Reflections of a Cultural Mutt

2009-07-29T18:08:00.001-05:00

Are you taking anything for granted today?

2009-07-29T18:07:00.000-05:00

N. Korea "Clinton is a Funny Lady"

2009-07-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- North Korea launched a scathing personal attack on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday after she likened the leadership in Pyongyang to "small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention."

Hillary Clinton says N. Korea's refusal to discuss nuclear program could provoke arms race.

At a meeting of southeast Asian nations in Phuket, Thailand, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman blasted Clinton for what he called a "spate of vulgar remarks unbecoming for her position everywhere she went since she was sworn in," according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

The spokesman called Clinton "by no means intelligent" and a "funny lady."

"Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping," the statement said.

The verbal tussle between the two countries culminated with the reclusive communist state making it clear that six-party nuclear talks, stalled for over a year, were effectively finished.

Clinton had earlier warned that North Korea's refusal to discuss its nuclear program could escalate tensions and provoke an arms race in northeast Asia. Watch as North Korea insults Clinton »

"I was gratified by how many countries from throughout the region spoke up and expressed directly to the North Korea delegation their concerns over the provocative behavior we have seen over the last few months," Clinton said at a meeting of southeast Asian nations in Phuket, Thailand.

"Unfortunately, the North Korean delegation offered only an insistent refusal to recognize that North Korea has been on the wrong course," she said. "They expressed no willingness to pursue the path of denuclearization. In their presentation today, they evinced no willingness to pursue the path of denuclearization, and that was troubling not only to the United States, but to the region and the international community."

Before Clinton's remarks in Phuket on Thursday, the North Korean delegation attempted to take the podium to speak to the media. But it was turned away by security guards.

North Korea tested a nuclear device in May and fired seven ballistic missiles earlier this month in defiance of a U.N. resolution.

At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, Clinton said she had unanimous support for U.N. Resolution 1874, passed by the Security Council in June. It tightened sanctions on North Korea, imposing an embargo on the shipment of arms from that nation.

The North protested the resolution by saying it would enrich uranium and weaponize plutonium, according to KCNA. When enriched to a high degree, uranium can be used as weapons-grade material. Plutonium can be used in atomic bombs.

Clinton said the United States will continue to push North Korea to come to the table. She said a "full normalization of relationships" was possible if North Korea agreed to a verifiable dismantling of its nuclear program.

"The United States and its allies and partners cannot accept a North Korea that tries to maintain nuclear weapons, to launch ballistic missiles or to proliferate nuclear materials," Clinton said. "We are committed to the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner."

The United States has also expressed concern that military cooperation between North Korea and Myanmar could destabilize the

Iranian Opposition Re-gains Momentum

2009-07-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

TEHRAN, Iran – In a sign of endurance for Iran's protest movement, demonstrators clashed with police Friday as one of the nation's most powerful clerics challenged the supreme leader during Muslim prayers, saying country was in crisis in the wake of a disputed election.

The turnout of tens of thousands of worshippers for former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's sermon at Tehran University and the battles with police outside represented the biggest opposition show of strength in weeks. Protesters faced fierce government suppression and hundreds were arrested following the disputed June 12 presidential election.

Outside the university, protests grew from several hundred before the sermon to thousands afterward as worshippers joined in, chanting, "death to the dictator," a reference to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Protesters were confronted by riot police and a menacing line of pro-government Basiji militiamen on motorcycles, who charged with batons. Plainclothes Basijis fired volleys of tear gas, and young protesters with green bandanas over their faces kicked the canisters across the pavement. Some set a bonfire in the street and waved their hands in victory signs. Dozens were arrested, taken away in trucks, witnesses said.

Protests, which flared following the election, had been stifled in recent weeks. The sometimes tearful sermon by Rafsanjani could be a significant boost to the movement's staying power. It was an open challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aired live on nationwide radio from one of the country's most potent political stages. By openly showing the divisions in the leadership, it punched a hole in efforts by Khamenei and hard-line clerics to end the controversy over Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Worshippers chanted "azadi, azadi," Persian for "freedom," during Rafsanjani's sermon, his first since the election. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to have won the election, sat among the worshippers, attending the country's main prayer service for the first time since the turmoil began.

Many of those gathered wore headbands or wristbands in his campaign color green, or had green prayer rugs, crowding the former soccer field where prayers are held and spilling into nearby streets.

Rafsanjani denounced the government crackdown on protests and called for the release the hundreds detained.

He reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to people's complaints over the election, which was declared a victory for Ahmadinejad despite opposition accusations of fraud.

"There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts (about the election). We need to take action to remove this doubt," he said. "The trust that brought the people to vote in such large numbers is not there anymore. We need to return this trust."

Rafsanjani avoided directly mentioning Khamenei or outright calling the vote fraudulent. He couched his sermon in calls for unity in support of Iran's Islamic Republic, but it was clear he blamed the leadership for the loss of unity.

The cleric got tears in his eyes as he spoke of how Islam's Prophet Muhammad "respected the rights" of his people. He said the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, "would always say that if the system is not backed by the people, nothing would stand."

For Iranians listening across the country, the weekly Friday sermon in Tehran is the voice of the leadership and a symbol of its backing by God.

After hundreds of thousands joined protests against the election results in the days following the vote, the supreme leader used the podium to declare Ahmadinejad's victory valid and order a stop to unrest. The crackdown was launched soon after. In the weeks that followed, hard-line clerics have used the sermon to depict the protesters as tools of foreign enemies and tell worshippers to follow Khamenei.

Rafsanjani's sermon lay bare to the broader public that the dispute was internal and even Iran's ruling clerics are split. He directly referred to the divisions, saying the revered topmost theologians of Shia Islam, who have millions of followers, were not happy with the government.

Rafsanjani heads two powerful clerical bodies that oversee the government and parliament, the Expediency Council and the Experts Council. He is bitter rival of Ahmadinejad and is considered Mousavi's top supporter within Iran's clerical leadership.

A mercurial and savvy politician, Rafsanjani positioned himself as a leader emerging to resolve the unrest, saying he hoped his words would be a start to "help us pass safely through a problem that can unfortunately be called a crisis."

He specifically criticized his top rivals within the clerical leadership — the Guardians Council, a body dominated by hard-liners. The council oversaw the election, then held a partial recount that upheld Ahmadinejad's win but was dismissed by the opposition.

Rafsanjani said the Guardians Council missed an "opportunity to unite the people and regain their trust."

Inside the prayers, worshippers traded competing chants with some hard-liners in the congregation. When the hard-liners chanted "death to America," Mousavi supporters countered with "death to Russia" and "death to China," a reference to Ahmadinejad's alliance with both countries.

The Iranian government has accused the U.S. and other Western countries of inciting the massive street protests and interfering with the election. On Thursday, Ahmadinejad demanded and apology from the U.S. as a step toward dialogue between the two countries.

"They tried to interfere in our elections. They talked nonsense. They were rude. They fomented aggression against people's wealth and property," Ahmadinejad told a crowd of thousands in the northwestern city of Mashhad.

The U.S. has denied the government's allegations.

More than 500 remain in prison following the government's crackdown and at least 20 were killed. In the past three weeks, the opposition held only one other significant protest before Friday's.

The scene outside the university on Friday was tumultuous. Before the sermon, police fired tear gas at hundreds of Mousavi backers trying to enter.

When Mahdi Karroubi, another pro-reform candidate in the June election, headed for the prayers, plainclothes Basijis attacked him, shouting "death to the opponent of Velayat-e-Faqih," or supreme leader, witnesses said.

Also arrested was a prominent women's rights activist, Shadi Sadr, who was beaten by militiamen, pushed into a car and driven away to an unknown location, Mousavi's Web site said.

Protests died down by nightfall. After sunset, Iranians could be heard shouting from rooftops, "God is great" and "death to the dictator" — a show of opposition support that has been held every night since the election, but appeared louder and more widespread Friday night.

Allegations Against the IDF

2009-07-16T18:18:00.002-05:00

Reports/allegations of human rights abuses have been circulating almost since day one of Operation Cast Lead...and the 'debate' continues....

Shift of World Dominance...?

2009-07-16T18:10:00.002-05:00

We've seen China rising steadily in recent years...and this global economic crisis will reveal much about the new balance of power in the 21st century. It's not necessarily good news--or bad news--but it's intriguing.

Human Rights Activist Killed in Russia

2009-07-16T18:08:00.001-05:00

Zawahiri Warns Pakistanis of US

2009-07-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

(CNN) -- The people of Pakistan must back Islamic militants to counter the influence of the United States in their country or face punishment from God, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command, said in an audio message released early Wednesday.

"I believe that every honest and sincere Muslim in Pakistan should seriously contemplate ... Pakistan's present state and expected future, because the blatant American crusader interference in Pakistan's affairs ... has reached such an extent that it now poses a grave danger to Pakistan's future and very existence," al-Zawahiri said in the message, which was released on radical Islamist Web sites.

Zawahiri warned Muslims that they have a religious duty to support the jihad, or struggle.

"If we stand by passively without offering due support to the mujahedeen, we shall not only contribute to the destruction of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but we shall also deserve the painful punishment of almighty God," he said.

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The Pakistani military is fighting Taliban militants in the country's north, and suspected U.S. missile attacks from drones have targeted militant leaders.

Reports from the region suggest government troops have dislodged the Taliban from many areas of the North West Frontier Province, but militant attacks continue daily.

Two government troops died and six were wounded Wednesday in the Bannu district when a bomb was detonated near a patrol, police said. A militant rocket attack near Peshawar about midnight missed a police checkpoint, but injured two civilians.

Across the border in Afghanistan, NATO-led forces are battling the Taliban as well. U.S. and British forces recently launched offensives in Helmand province.

This is the seventh message from al-Zawahiri espousing the views of the al Qaeda terror network in 2009. In addition to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the others have focused on Somalia, Yemen and Israeli military operations against Hamas leaders in Gaza.

Pakistani refugees

2009-07-15T09:37:00.001-05:00

Some Americans refuse to drop the Iran issue--bravo

2009-07-12T13:10:00.003-05:00

Many people don't know, or have long since forgotten, that there were candlelight vigils held in Tehran after 9/11. I'm glad that some Americans are now standing up for the oppressed inside Iran--not only that, but that they have shown determination and stamina to not allow the issue to die out as media attention has waned.

Iran pledges 'crushing' response to US criticism (AP)

2009-06-27T17:03:00.002-05:00

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN, Associated Press Writer Michael Weissenstein, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 1 min ago
EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

___

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Saturday to make the U.S. regret its criticism of Iran's postelection crackdown and said the "mask has been removed" from the Obama administration's efforts to improve relations.

Ahmadinejad — with his internal opponents virtually silenced — all but dared Obama to keep calling for an end to repression of demonstrators who claim the hardline leader stole re-election through massive fraud.

"You should know that if you continue the response of the Iranian nation will be strong," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to members of Iran's judiciary, which is directly controlled by the ruling clerics. "The response of the Iranian nation will be crushing. The response will cause remorse."

Ahmadinejad has no authority to direct major policy decisions on his own — a power that rests with the non-elected theocracy. But his comments often reflect the thinking of the ruling establishment.

The cleric-led regime now appears to have quashed a protest movement that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets of Tehran and other cities in the greatest challenge to its authority in 30 years. There have been no significant demonstrations in days, and the most significant signs of dissent are the cries of "God is great!" echoing from the rooftops, a technique dating to the days of protest against the U.S.-backed shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Days of relatively restrained talk from both Washington and Tehran appear to be returning to a familiar pattern of condemnation and recrimination despite Obama's stated desire to move away from mutual hostility. Iran and the U.S. still appear interested in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, but the rising rhetorical temperature can be expected to slow progress toward a deal, experts said.

"The political feasibility of pursuing it, and the likelihood of success has changed," said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council. "I have a hard time seeing any real engagement taking place for at least four to six months."

Obama acknowledged Friday that Iran's violent suppression of unrest would hinder progress, saying "There is no doubt that any direct dialogue or diplomacy with Iran is going to be affected by the events of the last several weeks."

Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward Iran after taking office, sending a video greeting for Persian New Year that used the government's formal name — the Islamic Republic of Iran — in a signal that the goal of regime change had been set aside. He even avoided strong language as Iran began suppressing street protests, saying he wanted to avoid becoming a foil for Iranian hard-liners who blame the United States and other Western powers for instigating internal dissent.

But Obama decried Iran's crackdown more vigorously as amateur videos of beating and shootings began flooding the Internet. He said Friday in his strongest condemnation yet that violence perpetrated against protesters was "outrageous," and dismissed a demand from Ahmadinejad to repent for earlier criticism.

"I would suggest that Mr. Ahmadinejad think carefully about the obligations he owes to his own people," Obama added.

Iran also had been stopping short of its normally harsh language about the U.S., mostly blaming Britain and even France and Germany as Mousavi's supporters demanded a new election. Ahmadinejad had made relatively few appearances in an apparent attempt to avoid inflaming the situation.

The protests dwindled to scattered clashes as riot police and Basij militiamen put down the unrest using batons, tear gas, water cannons and, in at least 17 cases, live ammunition. Mousavi said Friday that he would seek official permission for any future rallies, effectively ending his role in street protests.

