سؤال للمدونين السوريين

عندما أكتب عن
السياسة السورية أو
المعارضة أو
الرئيس بشار الأسد أو
عبد الحليم خدام أو
رامي مخلوف أو
ميشيل كيلو أو
جبهة الخلاص الوطني أو
العقوبات الأمريكية ضد سوريا

...لا أحد يترك لي أية ملاحظات على مدونتي

لكن عندما أكتب عن موضوع سخيف مثل السراويل، الكل يشارك! إشو خبر يا شباب؟

;)

p.s.
for those unfamiliar with Arabic, this post was essentially teasing my Syrian readership. When I post about a plethora of political issues, there is little or no discussion. But I mention something silly like shorts, and poof! - lots of comments!

George, Tony, Jacques, אהוד and بشار

Nidal al-Mughrabi, writing for Reuters, reported today on the expanding conflict over a captured Israeli soldier.

Israel also turned up the heat on Syria, sending warplanes low over one of President Bashar al-Assad's palaces to warn him against backing militants who kidnapped the soldier, the Israeli army said. Bashar was there at the time, Israeli media said.

However, later in the article it refers to the Syrian President as "Assad".

Generally speaking, media use surnames when pertaining to heads of state. The most notable exception in recent memory is former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein al-Majd al-Tikriti, whom the media, both Arabic and English, regularly identified as "Saddam". Although this was arguably as much the result of his own self-imposed personality cult as anyone's outside attempt to de-legitimize the man. I do recall occasional attempts to professionalize this matter, reading the NY Times refer to "Mr. Hussein", which never seemed to fit.

Likewise in Syria, but to a much lesser extent, there exists a certain familiarity with the President, expressed by references to "Dr. Bashar", for example.

But with respect to today's piece, I find it highly unlikely that Reuters would ever publish an article discussing the inhabitants of Presidential residences in the US, UK, France, or Israel referring to George, Tony, Jacques, or Ehud.

Grand Old Party in Haledon

The Passaic County Republican Party has officially turned the corner, proved by recent press coverage, but most especially by last night's excellent fundraiser at the Brownstone House in Paterson, to benefit Haledon's GOP candidates.

First, newly elected Chairman Scott Rumana showed up and actually got behind the podium and spoke enthusiastically about the candidates and their ability to win! It was incredibly refreshing.

The audience was filled with people not only from Haledon, but from outside the town (like former State Senator Norm Robertson and Paterson Councilman Aslon Goow) who were happy and encouraged to support the Party's local candidates again, for the first time in a long while.

The local candidates: incumbent Mayor Ken Pengitore, former Councilman John Block, and newcomer Crystal Rolon, all spoke enthusiastically. We also heard from Freeholder candidates Jonathan Soto and Ken Del Vecchio, who gave introductory remarks and proposed a moment of silence for the family of former Chairman Michael Mecca. Their erstwhile 3rd running mate, Ronni Nochimson, did not attend - she will not remain a candidate, and there is at least one bombshell of a replacement name being thrown about.

Special congratulations to newly elected Municipal Chairman Ayman Mamkej, for putting together the event, and for helping to recruit the outstanding M.C. Rodney Laney and a hilarious comedian/ventriloquist. We had great laughs, and of course thoroughly enjoyed the Brownstone's tried-and-true "Beefsteak" menu.

Finally, I will add that this year's effort in Haledon is truly a ethnic outreach. Pengitore and his team "get it", our new Chairman Rumana "gets it", and the word is spreading. It started spreading through the Brownstone last night. How fortunate that Democrats like County Clerk Karen Brown and Paterson Board of Education member Andre Sayegh (an aide to State Senator John Girgenti), were attending an event right next door.

The message was broadcast loud and clear: sooner or later, we will retake territory that the Democrats stole under the incompetent previous GOP regime.

Ladies' man in the ballot box

Today was the first televised debate for the United States Senate race between Republican State Senator Tom Kean, Jr. and recently-appointed incumbent Senator Robert Menéndez, a Democrat.

Kean pulled an absolute political masterstroke during the section regarding environmental issues:

I have made my career fighting for environment protection. One of my first jobs was working at the EPA. In fact, it's where I met my wife!

Brilliant. He was able to court voters on substantial as well as sentimental grounds in one quick answer. Kean's ongoing ability to appeal to NJ voters in such a manner will be of significant value to him.

