News and Analysis (5/19-20/07)

Antiwar.com columnist Scott Horton defends Ron Paul’s analysis that 9/11 was “blowback” and takes Rudy Guiliani to task for twisting it as “blaming America”:

• For Those Interested in Facts: They Hate Our Foreign Policy (Antiwar.com)

Religious vigilantes from notorious mosque becoming bolder in Pakistan, abducting four policemen in order to release four detained members of the Taliban…

• Govt Gives in to Lal Masjid Clerics (The Jang/AFP)

…meanwhile the NY Times reports the US is footing the bill for Pakistani military expenditures used for a game of nuclear-armed chicken with India, instead of cooperation with anti-Al-Qaida missions:

• U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror, but Patrols Ebb (New York Times)

Popularist cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr switches political gears and embarks on massive internal purging of extremists and outreach to Sunni communities:

• Iraq’s Sadr Overhauls His Tactics (Washington Post)

Iran digs itself into a ditch as pro-diplomatic engagement organizations threaten academic boycott in response to detention of Middle East scholar Haleh Esfandiari:

• Academics May Boycott Iran Over Scholar’s Detainment (Washington Post)

Lebanese troops crackdown on radical militant organization alleged linked with Al-Qaida across the country, results in at least 40 deaths:

• Scores Killed in Lebanon Fighting (BBC News)

Alejandro

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