Ahmadinejad appeared self-assured and even invigorated Saturday in the face of the previous day's personal challenge from Obama.

"We are surprised at Mr. Obama," Ahmadinejad said. "Didn't he say that he was after change?

"They keep saying that they want to hold talks with Iran. All right, we have expressed our readiness as well. But is this the correct way?" Ahmadinejad told judiciary officials. "They showed their hand to the people of Iran, before all people of the world. Their mask has been removed."

He still appeared to leave some opening for dialogue, saying Iranians officials "have expressed our readiness" and still want the U.S. to "join the righteous servants of humanity as well."

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Obama has been very measured and moderate (to the chagrin of some) in his position toward Iran, and yet, Ahmadinejad seems desperate to pick a fight with the US.

There are probably several reasons for this, but it seems to me that the current regime is desperate to resurect the old battle cry of "Death to America!" as it's support base dissolves. Obama has stated recently that his cautious rhetoric is meant to prevent Ahmadinejad from having any 'ammunition' for a direct confronation with the US.

Frankly, with the sporadic glimpses we're getting of the internal turmoil in Iran, I'm getting the impression that few people are interested in starting a war with the West...

The extremists are still there, surely...but the regime is losing it's footing. Click above for the full article.

US arming Somalia

2009-06-25T16:38:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is providing weapons and ammunition to Somalia's transitional government as it fights al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Thursday.

"At the request of that government the State Department has helped to provide weapons and ammunition on an urgent basis," he said.

"This is to support the Transitional Federal Government's efforts to repel the onslaught of extremist forces which are intent on destroying the Djibouti peace process."

Kelly said the weapons shipments are in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban some arms shipments to Somalia.

There is growing concern that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda

Shah's Son Speaks out on Iran

2009-06-23T07:33:00.001-05:00

By Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The son of the former shah of Iran called Monday for solidarity against Iran's Islamic regime, warning that the democratic movement born out of the election crisis might not succeed without international support.

Reza Shah Pahlavi has lived in exile since 1979, when his father was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution.

"The moment of truth has arrived," Reza Shah Pahlavi said at Washington's National Press Club. "The people of Iran need to know who stands with them."

Pahlavi has lived in exile since 1979, when his father, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution. Under the shah's regime, Iran saw nationalization of its oil and a strong movement toward modernization. Still, his secular programs and recognition of Israel cost him the support of the country's Shiite clergy, sparking clashes with the religious right and others who resented his pro-West views.

The son now lives in the United States with his family, where he spends much of his time talking about the Islamic regime in Iran.

During his remarks, he broke into tears when he spoke of "bullets piercing our beloved Neda," a woman killed Saturday by Iranian police at a protest in Tehran, whose death has become a rallying cry among demonstrators in Iran. Watch one woman's account of clashes with security forces »

The Iranian regime, he said, was a "sinking Titanic" that might not survive the demands for democracy and human rights reverberating through the country. Watch Pahlavi call vote "fraud" »

Citing anecdotes from people inside the Iranian establishment, Pahlavi said he had heard that security forces have begun to distance themselves from the regime.

"It has already started," he said, citing reports that members of the security forces have gone home after their shifts ended and changed into plain clothes to join the protesters.

"Many, many elements within the security forces, within the Revolutionary Guard, are showing discontent," Pahlavi said. "There is an amazing reflection that is happening. ... This is a movement that has blown out of proportion."

Pahlavi praised the statements and tone of President Obama, saying that any outside attempt to interfere in Iran's internal affairs "will give the tyrants the excuse they need to paper over their own differences and target every man struggling for freedom as a foreign agent."

But he said there was a difference between interfering in a country's sovereign affairs and standing for principles of human rights and democracy.

"We welcome that. This is effective. It is important," he said. "This is precisely what Iranians at home demand world leaders, particularly someone like President Obama, who after all his entire message of hope and change and affirmative action ... was a big inspiration to many."

But, he added, Obama and other world leaders must be prepared to change their tactics if the violence against protesters gets much worse.

"The question is, what will the world governments do this time?" he asked. "Are we going to have Tiananmen Square revisited? Or is [it] going to be this time different?"

"The Power of Neda"

2009-06-21T14:04:00.001-05:00

You all have probably heard about the young woman, Neda, who was killed in Iran during the protests. . .

It's a heartbreaking and now iconic incident that has become one of the rallying points of the uprising.

Experiencing Tehran Riots in Real Time Through Twitter

2009-06-20T22:38:00.007-05:00

Technology is incredible...

I'm not only watching the story in Iran unfold via CNN/BBC online, but also via live, personal updates on Twitter.com. Tagged #IranElection, over 10,000 updates from protesters and sympathizers both in and outside of Iran have flooded Twitter in just the last hour.

For those unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a short, 160 character 'blurb' that can be sent from cell phones to this website, where others can view your message. Normally used as 'social networking' and 'status updates' (i.e, 'just got off work, who wants to get together?' or 'just had a great time with my sister!'), Twitter has become a tool for communicating and raising awareness of the on-the-ground conditions in Tehran, in real time.

I got teary-eyed and goose-pimpled as I read these 'tweets', like small morsels of the history (painful, bloody, and frightening as it is) that is taking place on a grand scale right now in Iran. Here are just a few samples, all posted in the last 20 minutes (usernames omitted to protect 'tweeters')...

Homemade caltrops: http://tinyurl.com/l257hm Easy to make and Perfect to throw in front of Basij cycles and foot troops. #iranelection

RT PLEASE! List of Embassies taking injured! http://tinyurl.com/lxenxx #IranElection #GR88 Tehran #Iran

Help them avoid arrest, change your Twitter location & time to Tehran. Confuses Iranian Government!

Basij marking doors to attack later NOW CONFIRMED. Use oil/petrol to remove #iranelection #Tehran

Basij can't round up wounded at Embassies, not allowed to enter. Geneva Convention applies. #Neda #Tehran #iranelection

Where is Michael Moore when real threats to freedom need to be documented?

If an innocent girl gets shot halfway across the world, does she make a sound? Yes, and the whole world hears her. #iranelection #Neda

Where is the butcher Khamenei? What kind of Leader shoots and gases his own people while calling himself a Man of God? #Iranelection

#IranElection for the love of your country do not show up to work today. A nationwide strike will surely collapse this regime

Neda: Iran, Tehran: wounded girl dying in front of camera http://bit.ly/2fZee8 help us.help #iranelection [Warning: graphic/heartbreaking

]

Mr. Obama! Please condemn these atrocities! We want freedom!

Wherever we may be, today we are citizens of #Iran; standing shoulder to shoulder with the people in #Tehran.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." -MLK, qtd. by Obama today. We stand witness. #iranelection

History in the Making

2009-06-20T22:11:00.001-05:00

"Dummies Guide to Iranian Unrest" (from CNN)

2009-06-18T08:16:00.002-05:00

(CNN) -- For almost a week, tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in daily protests -- handkerchiefs shielding their faces from the pungency of tear gas, fists punching the air, and chants of "Down with the dictator" echoing against buildings.

Moussovi supporters rally Wednesday in Tehran, Iran. Released by Fars News Agency of Iran.

more photos » The massive outpouring is a result of a disputed presidential election that the protesters think coronated the incumbent hard-liner, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, over their candidate, Mir Hossain Moussavi.

Context can help put their grievances into perspective:

Q. The Iran that we know today is the result of the Islamic Revolution. What is it?

A. The Islamic Revolution is the name given to the Iranian revolution of 1979, when the ruling U.S.-supported monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile. See timeline of recent Iranian history »

The country held a national referendum to become an Islamic republic and approve a new constitution.

The constitution was a hybrid of democracy and unelected religious leadership. It appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the leader of the revolution -- the supreme leader of the country.

Before he died in 1989, he made it known that he wanted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him.

Q. Is it true that the ultimate power in Iran lies with Khamenei?

A. Yes. The supreme leader has the final say in all important matters of the country, such as ties with foreign nations or Iran's nuclear aspirations.

He appoints the Guardian Council -- the country's election authority. He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces, including the powerful Revolutionary Guard. Additionally, he confirms the president's election.

In theory, the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect. But in practice, this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader.

Khamenei, 70, was appointed supreme leader for life in 1989.

Q. What is the Guardian Council, which has been in the news, saying it will recount some of the votes in the disputed election?

A. The unelected Guardian Council is the second-most influential body in Iran politics. It consists of six theologians whom the supreme leader picks and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.

The council approves all candidates running for office in the country, and verifies election results.

It vetoes bills passed by the parliament if they do not conform to the constitution and Islamic law.

In the present crisis, opposition leader Moussavi has had to take his grievance to the Guardian Council. It has agreed to some vote recounts. See galleries of protests in Iran »

Q. So, how much power does the president wield?

A. It depends on how nicely he plays with the Guardian Council.

The president is elected by direct vote to a four-year term, for a maximum of two terms.

He is responsible for economic policy and social programs, but most of the larger decisions are made by the supreme leader.

In theory, his powers are second to the supreme leader's. But in practice, he is often hamstrung by the Guardian Council.

The Guardian Council has worked with hard-liner Ahmadinejad, a 53-year-old former mayor of Tehran who was elected in 2005. But it thwarted reform attempts by his predecessor, Mohammad Khatami.

Q. What is the Revolutionary Guard, who said they will take legal action against pro-Moussavi Web sites?

A. The guard was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution. But over the years, it has broadened its scope. Today, it is directly under the control of the supreme leader and enforces the governments' Islamic codes and morality

With more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country's crucial interests, including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals.

Q. What is the Basij, who are said to be behind most of the violence against opposition supporters?

A. The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard. It plays the role of de facto morality police and is often summoned to crack down on protests.

It is unknown how large the force is, though estimates are in the millions.

Q. What evidence is there of ballot fraud?

A. There are no concrete examples of fraud, because independent monitors did not oversee polling in Iran, but the circumstantial evidence is persuasive.

The government had initially said it would take three days to verify the ballots after Election Day on June 12. But the election authority proclaimed Ahmadinejad the winner two hours after the polls closed. At the same time, the interior ministry said that 85 percent of the country's 46 million eligible voters had cast ballots -- a record turnout.

To many, so many ballots could not have been hand-counted in such a short time.

Also, the published results showed that Ahmadinejad won even in his opponents' strongholds, including Moussavi's hometown of ethnic Azeri Turks.

"This is the equivalent of Barack Obama losing the African-American vote to John McCain in 2008," said Karim Sajadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Furthermore, Moussavi went into the election with massive support from the country's youth, who were unhappy with the faltering economy and an unemployment rate that tops 30 percent by some accounts. The youth make up 60 percent of Iran's population of 70 million.

Q. Is it true that Ahmadinejad still enjoys widespread support?

A. Yes. Ahmadinejad is popular across Iran's rural areas and among the Basij militia.

He presents himself as a populist and a fighter. He has paid attention to the families of the bloody Iran-Iraq war, offering special preferences to veterans' children in university admissions.

As president, his hardline approach has won him support among the Guardian Council. He has earned a reputation internationally as a fundamentalist for his Holocaust denials, calls to annihilate Israel, and cat-and-mouse games with the United States and the United Nations over Iran's nuclear activities. Many in the establishment view him as someone who does not cower to big-footing by the West.

Q. Why, then, do some analysts think the vote was manipulated?

A. Some experts say that even if it is likely that Ahmadinejad won the election, it is unlikely he could have won by the margin the government is claiming -- 62.63 percent of the vote.

Time magazine's Joe Klein explains it this way: "It is entirely possible that Ahmadinejad would have won anyway, but narrowly, perhaps with less than 50 percent of the vote, setting up a runoff election he might have lost as the other candidates united against him. It is possible that his government, perhaps acting in concert with supreme leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, decided to take no chances."

Q. Why is Iran's population so young?

A. After the revolution, the leaders encouraged early marriage and large families, rewarding families with cars and television sets for each additional child. During the country's devastating eight-year war with Iraq, which began in 1980, the regime continued encouraging population growth, because more children meant more future soldiers.

It is those children who are now coming of age.

Q. Why did Iran summon Switzerland's ambassador to complain about perceived U.S. involvement in Iran's election process?

A. The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran following the hostage crisis in 1979, when students in support of the Islamic Revolution took 52 Americans hostage and held them for 444 days.

Q. Is this movement a challenge to the Islamic republic?

A. The demonstrators say their demand is simple: Hold fresh elections. They say they are not out to challenge the Islamic regime. Watch protests Wednesday in Tehran »

Furthermore, Moussavi is an unlikely man for the job.

Though the 67-year-old former prime minister is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy as prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war, he also was a hard-liner whom the Economist described as a "firm radical."

He, like most Iranians in power, does not believe in the existence of Israel. He defended the taking of the American hostages in 1979. He was part of a regime that regularly executed dissidents. And as late as April, he opposed suspending the country's nuclear-enrichment program but said it would not be diverted to weapons use.

The protests have exposed a fissure in the country, however, with tens of thousands of Ahmadinejad backers taking to the streets in a show of force of their own.

Q. Are the current protests likely to continue?

A. For now, the government seems to be allowing the populace to vent pent-up frustrations. But it also is gradually cracking down, such as blocking Web sites and banning international journalists from filming the rallies.