This incident reminds me of the final debate in the 2004 Presidential race. While John Kerry, thanks in no small part to his superior public speaking abilities, arguably defeated Bush on the issues, the President ended up a winner that evening thanks to a lovely personal touch in his final answer:

[People] see a compassionate, strong, great first lady in Laura Bush. I can't tell you how lucky I am. When I met her in the backyard at Joe and Jan O'Neill's in Midland, Texas, it was the classic backyard barbecue. O'Neill said, "Come on over. I think you'll find somebody who might interest you." So I said all right. Bopped over there. There was only four of us there. And not only did she interest me, I guess you would say it was love at first sight.

Granted, a Senate race will not generate the personal attention of a Presidential contest, but still Kean can score major points by reminding voters that he fell in love with the mother of his children while working to defend the Environment.

Arabs don't wear shorts

Back in 1998, before making my first visit to the land from which my great-grandparents had emigrated some 80+ years prior, I sought some last minute advice from a Syrian friend. When we got to the topic of what clothes to bring for the 7 week voyage, he bluntly told me, "Don't bring shorts. Nobody wears shorts in Syria, except maybe kids. You will look foolish if you do so."

So I took his advice. In fact, I got accustomed to not wearing shorts. Actually, since that time, I have basically abandoned shorts. Living in London for 2 years cemented this trend (shorts are less common in Europe as well). I recall another journey to the Middle East, this time in 2003, flying from London to Damascus. At the airport were a number of Syrian families, the males of which were all very Arab in their mannerisms, but very American in their dress: they were all clad in shorts. I found it amusing.

Several months later, during the congressional campaign in 2004, we were planning an event which was likely to attract a number of supporters from the Arab-American community. As we prepared our invitations, my campaign manager said, "You'd better put a suggested dress code on there. We don't want anybody turning up wearing shorts." I laughed. "Arabs don't wear shorts!" I added dismissively. "What are you talking about? I see your dad walking around in shorts all the time!" "That's different," I clarified, thinking back to the Heathrow Airport incident.

Why do I mention this topic? Well, while cleaning out my inbox recently I came across some photos of another Arab friend living in the US, in which he was wearing shorts. I joked with him that his clothing choices indicated that he had become fully American. I then related the story behind my own fashion purge of shorts, inaugurated by my first visit to Syria.

He amused me with his characteristically defiant reply, proudly asserting that he had been wearing shorts in the Middle East for the past twenty years during the hot summer months.

Another mutual friend agreed with me that shorts were a no-no in the region. He recounted a story of wearing shorts on a visit to his home country, and getting some men giving him dirty looks - and smiles!

So, I stand by my original conclusion: Arabs don't wear shorts!

The "Deathwood"

What better venue than the Bethwood banquet hall (jokingly referred to by some as the "Deathwood") on Union Boulevard in Totowa Borough of all places, to witness the end of an era in Passaic County Republican politics.

Tonight, by a vote of 252-118, Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana defeated former Little Falls Mayor Eugene Liss to become the new Chairman of the Passaic County Republican Party, replacing the outgoing Mike Mecca.

As many predicted, the margin was not even close. Change has been swept in by party activists by a 36 point spread (68% to 32%).

I have anticipated this day for nearly 3 years. Others have waited nearly 23 years. It is a well-deserved victory to be savored.

Tomorrow is a new day for Passaic County. Congratulations to Chairman-elect Rumana for his victory, and to Eugene Liss (as an individual) for running a clean campaign.

Los Republicanos de la ciudad de Passaic

Passaic City Councilman and Freeholder candidate Jonathan Soto defeated 8th District Congressional candidate Jose Sandoval for the Republican Municipal Chairmanship of Passaic this evening. Soto described the evening as a "unity event" and the 29 County Committee members who turned up tonight to support Soto, as well as Sandoval's 21 delegates, are ALL expected to support Scott Rumana in tomorrow night's County Chairman election.

Sandoval also spoke positively about the fact that Soto has pledged to back Rumana.

Sandoval and Soto, 2 potentially strong Hispanic candidates who both lead loyal followings, are running mates in November's general election. Now that this internal election is behind them, they can be expected to ramp up their cooperative efforts to rebuild the Republican Party in the City of Passaic.

Desperation in the homestretch

The outcome of Tuesday's election, in which several hundred elected members of the Passaic County Republican County Committee will choose the next Republican County Chairman, is all but certain. Absent a miracle, Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana will emerge victorious.

