Plans for a coalition between Islamists and secularists are on the table in Tunisia. “With a clear majority and a diverse range of views, a coalition [between al Nehda, Congres pour le Republique and Ettekatol] could bring considerable legitimacy to the two chief tasks of Tunisia’s post-revolution government: drafting a new constitution and nominating a caretaker administration.â€
- Can Islamists Share Power with Secularists? Tunisia is About to Find out. (Christian Science Monitor)
“The name change program is an example of how, while the NYPD says it operates under the same rules as the FBI, police have at times gone beyond what is allowed by the federal government.â€â€¦ “Police have conducted surveillance of entire Muslim neighborhoods, chronicling every aspect of daily life, including where people eat, pray and get their hair cutâ€â€¦
- AP IMPACT: NYPD Shadows Muslims Who Change Names
(The Wall Street Journal)
… in response, a report by Muslim Advocates “recommends more than 40 legal and policy changes to enforcement of the anti-terrorism lawâ€:
- Muslims Call for Reforms 10 Years After Patriot Act (Washington Post)
“Every decision — from Libya to Yemen to Bahrain to Syria — is being examined under the prism of how it will affect what was, until mid-January, the dominating calculus in the Obama administration’s regional strategy: how to slow Iran’s nuclear progress, and speed the arrival of opportunities for a successful uprising thereâ€:
Although “many in the Arab world want leaders who prove themselves against Israel,†it is clear that Bashar Al Assad is an exception. Any regional support that the Syrian leader might have commanded in the past, even from his supporters in Lebanon, has now deteriorated…
…however, Israel is hopeful that, after Assad, the Syrians will eventually address the question of their relationship with Israel “in a positive wayâ€:
- Ouster of Syria’s Assad Would Be ‘Opportunity’ for Israel (Video) (The Christian Science Monitor)
An IMF report sheds light on the effects of the Arab Spring on the economies of the Arab oil-importing and exporting countries especially after the increase in governmental spending in an attempt to either influence or suppress any opposition:
Jordan’s king Abdullah introduces a reform act that allows the involvement of “the elected lawmakers, who represent the aspirations of the people, in the consultative process leading to the designation of prime ministersâ€:
- Jordan’s King to Give Lawmakers a Say in Cabinet (Boston.com)
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