The demonstrations have so far been focused on urban areas. Should the populace in rural areas take up the call for reform, the government might step in quickly to quash the protests, analysts say. See map of demonstration sites in Tehran »

Q. Is this the first time Iranians have risen up in mass protests against the regime?

A. No. Iran has twice seen public calls for reform in recent years: in 1999, after the closing of a reformist newspaper, and after parliamentary elections in 2000.

On both occasions, the Revolutionary Guard descended on the streets after a few days and crushed the movements.

Q. So, can true reform come to Iran?

A. It is possible. Ahmadinejad's predecessor, Khatami, was elected president in 1997 by a landslide, despite being a reformer. During his two terms, he championed freedom of expression, tried to mend diplomatic relations, and supported a free market. He was, however, hamstrung at every step by stiff resistance from the supreme leader and the Guardian Council.

Israel PM calls for a demilitarized Palestine

2009-06-14T13:50:00.002-05:00

This is supposed to pacify extremists and lead to peace HOW? . . .

CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would agree to a peace agreement with Palestinians under which there would be a "demilitarized Palestinian state."

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he would agree to peace with Palestinians.

The area under Palestinian control would have no army, would not control its airspace, and would not be allowed to bring in arms, Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu, who recently returned to the prime ministerial post he held 10 years ago, has previously not endorsed a two-state solution.

In his address, Netanyahu discussed the pain and loss through bloodshed on both sides of the conflict.

He said the root of the conflict lies in the refusal by the Palestinians to accept that the Jewish people have a homeland in Israel.

Netanyahu also called on Palestinian leaders to take immediate steps toward peace talks.

Youth in the Middle East

2009-06-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

Hamas on Obama's Speech

2009-06-05T09:40:00.003-05:00

He doesn't really indicate that the speech will affect Hamas' behavior at all...but he's in a tight spot. Gaza is in miserable condition, still in ruins from the war earlier this year, and the sanctions he's referring to are keeping relief from getting into the refugee camps. It's a very real grievance, and I can't blame him for being unwilling to dismiss it. . .Of course I don't condone violence, but this is a real "chicken-or-the-egg" situation...Where will the peace process begin? Who will be willing to make the first compromise?

Queen Noor on Obama's Speech

2009-06-05T09:36:00.002-05:00

Okay, so she doesn't say much substantively, but. . .

Reactions to Obama's Speech, Collected by AP

2009-06-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

By The Associated Press – 48 mins ago
Notable reaction to President Barack Obama's speech Thursday to the Muslim world:
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"President Obama is a brave president. ... We hope he will open a new chapter with the Islamic world and Arab nations in particular." — Mithwan Hussein, a Baghdad resident.
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"Bush and Clinton said the same about a Palestinian state, but they've done nothing, so why should we believe this guy?" — Ali Tottah, 82, who is originally from the West Bank town of Nablus, speaking at the Baqaa refugee camp in Jordan.
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"There is a change between the speech of President Obama and previous speeches made by George Bush. But today's remarks at Cairo University were based on soft diplomacy to brighten the image of the United States." — Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza.
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"The Obama administration is focused on whether to strike Iran or not, as if the core problem in the region is Iran. But it totally forgot the Palestinian issue. Let Obama solve the Palestinian problem first, then he can strike whoever he wants." — Ibrahim Hreish, a jeweler in Amman, Jordan.
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"Why did he not come here to Gaza, instead of going to Egypt? He is welcome to come and see, to inspect with his own eyes, to see the war crimes and the new Holocaust." — Mohammed Khader, 47, whose house in Gaza was leveled by Israeli troops during the recent three-week offensive against Hamas.
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"It was actually better than we expected, but not as good as we hoped. ... His stance on democracy was very general, a bit weak, we hoped for more detail." — Ayman Nour, an Egyptian dissident recently released from prison.
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"Obama is clearly admitting that Bush's military offensive in Iraq was a mistake." — Said Lacet, 56, a civil servant in Algeria.
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"It still was a speech about what America wants. Maybe that's only natural, because he wants to protect American interests in the region. ... But I really do believe he envisions a world that is pluralistic, where different religions can live peacefully together, with respect, as he himself experienced in Indonesia." — Edi Kusyanto, a teacher at the school in Indonesia where Obama went as a child.
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"The part of Obama's speech regarding the Palestinian issue is an important step under new beginnings. ... This is the beginning of a new American policy and this policy is creating a new atmosphere to build the Palestinian state." — Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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"He was very generous in his comments about Islam's contributions to civilization. ... There also hasn't really been any other Western leader who has expressed such commitment to fighting negative stereotypes regarding Muslims." — Chandra Muzaffar, president of the International Movement for a Just World think-tank in Malaysia.
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"This vision is so out of touch with reality. ... You can have your speechwriters find every good thing a Muslim has every done. But more modern history is that the Muslim world is at war with the Western world." — Aliza Herbst, 56, a spokeswoman for Yesha, the West Bank settlers' council.
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"It was very positive. A president with the middle name of Hussein being in Cairo talking about collaboration means a lot for Muslims. It will influence people." — Malek Sitez, an international law expert in Kabul, Afghanistan.
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"It's one of the most important speeches ever delivered, a key speech for changing the climate in the Middle East. Israel will make a big mistake if it ignores it and doesn't use it to generate a new dialogue with the Muslim world." — Yuli Tamir, a dovish Israeli lawmaker from the centrist Labor Party.
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"I don't trust him. He's just trying to apologize to Muslims because of what America — or really Bush — has done in the past. He's promising to be different. But that's all it is, a promise. We want action." — Wahyudin, the director of a hard-line Islamic boarding school in Jakarta, who goes by one name.

Obama Arrives in Saudi Arabia

2009-06-03T14:13:00.001-05:00

This video made me laugh out loud...diplomacy is so AWKWARD sometimes! Haha....

Osama on Obama

2009-06-03T14:06:00.001-05:00

An eerie censorship trend in China

2009-06-03T13:59:00.000-05:00

Excellent Article from Steven Hurst, AP: Obama Gets Tough on Israel, Scores Points with Arab World

2009-06-02T22:55:00.002-05:00

I found myself nodding along as I read this article--so many excellent points that many Americans have missed in the past, regarding Mideast-US relations. I.e., Bush's abrasive campaign for Middle Eastern countries to become LIKE America in order to partner WITH America. Categorically imposing our 'ideals' on other nations with a 'one-size-fits-all' attitude, as well as what appeared to be blind faith in the state of Israel, was a nasty combination in former American policy. I hope Obama continues to progress AWAY from these trends. . .

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WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has gotten tough with Israel and chosen Cairo — where President Hosni Mubarak rules with a firm hand — for his much-awaited overture to the Islamic world in what appears to be a clear break from decades of U.S. policy.

Many issues cloud American relations with the Muslim world, but none rankles like U.S. ties to Israel and massive support for the Jewish state in the heart of the Arab Middle East.

While the majority of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims live in Asia, the growing militancy among the followers of the Prophet Muhammad took root largely in the Middle East. The dramatic strike against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, was the work of Arabs under the direction of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was born in Saudi Arabia.

Bin Laden cited anger at U.S. support for Israel as the guiding philosophy of the terrorist organization that drew American forces into wars in Afghanistan, where he was believed to be hiding, and Iraq, which was flooded by al-Qaida fighters after the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Those wars and U.S. policy toward Israel have produced a growing belief in the Muslim world that the United States is at war with Islam.

Given those realities, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs played down expectations of a quick turnaround in U.S.-Muslim relations after Obama's Thursday speech.
"This is about resetting our relationship with the Muslim world. ... We don't expect everything to change after one speech," he said.

In an interview broadcast Tuesday on French television, Obama warned against heightened expectations.
"I think it is very important to understand that one speech is not going to solve all the problems in the Middle East," Obama said. "And so expectations need to be somehow modest."

But Obama's very public demand last month that Israel stop settlement activity on land the Palestinians want for a state was a clear prelude to the Cairo speech and a sign that he's serious about regaining the United States' role as an honest broker in that region, a policy switch that is bound to pay dividends across the Muslim world.

"There is no question that this is a break from the past," said Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Miller, who was deeply involved in the U.S. peacemaking-efforts during the Clinton administration, said it is clear Obama will not be "coddling the Israelis." At the same time, he said, the president does not appear to have developed his policy on Israel beyond demanding it stop building settlements.

"I don't see that he has an 'or else' he is ready to use" against recalcitrant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has flatly rejected the president's demand on settlements.

In a pre-trip interview with National Public Radio, Obama was diplomatically blunt.
"Part of being a good friend is being honest. And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory in the region, is profoundly negative not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests. And that's part of a new dialogue that I'd like to see encouraged in the region," Obama said.

By linking Israeli settlement activity to "U.S. interests," Obama may well have been laying out part of his planned speech to the Muslim world.

"I bet the speech will largely be about the Arab-Israeli stalemate," said Miller, adding that Obama also "will have to address Arab authoritarianism."

By choosing to speak in Cairo, Obama opened himself to criticism that grows out of Mubarak's long and authoritarian rule in Egypt, a leading Arab country.

Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat, was the first of only two Arab leaders to sign a peace treaty with Israel. He was assassinated by Muslim radicals three years later in 1981. Jordan's deceased King Hussein signed a peace accord in 1994.

Seeking to head off criticism of having selected Cairo for the much-awaited speech, Obama told NPR:

"I think it's a mistake for us to somehow suggest that we're not going to deal with countries around the world in the absence of their meeting all our criteria for democracy."

U.S.-Egyptian relations were severely strained under former President George W. Bush as he pushed for democratization throughout the Arab world in conjunction with the Iraq war.

The State Department announced on Tuesday that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would travel to Egypt for Obama's speech and meetings with Mubarak, a sign that the administration is counting on Egypt to play a moderating role and to serve as a mediator in any larger peace initiatives in the Middle East.

By changing focus toward the Arabs and showing a willingness to open a public rift with the hard-line Netanyahu, Obama may score points on style with his Islamic audience. But the game won't be won until he manages to negotiate a larger peace among the Arabs and Israel.

"It's a good thing he's patient," Miller said. "In the Middle East, there is only long and longer."

"Netanyahu rejects US calls for settlement freeze" (click for AP story)

2009-06-01T09:11:00.003-05:00

HAVAT GILAD, West Bank –

Israel's prime minister on Monday dismissed the U.S. demand for a settlement freeze as unreasonable, moving closer to a collision with the Obama administration, while mobs of Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian laborers and burned West Bank fields.

....Monday's events highlighted Netanyahu's increasingly difficult balancing act. The hard-line leader is trying to keep his pro-settler ruling coalition together by rejecting President Barack Obama's call for a halt to all settlement activity, at the risk of hurting Israel's all-important relationship with the U.S.

In an apparent gesture to Obama, Netanyahu has begun dismantling small settler outposts built without formal government authorization. But even that limited step risks triggering settler violence against Palestinians and further international criticism of Israel.

Settlers have vowed to respond with attacks on Palestinians and their property to any attempt to remove even the tiniest enclave — a tactic known as "price tag."

"We will do everything we can to oppose this," said Yehuda Shimon, a resident of the Havat Gilad outpost in the northern West Bank.

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu briefed the Israeli parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee about his recent meeting with Obama at the White House. The American president and his secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, have demanded that Israel halt all settlement construction, including expansion to accommodate what Israel calls "natural growth" of settler communities.

Netanyahu said Israel cannot "freeze life" in settlements, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed. Netanyahu was quoted as saying that "there are reasonable requests and unreasonable requests."

....Before dawn, near the Kedumim settlement, stone-throwing settlers ambushed a minivan carrying Palestinian laborers to Israel, the workers said. Six of the 15 Palestinians on board were hurt, including Yahye Sadah, 44, who was hit in the head and said he got six stitches.

Police said settlers threw rocks and burned tires in the area. The attackers fled and no arrests were made, they said.

Nearly 300,000 Israelis live in the settlements among 2.4 million Palestinians in the West Bank. Another 180,000 live in Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both areas — captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war — as parts of a future independent state.

In recent years, settlers have set up dozens of squatter camps, or so-called outposts, that lack formal government approval, but often received funding and support from government agencies. Israel has failed to keep a promise to the U.S., first made in 2003, to dismantle about two dozen outposts.

The U.S. considers the settlements an obstacle to peace, but traditionally has done little on the issue, a policy that appears to be changing under Obama.

Netanyahu has dispatched his defense minister, Ehud Barak, to Washington this week in hopes of winning approval to allow at least limited construction to continue in the settlements, apparently in exchange for removing outposts. But the Obama administration has so far signaled it is not willing to budge.

In another possible diplomatic entanglement, U.N. investigators on Monday began looking into possible war crimes during Israel's three-week offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers, even though they failed to secure a promise of cooperation from Israel.

Israeli officials have insisted the investigation, led by veteran war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, would not be objective, citing alleged anti-Israel bias by the U.N. agency sponsoring the probe.

Goldstone, who is Jewish and has close ties to Israel, has said he wants to investigate both Israel and Hamas. He said Monday, after arriving in Gaza City with a 15-member team, he would deliver his report by August.

