatt's party) is insisting that neither party has changed its positions yet.

Samir Jaja, another key March 14 figure has broken ranks, as speculation grows that Saad Hariri will soon be left on his own.

Jaja says the Aridi assassination was connected with the previous killings. That's important because Aridi is a pro-Syrian politician - many of the others who have died have been anti-Syrians. So by connecting the two, he is hinting that Syria couldn't be behind them all.

He also condemned those who suggest the killings aren't linked. Hariri is one of those who has claimed that Aridi was killed by Al-Qaeda allied groups - and that the other politicians were killed by Syrian agents.

The Jaja-Hariri spat comes a day after Walid Junblatt openly criticised Hariri in the LA Times.

Walid Junblatt is now openly criticising his March 14 ally Saad Hariri. He has given an interview to the Los Angeles Times.

In the interview, he accuses Hariri of trying to build a militia, and allying with religious extremists.

And admits his most inflammatory anti-Syrian comments were made just because "politics requires it", implying that he doesn't stand by those opinions now.

The March 14 coalition came to power because of the twin pillars - Hariri and Junblatt. But he now realises that they are almost certain to lose their majority - and be thrown out of government - in next year's elections.

Junblatt has been making a number of warm comments in Hezbollah's direction since the battles in May 2008. Could this be the start of a new pragmatic allegiance, just like his clever 2005 allegiance with Hariri got him into power?

A main figure in Lebanon's opposition has been killed.

Druze politician Saleh Aridi has died in a bomb blast in Aley. He was an ally of Hezbollah - and his party (led by Talal Arslan) humiliated Junblatt in the fighting in May.

Aley is just outside Beirut, and is considered a stronghold of Walid Junblatt.

The two sides were due to come together on Monday to discuss their differences.

A bomb has killed Lebanese Druze politician Saleh Aridi. More soon.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has opened a French school in Damascus.

Sarkozy is aiming to deepen ties between the two countries. He has opened a school in Damascus, named after Charles de Gaulle.



It is making some of the older generation uncomfortable, because they remember France's brutal occupation of Syria.

The two countries have also signed a number of huge economic deals. The most important one is an agreement to allow the French oil company Total operate in Syria for the next ten years.

For the first time in years, the French tricolour flag covers most main roads in the Syrian capital, for Sarkozy's first visit. It is also the first time a western head of state has come to Damascus for five years.

Thanks to Amniya for this.

But where were Bashar Al-Assad and Nicolas Sarkozy having dinner. I'd say it looks like the rooftop of Laranja, a new Gemini Group restaurant on Medhat Pasha, near Bab Sharqi. It specialises in dishes from the different regions of Syria.

What do you think?

Syria has handed over a document outlining its demands, if a peace-treaty is going to be signed with Israel.

It's given the list to Turkey.

The next stage is for Israel to hand a similar outline to Turkey.

They will provide the starting points for direct negotiations.

It comes as the actual negotiations themselves seem like they're slowing down. Israel has lost its chief negotiator, and it's election season in America.

The two sides may not be meeting up for a chat - but the wheels on the peace-mobile are speeding up.

The Syria-Israel peace talks have been postponed because the Israeli negotiator has resigned.

Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad has called the next round "crucial".

Hamas has told AFP that Politibureau leader Khaled Meshaal has not left Syria.

It was widely reported this morning that he had gone to Sudan after being kicked out of Syria. The problem is these reports all started life in one place: a Kuwaiti newspaper called Al Rai.

The paper quoted an unnamed 'reliable' Palestinian source.

Kuwaiti papers have developed something of a specialism at selling rumours as fact. As-Siyasseh has become the expert at this. The country's media has targeted Syria before.

The question is now not about the Syrian-Israeli peace talks - but more about what Kuwait is playing at. What did it have to gain?

There are reports that Hamas Politibureau head Khaled Meshaal has left Syria.

The timing is very interesting - one day before French President Nicolas Sarkozy lands at Damascus Airport. And just as Syria and Israel signal they are ready for direct talks.

His presence in Damascus has been a key sticking point in the Israel-Syria talks. Israel says it considers the move a huge sign that Syria is serious about the talks.

Syria Today's editor Andrew Tabler has more here.

Columbian-Lebanese singer Shakira is writing a duet to defend Arabs.

She is teaming up with Arab-American singer Dania Youssef. Dania was born in America and sings in English. But she did study Arabic music for three years. On this song, her vocals will be in Arabic - and her words will be written by Egyptian composer Mohamed Saad.

Shakira visited Lebanon for the first time in 2003 and said it felt like a homecoming. She doesn't speak Arabic, and considers herself Columbian - rarely mentioning her Lebanese roots.

The song, which is an attempt to change the image of Arabs as terrorists, will be out by the end of the year. Dania is also recording her first Arabic album.

This could be the breakthrough. Bashar Al-Assad is ready to come face to face with Ehud Olmert.

The two countries have been involved in indirect talks for most of this year.

Israel has been asking for a direct meeting for months, but Syria has resisted. Now, things are slowing down, and the chance for a deal looks more distant than it has done at any point during the latest round of talks.

Syria has been holding off on direct talks because it is waiting for Bush to leave office. But Barack Obama's adviser recently visited Syria and told Bashar if he doesn't speed this process up, Barack won't get involved if he comes to power. No-one wants to support a process which could fail.

Syria says it just wants the US to back the talks. France has already said it will.

Apparently, the deal is almost concluded. The technical details - who does what, where and when, have been sorted out. It just needs the politicians to sit down and say 'I do'.

Add to the mix the visit from French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He's coming to Damascus in a few days. And he's already supporting direct talks. Bashar's words could spur Sarkozy into talking to Bush.

This has all come from David Ignatius, who has spoken to Bashar's advisers.

So that's it - a few words from Bush - "I support Israel's talks with Syria", and we could be almost there.

A good friend is writing a book about Damascus, and needs details about parts of the city's history.

He's also looking for people who know about the Umayed Mosque, its traditions and what goes on there today.

If you think you can help, or if you have any ideas about people who could be useful to speak to, please leave a comment here.

Relatives of missing Syrians have staged a sit-in, outside the Ministry of the Interior.

They want to know what has happened to more than 1000 missing in Lebanon. They are demanding that Syrian officials ask Lebanon to investigate.

It follows a request by Lebanese families to learn the fate of their loved-ones, missing in Syria.

Bashar Al Assad and Michel Sleiman are meeting in Damascus. Hizbollah and March 14 are working together in Beirut. Syria and Lebanon have healed their wounds.

And Syria is coming in from the cold, internationally.

No wonder the anti-Syrians are having a fit. Have a look at this rant from George Bush's token Syrian friend - the "please invade Syria" cheerleader in Washington:

"If Assad wants to recognize Lebanon, why has he not, as protocol dictates, not visit Lebanon instead of inviting Gen. Suleiman to Syria? When was the last time Assad visited Lebanon? He never did because like a loyal Ba'athist, he considers it as part of Greater Syria. If anyone can confirm this protocol occurring please write me, otherwise, please consider the notion that it is simply too early to roll the red carpet for Assad."

The trouble is, Michel Sleiman has invited Bashar to Beirut, and Bashar has accepted. It was a desperate argument in the first place. And it shows how desperate the 'attack-Syria' lobby in Washington has become.

Start polishing your red carpet, Mr Syrian Chalabi.

At least eighteen people have been killed in Lebanon's worst single attack since the civil war.

Eleven soldiers are among the dead in Tripoli, and forty people are injured - two seriously.

A roadside bomb exploded when a bus drove past during the rush hour in Tripoli city centre.

The attack happened in Banks Street.

Today is the day when President Michel Sleiman visits Syria. Some Lebanese are angry that a deal has been signed between Hizbollah and March 14. Tripoli is a March 14 stronghold.

At least nine people have been killed, including seven soldiers in Tripoli.

The explosion happened on a civilian bus.

It comes a year after the army's battle with Al Qaeda-allied militants in the city.

More live updates soon...

Five people have died - including a number of soldiers - in a bomb blast in Tripoli.

It exploded on a bus early this morning.

The attack happened just after the government finally agreed a unity statement - bringing together Hizbollah and March 14. Al Qaeda's Lebanese stronghold is Tripoli.

I rarely comment on Palestinian issues - because it is overdone elsewhere (I set up this blog to write about Syria at a time when no-one was). And because it is done by people a lot more knowledgeable than me.