All the signals point in that direction. The "buzz" among party insiders indicates that even some of the "small towns" in Passaic County, thought to be loyal to the incumbent regime, now represented by their last-minute replacement candidate Eugene Liss, have now jumped ship and are supporting Rumana. Quite simply, people want to be on the winning team. At this point, the only question remaining seems to be how wide Rumana's margin of victory will be.

Liss, who as I mentioned before has a good reputation and is highly respected as an individual, has approached the task of challenging Rumana with intelligent tactics, highlighting his ties to Ronald Reagan. However, it's just too late in the game for his message to sink in with those who will vote on Tuesday. This is an insider game and there are not too many "swing votes" left for Liss to court.

Liss, a former US Marshal and Mayor of Little Falls, caught an unfortunate break today with a rather unflattering newspaper article. Paul Brubaker at the Herald News highlighted Liss' resignation as a Marshal, contemporaneous with proceedings involving a Labor complaint against him that alleged physically aggressive behavior.

However, behind the scenes, Attorney William "Bill" DeMarco seems to be putting the conference table and chairs in his law office (paid for by Passaic County Republican donors) to good use drafting up increasingly ridiculous legal attempts to curtail his faction's inevitable defeat. Representing the outgoing Mecca/Murphy faction of the GOP, he brought the Rumana faction to court once again today, seeking Judge Robert Passero's intervention on the election of Municipal Chairs, of which 15 out of 16 have already occurred. Sources say that Passero told DeMarco that unless individuals who were not duly elected to the County Committee cast votes, it was a moot point.

Presumably, this legal action, which seems to be little more than a waste of taxpayer dollars, was intended to overturn the humiliating defeat of outgoing County Chairman and former 2-term Freeholder Michael "Mike" Mecca, who lost his hometown Municipal Republican Chairmanship race to John Traier by a wider margin than Walter Mondale lost the Presidency to Ronald Reagan in the 1984 landslide.

You can't help but feel sorry for such individuals...

Erin Brockovich did not work for al-Qaeda

Today, the US military identified the successor to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. His name is Abu Ayyub al-Masri (المصري), who they say is the same individual that al-Qaeda had called Abu Hamza al-Muhajer.

The al-Masri bit at the end refers to his Egyptian origin (Masr means Egypt in Arabic), just as al-Zarqawi referred to the city of Zarqa, in Jordan, from whence came the former al-Qaeda leader of Iraq. Such terrorist organizations, since they recruit followers from across the Islamic world, seem to be fond of using these geographic identifications of origin explicitly.

But the use of geographic monikers is actually a common and historically-rooted phenomenon in the Arab world. In past times, when a family would move to a new area, bringing with them the accent and traditions of their previous home, they would be nicknamed as such. Or perhaps one son who traveled to a different city for trade or schooling, would return to be nicknamed for his erstwhile home.

Sometimes, this would result in a new family name. In fact, the nickname given to al-Qaeda's new leader in Iraq, al-Masri, also spelled Masry or Mosry, is a common surname in Greater Syria. Some ancestors of mine also carried that name, probably because of a journey to Egypt on the part of one family member.

The most famous Syrian to carry this name was the superstar trial lawyer Ed Masry, whose story was told in the film "Erin Brockovich" starring Julia Roberts. Masry's father emigrated from Syria to the USA in 1912, and the family eventually settled in California.

Ed passed away last year after a distinguished and highly successful career. Ms. Brockovich should be proud to have worked for one of the many honorable people to have carried the name المصري, which most certainly does not include Mr. Zarqawi's successor.

Passaic County Update

Post-primary maneuvers continue to progress as expected in Passaic County for both the Republicans and Democrats, with a few odd surprises.

On the Republican side, Monday saw a number of key elections for municipal party chairs.

Paterson: The committee met and elected by a vote of 21-6 Betty Brown, the mother of Paterson Board of Education President and 2005 GOP D35 Assembly primary candidate Chauncey I. Brown III, as GOP municipal leader. She is a close ally to former Mayor Pat Kramer.

Passaic: Confusion as to the time/date of the meeting led 8th district congressional candidate Jose Sandoval and his intensely loyal block of supporters to hold their own meeting, at which Sandoval was elected Chairman. However, the actual meeting is supposedly scheduled for next Monday. So for now, the city seems very split. Sources say that Freeholder candidate and Passaic City Councilman Jonathan Soto has decided to back Scott Rumana for Chairman. Passaic is the municipality to watch.

