Month: April 2009

Obama removes his objection to an independent Congressional investigation while authorizing attorney general Holder to investigate and potentially prosecute: Obama: Bush Aides May be Prosecuted Over Torture (Guardian) Appointment of the co-author of Who Speaks for Islam “is viewed by many in the Middle East as a step by Obama to move beyond the stereotypes…

It appears the conference will suffer the same fate as its predecessor in 2001… Ahmadinejad Polarizes UN Racism Conference (Christian Science Monitor) …Meanwhile, Israel is quick to respond to Ahmadinejad: Israel: Iran is Like ‘Nazi Germany‘ (Al Jazeera) Due to Israel’s blockade on Gaza, basic infrastructure such as sewage lines remains damaged and continues to…

Ahmadinejad warns judiciary that Saberi retain “all freedoms and legal rights” in defending herself;, but what’s his motive? Iran’s President Makes Rare Intervention in US Reporter’s Case (Christian Science Monitor) Obama administration reveals suspects underwent even more unnecessary torture than previously reported: Waterboarding Used 266 Times on 2 Suspects (NY Times) Empowered by their victory…

Iranian-American receives 8 years after a secret trail that lasted one day: Iran Jails US Journalist Roxana Saberi as Spy (Guardian) Reflecting views after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India’s Muslims See Bias in Housing (Washington Post) Prostitution has once again embedded itself into Iraqi society: Secure Enough to Sin, Baghdad Is Back to Old…

As Israel absurdly suggests that the committee headed by Richard Goldstone is biased … Israel Snubs UN Gaza War Inquiry (Al Jazeera) … it pre-emptively sabotages the peace process by demanding that a land of widely mixed heritage and ownership be recognized as a solely Jewish state: Israel Demands Recognition (Al Jazeera) Will Obama leverage…

Approximately 1/3 of Iraqi civilian deaths since 2003 are blamed on sectarian violence: Iraq Study: Executions are Leading Cause of Death (AP / Washington Post) “An outward appearance of Islamism disguises the increasingly secular reality of some Arab and Muslim societies”: Secularism in a Veil (Guardian) Attacking Iran could only delay the creation of a…

Several Afghanis appear to be stuck between two bullies, the US and the Taliban: In Recruiting an Afghan Militia, U.S. Faces a Test (NY Times) … but across the border it is Pakistanis who won’t concede the necessity of an armed populace to the security of a free state … Pakistani Taliban in Swat Say…

Alliances built on payoffs are not self sustaining … Sunni Insurgents Claim Blast That Killed 5 U.S. Troops (Washington Post) … are we learning from history or repeating it? Lessons from Iraq? US Creates Local Militias to Fight Taliban (Christian Science Monitor) “Piracy along Somalia’s coast began as a vigilante movement against illegal fishing and…

Evoking thoughts of the West Bank Wall, a policeman says of Samarrans, “They hate checkpoints. They hate order.” An Iraqi City Divided by Walls, by Sect, By Bitterness (Washington Post) Zardari is cautious of the political implications: Pakistani Taliban Urge Lawmakers to Back Swat Deal (Washington Post) Officially, Bouteflika won 90% of the total vote…