WSJ's Middle East Real Time blog
May 9, 2013 8:47 PM Subscribe
Since the end of March, the Wall Street Journal's new Middle East Real Time blog has written about Turkey's "unstoppable" export boom in soap operas, Saudi Arabia's "life after jihad" rehab program, the persistence of obviously fraudulent bomb detectors across Iraq, YouTube branding discussions among Syrian rebel factions, a rising media star Sunni cleric in Lebanon, a post-revolutionary Cairo arts festival, and attempts to overcome conservative objections and change the Saudi Thursday-Friday weekend to match the rest of the business world. Previous non-paywalled WSJ Real Time blogs include Korea, China, Canada, India, Brussels, Emerging Europe, Japan.
"Your search - Benghazi - did not match any articles in this blog."
Libya isn't in the middle east.
posted by empath at 10:09 PM on May 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Libya isn't in the middle east.
posted by empath at 10:09 PM on May 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, why would it be suspicious?
posted by Authorized User at 10:35 PM on May 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Authorized User at 10:35 PM on May 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Libya isn't in the middle east.
Neither is Cairo.
Facts just not adding up. Questions not getting answered.
Very strange . . .
posted by RoseyD at 12:31 AM on May 10, 2013
Neither is Cairo.
Facts just not adding up. Questions not getting answered.
Very strange . . .
posted by RoseyD at 12:31 AM on May 10, 2013
RoseyD, I hope you're satirizing Benghazi conspiracy nuts, because otherwise... erm. Yeah.
Anyway. This blog is awesome. TURKISH SOAP OPERAS! LA possibly investing in a possible Turkish Hollywood? Tollywood? Seriously I'm just thrilled to be introduced to this guy here.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 1:03 AM on May 10, 2013
Anyway. This blog is awesome. TURKISH SOAP OPERAS! LA possibly investing in a possible Turkish Hollywood? Tollywood? Seriously I'm just thrilled to be introduced to this guy here.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 1:03 AM on May 10, 2013
Also, why would it be suspicious?
It's obvious that the Murdoch-owned WSJ is carrying water for the Obama administration. Wake up people.
posted by empath at 1:12 AM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's obvious that the Murdoch-owned WSJ is carrying water for the Obama administration. Wake up people.
posted by empath at 1:12 AM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
SHEEPLE! You forgot to add 'sheeple,' empath!
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 1:33 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 1:33 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
James McCormick guilty of selling fake bomb detectors: "A millionaire businessman who sold fake bomb detectors to countries including Iraq and Georgia, knowing they did not work, has been convicted of fraud."
posted by marienbad at 5:20 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by marienbad at 5:20 AM on May 10, 2013
Yeah, that's what makes it so weird McCormick's ridiculous "bomb detectors" are still being seriously deployed in Iraq. Maybe it's some useful kind of bluffer's game that security forces can use to smoke out "suspicious" behavior from folks who don't know the devices are a fraud? That's the only thing I can think that makes sense of this response:
When asked why security forces still use such obviously fake gizmos, a spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Sa’ad Ma’an, said the ADEs have a proven, if imperfect, track record.
“Our practical experience on the ground proved that this device is working and it helped us discover explosive materials and weapons,” he said. “So I’m not saying that the device is working 100%, but it helped us a lot.”
By way of an example, Brig. Gen. Ma’an said officers were able to identify and stop an explosives-laden car on Saturday. Security forces will continue to use the device until “we have a better and more efficient” alternative, he said.
posted by mediareport at 6:08 AM on May 10, 2013
When asked why security forces still use such obviously fake gizmos, a spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Sa’ad Ma’an, said the ADEs have a proven, if imperfect, track record.
“Our practical experience on the ground proved that this device is working and it helped us discover explosive materials and weapons,” he said. “So I’m not saying that the device is working 100%, but it helped us a lot.”
By way of an example, Brig. Gen. Ma’an said officers were able to identify and stop an explosives-laden car on Saturday. Security forces will continue to use the device until “we have a better and more efficient” alternative, he said.
posted by mediareport at 6:08 AM on May 10, 2013
FYI guys, we began discussing the magic wand bomb detectors last week in this thread that is still open.
posted by ceribus peribus at 11:50 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by ceribus peribus at 11:50 AM on May 10, 2013
Missed that, ceribus, thanks.
posted by mediareport at 1:40 PM on May 10, 2013
posted by mediareport at 1:40 PM on May 10, 2013
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"Your search - Benghazi - did not match any articles in this blog."
Very suspicious . . .
posted by RoseyD at 9:11 PM on May 9, 2013