Encouraging Ingenuity in the Middle East

2009-05-31T22:01:00.002-05:00

I really loved hearing about this show. This is what the youth of the Middle East need--a spotlight on positive, creative endeavors that will promote progress and opportunity. Boredom and lack of intellectual stimulation have long been identified as some of the key triggers for extremism. I am also delighted to see young women included in this competition! All around, I'm glad this show is on the air and meeting with success. :)

Israel still won't allow relief into Gaza

2009-05-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

Middle East Spared the worst of the global recession

2009-05-25T13:45:00.001-05:00

"Iran's Michelle Obama"

2009-05-24T17:25:00.000-05:00

"Obama and Israeli PM have different views"

2009-05-17T22:49:00.000-05:00

By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer Amy Teibel, AP

WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads into his first visit with President Barack Obama worried by U.S. overtures to Iran and Syria and under pressure to support a Palestinian state.

The two leaders, set to meet Monday at the White House, bring diverging policies on how to approach all these issues. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs downplayed suggestions that the meeting might be "contentious," but acknowledged that "the solutions aren't going to be easy."

"I think this is the beginning of a long effort," Gibbs said Friday.

The Obama administration is trying to promote dialogue with Iran and Syria, Israel's arch foes. Israel fears such efforts could lead to greater tolerance for Iran's nuclear ambitions.

But Israel and the U.S. dismiss Iran's claims that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy rather than weapons. Netanyahu regards Tehran as the greatest threat to Israel — a fear magnified by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's repeated references to Israel's annihilation.

In the run-up to the Feb. 10 election, Netanyahu derided the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which stalled late last year, as a waste of time. He has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves.

But that position has put him at odds with U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of broader Mideast peace efforts. Now, he's feeling the pressure from Washington to endorse Palestinian statehood, and there were some hints that he might be shifting his position.

On the eve of Netanyahu's meeting with Obama, there were conflicting signals on the Israeli leader's position.

Israel's president, Shimon Peres, said Sunday in Jordan that Netanyahu would abide by agreements signed by his predecessors, including the U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan calling for a two-state solution to the conflict with Palestinians. Peres said progress depended on an end to attacks by Hamas militants and greater Palestinian efforts to ensure Israel's security.

Just before Netanyahu set off for Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he thought peace with the Palestinians could be achieved within three years.

"I think and believe that Netanyahu will tell Obama this government is prepared to go for a political process that will result in two peoples living side by side in peace and mutual respect," Barak told Channel 2 TV on Saturday.

However, on Sunday, Israel's national security adviser, Uzi Arad, left a different impression, saying "there might be even some differences in approach" with Obama.

"There are many hurdles" on the road to living side by side in peace with the Palestinians, Arad said, citing the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Islamic Hamas militants in June 2007. "That is the presence of a huge terrorist infrastructure that was put in place, established precisely at the time when Israel evacuated Gaza and allowed the Palestinians to rule themselves."

Senior White House officials said Obama's meeting with Netanyahu is part of his commitment to pursue a comprehensive peace that includes a two-state solution.

Netanyahu has tried to persuade the Americans that Iran, with its nuclear ambitions and anti-Israel proxies in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, must be reined in before peacemaking with the Palestinians can progress. But the Americans have not been persuaded and want to see serious progress on peacemaking so moderate Arab states won't have a reason to shun an international alliance meant to curb Iran.

There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding Syria in recent weeks.

An Obama envoy was in Syria to try to repair strained relations and assured the government the U.S. is committed to pursuing a comprehensive Mideast peace. His Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, plans a trip to Syria.

Peres on Sunday urged Syria to open direct peace talks and said some had suggested Syrian President Bashar Assad and Netanyahu meet.

"The Syrians should be ready to talk. If President Assad wants peace, why is he shy?" Peres said after participating in an international economic meeting.

Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, also scheduled meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and congressional leaders.

The Poorest Of the Poor

2009-05-13T08:38:00.003-05:00

It's a horrible picture, but if you pay attention, you can tell that this area should be a beautiful, lush place...hints of green are all that's left.

These babies are so brave...The story of Africa is heartbreaking, and this is some of the worst.

Few nations have had a longer history of abject poverty than Haiti...I have a friend working there right now, and the stories she tells would blow your mind. Yes, some people do eat mud.

I hope these made you miserable to watch...if you want to do something, check out:

http://www.pcrf.net/first.html
www.worldvision.org
http://www.saveafricaschildren.org/
www.invisiblechildren.com
www.haitichildren.com
www.fotcoh.org

Saudi Judge: It's OK to slap your wife

2009-05-11T11:44:00.003-05:00

As someone who has lived in Saudi and who has witnessed the condition of many women therein, this doesn't surprise me--hence I'm not about to fly off the handle and rant about the conservative patriarchy. Been there, done that. Really, it's kind of a given when you're talking about the Kingdom.

This is only 'news' in that these ideas are being articulated and publicized more than in the past.

Let me balance with this: "progressive" movements are taking hold and making headway in recent years. (i.e, did you catch the part that this was at a seminar on domestic violence?? That is unique). King Abdullah--the 'cautious reformer'--is an asset to the forward-thinking crowd in the Kingdom. It will take time, but it's not hopeless. There are and always have been exceptions to the unfortunate norm.

PS. I must throw this in, though--any man who would deny his wife a decent abaya should be slapped himself.

There is Something About Peres That Makes Me Uneasy...

2009-05-09T13:15:00.001-05:00

....Without going in to my personal opinion of Israel's foreign policy, let me just say...This guy strikes me as someone who is going to do whatever he sets his mind to do...The smile at the very end is what unnerved me most.

Things could get ugly.

Exclusive (and unsettling) Interview with Taliban Spokesman (click for full article)

2009-05-05T10:11:00.002-05:00

Excerpted from a piece by Nic Robertson, CNN.

.........When we first arrive the man minding the room has a pistol by his side. We follow his lead and sit backs to the wall propped up on the cushions and wait.

I'm expecting to hear a convoy of cars pulling up, but nothing, silence. Then a whisper: He is coming.
There is no time to wonder what's going to happen. He steps in alone, no sound of a car.

He is nervous and seems in a hurry, telling me I only have 15 minutes. It could take me that long to ask just half my questions, never mind his answers.

He tells me the policy is clear. "We ask from the beginning and we say once again one to enforce the Sharia law and Islamic government in Afghanistan, and to remove foreign forces remove from our country."

He tells me presidential elections expected this year are a sham, that the Taliban are telling Afghans to stay away and he warns:
"We will target the Afghan parliamentary members and government officials so if there is elections, yes it is clear we will target them."

He says they'll use suicide bombers in their attacks. I want to know how they justify tactics that kill so many civilians. I find his answer falls far short of even trying to explain let alone apologize for the carnage they cause. He says it is justified in Islam, it has its roots in history and Islam's Prophet Mohammed.

That's not what most Muslims I talk to say; they abhor such nihilistic thinking.

He tells me it doesn't matter how many come, they won't win. "If the Pentagon is thinking of changing its policy, we too are thinking of changing the policy. If they want to send 20,000 to start a new campaign, this is a war and we will see the war and make our policy."

At one point he laughs when I say he is up against the strongest army in the world.
His point is Taliban fighters are not afraid of dying.
"If they want to send the troops and change things ... we believe they can't do anything.

"Afghanistan will be the Vietnam for them...I want to tell you clearly we will win, and they will die."

This is unnerving, to say the least. Afghanistan may indeed become a Vietnam--or at the very least, "Obama's Iraq" as it's been called already. Our attention to Afghanistan has been too half-hearted and incomplete in the past few years, with the distractions of Iraq dilluting our strength there. We have a lot to make up for, and it makes me uneasy. The story of Afghanistan, as I've said before, is heartbreaking...I hope the nation won't face as much heartbreak in the future as I fear it may...

UN Warns of Crisis in Palestine (CNN) (click for link)

2009-05-01T10:36:00.002-05:00

(CNN) -- Thousands of Palestinians are facing a housing crisis because of inadequate urban planning by Israeli officials who run the east Jerusalem region, a U.N. report shows.

Twenty-eight percent of Palestinian homes in the area have been built without permits, which makes them targets for demolition by Israeli authorities, according to the study by the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The report, which highlights a growing international concern, said that more than a quarter of the 225,000 Palestinians in east Jerusalem risk losing their homes.

A majority of the residents built their homes after being denied permits, the U.N. said, adding that only 13 percent of annexed East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian construction.

The municipality of Jerusalem disputed the numbers in a news statement but acknowledged that there is a planning crisis all over the city.

It "is not just in eastern Jerusalem but throughout all of Jerusalem that affects Jews, Christians and Muslims alike," the statement said. "This is a report about the past, while Mayor Nir Barkat is committed to the future and providing a better quality of life for all residents of Jerusalem."

East Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan until 1967 when it was annexed by Israel, which then claimed sovereignty over the city. This annexation is not recognized by the international community.

Recent incidents indicate that the Jerusalem municipality will retain and possibly intensify its pace and policy on demolitions, which are conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, the study states.

But Jerusalem officials said that plans are under way to implement change.

"Upon entering office, Mayor Barkat expedited the planning process and for the first time in 50 years, will present a master plan for the city in the coming weeks for public review," the statement said.

The U.N. urged Israeli authorities to halt demolitions and ensure effective urban planning as part of its obligations as the occupying power.

It also called on Israel to support organizations that work to improve the lives of displaced families.

Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in Gaza launched strikes overnight, but no casualties were reported.

The Israel Defense Forces and Hamas security reported two Israeli airstrikes targeting weapons smuggling tunnels in Rafah, the town in Gaza near Egypt. And, Palestinian militants in Gaza shot a Qassam rocket into Israel that landed in an open space, the IDF said.

The Qassam was launched Thursday night, the IDF said. The Israeli airstrikes occurred on Friday morning.

A "Burkini"?

2009-05-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

I love to hear of cultural compromise and ethnic integration. Thus, I do not see this as a new form of isloation and subjugation of Muslim women, but rather an interesting and, most likely, positive instance of social adjustment. :)

Italy: Muslim women allowed to swim in private

Bergamo, 30 April (AKI) - Muslim women in the northern Italian province of Bergamo now have private access to a local swimming pool where they can swim freely without traditional clothing. Men are not permitted to swim at the Siloe pool when the women remove their veils, or burquas, at designated times each week, according to the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera.

Maida Ziaradi, an Iranian who has lived in Italy for 17 years spearheaded the move and said many Muslim women from Tunisia, Morocco, Iran and Egypt as well as Italians can take advantage of it.

The pool is owned by the diocese of Bergamo and the arrangement with the Muslim women is seen as a form of ecumenical respect for the Koran.

"At the beginning several (women) were hesitant and fearful," Ziaradi said.

"One had never swum before, others made a remarkable effort exposing their legs, one was terrified of the water and now doesn't miss a lesson."

Italy is not the first country to introduce designated swimming for Muslim women. In Germany the burqua can be worn in some public swimming pools, while in Australia some public pools have specific timetables for Muslim women.

Mecca Laalaa, a 22 year-old Australian is the first Muslim woman to become a volunteer surf life saver, wearing a specially designed costume or 'burkini'.

The burkini that completely covers the body and head, leaving the face exposed.

I challenge you all to read this.

2009-05-01T10:19:00.000-05:00

The War Prayer
by Mark Twain
a.k.a. Samuel Clemens
(1835-1910)

It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spreads of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpouring of fervid eloquence which moved every listener.

It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.

Sunday morning came-next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their faces alight with material dreams-visions of a stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender!-then home from the war, bronzed heros, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation -- "God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"

Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was that an ever--merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory -

An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there, waiting.
With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal,"Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"

The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did -- and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said

"I come from the Throne-bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd and grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import-that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of-except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of His Who hearth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this-keep it in mind. If you beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer-the uttered part of it. I am commissioned by God to put into words the other part of it-that part which the pastor, and also you in your hearts, fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory-must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle-be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it-for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

(After a pause)

"Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits."

It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.

Recap of Obama's Foreign Policy to date

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

Anna in the Middle East

2009-04-25T11:05:00.006-05:00

Went to a presentation/book signing last night by Anna Baltzer. She's a Jewish American, a graduate from Columbia, and a Fulbright scholar--brilliant woman. Almost a decade ago, while teaching English in Turkey, she began to hear stories about the Palestinian occupation that didn't agree with the history she'd traditionally known. She spent months researching, growing increasingly unsettled as she learned more. Still incredulous, she decided to visit the occupied territories. This changed her life--and now her mission is to work, as a Jew, for peace and justice for the Palestinians. She wrote a book "Witness in Palestine" and is currently travelling throughout the US to tell "the real story."

It was such a powerful presentation, and so refreshing to hear someone non-Arab speak so passionately about the injustice and oppression of another people. I bought her book, and you can learn more at www.AnnaInTheMiddleEast.com . I HIGHLY recommend you either get her book/dvd or visit occupation101.com and get their's. They are both balanced (containing Jewish as well as Arab, American, and European contributions) and powerful stories of the injustices that have gone on far too long.

One of the things that stuck with me the most was her statement,

"We all look back at apartheid and the civil rights movement and think, 'Yeah, I would be one of those people standing up against apartheid. I would have fought for justice if I had been alive back then'. But here is what I say: these things are still happening, right now. Are you going to be complicit, or are you going to step up and work for justice?"