Clifton: GOP Muncipal Chairman John Traier defeated current County Chairman and former 2-term Freeholder Mike Mecca. 53-32 vote.

West Milford: Councilman Carmen Scangarello, a Mecca/Murphy ally, won on a 13-8 vote.

Haledon: Ayman Mamkej (من أصل شركسي) defeated incumbent Mecca/Murphy ally Jeff Fischer for the GOP Chairmanship. 6-3 vote.

Wayne: Council President Chris Vergano, a strong ally of Mayor and front-running GOP Chair candidate Scott Rumana (من أصل أشوري) was unanimously elected.

Hawthorne: Shirley Shortway-English retained the Chair, although reportedly a sizable percentage of the County Committee remains loyal to Mayor Patrick Botbyl and will support Scott Rumana for GOP County Chairman.

The election of the County Chairman, a contest between the heavy favorite, Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana, and a last-minute challenger, former Little Falls Mayor Eugene Liss, has been pushed back one week until next Tuesday, as per a court decision handed down by Judge Robert Passero. The judge based his ruling on the lack of certified results from the County Clerk in the County Committee election, however it is unclear what has caused these delays, and if any of the provisional ballots would even have an impact.

I do not know Liss, and although I have heard mostly positive things about him, even his staunchest supporters must recognize that he has a very tough task to introduce himself to the entire County Committee in just one week.

So on Tuesday, the Passaic County Republican Party looks headed to a long-anticipated and very positive change of direction.

---
As for the Democrats, Sami Merhi appears to have captured the attention of County Chairman John Currie by running as an independent following his court case. Sami has said he is ready to rejoin the Democrats and abandon his independent candidacy in exchange for a state-level appointment from Governor Jon Corzine.

However, the Democrats seem to have finally ended their ridiculous electoral version of musical chairs. Merhi's replacement, Joanne Graziano, has finally withdrawn and the Democrats appear to have found a star candidate in Tahesha Way, who with degrees from Brown and UVA will easily be the best-educated office holder in Passaic County. Way joins the Freeholder Board early as an appointee to finish the term of Lois Cuccinello. Her husband, Charles Way, played for the New York Giants, which will certainly not hurt the Democrats' fundraising operations.

Save the Caledonians!

Yesterday evening, I attended a Republican fundraiser in New York City. While there, I chatted with a GOP colleague, who knows that I follow Middle East issues rather closely. He said, "George, I was watching C-SPAN this week and I saw some testimony about Syria and Lebanon. Testifying, there was that Reform Syria guy that you said has major credibility issues, that guy from the near-east policy center who wrote the article you mentioned on your blog recently, then some professor and a former Ambassador." (Farid Ghadry, David Schenker, Marius Deeb, and Ted Kattouf)

I hadn't yet seen the testimony, so I asked him, as an outsider to Middle East issues, what he thought.

"Well, it was just like every other issue in Congress. They hold hearings to set policy, but they just invite people who tell them what they want to hear!"

His main gripe was the fact the Congressman Elliot Engel was asked to testify before the committee on which he serves, and he felt that such a practice should be reconsidered.

We should all bear in mind though, that foreign policy legislation like the Syria Accountability Act offers Republicans like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Democrats like Elliot Engel, on opposite sides in a sharply divided and intensely partisan Congress, the rare chance to work together and agree on a bill.

Joshua Landis at syriacomment discusses the testimony in more detail. He contrasts the prescriptions offered by Ghadry (who just happened to contribute more than $10,000 to some key International Relations Committee members' congressional campaigns) with the analyses provided by Kattouf and Schenker.

The testimony itself is viewable on C-SPAN.

Here is an excerpt from Mr. Ghadry's testimony:

"The Assyrians and Caledonians, in addition to other Christian groups...have been forced to emigrate for lack of opportunity, discrimination, and suppression of their religious rights."

First of all, I must compliment Mr. Ghadry for calling attention to the plight of the Caledonians. Indeed the Syrian government has shown new levels of contempt for human rights by traveling through time and space to oppress this ethnic group indigenous to the British Isles, who inhabited the area of Scotland during the Iron Age several hundred years before Christianity became a mainstream religion there.

What Mr. Ghadry failed to mention is that Syria has actually become a safe haven for Chaldeans fleeing turmoil and forced to emigrate for suppression of their religious rights in Iraq. Indeed, I recall seeing many cars with Nineveh license plates even 3 years ago in Aleppo.

