The Times of London is this week publishing excerpts from a book by its chief foreign commentator, Bronwen Maddox, In Defence of America, due for release September 11. The first extract, "America is not an environmental villain,’ which appeared September 1, argues that although the United States emits the second highest amount of greenhouse gases […]
The Washington Post's “Washington Sketch” program recently featured an interesting piece covering Al Jazeera English's attempt to cover the Democratic National Convention in nearby Golden, Colorado (video available here). This move to feature 'small-town’ America's views on the convention was met with much resistance by some if its townspeople who view Al Jazeera as Anti-American, […]
The Jordanian Ammon News Agency featured a story Wednesday alleging that units of the Iranian Basij are ready to strike throughout the Arab Gulf states if Iran is attacked. In fact, the author describes them as 'time bombs’ waiting to explode in the region. The Basij is a large volunteer paramilitary force (estimated at upwards […]
Hezbollah's Al-Intiqad newspaper asserts that there are fears over the group's alleged increased naval capacity. The article cites a report issued by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies back in April 2007 entitled, “Obsolete Weapons, Unconventional Tactics, and Martyrdom Zeal: How Iran Would Apply its Asymmetric Naval Warfare Doctrine in a Future […]
Tuesday's edition of the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper alleges that serious differences that have arisen between Hamas and Cairo may threaten to undermine recent Egyptian efforts to bring warring Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, towards an internal compromise. An unnamed official states that Egypt is unhappy with Hamas's alleged attempt to tie talks over the captured […]
"Bringing Down a Dictator" is a testament to the human spirit. It chronicles the actions of a grassroots movement called Otpor! (Serbian for "Resistance") that miraculously brought Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic out of power. The organization of Otpor! was ingenious because there was no central command, no official leaders. What they accomplished in a year's […]
I came across an interesting interview (pasted below) with the chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's political department, which was featured on the group's English language website earlier this month. It covers the organization's views on the prospects for democracy in Egypt, the role of outside actors in promoting democracy, and other key issues shaping Egyptian […]
Various news agencies today have reported the success of international activists in ‘breaking’ the embargo of the Gaza Strip. Setting sail from Cyprus in two small boats dubbed ‘Break the Siege’, the activists, who sought to raise awareness of the crisis in Gaza, were allowed to proceed to Gaza's shores after being briefly held up […]
Today's meeting between Syrian and Russian presidents Bashar al-Asad and Dmitri Medvedev in the Black Sea port of Sochi have some fearing that the old battle-lines of the cold war era are once again reemerging in the Middle East. Al-Jazeera's coverage touched upon the most potentially sensitive aspect of any reinvigorated partnership; the prospect of […]
Nine years after the Jordanian government broke off its ties with Hamas, the independent Jordanian AmmonNews agency reported on Sunday that the evolving regional situation, and the kingdom's desire to ease tensions with the Muslim Brotherhood , are pushing the Hashemite regime to normalize relations with the Palestinian group. However, the article states that this […]
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Z39tD1wK6wA” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] What James Longley has attempted in "Iraq in Fragments" is to provide a documentary without narration. He tries to let his subjects tell their stories in a way that is both revealing and intimate. However, on the whole, the film fails to illuminate for the audience what is happening […]
Hezbollah's media relations department stated today that the group would release a MOU with salafist groups this coming Monday at the Safir hotel in Beirut. Note that the most of the various salafist entities in Lebanon are not tied to jihadist terrorism (see here). This move by Hezbollah will likely be cause for concern within […]
The European media devoted heavy coverage to the relatively lenient prison sentence (five and half years) for terrorist offenses given to Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama Bin Laden's former driver, by a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay August 7. But while the European media has been virtually unanimous in denouncing Guantanamo and everything to do with […]
One of the more irritating habits of some journalists is to describe a recent event as “little noticed.” By this they mean that they alone appreciate its significance and can exclusively reveal it to the world. Frequently, however, the event has in fact been reported elsewhere but these reports have gone “unnoticed” by the egocentric […]
Last week, the Saudi reformist daily Al-Watan featured an article criticizing Iran's recent threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as 'suicide’. The threat was reportedly voiced by Muhammad Ali Jaafari, the head of Iran's Republican Guard Corps (RGC), after the US warned Iran to respond in a positive manner to an ultimatum […]