By Eve Copeland and Cecily Boggs For many months, Iran's nuclear ambitions have taken center stage in both American and European news and analytical reports. On September 15, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released what has been described by the Financial Times as "one of the most damning reports it has yet published on […]
As Al-Qaeda's As-Sahab media planned on releasing a video commemorating the 7th anniversary of 9-11, the group's online media infrastructure appears to have come under a cyber-attack this past week, according to Will McCants's Jihadica blog. Several of the pro-Qaeda internet forums (i.e. Ekhlaas and Al-Firdaws) have been down for the past week, while the […]
According to the Sadrist-affiliated Al-Kufa News Agency, representatives from the Sadrist Bloc are calling for the vetting the Awakening Councils, a largely Sunni citizen patrol force, including former insurgents, who many believe have played a key role in combating Al-Qaeda's presence in Iraq. This NY Times piece provides an informative breakdown of the Awakening by […]
The Times of London reported in this article as news that Sarah Palin has linked her electoral success to Kenyan pastor whom Palin "says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.' While her connection to […]
The media in the two top Western financial centers, London and New York, differed in emphasis in their reporting of Sunday's dramatic turmoil on Wall Street – including the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers – with the British media tending to highlight the human side, while their American counterparts stressed the enormity of the blow to […]
Palestinian media sources report that Hamas-allied security forces killed seven members of the Army of Islam (AI) group in a shootout in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City yesterday. The shooting involved members of the Daghmoush clan, killing the brother of AI's leader Ibrahim Daghmoush. The total body count was reported to be 11, according […]
The Muslim Brotherhood's English-language website reports that Al Qaeda in Iraq's (AQI) leader is calling for war against the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq. Citing a report by the Italian Adnkronos news agency, the Brotherhood states that AQI's leader, Abu Amr al-Baghdadi, has offered a reward to those […]
This film is as much about empowerment for women as it is a slice of life in post-Taliban Afghanistan. It is about several women from the United States and Britain who come to Kabul after the fall of the Taliban to teach women how to be beauticians. One interesting aspect is the way in which […]
September 14th will mark the 26th anniversary of Bashir Gemayel's assassination. Gemayel was a leader who first emerged to the forefront of Lebanese political life as the commander of the predominantly Maronite Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) militia, and, through a combination of political and military ingenuity, eventually became president of the war-torn country in […]
While some Americans questioned whether Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin could hold high office and simultaneously look after five children, an article in the New York Times, "Wage Gaps for Women Frustrating Germany' examined the difficulties faced by German women who want both a family and a high-flying career. The article blamed sexist attitudes […]
Reuters reported today that the US is on the verge of striking a $7 billion missile deal with the UAE, pending Congress's approval. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is believed to be sought by the UAE in order to prepare for a potential Iranian missile attack that may come in retaliation to […]
Lebanese MP Saad Hariri, the head of the country's Future Movement and leader of the March 14 coalition, is in Tripoli this weekend meeting with local officials and representatives in an effort to diffuse the ongoing violence between Sunni (Bab al-Tabaneh) and Alawite (Jabal Mohsen) neighborhoods of the city. A special report published yesterday by […]
During a speech last night at a celebration in Gaza City last night, Ismael Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of the defunct Hamas-led Palestinian government, made his position clear on the proposed idea of an Arab peacekeeping force being sent to the Gaza Strip. In a display of sarcasm, Haniyeh stated that there's no need for […]
Al Jazeera.net reported today that members of the Muslim Brotherhood have erected an online encyclopedia to help inform the public about the organization's history, ideology, and political aims. Dubbed Ikhwan Wiki, the site is done in the style of the ever popular Wikipedia. Thus, those who want to either edit or contribute content have to […]
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) has released part 4 of the series “Knights of Martyrdom”. I previously wrote a post providing an analysis of part 3, which appeared back in July, highlighting indications that the group's al-Furqan Media Group was on the decline. Part 4 comes as Iraqi officials claim that the country is now free […]