This is very disappointing news.

On the issue of conspiracy theories, you just have to look at the magazine website of Aljazeera to notice the prominent position even this 'independent' Arab news service places on conspiracy theories and the like.

Also see here http://weekbyweek7.blogspot.com/ for more

Fawaz,

I am sorry to hear you have lost your job, but you sound savvy enough to realise that being a "journalist" doesn't give you any special priviledges no accorded to any other citizen (although I assume you were working from Washington).

A Saudi newspaper must abide by Saudi laws. Saudi Arabia is not a democracy, it is classified as an Absolute Monarchy/Theocracy (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia#Politics).

Even the Australian media 'barons' "have yet to learn, in addition to that, is that newspapers are not published to advance the political preferences of proprietors, or the commentary of subservient analysts who turn a blind eye to the abuse of power by political leaders...". H

You must of known after 9 years the beast you were dealing with.

I hope this has given you some exposure and assisted you with finding other employment, your job must have not meant alot to you for you to risk loosing it.

Good luck, at least you can see it from your side of the fence, as we see it over here in the west.

No need to give up writing baseless propaganda; just get a job at News Corporation. At least the western sheiks have nukes.

[Comments deleted for excessive use of capitals. Poster suspended for a week.]

From a group which has tried for years to do a deep study of the Middle East problems virtually since the end of WW1, an overhead unbiased view might show that as regards the old adage of pot calling the kettle black, worse might be said of our side because we are so much involved in patting ourselves on the back as regards superior honest to goodness insight.

Indeed, it is about time we began to remind ourselves that as far as political and diplomatic hypocrisy is concerned, bin Laden might be somewhat in front in declaring we are the evil ones and not the Islamics.

Examples do not have to be shown from the Sermon on the Mount and the expressions of Jesus in the Temple to the Pharisees, that much of our yearning for the Middle East is about contraband and hegemon.

Right now it has surely become oil for the power lamps of China in a frightening way, especially as Iranian oil is the the best oil, and it might be better for China to stay friendly with Iran just so China might do a deal with Iran and gain the bigger slice of the pie.

Surely this is far less evil than the big Bush webspin that America is trying to save the Middle East for democracy. Dyarky democracy we might say, or double-rule, the term for British colonial democracy in India, and used by the British in Iraq after WW1, with British commissars or commissioner watchkeepers, discreetly tagging along. For what is the Baghdad GreenZone fortress all about - surely there for a permanent stay.

Surely the Saudi Sunnis know what will happen in Iraq, all about oil, as will happen in Iran. In fact, a bit more less spin or more honesty about it from both sides might be an opening for the little doves of peace to swarm about in the future. And with us Aussies always talking about a fair deal, it might be about time we made a start helping the doves of peace fly in, shaming all us bullsh--tters