But Israel's offer to the Palestinians. No comment, just the facts:

Israel would annex 7.3% of the West Bank, in return for a smaller patch of DESERT.

Israel would keep the largest settlements.

Israel would be allowed to expand the settlements as much as it likes BEFORE the deal is implemented (i.e. the Palestinians would sign up to the agreement, not knowing how much land they'd eventually get their hands on).

The whole of Jerusalem would become Israeli.

The Israel-Palestine border would be where the Wall is (which cuts deep into the Occupied Territory).

Palestine would have no military.

Fatah would have to overthrow Hamas in Gaza.

The Palestinians would have to admit this is a generous deal.

Campaigner Aref Dalila has been released.

He was jailed in 2002, as the Damascus Spring - a period of openness at the start of Bashar Al-Assad's presidency - came to an end.

Aref is an economist, and former head of Economics at Damascus University, who was charged with trying to incite armed rebellion. He says he will continue to voice his opinions strongly, and his release wasn't conditional on staying silent.

Interestingly, it's just a few weeks since Ammar Qorabi - head of the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria - made a plea to Bashar for Aref to be freed: "because of a deterioration in his state of health and to turn a new page with the Syrian opposition". Qorabi continues to be the voice of moderation, and seems to be able to get away with a lot, and achieve even more. That man is on the up.

A handful of other dissidents - most notably Riad Seif - are still in prison.

Interesting series of posts from a visitor to Damascus, looking at the street signs.

They often come with a short history lesson in the form of a small plaque next to the road name. The plaque explains why that street has got that name.

The signs provide a vital history of Damascus's streets - and its people.

The first one is here - it's a ten part series.

114 coffins have been paraded in Damascus, a week after being released by Israel.

They are mainly Syrian and Palestinian fighters and civilians, killed over the past 40 years. They were transferred by the Red Cross over the Israeli-Lebanese border to Hizbollah last week as part of the prisoner swap.

Today, they were brought in slow-moving vehicles from Lebanon into Syria to be buried in their final resting place. Hundreds of relatives greeted the coffins - draped in the Syrian flag - at the Jedayda crossing on the Beirut-Damascus highway.

Even though some of the victims were civilian - they did not receive the attention that the two dead Israeli militants got last week.

"Crammed together in narrow alleyways, old Damascene houses provide privacy for their owners with windows that overlook the street from only the second floor upwards. Even then, the windows are covered by a wooden khis – a hand-painted shutter which keeps curious eyes at bay."

"The bedrooms are raised a level above their doors in order to keep in as much warmth as possible during the cold winter nights. The cold air is trapped in the lower space between the door and the step, protecting the bedroom from icy drafts."

Beautiful description by Raed Jabri - the man behind the Jabri House restaurant (no comment!). He was at the forefront of the rush to convert Old City houses into restaurants.

Ah hah hah.

There's a Syrian in Britain's Big Brother TV show.



More about the lovely Maysoon Shaladi here.

Syria and Lebanon are to open embassies in each other's capitals for the first time ever.

Syria said it would open an embassy in Beirut when a friendly government is formed. That happened yesterday, and so Syria has come good on its promise.

But why does al this matter? When Lebanon was carved out of western Syria, and the two countries gained independence, Syria refused to recognise Lebanon as an independent entity. As Hafez Al-Assad said, one country, two governments. Syria retained its territorial claim on Lebanon until Bashar came into power.

Now, Syria has officially recognised Lebanon's independence - a major gift to France (which is Lebanon's biggest patron), and to the Lebanese right-wing, which looks west, rather than east.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is paying for this with a return visit to Damascus, sometime in the next eight weeks.

All of the parties have chosen political moderates for the ministerial posts - with none of the party leaders taking positions in the goverment (except the SSNP, where the leader holds a non-portfolio post).

Hizbollah gets just one Minister (plus one ally) - although their Opposition bloc gets 11 seats. They have given most of the Opposition seats to Michel Aoun. Two reasons - Hizbollah plays a difficult balancing act between criticising the political elite, and having its say in government. Second - the Hizbollah vote is guaranteed in the election next year, the electorate aren't going to jump ship and vote for March 14, but Michel Aoun's vote is less solid. Hizbollah desperately want Aoun to increase his share of the Christian vote, so that the Opposition bloc could get a majority in parliament.

The rest of the ministries have been neatly divided up. Each appointment tells an interesting story.

The Lebanese Forces get the Justice Ministry - that was important for Samir Jaja, who was imprisoned for murder in 1994, but released on a political whim, when his March 14 allies came to power in 2005.

Michel Aoun's FPM gets the Telecoms Ministry - that's important, because it was a conflict over the private phone network run by Aoun's ally Hizbollah which sparked the violence in May.

Future get the Finance Ministry - a very important area for them because of Hariri's control over so much of Lebanon's business.

And Hizbollah get the Foreign Ministry - because of the party's raison d'etre (the Israeli threat).

The President, Michel Sleiman, also gets to pick three ministers - including the key posts of defence and interior. Mustapha praises his choice for the Interior Ministry, an independent.

And this is an excellent guide to the background and affiliations of each minister.

Here are the key appointments:

Fouad Siniora remains Prime Minister - Sunni, Future Movement.

Mohammad Chatah is the Finance Minister - Sunni, Future Movement.


Ibrahim Najjar becomes Justice Minister - Orthodox, Lebanese Forces.


Issam Abou Jamra becomes Deputy Prime Minister for the Opposition - Greek Orthodox, FPM (Aoun).

Fawzi Salloukh is Foreign Minister - Shia, Independent (but close to Hizbollah)

Mohammed Fneish changes to Labour Minister - Shia, Hizbollah.

Gibran Baassil becomes Telecoms Minister - Maronite, FPM (he's the son-in-law of Michel Aoun).



Ziad Baroud is Interior Minister - Maronite, Independent, chosen by the President.

Elias Murr stays on as Defence Minister - Orthodox, chosen by the President.


Image: the Lebanese Parliament, open for all your dirty political needs.

The formation has been agreed. It will be presented to President Michel Sleiman. Constitutionally, he has to agree to it.

It will then be made public.

The only official announcement is that Fouad Siniora will be Prime Minister.

Details are expected after the meeting - at the end of today.

More soon...

Controversial warlord, former Prime Minister, and self-proclaimed President Michel Aoun is apparently going to become Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister. He will also hold the post of Telecommunications Minister.

That's significant, because the recent fighting was triggered over an argument about Hizbollah's telecoms network.

The national unity government is expected to be announced this afternoon.

It will be formed of 16 ministers from March 14, 11 from the Opposition and 3 loyal to the President.

Apparently, only one of the Opposition ministers will be from Hizbollah.

The delay is now said to be down to fighting between March 14 leaders Amin Gemayel and Samir Jaja over who gets which ministries.

The government negotiations have been brokered by Qatar.

Lena Chamamyan is hosting a concert in Tishreen Park TONIGHT. Entrance is free, with a 50 lira ticket to the flower exhibition.

Thanks Orientalista for the correction - I thought it was 2 August, not 2 July!

If you've never heard of Lena, you have to go. She's possibly the most talented Syrian singer of our generation. She's created a unique form of Syrian jazz, and has been taken under the wings of some of the country's most talented producers.

And the venue is just perfect. If you've never been to the Tishreen Park ampitheatre, this is a great excuse to go, even if you don't like the music. I heard Lebanese electro-pop duet Soapkills there a few years ago, and the memory is still with me.

The full line up is as follows:
Basel Rajoub on the saxophone and trumpet
Bruno Paoli playing piano
Omar Harb on bass
Tareq Faham on drums
Feras Sharestan with the qanoun
Feras Al Hasan on classical percussion

It's in Tishreen Park, at the ampitheatre (which is in the north east corner of the park), at 8pm on Saturday 2 August. And it just costs 50 lira to get in.

More about Lena very soon. But for now - enjoy this:

Never trust an article that begins with: "In the evenings, the glitterati of Damascus gather at Z-Bar".

The EU has passed a draft law making anonymous blogs illegal.

To run a blog, you would have to register with your full - and real - name. And it's all because we are polluting the internet with "misinformation and malicious intent".

Egypt tried to do it, and failed. Syria tried to do it, and failed. The difference is, Europe knows what it is doing.

