News and Analysis (1/29/15)

“[P]olice prevented anyone from trying to help 32-year-old Shaimaa el-Sabbagh after she was shot. El-Sabbagh, a mother of a small boy, died Saturday after birdshot fired by police hit her in the head during a rally she took part in”:

• Egyptian Police Criticized over Death of Female Protester (AP /abc News)

“Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon targeted an Israeli convoy in a heavily militarized border region northwest of the Golan Heights with six anti-tank missiles, killing two soldiers … as a much-anticipated response to an Israeli drone strike Jan. 18 on the Syrian Golan that killed six Hezbollah fighters”:

• Hezbollah Strikes Back at Israel: Why Escalation Is Not Inevitable (Christian Science Monitor)

“If an invader kills someone who is trying to resist the invasion, that does not count as heroic self-defense. The invader is the aggressor. The “invadee” is the defender. If anyone’s a hero, it’s the latter” — Sheldon Richman

• The American Sniper Was No Hero (Future of Freedom)

As with the Bergdahl exchange,  “the principle of bringing soldiers home when you’ve sent them into harm’s way is a powerful one”:

• Jordan Would Swap a Mass Murderer for Its ISIS-held Pilot. Is that a Mistake? (Christian Science Monitor)

“It really is not required for western women to wear a headscarf when they are in a Muslim country.  They could do it, certainly it is a sign of respect but it’s not a requirement” – Anita McBride, the former chief of staff to Laura Bush:

• Everyone Calm Down: Michelle Obama’s Saudi Outfit Was Plenty Respectful (Guardian)

“The group, calling itself “Islamic State in Tripoli Province,” said it launched the attack Tuesday to avenge the death of Abu Anas al-Libi, who was snatched off a Tripoli street by U.S. special forces in 2013 and died in U.S. custody earlier this month due to complications from liver surgery”:

• Islamic State Loyalists Claim Responsibility for Libya Hotel Attack (Christian Science Monitor)

The girl who tweeted that she wanted to ‘pull a Mulan’ by heading to Syria, a cultural reference to a Disney movie, which the co-author of a recent study finds “fascinating because these people are Western, but also simultaneously loathe Western society”:

• Female Muslim Converts Drawn to Islamic State (BBC)

Afghanis are disappointed over the failure to establish a government, but still prefer the incumbents to  their predecessors:

• After Vote, Afghanistan Still Can’t Form Working Government. Why? (Christian Science Monitor)

ImadadDean