Author: Alejandro

Politically tainted Gitmo military commissions are unlikely to begin their so-called trials until after Bush leaves office: Justice System For Detainees Is Moving At a Crawl (Washington Post) Turkey uses its “historical Ottoman ties” to the Middle East to facilitate peace talks between Israel and Syria: Turkey Aims for Clout as Regional Mediator (Christian Science…

Analysts say Kuwait’s mixture of non-party democracy and persistent monarchical power have led to political and economic stagnation: Critics Blame Kuwait’s ‘Half Democracy’ for Political Deadlocks (AFP/Daily Star Lebanon) ABA gives award for Abdurrahman al-Lahem for his legal defense of human rights in Saudi Arabia: American Bar Association Honors Saudi Dissident (AFP/Daily Star Lebanon) Baghdad’s…

In a sign of further political and cultural glasnost, Saudi Arabia allows its first public performance of classical music before a mixed-gender audience … A First for Saudis: Mozart Performed for Both Genders (Associated Press/Washington Post) … while Malaysia contemplates a step backwards: Malaysia Angers Women with Travel-restriction Idea (Washington Post) Turkish Muslim schools teach…

After being detained for six years at Gitmo, Al-Jazeera reporter Sami Al-Hajj is freed and speaks out harshly against his detention: Sami al-Hajj Hits Out at US Captors (Al-Jazeera International) Freelance Mideast reporter Ben White reflects on the 60th anniversary of the Nakba, finding Palestinians’ persistence deserves praise, not just mourning, amid their struggle: In…

Civil libertarians and security experts criticize plans for a massive surveillance ring in DC as expensive, invasive and ineffective: D.C. Forging Surveillance Network (Washington Post) Sponsored by the Danish government, a team of former Israeli and Palestinian officials jump start an economically driven peace plan to remove the largest 2% of all checkpoints in the…

Ankara’s parliament passes incremental changes to Turkey’s notorious “insulting Turkishness” law, but the small reforms leave free speech advocates unsatisfied: Turkey’s Parliament Softens Law Restricting Free Speech (Associated Press/Wiredispatch) Latest incident over who is responsible for four dead Palestinian civilians—an Israeli tank shell or nearby munitions owned by militants—threatens to torpedo fragile cease-fire talks: New…

Once the DoD’s top legal gunslinger, Col. Morris Davis recently testified under oath that the Pentagon and Bush administration seek convictions in its kangaroo courts to score political points, not administer justice: From Chief Prosecutor To Critic at Guantanamo (Washington Post) Social and economic discrimination of European Muslims lead to a disproportionate incarceration rate in…

Drawing on lessons of ending Nepal’s civil war, former President Jimmy Carter finds diplomatic engagement with Hamas and Syria will pay greater peace dividends than isolating and economically punishing them: Pariah Diplomacy (New York Times) By finally acknowledging long-ignored trends in Muslim-majority countries and communities, the US begins to gain some strategic leverage over Al-Qaeda:…

Secret DoJ letters given to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden argue the Geneva Convention protections do not apply to interrogations used specifically to combat terrorism: Letters Give C.I.A. Tactics a Legal Rationale (New York Times) Prominent civil society advocate’s arrest and release signal growing power among the Kingdom’s pro-democracy activists and bloggers: Saudi Activist Blogger Freed…

Former Israeli combatants blow the whistle on army abuses of its occupation in the Palestinian Territories; meanwhile, based on a letter “personally delivered to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon”, Tel Aviv claims they had a secret nod from Bush to continue its settlement expansion: Israeli Ex-Soldiers Expose Abuse of Palestinians (Christian Science Monitor) Israelis Claim…