Privacy International rates parts of the EU as being the worst places in the world for protecting your personal information - yes, worse than the Arab World.

For Big Brother, look West.

Another close McCain adviser is former CIA director James Woolsey, who has openly advocated bombing Syria.

Israel has made a test-run for an attack on Iran. It sent its planes west, over the Mediterranean to an area over Greece - exactly the same distance from Israel as Iran's Natanz nuclear plant, but in the opposite direction.

The US has confirmed it was a try-out for an attack on Iran.

Why is no-one condemning this trial-run as an act of aggression in itself. It is far more threatening than any words that have come out of Ahmedinijad's mouth.

The UN's nuclear watchdog (the IAEA) has feebly responded by warning that an attack will make Iran even more determined to get nuclear weapons.

I always like to play the reverse game. Turn it around. Let's say Iran flew jets east in a trial-run for a bombing campaign over Israel. What would the UN say?

(a) Iran must be disarmed by whatever means possible - an emergency Security Council meeting is called for tonight.

or

(b) Iran, please don't attack Israel, it will just make Israel more determined to get nuclear weapons.

Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad has arrived in India - the first Syrian head of state to visit in three decades. And the most important foreign trip Bashar Al-Assad has ever made.

Politics - Israel, America, Iraq and Lebanon - may be Bashar's immediate concern. But with the oil set to dry up within two years, Syria is starting to court foreign economic powers. And the world's strongest economies over the next decade will be India and China - not America or Europe.

So who won the bid to run Syria's largest oil company - an Indian-Chinese joint venture, taking over from a Canadian firm.

But how did Bashar make it to India? A neutral party in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and close to the US, a few things must have gone through the Indian Prime Minister's head. Most importantly, how will this affect our new relationship with Israel. The answer - if Israel can talk to Syria, surely we can.

And what a visit - five days will be spent in the country. To put that in context - most political visits last a few hours, or a day at most. When Sarkozy came to Lebanon on his landmark visit, he stayed for three hours. He barely had time to get through passport control.

Bashar's taken a huge team to India - including the economy and trade minister, and the telecoms and technology minister.

The reason for bringing the economy minister is obvious. But why the telecoms and technology man?

Well, my personal - off-the-radar and slightly leftfield - prediction: India's Reliance Telecom or Bharti wants to buy Syriatel, which has been up for sale for a while. Both Reliance and Bharti have been trying to get their hands on MTN (a South African company which also has a foot in Syria) - but Syriatel would be a quick hit, and give the Indians exactly what they want - easy access to a developing market.

But reason number two for bringing the telecoms and technology minister - Bashar has already said he wants Syria to be a call-centre country, like India. He wants foreign countries to outsource their call centres to Syria. And India is the world leader in that field.

And reason number three - Syria has a huge amount to learn from India's technology industry. Tech is India's oil.

It's the economy stupid.

So what makes us so sure Bashar is so economy-obsessed? Look at many of Bashar's key appointments since 2000. The Deputy Prime Minister - Abdullah Al-Dardari - has an economic background. There are experts who used to work in the World Bank. And Syria's ambassador to Washington is - tellingly - a businessman, not a politician, not even a Ba'ath Party member.

One of Syria's sharpest minds is the ambassador to UAE - which is set to become the Arab World's financial powerhouse. And the eloquent Buthayna Sha'aban - who started out as the President's spokesperson, and one of his closest allies - now has the job of enticing Syrians living abroad to come back home and use their skills to build the economy. And it seems to be working.

The economy is the new politics.

This is completely subjective and deliberately uncomprehensive. A list of words I wrote, painting a picture of my first impressions of walking back into the city.

Bey: No McDonalds sign (the fast food joint opposite the AUB in Bliss Street is faceless - but the two policemen who used to stand guard outside aren't there anymore).

Roadblocks (they're everywhere now - but the best taxi drivers know how to get through them without slowing down).

Second language (Monot: "bonjour" - heard on street corners, and in shop doorways. Hamra: "hello").

Posters = healthy politics (this was before the recent clashes - the posters are everywhere, you can locate yourself by the words on the walls).

Hariri obsession (Kulna maak posters in Quratem - haven't I seen something similar in Syria?. Men in black at the bomb site, looking solemn, getting ready for the highlight of their day - the daily memorial at 12.55. There is music played at the bomb site, 24 hours a day. Counters all over town, reminding everyone how many days it's been since Hariri was killed).

It was supposed to be all over today. The guys behind Syria Planet no longer had the resources to keep running it. So Yaman Salahi has come to the rescue.

He is taking over the hosting and running of the site, so that we can all continue to be part of the Syrian blogosphere.

Thanks Yaman!

Syria and Lebanon are going to exchange ambassadors for the first time. There will be a Syrian embassy in Beirut and a Lebanese embassy in Damascus.

The two countries have never had a diplomatic relationship, because Hafez Al-Assad didn't recognise Lebanon's independence. As Hafez said, Lebanon and Syria are one country with two governments.

But it wasn't just Hafez who wanted to re-integrate Lebanon as part of Syria - every single Syrian president has made it a part of their policy. Until Bashar.

Bashar has always said, when the time is right, there will be a normal bilateral diplomatic relationship - exactly the same as the one that exists between the US and Canada, for example. Until now, Bashar said he would wait until Israel leaves Lebanon's Occupied Shebaa Farms. But now the goalposts have moved.

The announcement is due to be made when Bashar visits new Lebanese president Michel Sleiman later this month.

Syria Planet, the feed for every Syrian blog on the internet, is being taken down in one week.

A lack of resources is being blamed. But this can't happen. Syria Planet has held the Syria blogosphere together since the days when there were just a handful of blogs. Taking it down would destroy the Syrian blogosphere's public space.

And re-creating it would take a very long time. No-one - other than SyPlanet - has a decent list of every Syrian blog.

Let's save Syria Planet.

Here's a search I did (top right) on a CNN story, before I decide whether to read it or not.



Click on the image to enlarge.

Syrian farmers living under Israeli occupation have asked Israel to allow them to sell their cherries inside Syria.

Living under occupation means they can not travel to Syria or visit their families, and they certainly can't send shipments of their produce into Syria. They are trapped under Israeli military rule and most of their land has been confiscated by illegal Israeli settler colonies.

But this year, they have produced an unusally large number of cherries. Selling them inside Israel, like normal, would flood the market and make prices lower for Jewish farmers.

So the Israeli government is allowing them (telling them?) to sell them in Syria.

But it's not as easy as it sounds. They need permission from Israel's Agriculture Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and Finance Ministry first.

If it gets the go-ahead it will be co-ordinated with the UN, which will supervise the opening of the normally-closed Golan border crossing. Something similar has happened with Golani apple farmers for the past three years.

This is a concept film. It's experimental.

The experiment grates, and gets in the way every time it rears its head. But surprisingly, that doesn't stop this being a memorable film, with a simple, well told story.

Under the Bombs (تحت القصف) is set in the aftermath July war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006. We start at the Beirut Port, where Zeina has just arrived on the day of the ceasefire. She walks into Charles Helou bus station and searches for a taxi driver who will take her south. No-one is willing to take the risk, until Tony reluctantly agrees, for a handful of dollars.

The reason she needs to go south is to find her son, who is spending the summer away from his home in the Gulf, to visit the homeland.

So, it's a simple war-story. But what makes this film different is that it's unscripted, and like Caramel - it uses non-actors throughout (except for Zeina, Tony and two others). But it takes the concept one stage further. Almost all of the people we meet in the film are in their natural setting.

Tony is a true southerner. He takes Zeina from village to village, where she walks around asking for information from real-life locals. Tony waits for her, and sometimes, goes off to meet old friends - and, yes, they're Real People too. Some of these old friends have had their houses destroyed - "I used to live in that bedroom", one woman says, pointing up at a skeleton of a building. These side-trips feel out of place, they don't fit with the story, and they are - literally - documentary scenes slotted into a fiction film. It's weird, and it doesn't work.

Putting fiction so crudely into a very real tragedy seems like an odd concept. I didn't expect to be able to sympathise with Zeina's plight. But I did.

Perversely, Tony's character is developed better than Zeina's. A sub-story develops beautifully through the film. And it was one which kept me hanging on every word he said.