It's so easy to revert to the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality, but there a millions around the world (in Palestine and elsewhere) who can't afford to be forgotten.

I brought four friends with me who had not previously been aware of the 'real' condition in Palestine--they all told me afterwards that it was a shocking but invaluable experience. One of my friends is actually going to study abroad in Israel this summer...she was still reeling when I left her.

"The problem isn't Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. The problem is militant Zionism. The desperation is mounting, so the acts of desperation (i.e. terrorism) will continue if we don't realize that something must change...And criticizing the state of Israel isn't anti-Semitic. What does that mean anyway? Arabs are Semites too."

--Anna Balzter (Jewish American, granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor.)

This is why I want to be a journalist...to tell these stories...to know my voice was not in vain.

Visit http://www.fiveforpalestine.org . In the words of Anna--we just need to collaborate and organize. There is power in unified voices.

Pakistan-Taliban tension (click for full story)

2009-04-23T10:50:00.006-05:00

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Pakistani paramilitary forces rushing to protect government buildings and bridges in a Taliban-infiltrated district just 60 miles from the capital were met with gunfire Thursday that killed one police officer, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear if the gunmen were Taliban militants, but the clash in Buner district is likely to heighten concern about the viability of a government-backed peace deal with the Taliban in northwest Pakistan.

The deal imposes Islamic law in a large segment of the country's northwest in exchange for peace with Taliban militants in the neighboring Swat Valley.

In recent days, the valley's militants have entered Buner in large numbers — establishing checkpoints, patrolling roads and spreading fear. Their movement has bolstered critics' claims that the deal would merely embolden the militants to spread their reign to other parts of the province bordering Afghanistan.

The U.S. has become one of the deal's foremost critics.

"I think the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and the extremists," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers in a hearing Wednesday in Washington. But on Thursday she added that she thought Islamabad was beginning to recognize the severity of the threat posed by militants.

.....

Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the Pakistan Army's chief spokesman, insisted the situation in Buner was not as dire as some have portrayed — saying militants were in control of less than 25 percent of the district, mostly its north.

"We are fully aware of the situation," Abbas said. "The other side has been informed to move these people out of this area."

However, a meeting between tribal elders and the Taliban on Thursday in Daggar, Buner's main town, ended without any indication that the Taliban would withdraw.

Police and government officials in Buner appear to have either fled or are keeping a low profile, and there was no sign of the Frontier Constabulary forces in the town.

Two Taliban representatives declined to comment after the meeting, driving away in a pickup truck full of gun-toting associates. However, a Taliban leader who goes by the name Commander Khalil said the militants had agreed to stop patrolling in Buner, though they would still keep armed guards in their vehicles.

"We are here peacefully preaching for Sharia. We don't want to fight," Khalil told an AP reporter by phone.

According to officials, the Taliban have established a base in the village of Sultanwas and set up positions in the nearby hills. Residents say they have been broadcasting sermons by radio about Islam and warning barbers to stop shaving men's beards.

Supporters say the deal takes away the militants' main rallying call for Islamic law and will let the government gradually reassert control — a theory yet to be seriously tested.

Also Thursday, dozens of militants armed with guns and gasoline bombs attacked a truck terminal near Peshawar, also in northwest Pakistan, burning five tanker trucks carrying fuel to NATO troops in Afghanistan, said Abdul Khan, a local police official.

Security guards fled, and the assailants escaped before police arrived, Khan said.

-----------------------------

Is this our 21st Century?

2009-04-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

I spoke today with a friend of mine—a nineteen year old girl who is half-Mexican, half “white”. With bloodshot eyes, she described to me how she had been forced to break up with her boyfriend last week—simply because, after a year of dating, her mother decided it was simply “too much” to bear to have her daughter dating a black man.

I am LIVID. I can’t believe that my generation is still dealing with such chasmal ignorance and overt hatred. I won’t apologize for this woman’s mother—I won’t say that she is a helpless victim of the sociological model that she knew as a child. I can’t justify racism, no matter how you frame it.

Honestly…how is this still happening? That’s a rhetorical question—I know about the different forms of fear, insecurity, rivalry, etc that are ‘factors’ in this. But I mean, how can such trifles be blown so out of proportion to the point that they trump our universal human-ness? How does the irrational override the rational—and the spiritual?

This hurts me. I hurt for my friends, Sunshine and Marcus, who aren’t together anymore. I hurt for the older generation that remembers life before the civil rights movement. I hurt for the children today who are inheriting the injustices that should have expired long ago.

I want to write an apology to the world…but the only thing that will make any difference is if the perpetrators realize the reality of their depravity.

US boycotting anti-racism meeting at UN (click for full story)

2009-04-19T02:32:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will boycott "with regret" a U.N. conference on racism next week over objectionable language in the meeting's final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said Saturday.

The decision follows weeks of furious internal debate and will likely please Israel and Jewish groups that lobbied against U.S. participation. But the move upset human rights advocates and some in the African-American community who had hoped that President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, would send an official delegation.

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Ah, politics...so limiting...such a necessary evil.

"No One Dares Threaten Iran"

2009-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The Iranian president on Saturday hailed the nation as "one of the strongest in the region" during a celebration to mark Army Day, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

"Today our nation is one of the strongest in the region and a great part of the world," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, according to Mehr. "And no country dares to threaten it."

Ahmadinejad delivered the speech during a ceremony at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, Mehr said. Khomeini led the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah of Iran and helped usher in an Islamic state. He died in 1989.

Army Day pays tribute to the nation's military and showcases its resources.

"Our army uses the most advanced equipment, which safeguards national security and because of its inherent power plays a great part as a deterrent force," Ahmadinejad said.

An aerial display of 140 planes planned for the event was canceled because of bad weather, according to Mehr

Pakistan Heading Toward Islamist State (click for full story)

2009-04-17T08:17:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON (FROM MCCLATCHY)— A growing number of U.S. intelligence, defense and diplomatic officials have concluded that there's little hope of preventing nuclear-armed Pakistan from disintegrating into fiefdoms controlled by Islamist warlords and terrorists, posing the a greater threat to the U.S. than Afghanistan's terrorist haven did before 9/11.

"It's a disaster in the making on the scale of the Iranian revolution," said a U.S. intelligence official with long experience in Pakistan who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

Pakistan's fragmentation into warlord-run fiefdoms that host al Qaida and other terrorist groups would have grave implications for the security of its nuclear arsenal; for the U.S.-led effort to pacify Afghanistan ; and for the security of India , the nearby oil-rich Persian Gulf and Central Asia , the U.S. and its allies.

" Pakistan has 173 million people and 100 nuclear weapons, an army which is bigger than the American army, and the headquarters of al Qaida sitting in two-thirds of the country which the government does not control," said David Kilcullen , a retired Australian army officer, a former State Department adviser and a counterinsurgency consultant to the Obama administration.

" Pakistan isn't Afghanistan , a backward, isolated, landlocked place that outsiders get interested in about once a century," agreed the U.S. intelligence official. "It's a developed state . . . (with) a major Indian Ocean port and ties to the outside world, especially the (Persian) Gulf, that Afghanistan and the Taliban never had."

Changing the game with Iran? (Click for full story...)

2009-04-15T10:38:00.003-05:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the main stumbling blocks to talk with Iran has been the condition that Iran suspends its uranium enrichment. Now, the Obama administration may take that option off the table, at least for now.

The United States and its European allies, which have just invited Iran to a fresh round of nuclear talks, are coming to the realization that if Iran's nuclear program isn't quite at the point of no return, it will be soon.
With 5,500 centrifuges, roughly enough for about two weapons worth of uranium a year, Iran isn't going to just shut down its enrichment facility as a goodwill gesture.

For years, Iran has been willing to endure sanctions and economic isolation. What it hasn't been willing to do is suspend enrichment.

Iran maintains enriching uranium for nuclear energy is its right. Now the West seems to have come around to Iran's way of thinking. Last week during a speech on proliferation in Prague, Czech Republic, President Obama admitted as much when he said, "We will support Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy with rigorous inspections."

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has long argued to allow Iran to maintain a small face-saving nuclear enrichment program under the guise of "research and development."

Allowing such a program under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, at least while negotiations continue, would involve strict IAEA inspections -- something which may give the international community the kind of insight into Iran's nuclear program which it has long sought.

If adopted, the new strategy will undoubtedly be condemned by Israel, which has warned the U.S. that it has until the end of the year to put an end to Iran's uranium production before it takes matters into its own hands.

However, moving beyond the issue of enrichment helps Obama inch closer toward engagement with Iran, something he promised during the campaign and has begun to undertake with small, albeit significant, steps, most noticeably his New Year's message to the Iranian people.

Those who watch Iran closely say Obama's outreach is being warmly received in the region. While the response from spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamanei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems vague at first glance, experts argue the regime is being quite conciliatory, even flirting with the U.S. overtures and opening the door for talks.

North Korea: "Asia's Crazy Uncle" (click for full story)

2009-04-14T11:08:00.001-05:00

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea vowed Tuesday to restart its nuclear reactor and to boycott international disarmament talks for good in retaliation for the U.N. Security Council's condemnation of its rocket launch.

Russia, voicing regret over the move, urged Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table. The Foreign Ministry called the U.N. statement "legitimate and well-balanced," and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said all sides must stick to the current disarmament process. China, the North's main ally, appealed for calm.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official called the decision "unfortunate."

"It will further isolate the North from the rest of the international community, and the North will have to deal with that," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

North Korea's denunciation of the council's "hostile" move came just hours after all 15 members, including Beijing and Moscow, unanimously agreed to condemn the April 5 launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions and to tighten sanctions against the regime.

Slightly Softer Tone Towards Cuba (click for full story)

2009-04-13T19:05:00.003-05:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.
The changes in Cuban policy was unveiled before President Obama's trip to the Summit of the Americas.

The move represents a significant shift in a U.S. policy that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century. It comes days before Obama leaves for a key meeting of hemispheric powers, the Summit of the Americas, in Trinidad and Tobago.

"President Obama has directed that a series of steps be taken to reach out to the Cuban people to support their desire to enjoy basic human rights and to freely determine their country's future," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Obama also ordered new steps to promote the "freer flow of information among the Cuban people and between those in Cuba and the rest of the world, as well as to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian items directly to the Cuban people," Gibbs added.

The president took "these steps [in part] to help bridge the gap among divided Cuban families."

Obama believes that the change in U.S. policy will ultimately help bring about a more tolerant, democratic Cuban government, noted White House Latin American policy adviser Dan Restrepo.

He thinks "that creating independence, creating space for the Cuban people to operate freely from the regime is the kind of space they need to start the process toward a more democratic Cuba," Restrepo said.

So..."a U.S. policy that had remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century." Hmmm. Without analyzing the pros and cons of this policy change (which I happen to support), I would argue that it's probably a good idea to bring up these sort of things every half a century or so. ;)

Violence Escalates in Thailand...

2009-04-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

Medical Tourism: India

2009-04-13T12:48:00.001-05:00

I meant to blog about this earlier, the video is from a few weeks ago...but I find situations like this absolutely fascinating. Of course, many in America, the UK, and elsewhere decry these sort of phenomena as destroying domestic job markets, etc. But my answer is, hey, we Westerners said we wanted free trade, and through our eagerness to globalize we've erased the obstacles of physical proximity. Here is what happens when people in other countries are eager to participate in our "free", "open" market, and get so good at it they start to undersell us. Isn't competition supposed to be the driving force of wealth creation in a capitalist system? Then I say, let the games begin.

What a story...

2009-04-12T22:51:00.002-05:00

It always amazes me how a few determined individuals can command the world's attention. A few guns and a large dose of audacity, and countries like Somalia and Afghanistan become nuclei of world events, engaging governments and armies...

New Discovery: "GazaMom"

2009-04-12T09:23:00.003-05:00

Just discovered this blog yesterday...
http://a-mother-from-gaza.blogspot.com/

"I am a Palestinian from Gaza. I am a journalist. I am a mother. I am a Muslim. This blog is about the trials of raising my children between spaces and identities; displacement and occupation; and everything that entails from potty training to border crossings. My husband is a Palestinian refugee denied his right of return to Palestine, and thus OUR right to family life. Together, we endure a lot, and the personal becomes political. This is our story."

Very compelling--a very intimate look at how the situation in Palestine is affecting real people--not least of all this wife and mother of two. You can also follow her on twitter @GazaMom. Recently she chronicled her plight in an Egyptian detention cell, where she was held when trying to return to Gaza. She was eventually deported, but she and her kids are unharmed, (thank God, or alhumdulilah).

As she says "the personal becomes political" in instances like this...Regardless of your political leaning, I recommend you all check this out.

A lotta hoopla!

2009-04-09T22:12:00.002-05:00

Okay, I just flew back from the East Coast, and I'm tired. Here's my opinion in a nutshell...

I think Obama is right to make an effort to improve relations with the Muslim world...Maybe he just got overeager? I mean, it is a bit of an odd and awkward gesture, but I don't think it's the end of America as we know it.

