News and Analysis (10/9/15)

“It is a long and difficult process to achieve democratic reforms in a country that has been subjected to such a difficult situation, but it has done everything right and it has been done with active support from civil society” – Swedish foreign minister:

• Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet Wins 2015 Nobel Peace Prize (Guardian)

“The US military presence will not create long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. On the contrary: as long as US troops are there, militants will fight to oust them”:

• The Doctors Without Borders Bombing Is a Symptom of Foreign Occupation (Guardian)

“The U.S. announcement marked a departure from a previous program to train and equip units of fighters at sites outside of Syria, after that program’s disastrous launch this year fanned criticism of President Barack Obama’s war strategy”:

• Obama to Overhaul U.S. Approach to Support Syria Rebels: Carter (Reuters)

“[T]he parents of these middle-school kids being taught about Islam don’t understand that simply repeating the tenets of the Islamic religion won’t turn anyone into a Muslim”:

• A Clash over Teaching Islam to 7th Graders in Tennessee (PJ Media)

“She’s the face of today’s Britain: authentic, honest, creative, emotional, heartfelt and honest. Oh. And she’s Muslim. And she just happens to wear a head scarf”:

• Muslim Winner of Baking Contest Defies Prejudice in Britain (NY Times)

“The announcement is a step toward stitching together the oil-rich but chaotic country that fell apart after the overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011” …

• Libya National Unity Government Announced by UN After Months of Talks (Guardian)

… but is it too late?

• In Libya, the Islamic State’s Black Banner Rises by the Mediterranean (Washington Post)
• How justice Is Delivered in the Islamic State’s New Capital Along Libya’s Mediterranean Coast (Washington Post)

“The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both killings, but Bangladesh’s government … accused the opposition of supporting a conspiracy to destabilize the impoverished country of 160 million — a charge the opposition denies”:

• Expats Spooked After 2 Foreigners Gunned Down in Bangladesh (AP / abc News)

While especially gruesome, this story of abuse of domestic labor in Saudi Arabia is, unfortunately, not unique:

• India Woman’s Arm ‘Cut Off by Employer’ in Saudi Arabia (BBC)

“An Israeli man stabbed four Arabs in the south of the country Friday morning and a Palestinian later stabbed a 14-year-old Israeli in Jerusalem police said, as spiking tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank threatened to spread”:

• Israel on High Alert as Stabbing Attacks Continue (AP / abc News)

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