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Stephen Kalin
@stephenkalin
@WSJ Middle East correspondent covering Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Formerly @Reuters in Saudi, Iraq, Egypt & Lebanon. Got a tip? [email protected]
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabi
Joined May 2009
Posts
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    Some personal news: Today I join @WSJ as a Middle East correspondent, covering #SaudiArabia and the #Gulf -- one of the world's most engrossing, important and misunderstood regions. I'll continue to spend lots of time in the kingdom and eventually travel more. #NewJob
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    #Saudi woman member of the Shura Council says colleagues sent her a picture of the parking spot reserved for her when she can start driving
    حين دخلت إلى مجلس الشورى هذا الصباح، استقبلتني الصبايا الرائعات بباقة ورد، أما شباب المجلس فأرسلوا لي صورة موقف السيارة المحجوز باسمي :)
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    Replying to @stephenkalin
    A Saudi diplomat, caught on video, summed it up well, telling a Thai official: “When she first arrived in Thailand, she opened a new account and the followers reached about 45,000 in one day... I wish you had taken her phone, it would have been better than (taking) her passport."
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    Two days after #Saudi oil tankers targeted by “sabotage” in Hormuz, explosive laden drones have attacked two Aramco oil pumping stations in #Riyadh. Houthis announced this morning a major drone operation against Saudi installations #Iran #Yemen #OOTT
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    What an extraordinary tale that could only happen in this modern interconnected world: within 36 hours @rahaf84427714 galvanized the Twittersphere behind her attempt to flee what she called an abusive family situation in #SaudiArabia
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    Pentagon dumps Steve Warren as media advisor at @WhiteHouse's behest. Worked with him in #Baghdad, straight talker foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/16/pen…
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    This is a horrific attack on a brilliant writer and everyone’s freedom of expression
    A devastating update from Salman Rushdie's agent: 1. He is on a ventilator and can't speak. 2. He will likely lose one eye. 3. The nerves in his arm were severed. 4. His liver was stabbed and damaged. nytimes.com/live/2022/08/1…
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    Replying to @stephenkalin
    In less than an hour, Egyptian activist @monaeltahawy and journalist @Sophiemcneill began amplifying that initial online pleas for help. @Reaproy got in touch and global media outlets soon picked up the story, leading #Thailand to eventually reverse its decision to deport Rahaf.
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    Then yelled at him to sit down/shut up
    Wow. Trump says Orthodox/Hasidic(?) guy who asked about uptick in threats on Jewish centers asked "insulting" question, and that he lied.
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    Replying to @stephenkalin
    “(I was) doing my best to get attention to her because I could not live with myself if she was real and I ignored it,” Eltahawy said. McNeill jumped on a flight to meet Rahaf, then stayed with her for the later part of the ordeal, saying: "I wanted to be there and witness it.”
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    Replying to @stephenkalin
    The 18-year-old's first tweet came at 3:20am from the transit area of Bangkok airport. It said: “I am the girl who escaped Kuwait to Thailand. My life is in real danger if I am forced to return to Saudi Arabia.” She kept tweeting for five hours straight.
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    Translation: when the leader lies and the media lies and the sheikh lies, the zookeeper will also lie and turn a donkey into a zebra
    عندما يكذب الزعيم ويكذب الاعلام ويكذب الشيخ سيكذب أيضا حارس الحديقة ويجعل من الحمار البلدي وحشي !! cnn.com/2018/07/26/afr…
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    I found handwritten letters by #ISIS suicide bombers, tracked down their families in #Mosul to learn their stories
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    Mission accomplished? Four days after victory declared in #Mosul, west side cut off to non military traffic. Media blackout continues #Iraq