More on Obama's Turkey Visit

2009-04-07T07:27:00.002-05:00

More on Obama's gestures towards Muslim nations. The most interesting part is the last bit--the poll that shows that half of Americans don't think we can trust "Muslim allies" as much as "other allies."

Yes, there have been some bridges burned.

"THE US IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE AT WAR WITH ISLAM"

2009-04-06T08:19:00.002-05:00

Associated Press. ANKARA, Turkey – Barack Obama, making his first visit to a Muslim nation as president, declared Monday the United States "is not and will never be at war with Islam."

Calling for a greater partnership with the Islamic world in an address to the Turkish parliament, Obama called the country an important U.S. ally in many areas, including the fight against terrorism. He devoted much of his speech to urging a greater bond between Americans and Muslims, portraying terrorist groups such as al Qaida as extremists who did not represent the vast majority of Muslims.

"Let me say this as clearly as I can," Obama said. "The United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical ... in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject."

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What I really appreciate about Obama's policy in the Middle East is his great efforts to communicate a more open and respectful attitude. Although George Bush never equated his "War on Terror" to a "War on Islam" outright, it was very often percieved as such, and very seldom did he qualify or specify the difference.

I think Obama is very aware of this unfortunate and prevalent misconception, and knows the great detriment it brought to both American views of the Muslim world and vice versa. Reversing the effects of this prolonged misconstruction will certainly take time, but as someone who can understand the Muslim-Arab view as well as the American one, I appreciate Obama’s gestures.

Heartbreaking and Senseless (click for full story)

2009-04-05T22:48:00.000-05:00

BINGHAMTON, New York (CNN) -- Layla Khalil escaped the bombs that rocked Iraq during three years of insurgent and sectarian warfare, only to be gunned down while trying to learn English in her adopted hometown, family and friends said Sunday.

Hundreds took part in a vigil in Binghamton Sunday after an interfaith service for the victims of Friday's shooting.

Khalil, 57, was buried Sunday afternoon, two days after she and 12 others were shot to death Friday at the American Civic Association, an immigrant service center in Binghamton. Before coming to the United States in recent months, she narrowly escaped suicide bombings and a kidnapping in Baghdad, Iraq, where she worked as a librarian.

"The situation in Iraq is dangerous, everywhere dangerous," her 17-year-old son Mustafa told reporters after the funeral. "But we came here, and we hoped we'll get better lives."

Obama's First Visit to Muslim Country (click for full story)

2009-04-05T17:16:00.001-05:00

ANKARA (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in NATO member Turkey on Sunday in his first visit as president to a Muslim country.

Obama's visit, on the last leg of an eight-day trip that marks his debut as president on the world stage, is a recognition of the secular but predominantly Muslim country's growing clout and Washington's desire for its help to solve confrontations and conflicts from Iran to Afghanistan.

U.S.-Turkish relationship suffered badly in 2003 when Ankara opposed the invasion of Iraq. But Obama will seek help from Turkey as he pushes a new regional strategy in Afghanistan and as it prepares to reduce the number of troops in Iraq.

Obama's motorcade got plenty of friendly waves from small groups along a route from the international airport to the city center lined with security personnel. A few people waved tiny Turkish flags. Bush got a mostly indifferent response from the public in visits to the Muslim world.

Turkey will not be the venue for Obama's promised major speech in a Muslim capital, but his April 5-7 trip will be a way to emphasize his message of reaching out to Muslims.

Obama will stress Washington's support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union despite opposition from some member states. Obama urged EU leaders in Prague earlier on Sunday to accept Turkey as a full member of the 27-nation bloc, in remarks rejected outright by France and met coolly by Germany.

Rocket Talk....

2009-04-05T08:32:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: More feedback on G-20, one-liner form :) (click for story)

2009-04-02T19:51:00.003-05:00

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "This is the day that the world came together to fight back against the global recession, not with words but with a plan"

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: "People beforehand said there would be a divide, but in fact there was an overwhelming drive toward achieving real action, real commitments and real timelines."

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: "I am going back home very satisfied."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy "This represents immense progress; while there were moments of tension, we never thought we'd obtain such a big deal."

Barack Obama: "I think we did okay."

Women's Rights Take A Blow in Afghanistan (Click here for story)

2009-04-02T19:39:00.001-05:00

(FROM AP, dateline: KABUL) The law's critics say Karzai signed the legislation in the past month only for political gains several months before the country's presidential election.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women, or UNIFEM, said the law "legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband." "The law violates women's rights and human rights in numerous ways," a UNIFEM statement said.

The U.S. is "very concerned" about the law, said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. "We urge President Karzai to review the law's legal status to correct provisions of the law that limit or restrict women's rights."

Wood added that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had met with female Afghan lawmakers in The Hague and had assured them that "women's rights are going to be paramount in this administration's foreign policy, not an afterthought."

Canada's Defense Minister Peter MacKay said he will use this week's NATO summit to put "direct" pressure on his Afghan counterparts to abandon the legislation.

The issue of women's rights is a continuous source of tension between the country's conservative establishment and more liberal members of society. The Taliban government that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 banned women from appearing in public without a body-covering burqa and a male escort from her family.

Much has improved since then. Millions of girls now attend school and many women own businesses. Of 351 parliamentarians, 89 are women.

But in this staunchly conservative country, critics fear those gains could easily be reversed.

"A Deep Process of Reform and Restructuring"

2009-04-02T16:58:00.002-05:00

Ten-minute video...a bit dry, but I watched it twice and took notes. Here is a bit of a run-down on the raw speech; there is sure to be much expert commentary soon to come (this video is very recent.)

Gordon Brown, PM of England, outlines the "Six Pledges" the G-20 has established during their meeting in London.

1. "For the first time, we have come together to set principles to reform the world banking system..." Brown announced, reflecting on a "new global regulatory net" that would inlude new levels of accountability and a "financial stability board" that would serve as an "early warning mechanism."

2. Second, Brown claimed that there would be new efforts to "clean up banks" through a "common global approach." He did not go into much more detail...

3. In order to "hasten global recovery," the G-20 has decided to launch the "biggest macroeconomic stimulus plan the world has ever seen", which consists of injecting 500 trillion dollars into the global markets. He also promised the IMF (International Monetary Fund) a trillion dollars (I find it so ironic that all these figures were given in dollars...). Anyway, he insisted that the increased involvement of the IMF in regulating, advising, and assisting nations, including "the world's poorest" would help nations fight the recession.

4. Brown vaguely promised to "strengthen surveillence" via international independant institutions--it sounded like he was talking about UN bodies, but it wasn't clear. He emphasized the need for these bodies to assist emerging economies and combat poverty.

5. An important point he made was the need to stimulate world trade, promising "250 billion dollars for trade finance."

6. He vowed a continued commitment to the Millenium Development Goals and global aid pledges. Referencing the story of the Good Samaritan, he insisted that "we will not pass by the other side" when it is "in our power" to help those who are "suffering." He also reiterated the G-20 commitment to helping the world's poorest and to the continual pursuit of envoirnmental sustainablity."

Blaming America

2009-04-02T08:03:00.003-05:00

This has been a humbling couple of years for the United States...quite interesting. I wonder if a decade ago we would have envisioned such a season of pessimism and anger towards our "land of the free."

I would not like to be in Obama's shoes right now.

G-20 Protests

2009-04-01T17:02:00.003-05:00

Wow, riots against capitalism...in LONDON?

We live in interesting times.

"White people with blue eyes."

2009-04-01T12:15:00.002-05:00

(NEW YORK POST, MARCH 28 2009)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was stunned at a press conference yesterday when Brazil's president told him "white people with blue eyes" caused the world's financial crisis.

"I am not acquainted with a single black banker," the outspoken Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said after greeting Brown in Brasilia.

Brown is on a three-continent tour to drum up enthusiasm for the G-20 summit he will host in London next week.

But da Silva, a socialist who once worked as a lathe operator, told Brown that poor countries should not have to suffer because of mistakes made by the rich.

During a joint press conference, he suddenly pointed his finger at Brown and said, "This is a crisis that was caused by white people with blue eyes. And before the crisis, they looked as if they knew everything about economics."

Brown stood uneasily next to da Silva as he continued his lecture: "Once again, the great part of the poor in the world . . . they were the first ones to suffer.

"Since I am not acquainted with any black bankers, I can only say that this part of humanity that is the major victim of the world crisis, these people should pay for the crisis? I cannot accept that."

Brown gingerly said he would seek input from da Silva, along with the leaders of other developing nations, during the summit.

"I welcome Brazil's commitment to play its part," he said.

A Brown spokesman later said the remarks by da Silva -- who is white -- were intended for Brazil's "domestic consumption."

The Brazilian leader, widely known as just "Lula," is famous in his country for his simple explanations of complex issues. Among them: "International trades are like an egg without a yolk." In a CNN interview to air Sunday, he said he would take his experience as a poor, unemployed factory worker to the summit.

"When I'm sitting in the G-20 meetings with all those presidents and heads of state, I know I am the only one that definitely went through a lot of misery and hunger," he said.

"I lived in houses that were flooded by water . . . Sometimes, I had to fight over space with rats and cockroaches and waste would come in when it flooded."

Priorities

2009-03-31T07:37:00.002-05:00

Afghanistan is getting MUCH more attention lately. This is as it should be--I still hold the opinion that the worst part of the Iraq war was that it distracted us from the one place where we KNEW our "enemies" had a stronghold--Afghanistan. Now, 8 years since 9/11, we are scrambling to make up for lost time. It's again on the daily news, and I only hope it's not too little too late. Here's a bit more on the "new strategy."

Now, many of us never gave Afghanistan any thought before 9/11, and for the vast majority of Americans (and non-Americans), the details of Afghanistan's past are very vague. The truth is, the Afghani story is a tragic one of successive take overs, violence, and poverty. I reccomend books like The Kite Runner for an easy-read overview of life in Afghanistan. Also, i HIGHLY recommend that EVERYONE watch Charlie Wilson's War--it's an EXCELLENT (and entertaining) story of what good we did in Afghanistan and how, in the end, we let it all unravel. Trailer below. WATCH THIS MOVIE!!

A Few Videos to check out: Afghanistan.

2009-03-29T12:22:00.001-05:00

Click here for the full story: Lights go off worldwide

2009-03-29T12:14:00.003-05:00

What a cool story: a global gesture of concern and solidarity regarding the environment.

CNN) -- Lights went off across the world Saturday as millions of homes and businesses went dark for one hour in a symbolic gesture highlighting concerns over climate change.

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"As [Israel] exists in the region...We exist in the region."

2009-03-26T07:34:00.001-05:00

Mmm. Mmm. Good.

2009-03-23T12:05:00.005-05:00

MONDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The fried foods, salty snacks and meats that are staples of the Western diet account for about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report suggests.

Meanwhile, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lean protien is tied a low risk of heart attack, according to the study, published in the Oct. 21 issue of Circulation.

The research, which looked at dietary habits in 52 countries, found people who ate a Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having a heart attack. Those who followed a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those who went light on fruits and vegetables.

One thing I always miss when I leave the Middle East and return to the States is the delicious, fresh, low-cost food we enjoyed in Jeddah. Although Saudi Arabia certainly has been infected by the fast-food-bug, the traditional food that makes up the foundation of a Middle Eastern diet is still filled with healthy, tasty foods.

I learned a lot of my healthy eating habits from my dad, who grew up eating a breakfast of tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and goat cheese every morning. Other healthy staples like watermelon, rice, fresh bread, boiled chicken, chickpeas, fava beans, oranges, apples, tea, pomegranate, guava, eggplant, and zucchini make up the average diet of any lower-income, "Ahmed the Plumber."

Fresh produce and piping hot, handmade bread can be obtained in Jeddah for a fraction of what we pay here in the States. In fact, apart from the franchises of McDonalds and the like, "fast food" for many Arabs would consist of a few giant rounds of fresh flat bread, a platter or two of hummus or "fool" (fava beans), some "salata" or babaganoush (eggplant mixture), and maybe some shawarmas (chicken or lamb with spices and veggies, wrapped in pita). To feed my family of six on such a repast would cost under 10 dollars, with leftovers to spare.

Not to mention the juice stands on every corner where you can get a 20+ oz glass of fresh squeezed orange, apple, guava, pomegranate, carrot, or mango juice for under a dollar. (sometimes with sugar added, though. Be careful!)

Of course, Saudi society is notorious for having a sweet tooth. (McDonalds in Saudi famously added sugar to their french fry recipe!) Hyper-sweetened tea and decadent baklava and gatayuf dripping with honey and syrup will do much to counteract the more healthy components of the Middle Eastern diet. However, I myself am blessedly indifferent to sweets (my weakness is salty snacks like nuts).

Moral of the story: we could learn a lot from the Middle Eastern diet--but focus on what lower income families *traditionally* eat (an explosion of cheap foods like hot dogs, sugary juices, etc have begun to overtake the customary diets of raw produce and healthy protien).

Hungry yet?

OPEC Quandry

2009-03-23T07:25:00.001-05:00

Well.

2009-03-22T15:03:00.002-05:00

So, I had an interesting conversation with a friend yesterday, who couldn't believe that my Muslim, Arab, female cousin has a cell phone and a college degree.

......

More to come.

