Month: March 2007

After coming off of a brutal civil war 10 years ago, Tajikistan’s peace and security is being threatened again, this time from rising instability in neighboring Afghanistan: Precarious Progress for US Ally Tajikistan (Christian Science Monitor) The adverse effects of the embargo and Israeli policy have had a net effect of increasing dependence on aid:…

The Middle East is facing a enormous problem of dealing with the massive influx of Iraqi refugees:  Foreign Refuge Often Eludes Young Iraqi Men (Christian Science Monitor)  World ‘Ignoring Iraqi Refugees’ (BBC News)  Not being able to rely on the international security forces, villagers learn to speak softly and carry a big stick in order to…

“The Americans now prefer stability over democracy… I will never trust them again.” – George Ishaq, Egyptian democracy activist  Egypt Shuts Door on Dissent As U.S. Officials Back Away (Washington Post)  President Bush urges Americans to be patient and asks Congress throw more money at Iraq ‘without strings and without delay’…  Bush Pleads for Patience…

Analysts say the proposed laws “include a ban on political work based on religion and give the state sweeping security powers” to the advantage of the ruling party over the only serious opposition… Egypt Islamist MPs in Parliament Walk-out over Laws (Reuters) … and the “Arab world’s most ambitious democracy movement” is now “in shambles:…

“In light of the rambling nature of his statements, and the views of some that he is prone to exaggerate his importance, we cannot feel confident we know exactly the level of his involvement in various prior attacks” – Joshua Dressler Officials: Mohammed Exaggerated Claims (Associated Press) While House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed a…

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed confesses to planning 31 terrorist acts including some that never took place and says he murdered journalist Daniel Pearl with is own hand: Terror Suspect Said to Confess to Other Acts (NY Times) Democrats authorize $24 billion more than President requested: House Bill Would Set Strict Timeline for Troop Pullout: War Funding…

Al-Qaeda’s indiscriminate suicide attack campaign against Muslims now spreads to Pakistan:  Islamic Militants in Pakistan Bomb Targets Close to Home (New York Times)  …which has only added to President Musharraf’s troubled political situation:  Pakistan’s ‘Isolated’ President (BBC News)  Signs of Somalia’s continued anarchy are evident as formerly exiled President gets shelled on upon his return…

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”—2nd amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Shiites Want the Help of Sadr’s Militia: After a Week of Attacks, the Iraqis Demand that the Al Mahdi Army Be Allowed to…

Violent tragedy continues in Iraq as a Shia-majority village and Baghdad’s famous book market are left in ashes: Insurgents Burn Homes in Shiite Area (Washington Post) The Bookseller’s Story, Ending Much Too Soon (Washington Post) Counterterrorism officials, experts find profiling of one’s race and ethnicity is ineffective against Al-Qaida’s race-switching tactics: Terrorists Proving Harder to…