I swear, we're still alive! Just, as Matthew wrote, otherwise...engaged. Busy with personal stuff, no time to do much more than read news, let alone digest it.

(Also, I think there is a good deal of merit to the idea that now that the person in charge of U.S. policy is not a nutcase, there is less to comment on.)

I'd love to see some thoughts on Iran. Anyone?

I did visit the site a few times over the last month or so and was sad to find it deserted. No new month post and no other posts or comments. Eerie hasn't posted at all in seven months. I even miss raf.

On thinking about it, I've "known" some of the posters here for 8 years now. It will be a pity to lose them. Aqoul did have a good run, I suppose, as things in cyberspace go. But its demise is still a shame. Aqoul had a unique perspective on MENA and could have been a real-world influence.

Back in the glory days, in 2006, Aqoul was providing some outstanding analysis and was being read by people who were in a position to influence policy. We even got quoted in the FT. Of course, it's impossible to know what, if any, impact the commentary actually had in the real world but it was unquestionably many orders of magnitude more useful than the average blog.

I would like to have seen Aqoul continue but all things change. I should be happy that the tides of life, which now drive us apart, brought us together here for as long as they did.

Aqoul, ave atque vale.

Well, this is depressing.

With apologies to a certain movie with Grail in the title:

Aqoul: I'm not dead.
The Dead Collector: 'Ere, he says he's not dead.
Readership: Yes it is.
Aqoul: I'm not.
The Dead Collector: It isn't.
Readership: Well, it will be soon, it's very ill.
Aqoul: I'm getting better.
The Dead Collector: Well, I can't take it like that. It's against regulations.
Readership: Well, can you hang around for a couple of minutes? It won't be long.

Jeez Anon, you should write eulogies for a living.

Sorry, I am presently engaged in a fine internal war at my firm with non-trivial impacts on both career and my own staff. Risk aversion at HQ is rising, rather looks like my double-down strategy is not being supported.

Also, my laptop died and took me passwords, and I can't for the life of me remember my challenge.

Yeah, I agree with Anon.

I still check aqoul every several days, and it is quite sad how it has just died down.

Understandable, but sad.