Radio Sawa: All dressed up with nowhere to go
by Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada, August 20, 2002
(Amman, 20 August 2002) -- Since my last visit to Jordan a few months ago, the United States government has launched its new effort to win the hearts and minds of the people of the Arab world, an FM radio station called "Radio Sawa" (Radio Together). At first it seemed that this station was blaring from every radio. My rental car had it preset, and the throbbing beats of Britney Spears could be heard emerging from more than a few taxis. Sawa is now heard on FM stations in five Arab capitals, all except Amman, in the Gulf region.

US thinktanks give lessons in foreign policy
By Brian Whitaker, Guardian, August 19, 2002
A little-known fact about Richard Perle, the leading advocate of hardline policies at the Pentagon, is that he once wrote a political thriller. The book, appropriately called Hard Line, is set in the days of the cold war with the Soviet Union. Its hero is a male senior official at the Pentagon, working late into the night and battling almost single-handedly to rescue the US from liberal wimps at the state department who want to sign away America's nuclear deterrent in a disarmament deal with the Russians.

He hijacked the IBA
Editorial, Ha'aretz, August 21, 2002
In a surprising move that is difficult not to define as a political hijacking, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has named himself minister responsible for the Israel Broadcasting Authority. The decision about the transfer of responsibility is troubling on its own. The way it was done is even more so - in a telephone poll of the ministers after Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who was responsible for it under the coalition agreement, gave it up. This testifies to the blatant contempt Sharon and his associates have for anything that smacks of proper public administration, and shows they lack an understanding of the need for free and independent public broadcasting.

Who is really for Peace in the Middle East?
by Daoud Kuttab, Media Monitors Network, August 21, 2002
An argument has been raging for some time as to which party in the Middle East conflict is more interested in peace and quiet. Israel claims that it wants peace and stability, that it made what it calls a generous offer for peace and that all they got in return was suicide attacks.

New York Times' Anti-Palestinian Bias
By Kathleen Christison, Palestine Chronicle, August 20, 2002
It won't surprise anyone, I'm sure, that I think New York Times coverage of Arab--Israeli and particularly Palestinian--Israeli issues--taking into account all types of coverage, from straight news reporting, to analysis, to editorial/op--ed coverage--tilts distinctly toward Israel. This is noticeable to a limited extent with straight news coverage, much more obvious with analysis, and very evident with editorial and op--ed coverage.

How Much Longer Are We Going to Weep For Our Dead?
By Suzan Sahori, Palestine Chronicle, August 20, 2002 
Today I am full of anger and pain as I weep for two of my relatives who died this week. Both were under the age of 40. Ibtisam, who was 38 years of age, died on Saturday, the day after she collapsed while dancing at a wedding. After her collapse she was transferred to Al Hussein Hospital, a governmental general hospital in Beit Jala which serves our whole district. The doctors examined her when she arrived, they told the family that she was brain dead and that they cannot do anymore for her. She died the following morning. Let me tell you a little about her.

Interview with Ray Hanania
Palestine Chronicle, August 19, 2002
CHICAGO (AAMS) - For most of his adult life, Ray Hanania has been struggling to explain the Arab cause while helping his own community to sand up to extremism and become more a part of American society. That's not easy when most Americans don't understand and most Arabs are afraid to belong. After September 11th, that struggle became almost impossible. And Hanania, a veteran journalist and author decided to put himself on a stage and make people laugh.

A one-sided dialogue
by Khaled Muhammad Batarfi, Media Monitors Network, August 21, 2002
I sent an e-mail message to an American senator who is the head of an important Senate committee. I requested that he clarify his views on the recent Rand Corporation report which contained a clear threat to Saudi Arabia’s security. I wanted to know if the report was a test trial of some new US policy being considered or a way of intimidating the Kingdom into cooperating with US plans to invade Iraq. Or was it the unveiling of a secret agenda chalked out by an influential section within the US leadership?

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