News and Analysis (10/24/07)

“The president has asserted the power to designate any organization or individual he chooses, here or abroad, without formal charges, a trial or hearing of any kind; without a statement of reasons; and on the basis of secret evidence. While full-scale criminal protections are not necessary, surely groups should be afforded a meaningful opportunity to defend themselves before they are shut down.”—David Cole, Georgetown law professor

• Anti-Terrorism on Trial: Why the Government Loses Funding Cases (Washington Post)

Afghan women are tapped to enter into the national police force, however security concerns, cultural pressure and corrupt mismanagement are significant barriers to expanding female presence within the force:

• Afghan Policewomen Face Uphill Battle (BBC News)

Three years after the massacre of Muslim protesters in southern Thailand that ignited a bloody ethno-nationalist insurgency, the Thai government has failed to bring any of the perpetrators to justice:

• No Justice For Muslim Protest Victims, Says Rights Group (Adnkronos International)

Israel announces its plan to collectively punish Gazan Palestinians by gradually cutting off its electricity and fuel supply:

• Israel Set To Sever Power To Gaza (Al-Jazeera International)

While Blackwater and other mercenaries will be held to new rules demanding greater transparency and accountability, a State Department report finds that there are far too few officials in charge to provide adequate oversight of such firms, in spite of the ballooning number of contracts:

• Security Firms in Iraq Face New Rules (Washington Post)
• Use of Contractors by State Dept. Has Soared (New York Times)

“The suicide bombers who attacked Benazir Bhutto’s convoy as it traveled through Karachi managed to kill 140 people and injure more than 550. But their real targets were free and fair elections… The bombers failed to kill Bhutto, but they may have succeeded in paralyzing Pakistan’s political process.”—Ahmed Rashid, Pakistani journalist

• Hard Choices for Bhutto and Musharraf (Washington Post)

Alejandro

Alejandro Beutel is program assistant for the Minaret of Freedom Institute with expertise in religious freedom, democratization and security issues.