However, the best portion of the proceedings was the questioning of Democratic Congressman Gary Ackerman from NY, who asked for numerical answers on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being best): how well has the Syria Accountability Act thus far produced changes in the Syrian regime's behavior, and if the full menu of sanctions were to be introduced, what would be the impact? Surprisingly, both Schenker and Kattouf gave ratings in the 2-4 range for both questions.

Both Schenker and Kattouf also offered excellent remarks, grounded in realistic assessment of the conditions on the ground. They both named a damning Brammertz report as a precondition for multi-lateral sanctions which they believed would be the preferred course to accomplish a change in Syrian policies.

Overall, the hearings did not seem to produce any solid consensus on the best way forward. Schenker's article from last week illustrated this very same point.

Clearly US policy toward Syria is stagnated, to the frustration of many in DC and beyond. The current approach is not working. It's time for a reevaluation.

A Syrian Bill of Rights? Be careful...

A number of Syrian bloggers, particularly at the site of "secular heckler" Ammar Abdulhamid, have suggested that Syrian opposition groups should create and circulate a Syrian "Bill of Rights". Such a document, these individuals propose, would codify the terms upon which minority religious and ethnic groups would be protected under the law. A Bill of Rights would be a big step, and a positive step, but frankly I am not sure it is one that opposition leaders are ready to take.

As a general rule of politics, opposition candidates and parties can say whatever they wish, however outrageous, as long as they are not serious contenders. I can tell you that from personal experience. Because frankly, nobody cares about you (i.e. you will not get meaningful media coverage) if you're not perceived to be able to win, except your die-hard supporters who will cheerlead no matter what. Maybe you'll get 15 minutes of fame, but that's about it.

Once you do become a serious contender though, and have to reach out to the masses, everything you say will be under a microscope. Well, on the Syrian scene, the only "serious contenders", if we can even use such a term at this point, are the leaders of the recently-inaugurated National Salvation Front (NSF): former Syrian VP Abdel Halim Khaddam and the exiled leader of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni. (For American readers unfamiliar with the Muslim Brotherhood, it is the parent organization of Hamas.)

Before anyone proposes that these 2 leaders even mention a Bill of Rights, which would address some incredibly thorny and difficult issues, I submit that they both need to demonstrate sufficient media prowess and the ability to deliver a consistent message. At the NSF's kick-off conference from last weekend, both Khaddam and Bayanouni had to correct reporters with respect to questions like "are Alawis really Muslims?" and "will Khaddam be tried for his role in the regime?", because their statements seemed to conflict with their previous words, if not with each other.

With all due respect, they are not ready to go under the microscope.

On an additional note, the blogosphere is both a blessing and a curse for opposition leaders. While it helps them to disseminate their message and recruit followers, it also subjects them to a perhaps uncomfortable onslaught of well-meaning opinions and critiques (like this post), as well as outright attack.

If any political entity cannot emerge from the blogs with a consistent, solid, credible message intact, they haven't a prayer when they get to prime-time.

That's something for all opposition groups to seriously consider.

Castillo enters stage left; Merhi stage right?

With major attention in northern New Jersey focused on the Republican primaries in Bergen County, and to a lesser extent the GOP County Committee contests in Passaic County, the Democrats in Passaic County still managed a bit of drama on Election Day.

Sami Merhi, the once-nominated-then-rejected Democratic Freeholder nominee, who last week brought suit to the Passaic County Democratic Party led by Chairman John Currie, decided to team up with 2005 Gubernatorial candidate Hector Castillo (or Dr. Castillo, recalling his yard signs). According to Paul Brubaker at the Herald News:

Merhi and Hector Castillo of Paterson filed petitions to be independent freeholder candidates on the November ballot, running against the Democrats and Republicans and possibly siphoning off Democratic votes.

Merhi said he had asked Castillo, who ran independent campaigns for mayor of Paterson in 2002 and governor in 2005, to join him last week, although the two had been discussing forming a political alliance for some time.

"We believe in the same things. Politics is about serving the public," Merhi said Tuesday afternoon.

Castillo said that the all-Democratic freeholder board was part of the motivation for his candidacy.

"There's no opposition," Castillo said. "Including all the groups and all the parties is beneficial to the entire population of Passaic County."