Blogger Killed in Iran

2009-03-20T19:24:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- A young blogger arrested in Iran for allegedly insulting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Internet posting has died in prison, his attorney said Friday.

The blogger had been jailed for allegedly insulting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an internet posting.

Attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said Omid Mir Sayafi, reported to be in his 20s, died in Evin prison, which is located in Tehran and known for its wing that holds political prisoners.

Dadkhah said a fellow inmate, Dr. Hessam Firouzi, called him Wednesday night with the news -- and said he believed Sayafi would have lived if he received proper medical care.

Dadkhah said Firouzi, an imprisoned human-rights activist, said that he carried a semi-conscious Sayafi to a prison doctor but that he didn't receive the care he needed.

"It was Dr. Firouzi's opinion that if he would've received proper medical attention, he would not have died," Dadkhah said.

He said Sayafi was buried on Thursday and that his calls to the prison asking for an explanation have not been returned.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, which advocates for activists in the country, quoted Firouzi on its Web site as saying Sayafi suffered from depression and had taken extra doses of medication on Wednesday.

The group blamed Iran's government for unsafe conditions in its prisons.

"Iranian leaders have relegated the administration of the prison system to a group of incompetent and cruel officials who are showing their utter disregard for human life," said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesman for the campaign. "If the authorities do not move quickly to hold negligent officials responsible, they are reinforcing impunity and the lack of accountability."

Click here for story: "Moral failure" in IDF?

2009-03-20T07:44:00.000-05:00

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli military plans to investigate claims by Israeli soldiers that Palestinian civilians were killed and Palestinian property intentionally destroyed during Israel's recent 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Many Palestinian civilians were killed after being caught up in the 22-day conflict in Gaza.

The claims were made by Israeli soldiers who were graduates of a pre-military course at an Israeli college. They were first reported in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Thursday.

At a gathering at the college following the Gaza operation, the newspaper reported, soldiers gave testimony that ran counter to persistent claims by the military that "Israeli troops observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation."

The testimony was taken down by the head of the college's pre-military program, Danny Zamir. He told Haaretz that he did not know what the soldiers were going to say and that what they heard "shocked us."

According to Haaretz, Zamir passed on the testimony to the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, saying he "feared a serious moral failure in the IDF."

Contacted by CNN, Zamir said he would not comment to the foreign press on the matter and that the full testimony would be appearing in Haaretz newspaper.

In one account, a squad leader from a brigade serving in Gaza described an incident in which he said an elderly Palestinian woman was shot and killed at the orders of a company commander.

According to the testimony, the squad leader protested the rules of engagement, which he said allowed soldiers to fire on Palestinian homes without giving residents a warning. After the rules were changed, his soldiers complained that "we should kill everyone there [in the center of Gaza]. Everyone there is a terrorist."

According to Haaretz, the squad leader went on to testify that, "You do not get the impression from the officers that there is any logic to it, but they won't say anything. To write 'death to the Arabs' on the walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics, really. It's what I'll remember the most."

Israeli Defense minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio Thursday that "Israel has the most moral army in the world" and that the testimonies will be checked carefully.

In addition, a coalition of nine Israeli human rights groups called on Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to reconsider his refusal to establish an independent investigative body to examine the military's actions during the Gaza campaign, known as "Operation Cast Lead."

The groups -- The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Bimkom, B'tselem, Gisha, Hamoked, The Public Committee Against Torture, Yesh Din, Physicians for Human Rights, Rabbis for Human Rights, Adalah, and Itach - Women Lawyers for Social Justice -- said accounts by Palestinians raise the possibility that acts by the military were worse than previously suspected

Click here for full story on alleged Bin Laden tape

2009-03-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

BBC-"Topple Somali leader" - Bin Laden

Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has vowed to introduce Sharia
Osama Bin Laden has called for the overthrow of Somalia's moderate Islamist president in an audio recording published on the internet.

Bin Laden said President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed had "changed to partner up with the infidel".

Mr Ahmed was inaugurated in January after UN-brokered reconciliation talks and has promised to introduce Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country.

But al-Shabab insurgents allied to al-Qaeda have continued to fight him.

Correspondents say the voice on the recording could not be immediately verified but it resembles that of Bin Laden and was published on known militant websites.

'Enemies' pay'

The 12-minute tape - entitled "Fight on, champions of Somalia" - carried an often-seen image of Bin Laden with a map of Somalia in the background.

The Somali leader's election had been "induced by the American envoy in Kenya", the tape said.

2009-03-17T11:50:00.003-05:00

No man has a mind that can be fully known,
In character or judgment, till he rules and makes law;
Only then can he be tested in the public eye.

-From Sophocles' Antigone (c. 442 BC)

Je ne suis pas optimiste

2009-03-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. fighter jets in Iraq have shot down an unmanned Iranian spy drone aircraft, the U.S. military said Monday.

The Iranian aircraft had been flying in Iraqi airspace for 70 minutes before being shot down 60 miles northeast of Baghdad last month, the military said.

"This was not an accident on the part of the Iranians," the U.S. military said in a statement. "The [drone] was in Iraqi airspace for nearly one hour and 10 minutes and well inside Iraqi territory before it was engaged."

Two F-16 fighter jets followed the drone for about an hour before shooting it down, a Pentagon official said.

The drone had no weapons and was strictly a spy aircraft, the official told CNN.

The U.S. military has taken ownership of the drone, which the Pentagon official said is in "pretty good shape."

Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, declined to comment on the allegation and most major state-run media outlets in Iran did not carry news of any incident involving an Iranian drone.

The Bush administration regularly accused Iran of meddling in Iraq and arming fighters, and in 2002 President George W. Bush put Iran in his "axis of evil."

Since President Barack Obama took office he has appeared more conciliatory towards Iran although the country continues to cause U.S. concern over its nuclear ambitions and its role in Iraq.

Hezbollah will not recognize Israel (click for the story)

2009-03-15T12:27:00.002-05:00

I posted my thoughts a few weeks ago about the tenative steps made by Britain and, to a lesser degree, the US toward opening communication with Lebanon's Hezbollah. I think this is, generally speaking, a wise direction to take--however, the Hezbollah leader Nasrallah is being counter-productive.

My main complaint against western officials who refuse to dialogue with groups like Hezbollah and Hamas is that, from where I'm standing, they don't always strike a balance between their ideals and practical reality. When groups we don't like are in power and making decisions that affect entire regions, we can't always afford to 'ignore them to death'--we have to confront them. Thus, I was encouraged to hear of prospective communication between London, Washington, and Hezbollah.

However, now it appears that Nasrallah is playing a very old, very unproductive game--the "I-want-to-ignite-Arab-unity-by-reviving-and-sustaining-a-shared-hatred-of-Israel." We've seen this game before--it is one of the main reasons for Yassir Arafat's eventual failure (my father, a Gazan, can attest to that).

It is very disheartening to know that Nasrallah is going to decline the opportunity to dialogue with the United States of America because he can't acknowlege that Israel exists. This is more than simply obstinate--it's a sort of forced dillusion that will only stunt any fragile progress that is being made in the so-called "peace process."

Oh, and you gotta love Nasrallah's nod to Iran--don't think it's random.

"there can be no peace without Hamas

2009-03-14T16:52:00.000-05:00

Brief on US-Arab Economic Relations in the Obama Administration

2009-03-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm a huge nerd and FASCINATED by global economics. Thus, I found this 8-page report to be very intriguing. Click above for the link, or just read this summary, and enjoy!

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'While oil will continue to dominate the US strategic concerns about the Middle East the growing economic and financial power of some Middle Eastern countries also deserves some consideration. These countries are combining their large oil revenues with sound economic policy to achieve high economic growth rates and they are being actively courted by European and Asian countries who seek to expand their trade and investment relations with these nations. The US also has an interest in promoting economic growth and higher standards of living in lower-income Middle Eastern countries. Poverty and inequality in countries like Egypt and Yemen often leads to the rise of militant movements and political violence which spreads throughout the region and is frequently targeted towards US interest. Global competition for the Middle East export markets will be intense in the coming decade. The ability of the USS to succeed in this market will partially depend on the diplomatic and military dimensions of the US Middle East policy, particularly its perceived role in the Middle East conflict.'

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Translation: the US has managed, at least partially, to preserve it's oil and trade interests in the Middle East for several decades by bullying, bribing, and buying. However, America's ability to continue this semi-monopoly has been severly damaged by the economic crisis as well as the war in Iraq and the deteriorating condition in Palestine. In the mean time, China, India, and Europe are not hesitating to fill in this gap. Basically, Obama's administration has their work cut out for them.

Arab Mini-Summit! (Click here for story)

2009-03-10T17:15:00.002-05:00

Just two comments,

1. As I said in a previous post, I am happy to see that Washington and Damascus are opening a tenative dialogue. I agree that this is "wisdom, not weakness."

2. Initiatives like this ought to remind Americans that, although they love to rant and rave about Saudi Arabia's "backwards" society, they owe MUCH to the Kingdom. Remember, I am not a Saudi, just a mere expat who has suffered her fair share of trials in the good old KSA.

It just seems to me that, if America is honest with itself, it would realize that the Saudi government has often been one of their most helpful allies in the Middle East. Corrupt and contigent, yes. But useful? No doubt.

Women in Islam Program

2009-03-09T09:48:00.002-05:00

So, on Saturday evening I attended a program at the local Muslim Community Center, entitled "Women in Islam." It was sponsored by the Muslim women of the community center, and included an ethnic dinner, a short speech by the local imam, a guest speaker on the role of Mary in the Qur'an, and a cultural fashion show.

I thought it was a great idea and they did a good job. I could tell they were eager to dispell stereotypes, to display themselves as proud, dignified, independent women despite the stylish scarves wrapped daintily around their heads. It really isn't an oxymoron--to be modest and liberated--but conveying that is an uphill battle.

Anyway, I invited four of my friends to attend--'white people' as I call them (again, I'm white-skinned, very white, but I never really identify with my ultra-Western demographic). I think they had a good time--they said it was interesting and they especially loved the fashion show at the end, when different women and their daughters proudly displayed their traditional bridal wear from Pakistan, Palestine, Albania, Saudi Arabia, India, and Egypt. Very girly, but a great way to ease people into Muslim/Arab/SE Asian culture. I'm glad I brought friends.

They also did our henna! (This is a pretty simple, small design compared to what I've had in the past, but there was a long line so they kept it short.)

I finally rented "Arranged"

2009-03-08T15:19:00.005-05:00

I'm getting over the flu, so I went out and rented several movies, including "Arranged"...Lovely movie!! The tagline reads: "Friendship Has No Religion."

It is the story of an Orthodox Jew, Rochel, and a Syrian-American Muslim, Nasira. They are both beautiful young women in their early twenties, teaching together in New York City. They become close friends, and help each other through the prospects of arranged marriages.

It deals with faith in modern America, prejudice, ignorance, and coming-of-age. I highly recommend it!

CNN report on Child Brides in KSA

2009-03-07T14:39:00.002-06:00

"The ulama fear that modernization means Westernization"

This is a really unfortunate circumstance--obviously, there are many who want to see change. I don't mean to suggest that most Saudis contradict common sense and support unhealthy practices. But the sad truth is that a few painfuly reactionary leaders hold a disproportioinate amount of authority, resulting in problems like this one.

Palestinian PM Fayyad resigns

2009-03-07T14:36:00.000-06:00

(CNN) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has submitted his letter of resignation, the prime minister's office told CNN on Saturday.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's resignation may smooth the way for a unity government.

Considered a political independent, Fayyad was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007 to be prime minister.

Fayyad's decision may help smooth the way for a Palestinian unity government that would be acceptable to both Hamas and Fatah, the region's two main political parties, as well as the international community.

Officials have argued a neutral government would be crucial to getting aid into Gaza to help with reconstruction and humanitarian relief.

Palestinians unsuccessfully tried their hand at a unity government in the spring of 2007, with the mediation of Saudi Arabia. The experiment ended in June of that year with Hamas taking over Gaza, leaving Fatah in charge in the West Bank.

Fayyad, a well-regarded international economist, was finance minister during the short-lived unity government in 2007

"Love and a Headscarf"

2009-03-06T18:43:00.000-06:00

Let's Talk.

2009-03-06T10:29:00.003-06:00

"It is time for the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies,"
-Barack Obama

I am a strong believer in diplomacy. I literally cheered when Obama brought up this point in one of the presidential debates, and he has never let go of his conviction that dialogue and cooperation is a crucial part of maintaining security abroad. It is NOT a weakness, but indeed, wisdom. America doesn't have the military capacity, economic influence, or universal goodwill needed to maintain our security without sincere negotiations. Sure, we can bully, coerce, bribe, and threaten all we want, but the world is a big place, and globalization has made our "enemies" more mobile, remote, and creative.

Anyway, I think Obama's determination to engage the Middle East has certainly been a wise and admirable gesture, and I am encouraged to read that the UK is following suit, opting to open communication with Lebanon's Hezbollah.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/03/200935122446775120.html

Now before you cry "COMMI!!" and accuse me of being an un-American, terrorist loving radical, let me explain. I don't support Hezbollah per se, nor do I applaud the methods that this group and others have been implementing in past years. But as the article explains, Lebanon is approaching elections, and Hezbollah may become an even more powerful political presence.

