MetaFilter posts tagged with Yemen

A 10-year-old divorcée takes Paris

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:00:10 -0800

"In a dimly lit corner of a Paris bar a delighted young divorcée describes in a soft voice how she spent the day throwing snowballs for the first time in her life. That is not remarkable. This is: Nujood Ali is just 10 years old."

oh hai!

nickyskye — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:38:45 -0800

lol-qats, a Pakistani-English blogger (author of the amusing Islamicist) pokes gentle fun at the coca-leaf like addiction to Qat (alternate spelling, Khat), which is common in Yemen and several East African countries. His Muslim lolcats are fun too. Qat litter. Qat fanciers. Qatnip. Catha Edulis is the latin name for the plant. Previously.

Holy Shit. Holy Fucking Shit.

Skeptic — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:46:21 -0800

An article deep in this week's "Economist" comments on an intriguing, rather megalomaniac project: twin "Cities of Light" at both sides of the Bab al-Mandib strait, the entrance to the Red Sea, linked by a bridge. The Noor City Development Corporation remains remarkably vague about the practical aspects of the project, never mind its much-vaunted greenery. The Economist notes with some trepidation the connections of the consortium with the US military and defence industry. All the more significant considering that the project is led by Middle East Development, a real-estate company headed by Dr. Tareq Mohammad Bin Laden, half-brother of You-Know-Who Reports of the involvement of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Auric Goldfinger, and Drs. No, Doom and Evil remain however unconfirmed.

The Manhattan of the Desert

desjardins — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:00:45 -0800

The World's First Skyscrapers. "The clay-formed houses... rise high up the sky clouds by thirty to forty meters lengths, whilst its floors vary between five to sixteen." "One of the oldest and best examples of urban planning." Another amazing Yemeni city.

Armchair travel

carter — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 07:28:40 -0800

Images of daily life Photoessays of daily life in Morocco, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. [An update on a plep thread from 2003, and some nice armchair travel for a Sunday morning]

Kurds are the Closest Relatives of Jews

Postroad — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 16:56:43 -0800

Kurds are the Closest Relatives of Jews Funny, They don't look Jewish:"Research has just begun into the ancient ties between Kurds and Jews. It would be interesting to see if the various Jewish groups have as strong a family tie to Kurds in the maternal lineages as they do in the paternal lineages. Preliminary studies indicate that Jewish populations in eastern Europe and Yemen have maternal origins that contain much more non-Israelite ancestry than their paternal origins. Despite this admixture with other groups, the Jewish Judean people ultimately began their existence in an area within or nearby Kurdistan, prior to migrating southwest to Israel. This exciting research showing that Kurds and Jews may have shared common fathers several millennia ago should, hopefully, encourage both Kurds and Jews to explore each others' cultures and to maintain the friendship that Kurds and Jews enjoyed in northern Iraq in recent times (as chronicled in Michael Rubin's recent article "The Other Iraq"). As Rubin indicates, the Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani once visited Israel and met with Israeli government officials. Rubin refers to the Iraqi Kurds' "special affinity for Israel" and writes that "In the safe haven of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Jews and Israel are remembered fondly, if increasingly vaguely." Let us hope that this relationship can be renewed and strengthened."

Ship intercepted carrying missiles

Postroad — Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:59:18 -0800

Ship intercepted carrying missiles North Korea truly is a part of the "Axis of Evil." Question: who was to get the missles in Yemen, and what was to be done with them?

American killed by American government in anti-terrorism campaign

skoosh — Wed, 13 Nov 2002 17:23:47 -0800

Ten days ago in Yemen, a car carrying several men, including an American citizen, was blown up. They were deliberately killed by a missile fired from a CIA drone aircraft. The American is from Lackawanna, New York, about nine miles away from my house. When I first heard about this bombing, I thought of Orlando Letelier. Where are the lines now separating law enforcement and war, targeted strikes and murder?

alms — Tue, 05 Nov 2002 14:14:40 -0800

The CIA is back in the business of committing assasinations on foreign soil. Meanwhile, the administration still objects to Israel's policy of targeted killings because of its effect on the peace process.

Postroad — Mon, 07 Oct 2002 11:07:22 -0800

Yemen, France Probe Tanker Blast Although Yemen claims the oil spill to be an accident, French autorities and others (DEBKA) believe this may be part of terror network acting up in oil route, driving up prices and fears.

Steve_at_Linnwood — Sun, 18 Aug 2002 13:23:49 -0800

The president of a counterterrorism consulting firm has been charged with possessing 2,352 unregistered small military missiles. Investigators also found 4,000 pounds of explosives at High Energy Access Tools (HEAT), an anti-terrorism and police training company that was conducting classes for students from the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. More....

feelinglistless — Sat, 17 Nov 2001 12:49:28 -0800

Yemeni Proverbs for All Occasions : "He who has no job should search for a camel.", "A destroyer can defeat thousands of earthenware makers." and "My daughter, as long as you keep quiet, much money will paid for your marriage." Clever these Yemenese.

kliuless — Tue, 11 Sep 2001 21:58:57 -0800

Remote Yemen May Be Key to Terrorist's Past and Future -- an old NYTimes article with some insight into Osama bin Laden, his homeland and culture. Also, Yemenis' traditions under fire.

bkdelong — Thu, 12 Oct 2000 12:40:56 -0800

Terrorist attack in Yemen. 5 US sailors dead many more injured. This is just amazing. I can't believe the Yemeni President says it's not terrorism. What? Two people steering a small boat packed with explosives isn't terrorism? Was that a welcoming committee with too many fireworks? The hole is 20 feet high and 40 feet wide!