No doubt an interesting development. Merhi, at least in the short to medium term, has burned a bridge with the Passaic County Democratic Party that he had supported with time, effort, and money for 26 years.

However, as Brubaker pointed out, Merhi and his running mate, as independents, will still have appeal to voters who otherwise would have voted for the Democratic candidates. The high media profiles and political abilities of both Castillo and Merhi may make them factors in the race.

Could Castillo and Merhi match the 7800 votes, or 4.5%, earned by former Freeholder Georgia Scott in 2002, when she ran as an independent after getting booted from the Democratic Party line? Interestingly, 2002 is an almost exact analogue to 2006, as a non-presidential year with a US Senate race at the top of the ballot.

But Scott's showing was not enough to hurt the Democrats, who defeated Republican nominees Fran Tufaro and Bill van Gieson that year by comfortable margins. 2006 could be different. If the popular former County Clerk and GOP nominee Ronni Nochimson remains on the ballot (rumors suggest she might not), if Senatorial nominee Tom Kean, Jr. runs strong in Passaic County, and if Corzine continues to have budget difficulties, the race could be closer than the Democrats anticipate. This is especially true in light of the bizarre version of musical chairs they have been playing on the ballot, for which they have yet to name a replacement for Joanne Graziano! Judging by the confusing portrayal of Graziano's status advanced by Currie and his attorneys last week, the Democrats seem to be in a bit of disarray.

If Merhi's decision to team up with Castillo and run as an independent slate ends up being a spoiler and helping Nochimson and her running mates, it would be quite a poetic justice and irony at the same time. Sami would have somehow gotten payback for Currie's betrayal. On the other hand, despite 26 years as a loyal Democrat, and an ideological predisposition decidedly against the Republicans, Merhi may have inadvertently entered the race - stage right.

2*Na^4 + Hey^3 = GOODBYE

Tonight witnessed a dramatic election of Republican County Committee members in Passaic County. This election was basically a pre-cursor to next Tuesday's ballot on which the County Committee will elect a new Chairman. The slot is currently held by Mike Mecca, protégé of ex-convict and former Chairman Peter Murphy, who is presumed to want the job once again.

Of the county's 16 municipalities, 5 had contested races for County Committee, and here is what happened (please do bear in mind that these are rough and unofficial tallies, which do not include absentee ballots):

Paterson broke about 57-19 against Murphy/Mecca
Clifton broke about 70-20 against Murphy/Mecca
West Milford broke about 24-2 against Murphy/Mecca
Wayne broke about 78-4 against Murphy/Mecca
Passaic broke about 40-20 in favor of Mecca/Murphy (unless their Hispanic allies switch loyalties when they see the rest)

So, even if all the other 11 towns break 100% for Murphy (highly unlikely), he still comes up shy of the votes needed for Chairman.
----------------------------------------------

2*Na^4 + Hey^3 = GOODBYE

Passaic County Republicans have spoken, and they have rejected the failed leadership of the past.

quod erat demonstrandum

More brilliant Middle East press coverage

I never cease to be amazed at how poorly the mainstream media in the US, and even Europe, cover the Middle East.

Usually, this results from ignorance of Middle Eastern cultures, religions, political realities, etc. Other times, it just results from far more basic incompetence.

For example, consider the newspaper coverage of the "National Salvation Front", a group of Syrian dissidents led by former Vice-President Abdel Halim Khaddam, which met in London yesterday and today.

Newspapers around the world said the following this morning, quoting from United Press International (UPI):

"Abdel Halim Khaddam fell out of favor with President Hafez Assad after Syria refused democratic reform, the Times of London reported."

However, what the Times really said was:

"He fell out with the President last year after the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister, and after the ruling Baath Party failed to accept democratic reform."

Clearly, the context refers to the current President Bashar Assad, in a temporally correct fashion. How could such a blatant error, confusing a man who died 6 years ago with his son, occur? Very poor journalism.

London-based Syrian commentator Rime Allaf recently discussed some other blood-boiling ignorant statements in the press when concerning Syria.

Anyway, Khaddam & co. are in for a rude awakening. This was just their first public launch, and already the basic facts underlying their goal (let alone their opinions) have been twisted. At this point, the water's still cold. Wait until it heats up. The sloppiness will only increase.