Tony's brother was a fighter in the South Lebanon Army - a Christian militia, and an Israeli proxy. The brother, and his children, fled to Israel when the Israeli Occupation ended eight years ago. And that has caused all manner of problems for Tony, who has been left behind.

So although the Real Life bits make this film look like a crude 'Israel is bad' film - it ends up being far more multi-layered.

The countdown is on. In 23 hours, Lebanon will have a new president.

Here are the details of the agreement:

A new thirty member unity-cabinet: 16 chosen by March 14, 11 chosen by the Opposition and 3 chosen by the president.

The use of weapons is banned in internal conflicts (but no decision on the future of Hizbollah's weapons).

Opposition camps in Downtown Beirut will be dismantled (this happened yesterday).

New electoral law (the "1960 law"), which divides the country into smaller districts - but Beirut is exempt. This is to give Christians a stronger presence.

A new president will be elected this Sunday.

'Moderate' Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says if Syria wants a peace deal, it must cut its ties with Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas.

Syria claims that Israel has agreed to withdraw to the 1967 armistice line and hand back the Golan Heights.

This would equal what Ehud Barak offered in 2000. But it would mean a tiny part of the Golan captured in 1948 remains in Israeli hands. That is the key sticking point, because that 10 metre strip of land allows access to Lake Tiberias - an essential source of water.

Israel isn't commenting on the claim - but says these talks are being carried out with the failure of past negotiations in mind - that suggests they know what Syria wants: Lake Tiberias.

The US, EU and Palestinian president have welcomed the talks. And Israel's Prime Minister has warned his country to be ready for "painful concessions".

No-one knows which way to look.

To the west - where Lebanon's rival factions have agreed an all-encompassing deal to end the 18 month political crisis. The Opposition tents are being taken down, Lebanon will have a president by the weekend, and the government will finally represent the whole country. None of that would have been possible without Qatar as a genuine independent party.

Or to the east - where Syria and Israel have publicly confirmed they are in peace talks for the first time since 2000. None of that would have been possible without Turkey as a genuine independent party.

Today is a tribute to Qatar and Turkey - and shame on Lebanon, Syria, Israel, the US, Saudi and Egypt, which can't see beyond their own narrow interests.

Today has got to be the most optimistic day in the Levant since before the Iraq war. That was five years ago this March. On the fifth anniversary we looked at the prospects for Lebanon and for Syria and sighed.

Yes, it's true, the fragile agreement in Lebanon could collapse. And the Israel-Syria peace talks will probably yield nothing. But that doesn't stop the sun shining today.

Happy Peace-in-the-Levant Day.

SYRIA CONFIRMS CONDUCTING INDIRECT PEACE TALKS WITH ISRAEL
THROUGH TURKEY-FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT

Lebanon presidential vote will be on Sunday

TALKS WITH SYRIA WON'T BE AT EXPENSE OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS WITH
PALESTINIANS - ISRAELI OFFICIAL

TOP OLMERT AIDES IN TURKEY SINCE MONDAY, ALONG WITH SYRIAN
REPRESENTATIVES - ISRAELI OFFICIAL

Turkey is mediating. Israeli Prime Minister's office confirms it. The sticking point up until now was that the Israelis had wanted to keep it secret, but Syria didn't.

Can today get any better?

Nabih Berry's just announced the Opposition protest camp in Downtown Beirut is being taken down.

It's over.

Downtown reopens.

Photos soon.

Lebanon will have a new President tomorrow or Friday.

The two sides have agreed to a Qatar mediated plan - as their deadline passed. Qatar played a dangerous game. Initially it said the talks would be open-ended. But earlier this week it said, here are two ideas, you've got twenty four hours to make up your mind.

The gamble paid off.

It's not clear what will happen with the other issues at stake: the electoral law, and the unity cabinet.

Some accounts of attacks against individuals during the clashes in Lebanon (from the sometimes unreliable Human Rights Watch). Despite the best propaganda attempts of March 14, no-one is clean. NO-ONE.

Opposition gunmen killed two unarmed civilians in Ras An Naba: 59 year old Amal Baydoun and 35 year old Haytham Tabbarah. They also detained a number of March 14 fighters - although most were transferred to the Army as soon as they were captured. Four Junblatt fighters were kept by Hezbollah - when they were released they said they had been treated well. Two others said they were insulted and punched.

Hariri fighters and Junblatt militants, on the other hand, are accused of committing war crimes. Junblatt fighters captured two Hizbollah supporters and summarily executed them: one had been shot in the head at very close range while the other had part of the skin of his forearm removed (Human Rights Watch claims to have photos). In another incident, pro-government fighters beat and kicked SSNP (Opposition) fighters who were already lying on the ground, injured.

A Kuwaiti company is going to build a quarter of a billion dollar tourism and leisure centre on the Ummayad Square.

At the centre will be Syria's first InterContinental Hotel. There will also be a shopping centre, cinemas, offices plus a health club and spa.

Kuwaiti company Kharafi Group has won the right to build the 50,000 square metre Kiwan project. It should be complete within two years.

The Ummayad Square is one of the most important centres in the new city. An underpass to ease traffic congestion took years to build. Around the square are the Opera House, the National Library, the National TV Centre, part of the University and the wonderful Tishreen Park. One of the roads leads into the heart of Damascus, another to Beirut, and a third goes up to Mount Qassioun. It's not clear which side the Kiwan project will be on.

It's the latest stage in Syria's push for tourism, which seems to be working - there have already been 23% extra visitors this year.

Three war criminals and a thief.

What a beautiful sight. Hold on to that image, they'll be killing eachother soon, when the one-trick pony March 14 alliance crumbles.



Left to right: Sa'ad Hariri, son of Rafiq Hariri. Amin Gemayal, son of Pierre Gemayal. Walid Junblatt, son of Kamal Junblatt. Samir Jaja, son of a bitch.

The Lebanese Army. The one neutral institution in Lebanon. Yes, they deserve a lot of criticism, but taking sides is not one of them.

So no wonder the Hariri gang is upset that they didn't come running when they lost their mini-civil war.

There's no doubt that Michel Sleiman is not partisan. He has the backing of the Opposition, March 14, the US and even - possibly - Israel. But the fact that the army didn't act as Hariri's private armed forces upset him. Quite a lot.

Future TV has launched scathing attacks - accusing the army of working for Hizbollah, by walking in to Future News with Amal gunmen to cut the cables.

But most dangerously, they claimed yesterday that around 40 Sunni Commanders resigned over the way the conflict was handled. (It was quoted elsewhere, but the quotes originate from Lebanese Forces newspaper An-Nahar).

Sleiman has now totally denied this black propaganda.

Creating a perception that the army is pro-Opposition is the one thing that CAN split the army - and the country.

Future TV fans were crying over the loss of their 'free speech' - and this is what they are doing with it. Shame on them.

Interesting claims here that Hariri was using human shields from outside Beirut:

"All the offices of the government-backed Future Movement in West Beirut have surrendered and many of the pro-government "fighters," many who were invited to come from northern Lebanon, often without even knowing that they were going to fight, have surrendered to the opposition and the opposition has handed these people and offices over to the Lebanese army. ...

Also it is critical to note that many pro-government forces who fought against the opposition in recent days, were people traveled from extremely impoverished areas like Akkar in northern Lebanon, led by the Future Movement to Beirut which was offering money to impoverished people to fight against opposition forces in Beirut. In certain cases people coming from Akkar weren't even aware prior to arriving in Beirut that they were coming to the capital to fight, thinking that they were coming to Beirut to fill labor positions; these are people who were manipulated by the Future Movement.

Many people from Akkar, in this context, quickly surrendered to opposition forces in West Beirut, declaring on local TV and radio that they weren't aware that they were being led by pro-government forces, mainly the Future Movement, to Beirut to fight the opposition. Also some youths who fought for the opposition forces were led to fight with money, however this is a minority. It's important to recognize that the terrible economic situation in Lebanon is leading people to fight in multiple cases."

There's not much I can add. It's a mess, and as usual, it's a mess of Lebanon's creating.

Hizbollah is to blame for starting this civil violence. March 14 is to blame for letting this political crisis fester for 18 months.

The Hariri militia has lost on two counts. First - it was comprehensively defeated, with incredible efficiency (as Qunfuz noted - a only handful of people died in what is being called a coup d'etat - where else in the world would a coup be nearly bloodless?). And second - Hariri's claims that his people had no militia were comprehensively disproven.

