On my way home Wednesday, my taxi driver was commenting on the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah. He thought it was too good to be true, and that Israel must be getting something else behind the scenes. I think the problem is that like many who celebrated the exchange, he suffers from a short-term [...]

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I was born in Jerusalem. My father was born in Hebron, and my mother in Nablus. I lived half my 31 years in Ramallah. My full name is Hani Yaser Amer Ali Ismaeil Obaid. The Ali Ismaeil part repeats 13 times. The last Ali-Ismaeil-Ali trio moved to Dubai a few years back. I have family [...]

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1. Myth: Anyone seeking a cease-fire in Gaza is a sell-out and a traitor:
A cease-fire is first and foremost about stopping the killing of innocent people. Let us define innocent as unarmed. Fellow blogger Fadi wrote appealing for moderation, and in return he was bombarded with a deluge of hateful comments. What is so dangerous [...]

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US Modifies Surface-To-Air Missile To Target Objects In Space
The US sent official diplomatic notice in January to over 200 countries announcing that one of its spy satellites (US-193 / NROL-21) would soon drop out of orbit. The bus-sized satellite was launched in 2006 by Lockheed Martin using a Delta-II rocket. It lost power [...]

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In 1990, my parents sent their 12 year old youngest son (me) to summer camp in Alexandria (Egypt). It featured the usual activities found in such camps: lousy food, uncomfortable beds, sports, and singing (the fun part). This camp also specialized in Computer programming; really just an excuse to call it educational. It was educational [...]

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Earlier today, my brother handed me a book he just finished reading and recommended it as “similar to Clancy”. It was the New York Times Bestseller Spy by Ted Bell. So I did what I normally do when someone hands me a fiction novel. I turned it over to read the blurb on the back:
Counter-terrorist [...]

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