Here's an interesting report featured on the Beirut-based, and Dutch-funded, Menassat.com. It touches upon the double-edged sword of new media in conflict zones. Some argue that while this technology might contribute to transparency by enabling “citizen journalism”, it may also stir sectarian strife by enabling individuals to publicize incidents of political violence. Alexandra Sandels takes […]
Last night, on the way home from dinner with friends, I bumped into another friend and colleague I had not seen in some time. This individual, who first came to the U.S. as a political refugee from Kenya, began to tell me about the violence in his homeland and the risks to peace. On an […]
I thought I’d add to last week's post about President Bush's trip to the Middle East, by pointing out two new analyses. First, the Washington Post's White House correspondent Michael Abramowitz wrote in great detail about the various steps of Bush's mideast trip. Second, the Center for American Progress in their daily “Progress Report” published a thorough […]
Many of you have probably followed the debate at the University of Berkley re: the position of Professor John Yoo. Briefly, Yoo is deemed to be one of the chief enablers of the U.S. torture program and the author of key memos in this area. The New York Times, in an editorial, describes the memos […]
While Israel has been celebrating its 60th anniversary, US President George W. Bush took a five-day trip to the Middle East (May 13-May 18). On May 15, President Bush addressed members of Israel's Knesset. His remarks were controversial in the US domestic arena on account of his supposed criticism (attack?) of presidential candidate Barack Obama […]
This weekend saw an increase in violence against immigrants in South Africa. The attacks began a week or so ago in the township of Alexandra (near Johannesburg) and has been escalating. As in similar outbreaks in recent years around the world, this situation seems to be one where immigrants are being blamed for the ills […]
Two Osama Bin Laden audio statements came out over the weekend. The first, released this past Friday, coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian nakba. This Arabic term translates to “catastrophe”, and refers to the establishment of the state of Israel in May of 1948. Not surprisingly, Bin Laden decided to stress the the […]
Christians and Global Warming – Christians Launch Campaign against Global Warming Hype is the story from “The Christian Post.” “The “We Get It!‘ declaration, which currently has nearly 100 signers, is backed by prominent Christians including Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, award-winning radio host Janet Parshall, […]
Intrepid is the usual label for a distinguished character, a person of influence. It would be fair to judge Italy's own Pier Paolo Pasolini as such and more. Film-maker, playwright, poet, novelist, etc., indelibly surrounded by controversy. Perhaps less well known was Paolo's column as a political thinker who challenged the traditionalist conventions of Italian […]
Earlier this month the American Foreign Service Association held its annual ceremony honoring the Foreign Servicemen and women who lost their lives in the line of duty. Their names are eched into memorial plaques on the wall near the entrance to the State Depatment. This year sadly saw two more names etched onto the memorial wall: Steven Thomas […]
The website for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Jordan recently featured an interview with its new Comptroller General Dr. Hamam Sa’id. Sa’id, who spent a year studying at Temple University back in 1979, addresses a number of issues that have come to nag the organization over the past year. While Sa’id's commentary should perhaps be […]
The forthcoming issue of The Atlantic contains a report on Senator Obama's foreign policy by Matthew Yglesias, the magazine's Associate Editor. The article begins: “Barack Obama has always been an independent thinker. He of course opposed the war in Iraq, and he's built a team of national-security advisers who disproportionately took the same, then-unpopular antiwar […]
U.S. holding 2,500 juveniles among detainees, according to a report filed with United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The report indicates that some 2,500 detainees are under 18 years of age are among the many detainees being held as “enemy combatants” in facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan and the detention center in Guantanamo […]
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ‚ A military judge on Friday postponed the first war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, saying he wants to wait until the Supreme Court makes its highly anticipated ruling on the right of detainees to challenge their confinement in civil courts.Navy Capt. Keith Allred ruled the trial for Osama bin […]
