Further ominous signs of Iraq’s political implosion manifest themselves as Shi’a on Shi’a violence is suspected behind the deaths of two prominent aides to Ayatollah Sistani, while an Iraq government report concludes that the “Blackwater company is considered 100 percent guilty through this investigation†of the unprovoked killing of eight Iraqis and recommends removing private contractors’ immunity from the law:
- Two Sistani Aides Killed In Iraq (BBC News)
- Guards’ Shots Not Provoked, Iraq Concludes (New York Times)
Musharraf appoints personal friend to head of nation’s internal security service and changes leadership in Pakistan’s most important garrison as lawyers announce plan to hit the streets and protest in favor of scrutinizing the general’s election nomination papers:
- Musharraf Shakes Up Pakistan Army (BBC News)
- Lawyers Plan to Besiege EC Offices (The Dawn)
Israel’s further restrictions on thousands of Palestinians to worship in Jerusalem at the Al-Aqsa mosque and its rejection of a recent Palestinian attempt to ease restrictions on Gazans are signs of an increasingly hard line that complicates further efforts toward peace:
- Israel Blocks Muslim worshippers (Reuters/Washington Post)
- Hamas Rebuffed In Approach to Israel: Source (Reuters/Washington Post)
- Israel’s Harder Line on Gaza Complicates U.S. Push for Talks (Christian Science Monitor)
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) never asked the authorities to arrest the woman who insulted him (in fact he inquired after her health when she failed to dump garbage on him one day), but the Banghladeshi government thinks it is okay to suspend a newspaper for publishing a cartoon with a cat named “Muhammad:”:
- Police Break Up Protests Against Controversial Cartoon (Adnkronos International)
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