Some other things I've learned: Hariri thugs use the Future TV buildings in the heart of Beirut as weapons stores.

Hariri thugs aren't taking their defeat too well. In Tripoli, they have managed to breach their own truce, by starting a new war against SSNP and Baath supporters.

The Army has told the government to shut up - it will not dismantle Hizbollah's telecom network. This crisis began when the rump government threatened to dismantle the network.

And soon after, Hizbollah's biggest enemy, Walid Junblatt, conceded that the Hizbollah telecom network IS necessary for the resistance.

Siniora says the government will never attack Hizbollah - but also says Hizbollah needs to be disarmed (how can that happen if the government won't attack - maybe Siniora wants Israel to do the job).

In Beirut, it's clear Hizbollah don't want to be seen as occupiers - and don't want a Gaza situation (of being left in power when they don't want it). As soon as they defeat Hariri's gangs - in an area, or even a Hariri building - they hand it over to the army.

And what an interesting dynamic within the opposition. Aoun has largely kept his words and guns out of the argument - there has been no intra-Christian fighting, with east Beirut largely silent. This is all about the Shia and Sunni. Aoun has the most to gain from all of this. Keep your eye on him.

Very good explainer on the parties and militia of Lebanon.

The Hariri militia has surrendered in the last area under its control - Tareek al-Jadeedi. It's a Hariri stronghold.

It means the Opposition now controls the whole area of Beirut which has seen feirce fighting in the past three days.

It's a major blow to Hariri's Future Movement. Earlier this morning, his TV station was forced off air.

Hariri gunmen are in talks to surrender to the Opposition.

The Opposition now controls all of West Beirut - except for Tarek al-Jadeedi. where Hariri fighters are trying to negotiate their escape, according to the Army.

Earlier this morning, Hariri TV station, Future TV was forced off air.

It is leading to hopes the violence - which has been described as war - will soon be over.

Many of the roads and airport are still closed.

Dashed hopes, tears and the death of left-wing politics.

My love for London is paralleled only by my love for Damascus. I've never campaigned for any politician - mainly because most don't deserve my energy. But I've spent the past week on the streets of London, knocking on people's doors, plastering stickers all over London's trains (photo, below) and handing out leaflets outside tube stations, shouting the same two words at anyone within ear-shot: Vote Ken.

Ken is London. This is his city. In the past eight years he has built a capital for the people. But his influence goes back much further than this decade.

BACKSTORY

A left-wing activist, he started out on the rebellious councils of north London in the 1970s. That's where he got his name of Red Ken. He moved on to the GLC - which ran London. His Labour Party was in turmoil, but he was a massively popular figure at the height of Thatcherism.

He led regeneration projects, redeveloped parts of London that hadn't seen government money since the end of the Second World War, and made transport cheap enough for everyone to afford.

And even during his years in power, he could still be seen on the picket lines at factories, supporting striking workers.

But in 1986, his time was up. Margaret Thatcher hated him and everything he stood for, and she abolished the GLC.

He sat quietly in Parliament and saw Tony Blair come into power. Blair had promised to restore self-rule for London, and in 2000, London voted for its first Mayor.

Ken was no friend of Blair's New Labour. Socialist 'Red Ken' was very very Old Labour. And he hadn't shaken off that maverick, independent, radical, free-wheeling reputation he gained in the 80s.

THE REBELLION

Blair wanted his Health Minister to become Mayor - Ken was furious, everyone saw the position of Mayor as made for him. So, he stood as an independent. Blair kicked him out of the Labour Party - boosting his popularity even further.

Ken won by a massive majority, despite the entire media and political establishment battling against him - and he forced Labour into a humiliating fourth place. Ken inflicted Tony Blair's first bloody nose, and he later boasted that was his biggest achievement. (Photo: City Hall - the Mayor's office, next to Tower Bridge.)

But he also saw it as a belated victory against Thatcher. His first words as Mayor:

“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted 14 years ago."

BECOMING A LONDONER

During his eight years in power, he won the 2012 Olympics for London, which is already forcing billions of pounds into London's poorest eastern areas.



He imposed a controversial Congestion Charge on cars coming into the city - it's now universally accepted to have been a fantastic idea, cutting pollution and traffic. Leaders of other cities are trying to copy it. And he won admiration for the way he dealt with the aftermath of the terror attacks on London's transport network:

"Those who came here to kill last Thursday had many goals but one was that we should turn on each others like animals trapped in a cage and they failed. They failed totally and utterly. There may have been places where that would have happened but not here."

MAN OF THE PEOPLE

And why did the bombers fail? Because of the tolerance and diversity of this city. Nowhere in the world can compete with London's open-mindedness. And Ken - defender of minorities and the poor - has protected that.

He lives in a poor area of north London and travels by tube. Wherever he goes, he's mobbed by fans as if he is a pop-star or actor. It was the highlight of my month when he sat in front of me on the train, and talked to me.

Ken has made housing affordable again in one of the world's most expensive cities, and made travel free for anyone under-18 and over-60.

But he also stood up to America. He was vocally anti-war, when everyone else was silent. He called the US Ambassador to London a "chiseling little crook" when he refused to pay the Congestion Charge.

And he made friends with Hugo Chavez, signing a deal to get cheap oil, in return for advise on how to develop Venezuela.

THE COMEDIAN

Along comes 2008. There's never any doubt Ken would win his third election. Until Boris Johnson came on the scene - a comedian and journalist, and very-right wing Conservative politician. He has said black people have smaller brains, and called Nelson Mandela a tyrant. He is still a supporter of the Iraq war (when no-one else is), loves George Bush, and cried when Margaret Thatcher was kicked out.

He is everything Ken is not.

So how could he win? He came from nowhere. He targeted the richer white suburbs, which don't even feel part of London. It was always going to be close. Ken won the inner city, Boris took the edges. The result: Boris - 53%, Ken 47%.

GOODBYE

I love Ken because I love this city. Ken is such a passionate Londoner. He's a visionary, an independent man of the people. We've lost all of that, and gained a politician to run our city.

Ken is still my Mayor for another five hours. Shed a tear with me at midnight.

I never used to be proud of London - during the last eight years, I've become a Londoner. I've become part of Ken's city.

(Thanks to you-know-who for the Facebook status graphic.)

But what's behind it?

Claims that Syria was trying to build a nuclear reactor with North Korean help tell us more about the US than they do about Syria.

There's nothing new here. These accusations were leveled when Israel destroyed a building in Syria with an air raid last September. Now the US has produced photographic 'evidence' and given it to the UN nuclear agency. But they're not happy - the IAEA is furious at the delay in handing these photos over.

So why the delay? Look at the timing. It comes on the day America is about to finish negotiating with North Korea. And it comes two days after Israel revealed it was willing to return the whole Occupied Golan Heights in return for a peace treaty with Syria.

It is the biggest news story in the west about Syria for many many years. But even the right-wing media seem sceptical. The Colin Powell Iraqi WMD presentation has had an effect.

There is speculation even on the BBC (which normally steers away from comment in news pieces) that this nuclear 'revelation' is an attempt by Dick Cheney, and the neo-con regime remnants to undermine Bush.

It's not often a description of Damascus captures me completely. But Qunfuz has done it. This deserves to be published.

If you have never been to Damascus - read this, it will take you there.

If you love Damascus but you're not there - read this, it will take you home.

If you're in Damascus - read this, it will make you cry, then go out into the street and give the city a big hug.

"Damascus certainly deserves cultural capital status more than some cities that have held the title in previous years. After Beirut and Cairo, Damascus has the best bookshops in the Arab world. Syria has always boasted an impressive range of poets and musicians, and produces TV dramas which are of much higher quality than the Egyptian competition. Its taxi drivers can recite classical and contemporary poetry. Its pop singers sing Nizar Qabbani, the most influential and best loved modern Arab poet. Damascus is a city in which your host is likely to serenade you with his lute after dinner. And it is, as the tourism ministry likes to repeat, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world."

In Amara, the destruction was avoided, in Medhat Pasha renovation is underway - but in Saroujah, the argument goes on. Official documents show a decision is going to be made by the end of the year - a generation after the controversy began.



Saroujah holds a special place in my heart. I named my blog after the area - it is MY Damascus. And I get incredibly defensive when it is threatened. But Saroujah is defined by the threat of destruction. For thirty years, plans to destroy Saroujah - not renovate it - have hung over this area.

