To the barricades, bloggers — again
: No surprise: Add Syria to the list of countries jailing or intimidating — or rather trying to intimidate — bloggers for exercising their God-given right to free speech (that list so far includes Iran, Bahrain, Maylasia, China…).
Syrian author and blogger Ammar Abdulhamid was hauled in for questioning:
ìSo, you believe in American democracy eh, – the democracy of torture and fucking as we can clearly see from Abu Ghraib and Guatemala [sic]?î exclaimed the interrogator.
ìPardon me, but did you say Guatemala?î The heretic inquired ever so innocently. ìI see. Can I be interrogated by someone higher up the fuck chain?î He pleaded.
The heretic got his wish, and he seems to have made the right call indeed. For the higher fuck was a bit more ìsophisticated,î for the lack of a better word, and the interrogation went somewhat smoothly from then on.
This was the first round of investigation by this particular apparatus, Branch 235 as it is known, but it will not be the last, thatís for sure. I will have now to submit a report on my ìdubiousî activities and contacts during my fellowship at the Saban Center for Middle Eastern Study at the Brookings Institution, and then I will be interrogated again.
So be it. So be it.
[via Tim Oren]
