March 21, 2012
News and Analysis (3/21/12)
- FBI Entrapment and Preemptive Prosecution: The Case of Khalifah Al-Akili (Minaret of Freedom Institute)
“There are three key sources of tension that all need to be addressed: government-funded training that casts Islam as encouraging violence, surveillance of individuals and communities without a criminal predicate and the use of informants to goad individuals into criminal activities”:
- Time to Reset Police-Muslim Relations (Huffington Post)
Palestinian Christians fed up with Israeli propaganda blaming Muslims for the plight Israel has inflicted upon them:
“The attacks on Tuesday struck Shiite pilgrims in the holy city of Karbala, set cars on fire near a police headquarters in Kirkuk and targeted security forces and government officials in Baghdad. In all, insurgents struck eight cities in just under six hours, killing 46 and wounding 200 people”:
- Al-Qaida Claims Responsibility for Iraq Attacks (AP / abc News)
The United Nations calls on Bahrain to investigate reports of protesters and bystanders killed by security forces. The Bahrain regime continues to speak softly and carry a big stick:
- U.N.: Bahrain Must Probe Reported Protester Deaths (CNN)
- Bahrain Lauds Progress as Critics Decry Delay (Aljazeera English)
Mrs, Clinton says that “Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Britain … made tough decisions to restrict oil sales [from Iran]. The European Union as a whole banned new purchases from Iran in January and is moving toward a complete ban by July 1″:
- Obama Exempts Japan and 10 European Nations From Iran Sanctions Law (New York Times)
France submitted to the Security Council on Monday a Western-drafted statement supporting U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s peace efforts in Syria and sending a strong message to Damascus to end violence against protesters, European diplomats said. And Damascus receives some of its toughest criticism from Russia yet:
- Two Vetoes Later, Russia Says It Will Now Back UN Plan on Syria (Christian Science Monitor)
- Western Powers Draft New U.N. Council Statement on Syria (Reuters)