Saroujah is an odd case. It is just outside the city walls (you can see the Umayid Mosque in the background - below), but because it is hundreds of years old, it comes under the remit of the Old City renovation authorities.



Souq Saroujah - the Saddlemakers' Market - is concentrated around one thin road of the same name. The Mosque (below) and Hamam (the dome in the picture above) are at the centre of the community.



But not many people live in Saroujah any more. Thirty years ago, the Damascus authorities started evicting residents, to build ugly modern tower blocks for the booming population.



Work to get rid of the old houses, and put up tower blocks, started in the south-west corner of Saroujah. But this modern corner of Saroujah isn't all bad - the pure-white French Cultural Centre (the CCF) is a work of art. It was designed by French architect José Oubrerie in the 1980s, and looks as fresh today as it did two decades ago.

The remaining residents knew their houses would be next. But as suddenly as the work started, it stopped again. Many old Saroujans are some of the city's richest people. And with wealth comes power. They weren't going to let their area fall victim to modernisation. A temporary halt was placed on the demolition.

But with the threat of eviction hanging over them, no-one was going to waste money repairing a house which could be seized. So they let their houses fall into disrepair.



And gradually they moved out - ironically, many went to the modern European-style flats in the neighbouring Ayn Kirsh, just to the north of Saroujah.

But recently, the organisation which looks after the Old City - and works well with the European Union to do it - has taken over responsibility for Saroujah. So is a change in Saroujah's fortunes in store?

In the past few months, they have re-paved part of the area (with far less inconvenience than in Medhat Pasha).



So does this mean destruction is no longer on the cards?

Documents released by the Old City modernisation authorities show that they are going to make a decision on the future of Saroujah by the end of this year.

They are already looking into the legality of the 'evictions', which are still officially 'on hold'. Hopefully they will say that there is no legal basis to the idea.

It is the Old City authorities - not the Muhafaza (Damascus City Council) - which is responsible for Saroujah now. They have a very different set of priorities - renovation and protection - not destruction and modernisation.

So hopefully, the news at the end of the year will be good. For Saroujah's sake.

So Amara was saved. But in the south of the Old City something nasty is happening.



The busiest road within the city walls has been closed for the past year, as it is ripped to pieces. Walk along Medhat Pasha - called Straight Street in the Bible - and bulldozers are tearing up the ground, and look to your left and right to see the shops being gutted.







Essentially, a new Medhat Pasha is being built.

Whenever I walk along there, I am staring at the ground - trying not to trip over the rubble. Looking up at the roof is not an option. But maybe you should.

The tin roofs over Medhat Pasha and Souq Al-Hamidiyeh date from the Ottoman refurbishment of the main Souqs. During the insurgency against the French occupation, they were punctured by gunfire. And they've remained that way for almost one hundred years. The shafts of sunlight which pierce into the dark souqs are blindingly beautiful, and a daily reminder of Syria's struggle for independence.

But the centuries-old black Medhat Pasha roof, which was decorated by history, has been replaced by a new white one.



Here it is six months ago, with the old roof.



Of course, the Old City can't survive on memories. It needs to be renovated to keep living. But the Old City is heaving under the weight of the bulldozers which have been brought in.

Early on in the work, the digging destroyed a much-loved bar at the eastern end, Abu George. Metal rods now hold up the neighbouring buildings to stop more walls collapsing.



The cobbled stones on the ground have been laid along parts of the road - only to be ripped up for a second time. Shoppers and shop-owners compete for space with the workmen. The shops are still open - life can't be put on hold.



It's not just the exteriors that are being brought into the 21st century - all of the shops are being refitted. The authorities are paying for them to be gutted and refurbished. A similar scheme improved the tourist souq alongside the Omayed Mosque a few years ago.



Damascus is a living city, not a museum piece. So as much as work like this is disruptive, it is vital. When the dust settles - and there is a lot of it - a new Medhat Pasha will emerge. One in keeping with its glorious history, but fit for life in the twenty-first century.

Next week, in part three - official documents hint that a thirty-year-old plan to force residents out of one of the oldest parts of Damascus - and build tower-blocks - could be put into action within months.

Wonderful article on Syria's footballing dream - from reaching the Asian Champions League final two years ago (that was Al Karama) to making it into the World Cup.

How the money men ended Syria's military approach to football
The Guardian, UK
James Montague
April 10, 2008 12:54 PM

" But five years ago the army's power was challenged by an unlikely source. The Syrian FA decided that enough was enough. Syrian football was going pro and if Al Jaish wanted to take any clubs' players then they'd have to pay for them. It was a brave, and rare, move in a country where dissent isn't often tolerated. ...

"More than 80% of Damascus used to support the army club," Toufik Sarhan, the FA's general secretary, told me. "But now many of the clubs are as good as Al Jaish, if not better, because we made the league professional. Rich men started to support their clubs. Football is much better now." ...

The next day's game involving Damascus' new No1 team Al Wehda and basement club Al Horriya showed just how unpopular Al Jaish have become, as 20,000 fans screamed throughout an end-to-end encounter, Al Wehda eventually winning 3-2 after being 2-1 down. The fans sung and taunted the opposition with cries of "kis akh tek Horriya" (Horriya, go fuck your sister) as they took the lead at the last. "Al Jaish are hated," 20-year-old Ali, a Wehda fan, told me. "When you're 20 they come and, bzzzz, shave your head. But if you sign for Al Jaish, they don't shave your head, you don't have to serve. And there's wasta. They have all this money and the referee always gives them the decisions, for sure." "

It caused controversy when it first went up. A massive billboard was installed a few years ago at the entrance to Souq Al-Hamidiyeh, one of the city's key tourist sites.

It was a shot of the Syrian flag. But it seems like it had been copied and pasted directly from a Syrian blogger's work.



Last October, I watched as the flag was finally taken down, to be replaced by a picture of the President, and the words 'Syria believes in you'.



And now, as Arab Summit got into full swing in Damascus, I get another shock. A huge poster celebrating the event went up.

Who said civil society can't have an impact in Damascus.

Plans to destroy decades old shops in Amara caused outrage last year. It was all in the name of progress - knock-down the shops, and widen the road. That would mean less traffic in the Old City. But critics said it would damage the city walls.


(Bab Al-Faradis, Amara, Damascus)

It was part of a grand scheme to eventually ban traffic from the whole of the Old City. But that can't be done until there is an alternative - at the moment, the roads outside the northern city walls are chaotic.

Shopkeepers were furious at the plans, a Facebook and Blogger campaign was launched. That led to a petition. And eventually journalists got wind of the proposals and it made the international news. Then the bombshell - just months before Damascus began its year as Arab Capital of Culture, UNESCO threatened to withdraw Damascus's World Heritage Site status unless more is done to protect the Old City.

Quietly, the plans were dropped - thirty years after they first surfaced. Victory for the Old City. Although the net has stayed very quiet about the change of plan.

It seems the price to pay is that traffic isn't going to be banned from the Old City - and that could end up being far more damaging than the Amara proposals.

On the other side of the Old City, something equally destructive has been happening for the past year - more on that soon.

Residents in the newly hip eastern Beirut district of Gemmayze have taken the law into their own hands.

A group of up to one hundred people blocked the street on Saturday in protest at the constant partying. The army was called into the area to disperse the crowd.



Many of the elderly residents are angry that their quiet residential area has become the hottest nightspot in town over the past couple of years.

I thought it was just a little kerfuffle over a broken window. Many of the people gathered in the street looked like nosey passers-by to me (yes, yes, I am included in that group!).

Mustapha reports that Lebanon's Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis wants to close down at least twenty pubs. But is it just an idle threat? Would a Lebanese Forces minister really dare to rile so many young people in the LF heartland? Or will he leave the situation alone, and anger many older LF supporters?

P.S. the air raid sirens have been tested too! No I didn't think it was the start of the war. Honestly. Ok, maybe a bit.

Ok, so Samir Jaja is in Washington, and he's going to be spreading his wisdom at an event on Thursday. As Mickey Mouse, I am disappointed not to have been invited. So as my revenge, I will reply to the RSVP email address telling them that in fact, Mickey Mouse will be attending.

If any of my friends - Donald Duck, Tweety Pie, or even Roger Rabbit - are out there, first of all I miss you. And secondly, I advise you to email them quickly, and tell them you will be attending. Even if you won't really!