I understand we take moral issue with these groups sometimes. But we can't allow our pride or our sense of ethical superiority to blind us from reality. The reality is that Hezbollah, Hamas, and Ahmedenijad all exist. This reality may be unpleasant and worrisome, but it exists nonetheless. We need to be careful--sometimes it is right to ignore these groups and deprive them of legitimacy. However, many of them are already much more legitmate than we'd like to admit, and it's better to face them sooner, rather than later, when it may be too late.

The Faces of American Idol

2009-03-05T18:00:00.007-06:00

My friends and family will tell you, I'm sort of racist.

That is, if given a choice, I will almost always be more attracted to an ethnic or non-Western person/object/concept than a Western/American person/object/concept. (I could go into endless detail about the rationale behind this...maybe some other time.)

My friends of different religions and ethnic minorities think it's hilarious the way I often criticize "white people"--or how I complain about the archetypal "skinny white chicks" in movies or the media. (They find a particular irony in noting that I, myself, am rather thin and VERY white, at least on the outside.)

Anyway, this tendency of mine is very true in this year's season of American Idol. Yes, I am an avid follower of this show--cheesy and commercialized as it is, it's grown on me and is kind of a family tradition.

This year, my heart has been won over by the wonderfully talented Lil Rounds (an African American mother), Anoop Desai (of Indian descent), and Jorge Nunez, a Puerto Rican who has worked tirelessly to bridge the language barrier the judges identified earlier in the competition (even working with a dialect coach until his accent became almost non-existent.)

I just think it's beautiful to see such "diversity" (less white people, that is) on a show entitled "AMERICAN Idol." Truly, no one can really define what it means to be "American," but I think it's wonderful that cultural and racial expectations are widening.

Mmmm. An African-American in the White House, and white people being outsung on Fox Network. Delicious!

"Muslim Food"

2009-03-04T22:31:00.004-06:00

So, on campus, the Muslim Student Association is having an "Islam Awareness Week." Today they had an Imam give a lecture entitled, "Jesus in Islam." Yesterday, they had a "Taste of the Faith" presentation/display, where free food was available. The food was familiar to me--filafil, hummus, mamoul, etc.

I didn't attend this luncheon because I was working downstairs (I have a job on campus.) My co-worker, who is a Muslim, graciously brought a heaping plateful of food for the ladies of our office to sample. She just dropped off the food and left. I gratefully devoured several filafil--I miss that stuff! Then I listened as the other women in the office responded to the food.

Coworker A: "Do you want to try some Muslim food?"

Coworker B: "Ahh...What is it?"

Coworker A: "Um, I don't know, the Muslims were giving away food."

Coworker C (entering): "Oh, what's going on? Is it Foreign Culture Food Day or something??"

Coworker A: "No, some Muslim students are doing something...Uhh...Sarah????" (That's my name)

Me: "It's Islam Awareness Week. They started today with some ethnic food and then tomorrow..."

(Cutting me off) Coworker B: "Oh, well, I'm not that hungry. Looks interesting though."

(they all lose interest, food goes uneaten.)

I don't think they are racist, I'm not trying to uncover some ugly prejudice or anything here. But I did think this was yet another example of the awkwardness and involuntary apprehension that accompanies anything vaguely Arab, and, in this case, Muslim. (And that's another pet peeve: "Arab" does NOT always equal "Muslim," or vice versa.)

Anyway, they know that I am the honorary "ambassador to the Muslims." Some of them know I lived in Saudi Arabia, some of them know my dad is Muslim, and some of them just know that I am often present at MSA events and that I am close friends with many of the campus Muslims.

Anyway, there is some sort of tension, some sort of hesitation, that is truly undeniable in so many of my "tolerant" compatriots. It's fascinating and unfortunate.

Iran can "rejoin" the international community, IF...

2009-03-04T16:30:00.002-06:00

the drama continues...

2009-03-03T21:15:00.002-06:00

The Republican Party Should Consider a Face Lift (click here for story)

2009-03-02T09:55:00.003-06:00

Now, I’m not a Republican, and not really a conservative either. I do, however, hold some “conservative” values, such as protection of privacy and the genius of the free market (within proper constraints). I do appreciate the Republican voice in Congress; I believe it is important in tempering what could easily become a Democratic free-for-all. (I greatly value many Democratic policies as well, but I am always aware of the need for balance and moderation.)

Thus, I think it is rather unfortunate that Rush Limbaugh has become the “voice and face” of the Republican party. Yikes! (granted this particular statement was made by Immanuel, but Rush WAS the headline speaker at the CPAC) I have tried to listen to Rush a few times, but I always turn off the radio in disgust. It is impossible for me to respect someone who uses such hateful, subjective language. I’m sorry, but saying repeatedly that you hope our Commander in Chief “fails” is not acceptable to me, no matter the context.

Americans need Obama to succeed. Democrat or not, none of us will benefit from Obama’s downfall, and such a hope is something I can never come to respect. Honestly, we had world leaders all around the world cheering us on when Obama took the Oath of Office. To think that Rush was somewhere fuming and wishing ill upon our newly elected president is an unsettling thought, one that calls to mind an image of an pouting child.

The next movie I'd like to rent...

2009-02-28T20:45:00.000-06:00

2009-02-25T21:58:00.001-06:00

"US aided Israel in War Crimes" Amnesty International

2009-02-25T09:41:00.004-06:00

SOURCE: The Times/Amnesty International. Quoted materials in italics.

Amnesty International: US assisted Gaza war crimes
Rights organization says Israeli army used white phosphorus in densely-populated civilian residential areas, calls for weapons embargo to be imposed on Israel, Hamas

Amnesty International condemned the IDF's conduct during its military operation in Gaza in a report published Monday, and called for an UN Security Council arms embargo on both Israel and the terrorist Hamas group.

"The organization’s delegates found white phosphorus still burning in residential areas throughout Gaza days after the ceasefire came into effect on 18 January - that is, up to three weeks after the white phosphorus artillery shells had been fired by Israeli forces.
Amnesty International considers that the repeated use of white phosphorus in this way in densely-populated civilian areas constitutes a form of indiscriminate attack, and amounts to a war crime," it adds.

The report also criticizes the US' role in the war as Israel's main supplier of weapons, recommending that the Obama administration halt all further military aid to Israel. Donatella Rovera, who headed the Amnesty fact-finding mission, said that the group had systematically collected and catalogued shells across Gaza, and traced serial numbers back to factory production lines in the US.

"All of the evidence points to the failure of America to exercise due oversight of what they sell to Israel, which is in breach of their own laws... which require that weapons will not be sold to a country where they will be misused. And the manner in which these weapons were used in Gaza is a war crime."

The human rights group said that weapons experts in Gaza found white phosphorus artillery shells marked M825 A1 – a US-made munition – throughout the coastal strip. The Times published photographic evidence that Israel was using the M825 A1 shells on January 8.
After the Gaza conflict, Israel acknowledged using white phosphorus in a manner "according to international law". Israeli media reported that the military was investigating the incident on January 15, when several white phosphorus artillery shells hit a UN headquarters in Gaza City, destroying tens of tons of humanitarian aid.

Under an arms deal made by the Bush Administration, the US pledged to supply Israel with $30 billion worth of weapons over the next 10 years, according to an agreement signed in 2007, an increase of 25% from the pre-Bush days. Thus, the organization claims, the US was a contributing factor to Israel's bombing of Gaza.

'Report is not objective'
The Foreign Ministry stated in response to the report that its description of the fighting in Gaza was "tendentious."

One of Israel's arguments was that "Hamas is supported by 'extremists,' there for, they should not be granted such concern (aka "bias") in Amnesty International’s report.” Now, I looked up the definition of “extremist”, and it read “n. One who goes to extremes; a person advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm, especially in politics.”

Hmmm. Perhaps, as the daughter of a Gazan, I am a biased, blind, prejudiced individual. However, it seems to me that Hamas was not the only one “going to extremes” here, or in the past.

My eternal argument in regards to the never-ending Palestine-Israel conflict is rather simple: They. Are. Both. At. Fault.

It’s funny how hard it is to find people who agree with this. Either the Palestinians are dirty Arab terrorists, or the Israelis are heartless, ruthless killers.

Maybe a little of both and a lot of neither?

Missing Jeddah

2009-02-22T23:28:00.002-06:00

It's 10 degrees outside, and as I'm sitting here shivering, I reflect longingly on my second home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mmmm, weather.com says it is a balmy 72 degrees--actually rather "cool" for my desert homeland. Ah, I miss it.

My dad is back there for work, and I miss him. I'm also fighting back jealousy. Saudi Arabia is a captivating, puzzling place--kind of like that odd classmate or friend, the one you couldn't STAND at first, but then miss when he's gone. It's a world you have to be acquainted with, one where you have to learn to forgive much. But once you finally accept it for what it is, you'll find yourself in the arms of a strange but unforgettable lover.

10 Things I Love About The Kingdom:

1. Shawarmas (for those who are not familiar with these delicious creations, I'm sorry. You should be too.)

2. The prayer call. Yes, it's true, shops close five times a day for the selah, but it's one of those unique qualities of Saudi that you grow to love. It really is beautiful, albeit inconvenient.

3. The beach--best snorkelling/scuba diving in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef.

4. The WEATHER. I revel in the 115 degree summertime. The blistering heat is to me a soothing, cleansing thing. :)

5. Covering up with abayas can be a blessing in disguise. You need never worry about an unflattering outfit--it's all covered up. Just choose your shoes wisely--they are all that show.

6. Hummus. Delicious.

7. The close-knit expat community. It's a unique environment where our desperate need for companionship overrides the differences that would have hindered relationships in a normal situation.

8. Dates. Also delicious!

9. The language. I love Arabic. It is my father's native language. I am still studying it, but there is something about the exotic sounds and letters that still thrills me.

10. The lingering elements of Bedouin culture. There is something about the lifestyles and principles of people in Saudi that is still fresh, raw, and basic. It was only a very few years ago that many of these people still lived in the desert, herding camels. Fundamentals like family loyalty, simplicity, and colloquial wisdom still thrive. I love it.

I could write more things to love--and plenty not to love. But for now, I'm in the Central Time Zone, and although my thoughts are with the Saudi sunrise taking place right now, it's time for me to crawl into my cold bed and go to sleep.

Explosion in Cairo

2009-02-22T15:03:00.001-06:00

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- An explosion in one of the Egyptian capital's busy tourist districts Sunday left a French woman dead and wounded nine other Europeans, the country's Health Ministry reported.

The wounded include eight French nationals, one of whom was in critical condition Sunday evening, and one German, ministry officials said.

A man and a woman were arrested after the incident, security officials said. The nationalities of the arrestees were not disclosed.

Earlier reports conflicted, with an Interior Ministry press officer at one point saying as many as 19 were wounded, while another official said four were dead.

The explosion occurred during the height of the evening rush at 6:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. ET) in an area of coffee shops located outside a mosque in Cairo. It occurred near the Al Hussein Mosque, one of Cairo's biggest, Interior Ministry press officer Hany Abdelatif said.

An unexploded bomb was found near the mosque, which is located near an entrance to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, a huge market that is also a tourist attraction, he said.

In the Middle East, you can always bargain.

2009-02-21T22:00:00.005-06:00

I'm sure you've all read/heard about this by now, but Iran is apparently making rapid progress toward nuclear armament.

Another more in-depth article can be found on BBC (As my history professor always says, American networks don't report on the Middle East the way BBC does.)

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/21/iran.nuclear.documentary/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

I find this article very intriguing. Not only was Iran trying to bargain with the US and Europe to gain the freedom to pursue it's nuclear program, but apparently "Interviews with top brass from former President Bush's administration and British envoys indicate that Iran and the West had neared agreements several times in the past few years"

I wonder what those "agreements" consisted of, and what conditions prevented them from forming. Just looking at the past few decades, we know that the United States has been willing to compromise, sacrafice, and overlook much in order to preserve their objectives abroad (i.e. our Latin American puppet-dictators or our covert revolt against Mossadeq in Iran). It kind of sounds like Tehran knew how to 'play' us--what better leverage is there than offering support for our precious Operation Iraqi Freedom?

Anyway, I also found it interesting that 'Nick Burns, who was in charge of the Bush administration's State Department policy with Iran, said taking a tough approach with Iran didn't seem effective.

"We had advocated regime change. We had a very threatening posture towards Iran for a number of years. It didn't produce any movement whatsoever."'

Two pieces of good news, though: the IAEA has a less alarmist attitude toward the whole issue, saying that Iran is farther from armament than other recent reports have warned, and Tehran has indicated that diplomacy may be a possibility in the near future. What form that diplomacy will take, and what effect it will have, remains to be seen.

Obama: "There's been a lot of mistrust built up over the years, so [face-to-face talks] are not going to happen overnight."

Ali Larijani [Iranian parliament speaker], has called the Obama administraton "an exceptional opportunity for Americans"

My Favorite Story of the Day!

2009-02-20T16:31:00.002-06:00

A Change We Can Believe In?......

This is ominous.

2009-02-20T16:26:00.002-06:00

"Dang Kremlin!"