Time for a change at the top

The Herald News printed my editorial piece today, entited, "Time for a change at the top".
-----------------------




Time for a change at the top - Passaic County Republicans deserve no less

by GEORGE AJJAN - Sunday, June 4, 2006
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS

Passaic County Republicans, it's time for us to do some soul-searching.

Right now, 150,000 American soldiers are deployed in Iraq, bolstering a fledgling democratically elected government.

Americans spill blood in foreign lands for the sake of better government, and for the most part Republicans support the concept. We believe in good government, even on the other side of the world.

How then can we as Republicans sit back and allow – right here in our own backyard – a complete mockery of everything that our nation hopes to accomplish in Iraq and everything we hold dear: accountability, good government, justice and the rule of law.

As we speak, a convicted felon is preparing an effort to seize control of the Passaic County Republican Party. A man who spent time in a federal penitentiary is actively campaigning amongst party insiders and county committee members, to regain the chairmanship of the Passaic County GOP.

He must be stopped. Peter Murphy admitted his guilt in a federal court. Period. End of discussion.

If we, as Republicans, believe in the American justice system, then we must flatly reject Murphy. This is an absolutely existential issue. Existential is a fancy word. But it has a simple meaning that relates to our moral stance. It means we cannot sit on our hands and equivocate when a felon who once lost the right to vote now wants to be elected to lead the county Republican Party. We cannot ask the public to put its trust in our political party if we allow ourselves to be led by one who admitted criminal acts and dishonest behavior.

Many times in politics, people talk about the "third rail." The third rail is the electrified one between the train tracks that will kill you if you touch it. So we need to ask ourselves: Is criminality the third rail for Passaic County Republicans? Are we going to be afraid to confront Murphy because some people say he's a nice guy?

There is nothing to fear about rebuffing Murphy's candidacy. Many long-time Republicans in Passaic County remember the power his father "Red" Murphy commanded in the 1980s. But that era has passed.

The truth is that Murphy is not worthy of fear. Passaic County Republicans, especially those on the county committee, need to remember that when they cast their votes for chairman.

In all likelihood, Murphy will bow out at the last minute and one of his lieutenants will seek the chairmanship, perhaps even the current chairman, Michael Mecca.

Mecca will continue to operate the party as he has done for the past few years. For example, all the members of the County Committee have received some letters recently from Mecca defending Murphy to the hilt.

I hope the county committee will vote for a change in leadership strictly on the basis of principle. Of course, some people might say: principles are nice, but winning is nicer. So for argument's sake, let's forget about principles. Let's simply look at the win-loss record.

First of all, the idea that Murphy was a winner is a myth. Whatever success the Passaic County GOP scored at the polls in the early 1990s had little to do with Murphy, and resulted from strong GOP candidates at the top of the ballot. Mecca has been even worse. Since he became chairman, every single one of the Republican candidates who sought countywide office has been defeated at the polls.

Under Murphy and Mecca's leadership, we have lost every single office in Passaic County government, including seven freeholders, the county clerk, the sheriff, the Surrogate, the 8th District Congressional seat, and a 35th District Assembly seat. Even municipalities like Ringwood and Bloomingdale that used to be staunchly Republican are now under Democrat control. Things can hardly get any worse.

The current leadership has failed to adapt to changing times. They have made practically no outreach to ethnic minorities, especially those that have moved from Paterson and Passaic and now own their own homes in suburbs like North Haledon and Little Falls. GOP organizations like Young Republicans, College Republicans, and Women's Republicans, have lay dormant for years. All of these shortcomings show through in poor electoral results.

Four years ago, members of the Passaic County Republican County Committee entered the voting booths and chose Mecca to be their chairman. Since then, these individuals have been loyal party soldiers and worked hard for the sake of the GOP. But the leadership at the top provided poor strategic guidance. Now it is time to change direction.

When members of the county committee enter the voting booth on June 13 and cast their ballots for chairman, their choice is clear. Whether their motivations are principled or pragmatic, they must reject Murphy and Mecca and put the GOP on the right track toward victory once again. The Republican Party deserves no less.

George Ajjan, a former Republican congressional candidate for the 8th District, lives in Clifton.

O --- This article first appeared in the Herald News on June 4, 2006.

Refining the neo-con concession speech

The neo-con grip on America's foreign policy continues to weaken. The most recent evidence: a Weekly Standard article by former Rumsfeld advisor David Schenker, who is now a senior fellow at WINEP (Washington institute for Near East Policy), whose Board of Advisors included Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz. In it, he expresses frustration with Syria's ability to "run the U.S. table", serving as an obstacle to the neo-cons' grand designs for the Middle East.