It will be the most intellectual audience Samir Jaja has had for a long time.

That email address is LIC@LICUS.ORG. Do it now!



On a serious note, such email harassment will possibly give the organisers a hint that wherever Jaja goes, trouble (like us) follows. If I was in Washington, I would like nothing more than to organise a loud demonstration outside the building. Jaja is a war-criminal, and he shouldn't be welcome anywhere but prison.

I'll start this by saying that I have had a long-running campaign against Human Rights Watch, academically and on this blog.

HRW is an overwhelmingly American organisation - the vast majority of its membership, employees and offices are in the US. It contributes to the imbalance in NGOs working in the developing world - overall 89% of NGOs and their workers are Western. Only 11% are from the developing world.

So would it surprise you to learn that at the HRW Film Festival, which starts in London this week, only TWO of their 25 films come from the developing world (and one of those is from Eastern Europe).

More than half of the films come from the West - most of those from America. And a handful are mixed western-developing world productions.

I am prepared to accept that many developing world filmmakers need assistance from the west. But still, only nine of their films have ANY involvement at all from developing world.

This is a film festival of movies by Westerners for Westerners. They've picked cinemas in Notting Hill and Greenwich, just so the privileged don't have to drive their Mercedes far.

In case you care, my thesis was on the normative role of NGOs in the developing world. Put crudely, Western NGOs - with HRW leading the way - are unwitting vehicles for the export of Western morals and values. (And, no, it wasn't that tired argument about cultural sensitivity and the universality of human rights. Some human rights really are universal. Female genital mutilation and torture can't be explained away by 'tradition'.)

Isn't it tragic how we are staring at our TVs, watching the US election race with such enthusiasm.

This is an election in a country thousands of miles away, in which we have no control. But which will have a direct impact on all our lives.

Do Americans watch the outcome of the Swedish vote with such interest? Do the French care so much about the Italian elections? No, because by-and-large, whatever voters choose in those countries, only affects those countries.

The US election is the only international election, because the US is the only superpower. And we have no say over what happens in it - although it is Arabs who will live and die by the result of the vote.

Maybe the democracy parrots should think about that, the next time they trot out their worn out slogans.

Thank you America for sending your warship to create peace: the USS Cole is being sent to the coast of Beirut as a "show of support for regional stability".

I think Syria should also send its troops to the outskirts of Beirut, as a "show of support for regional stability".

A US official said:" We are very concerned about the [election of a President] in Lebanon. It has dragged on very long."

The election of a US President is barely half way through a two-year battle. I think Syria also has a duty to send troops to the east coast of America.

I've been clawing at the walls to see this film. And finally, last night, I sneaked into a preview screening.

I missed it in Damascus - during the film festival - because all the tickets were sold out. I missed it during the London Film Festival, because I was in Damascus. I missed the Al Jazeera screening because, well, someone forgot to tell me. And I almost missed this one. I heard about it on Wednesday, but again it was sold out. I was devastated. I went to the box office anyway, to try my luck, and got one of four return tickets.

The award-winning Caramel / سكر بنات is the biggest selling Lebanese film of all time - it has been seen by one million people so far. It is the second biggest selling Arab film ever (after the Yacoubian Building). It premiered in Cannes, and it narrowly missed out on an Oscar nomination.

Caramel is Nadine Labaki's debut film. She used to direct music videos and adverts. Labaki was responsible for Katia Harb's Ma Fina - the first Arab music video I ever liked (hey, I was young!):



So I knew I was in for a treat. I'd already watched the trailer a million times, and bought the soundtrack (I highly recommend the title track Sukkar Banat - also Mreyte Mreyte, which the film ends on, and Tango el Caramel which opens the film).

It was screened as part of an Arab women's film festival in London - and hosted at the French Cultural Institute.


Labaki appeared on stage - speaking English with a heavy French accent - with her husband, who produced the music for the film. They married after the film was finished. Blushing, Labaki said he penned the music to win her heart.

She introduced the film by saying Caramel isn't about war. It is a story about love, friendship, and the bonds of the six main characters. The film ends with Labaki's simple dedication: To My Beirut. And she was very clear - this was a personal story. The story of the Beirut she knows - the friendships, the lives. "It is a sweet taste of Lebanon," she said, "and I hope the taste stays with you for a long time".

The audience was mainly Lebanese exiles, but many French-Londoners too. Labaki was pestered during the Q&A by questions about politics. But she deftly refused to get involved - this wasn't a political film, it's about people. People like her and her friends and the issues they have to deal with, nothing more.

Doesn't she have a duty - she was asked - as a Lebanese director, to tell the story of differences between the sects. As a director, her work can have an impact. She said that Caramel showed Muslims and Christians living side by side without ever talking about their religion. And that, she says, is her Beirut - a Beirut where religion doesn't mediate person to person relationships. Religion and difference isn't a part of everyday life, and she wanted to reflect that in her work.

So on to the film. It is sugary-sweet, just like the title. And it is incredibly simple. It doesn't set any huge goals for itself. Every single person in the film is a non-actor (except the policeman). And that brings real honesty, and colour to the film. The woman who plays Lili - the elderly woman with mental problems - apparently had difficulty understanding when they were filming and when they weren't. Throughout, she was just being herself.

And it is packed with humour - maybe too much. In one of the key dramatic moments of the film, when Layale is pouring her heart out to the girls, Rima makes a dry comment.


Labaki has made a lot about the taboos Caramel tries to break. As well as directing Caramel, Labaki also plays the lead role, Layale. Layale is in a relationship with a married man, Nisrine is preparing to get married, although she's not a virgin, Jamale can't accept that she's growing old and Rima is lesbian. It doesn't break these taboos, but scratches at the surface, and holds up cards to show these taboos exist. The issue of lesbianism is handled so very delicately, possibly too delicately.

That other big selling Arab film, the Yacoubian Building, also tackles homosexuality - but does it head on. Although that film has come in for criticism in the way that it just reinforces gay stereotypes.

But maybe that's the beauty of Labaki's work. The relationship between Rima and Siham is never made explicit - Siham barely utters a word in the film. And we never even see the married man who Layale is with.

But perhaps the most beautiful friendship is that of Rose and Lili. The elderly sisters who stick together even when opportunity conspires to draw them apart. For me, the most emotional scene involves these two, as the credits are rolling at the end of the film.

I will go this far: Caramel is the Lebanese Amelie.

Caramel opened the film festival: Women's Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran. And tonight, it's the turn of the award-winning Iranian animation Persopolis.

Caramel trailer:

Prince Moulay Rachid.

They are the three words which Fouad Mourtada will regret typing. He has been jailed in Morocco - not for insulting his leader (as some bloggers have been in Egypt and Saudi and Syria and Tunisia and.....) - but for just TYPING HIS NAME.

What kind of Arab World do we live in? What kind of paranoid hateful totalitarian dictatorships do we live under? Morocco, that progressive country. That country which is 'one of the most democratic in the region'. Morocco for god's sake.

So what did the evil Fouad do? He set up a Facebook profile in the Prince's name. He's been convicted of "villainous practices linked to the alleged theft of the [prince's] identity". His family alleges he has been blindfolded and beaten unconscious.

16 February 2008: "The new sanction law will be hot air if it is not used to paralyse the financial freedom of Rami Makhlouf, the President's cousin and the Mr. Economy for the Syrian regime." (Syria Comment)

21 February 2008: "The sanctions affect Rami Makhlouf, a first cousin of President Bashar Assad and one of Syria's most powerful men."

Damascus has seven gates - the busiest: Bab Sharqi and Bab Tuma. The non existent: Bab Kisan. The others: Bab Al Faradis, Bab Al Jabieh, Bab As Saghir, and Bab As Salam.

Now, there is an eighth.



But it's not in the Old City. The Eighth Gate is being built in Yafour, north of Damascus. Yafour is one of the new-money suburbs - outside of central Damascus, where building is limited by protection laws. The Eighth Gate - and Yafour in general - represents Damascus's Gulf architectural boom. The most potent symbol of the style is the Four Seasons hotel.

No, the Gulf architecture doesn't fit in to Damascus. Go up to Jebl Qasioun and look down at the city. It used to be the Umayed Mosque which stood out. Now, your eyes are drawn to the Four Seasons first.

