News and Analysis (1/17/07)

Bush’s surge strategy may prove to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back by creating unrest in southern Iraq and further disrupting the oil sector:

• Analysis: Bush’s ‘Surge’ on Iraq’s Oil (UPI)

Egyptian government allows violent sectarian television programming to be aired for its own political benefit:

• Why is Egypt Airing Insurgent TV from Iraq? (Christian Science Monitor)

Big Brother continues to watch…

• The Legal Tangles Of Data Collection (Washington Post)
• Protestors Found in Database (Washington Post)

…but not without some resistance

• Vast Data Collection Plan Faces Big Delay (Washington Post)

Former President Mohammed Khatami explains how US military interventionism has destabilized the Middle East:

• Unjust Iraq Occupation Has Led to Dangerous ‘Fire’ in Region (Washington Post)

Alejandro

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