"To be sure, the administration has tried to ratchet up pressure. But its policy has suffered from inconsistency, even ambivalence...After years of threats and condemnations, what has Washington really accomplished with regard to Damascus? Precious little.

Despite the administration's rhetorical campaign against Syria, Washington is in no rush to up the ante with Damascus...the sad reality is that with just over 900 days to go and attention focused on Iran, Iraq, and Hamas, the clock is running out..."

Schenker's article basically admits to the neo-cons' political base: Look guys, we've bitten off more than we can chew, and sorry, but our plan to change the whole Middle East is just not realistic. Some of his colleagues will be furious at such a revelation. This is a proto-concession speech.

Well, the neo-con plot was never realistic to begin with. As the Bush Administration's policies, shaped by this misguided vision, continue to play out in the Middle East, we should definitely expect more such frustration expressed, and continued infighting from within the neo-con ranks.

But the Presidential Primary season of 2008 is the time for true conservatives to tear down the scaffolding that the neo-cons have built around the GOP's "big tent". These idealogues need to find a new home. A recent LA Times article says:

"This new crop of liberal hawks calls for expanding the existing war against terrorism, beefing up the military and promoting democracy around the globe.

...as the crusading Republican neoconservatism espoused by Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol and others lies in the smoking rubble of Baghdad, a new generation of Democrats wants to dust off and rehabilitate those traditional Democratic principles, which they believe were hijacked by the Bush administration.
The new Democratic hawks, like the old neoconservatives of the 1970s, represent an insurgency, a direct challenge to the establishment."

It's time to let Lieberman and Clinton and Obama and Feinstein and those liberal hacks deal with the neo-cons. Good luck. The GOP has had enough of their ideology.

The broken candidate selection process

Yesterday, Passaic County Superior Court Judge Robert Passero heard arguments from Freeholder candidate Sami Merhi concerning the betrayal of the Passaic County Democratic Committee and Merhi's right to be on the ballot. The Judge was fair and sympathetic throughout, despite ultimately rejecting Merhi's argument.

The success of the proceedings though, was the Judge's ORDER that John Currie and his attorneys produce a copy of the organization's bylaws by 4 pm on Friday. The Judge indicated that the same lack of documentation has affected the Republican Party as well, which is more than clear to myself and other Republicans who have had to listen time and time again to Peter Murphy/Mike Mecca cronies attempt to silence their opposition by quoting from the always-invisible bylaws.

The candidate selection process is broken. Merhi's case proves that. The man is jumping through political hoops and going to court, and the organization of which he is a member cannot even provide the written rules by which it selected and later de-selected him. It is shameful.

The process is too much of an intra-party insider game which lacks transparency, and almost totally excludes the grassroots. Consider that during the proceedings, Albert "Al" Buglione, the Passaic County Democrats' lawyer, actually asserted that Democratic County Chairman John Currie alone, and not the Passaic County Democratic Committee, endorses candidates! He then backed off this rather disturbing admission of autocracy.

A true "democracy", or rule by the people, would never permit the ridiculous version of musical chairs that the Passaic County Democrats have been playing with respect to their nominated candidates. Grassroots idealogues need to learn more about the behind-the-scenes machinations of the self-interested, often corrupt party organizations at the County level, so that they can demand intra-party accountability and ultimately, better government.

p.s.
While I did find Judge Passero quite impressive and objective, I do have one small critique worthy of mention. After praising Merhi and indicating that he saw no evidence that Merhi was not a fine upstanding citizen, he mentioned that Merhi sought to represent constituents of "Arab nationality" and "Muslim nationality".

I do take umbrage with both terms. First of all, Merhi is running for office in Passaic County, New Jersey, in the United States of America. American is the only nationality that matters here. Indeed, many members of the Arab-American community, like myself, remain very proud of and attached to our heritage but hold only 1 nationality and citizenship: USA. Secondly, Muslim is a religious classification (which by the way does not apply to Merhi because he belongs to the Druze faith), and does not describe a nationality in any way.

Of course, I do sincerely compliment the Judge on calling attention to Merhi's attempts to advocate for Arab-American and Muslim communities. It is important and appreciated that a Superior Court Judge in Passaic County, on the record in a court of law, addresses these relevant factors, even if his terminology was slightly flawed.