But it is an improvement on the Soviet architecture which has dominated since the 1960s. That's a natural change.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. Emaar, the Dubai-based developers of the Eighth Gate, are having a massive sales push, even though the homes haven't been finished yet.



Have no doubt, this will change the face of Damascus. Damascus in the wider sense - not the Old City, not even the New City. But Damascus and its environs. I'm not sure I am completely behind this. There seem to be too many penthouses and not enough affordable housing (building a certain proportion of affordable housing was a condition for granting Emaar a licence to build this development).

It is also an attempt to decenter the city. By building the largest shopping center in the region here, Yafour residents will no longer need to come into the centre of town. It is sucking the life out of Damascus - literally and figuratively.

In many ways, this is how Beirut operates - as a multi-centered city (how much does the photo remind you of Beirut's Downtown?).

Some of the houses will be on the waterfront, and the shopping mall will be built in the style of the Damascus Old City. Access to the whole complex is through an Old City style gate.

It is costing half a billion dollars to build, and is already one year behind schedule. (This is an earlier post about the development).

Thank you Arab League.

Arab leaders have signed up to an ethical code for journalists. It sounds positive. It sounds like it is a way of protecting journalism, integrity, free speech. But no, this is the Arab World. And this is a deal signed by our Arab dictators. The only decisions they make are ones which protect them personally.

So, if journalists breach the code, the organisation's permit to broadcast can be withdrawn. Until now, state broadcasters refrain from criticising their own country's government, but are more free to lash out at other states.

This agreement will create a region-wide crackdown on journalistic analysis.

It is co-sponsored by Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Qatar - where Al Jazeera is based - is the only Arab state not to sign it.

Just in case you thought the leaders were being selfish, they've promised that the deal will protect "social harmony, national unity, public order or traditional values". Sounds exactly like the trumped up charges against domestic dissidents appearing before military courts.

A senior Hizbollah commander has been killed in a bomb blast in Damascus.

His name was Imad Moughniyah.

It happened in Kafar Sousseh in the west of the city.

Police quickly removed the car and the body.

Witnesses say it bore the hallmarks of the car bombs which have hit Lebanon in the past three years.

The attack comes just hours before anti-Syrians prepare to demonstrate in Beirut, to mark the third anniversary of the death of Rafiq Al-Hariri. Anti-Syrian leader Walid Junblatt recently threatened to increase the violence, and openly criticised Hizbollah for the first time.

Hizbollah, though, has accused Israel.

The nutcase shows his true colours:

"If you want chaos, we welcome chaos. If you want war, we welcome one."

He was addressing Hizbollah, days before emotions are bound to run high on the third anniversary of the assassination of the martyr Sheikh Rafiq Al Hariri.

Later, two people were injured when a convoy of Junblatt supporters drove past a rival Druze party's offices, called the Lebanese Democratic Party. The LDP has accused Junblatt "militia members" of opening fire on them.

The brilliant new series A Question of Arab Unity, on Al Jazeera English has stolen large chunks from Wikipedia:



Here are a couple of examples:

ALJAZ
"That night officers seized control of all government buildings, radio stations, police stations, and the army headquarters in Cairo."

WIKIPEDIA
"That day the Free Officers seized control of all government buildings, radio stations, police stations, and the army headquarters in Cairo."

ALJAZ
"Nasser and his fellow officers assured Britain that it would respect British citizens and property in Egypt, limiting the possibility of intervention against the coup. The revolutionaries also bowed to American pressure by allowing the deposed King Farouk and his family to leave Egypt."

WIKIPEDIA
"The newly installed government immediately assured Britain that it would respect British citizens and property in Egypt, greatly diminishing the possibility of intervention against the coup. Nasser and his fellow revolutionaries also bowed to American pressure by allowing the deposed King Farouk and his family to leave Egypt."

Spot the difference? Some nice copy-and-pasting going on in Doha.

You can find some more yourselves. The next episode is going to be broadcast next week. My suggestion - skip it, and type 'Nasser' into Google.

Eight people - supporters of opposition parties Amal and Hizbollah - have been killed by the Lebanese Army. They were protesting against the power cuts.

March 14 says: "The opposition ... is solely responsible for the blood spilled today."

By that logic, March 14 is responsible for the deaths of their martyrs.

It's taken three years of shameless begging, but I've finally done it.



Toot is a handpicked selection of the best writing in the Arab World (I'm delighted to be pulling that standard down!). It's not an aggregator - and it certainly doesn't include all blogs. So it's well worth a read.

It's not easy to get on to toot. First, they hardly ever add new blogs. And second, their demands are really tough. They only want blogs which are frequently updated, and high quality.

Another new addition to toot - the Arab Observer - says it well. He took two years to get on toot. And he even stopped visiting their site when they didn't add him. It was like they didn't approve of his blog.

I felt the same - like mine wasn't up to their standards. And yes, seeing the curly wurly Amman fruits at itoot.net did bring me down, because I wasn't allowed to join their club.

Not that there's anything wrong with aggregators. I am proud to be part of Syria Planet, which aims to repost all Syrian blogs.



In a fortnight this blog will be three years old. And today is one of my happiest blogging days. Until now, the highlight was one month after I started, when Ayman linked to me.

Some comments are bound to go unread - because they're on posts which were written a while ago. So I'm reposting this one.

It was a comment on my post called Paper Tigers.

Hey there! That famous Arab hospitality is on display again! You give the poor people on the Tube train in London too much credit. They are reading newspapers, yes - but the 'news' in them is fecking awful. I despair of my country. The best-selling 'news'papers are tabloids which are filled only with racism, xenophobia, celebrity gossip, sport and how much Iraqis are grateful for us overthrowing their awful dictator. In short, nothing worth reading.

Your Damascan bus is much better. At least they are sitting enjoying the view out of the window rather than filling their minds with irrelevance and/or spite.

Posted by Anonymous to The Syria News Wire at 8:34 PM

DEATH TOLL IN BEIRUT BLAST RISES TO THREE

BEIRUT BLAST HITS U.S. EMBASSY CAR

AT LEAST ONE DEAD, EIGHT WOUNDED IN BEIRUT BLAST

EXPLOSION HEARD IN BEIRUT SUBURB

A bomb has hit a UN peacekeeping patrol near Sidon.

It comes hours after rockets were fired into Israel.

Fateh Al Islam has recently threatened to renew its campaign of violence in the country.

Why doesn't the Arab world read enough?

Take two scenes:

Transport in London.



And transport in Damascus.



Spot the difference.

Ok, it's unscientific, I know, but most of people in the first picture have newspapers or books. None of the people in the second picture do (I know there are only three!).

Is it that we don't crave knowledge? That can't be right, because Al Jazeera is the Arab world's most popular TV channel. But to quote my hero Sami Moubayed:

"To [the imposter elite of Damascus], intellectuality is obtained not by reading, thinking, and interacting with different people and schools of thought, but rather, by watching 9 pm news on al-Jazeera, throwing out critical statements against the government, or splashing a few words of French and English."

I rarely agree with Beirut Spring. But I find his commentary to be some of the most clear headed of the M14 fans (although he may deny being an M14 fan, so apologies in advance).

Anyway, read this, and understand Michel Aoun's ability to morph from anti-Syrian to pro-Syrian:

To understand, one has to look way back at the years where Aoun took the popular position of resisting the Syrians. We all thought back then that he was doing it because it was the right thing to do, but many of us are learning today that he did it because Syria was the only thing standing between him and power.

Happy 2008. As the sun rises on another Damascene year, we can only hope that power is used wisely, people learn the lost art of respect, and money gathers in the hands of those who need instead of those who want.



Jebl Qasioun from Abu Rumani (not really at sunrise, but just imagine it is, ok?).

There's a rumour doing the rounds claiming Syriatel is about to be bought.

The interesting part is who is buying, and who is selling. The President's cousin Rami Makhlouf recently sold the company to a Turkish group. Now it seems Syriatel is being bought again, this time by Zain.

Zain is fast becoming the Arab World's international mobile phone brand. It recently bought Fastlink in Jordan. It also operates in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, and fourteen African countries.

And across Africa, you can make an international call for local prices, as long as the other person is also on Zain. Hopefully this will be extended to Zain's Arab networks soon too.

And did I mention, it is one of the Arab World's sexiest brands. Zain really is zain!


(via Hasan)