As “Obama tries to derail [the] Palestinian U.N. bid,” local and international activists are “setting up neighborhood watch patrols to monitor” and document settler aggression against the indigenous people:
- Tensions over Palestinian UN Bid Spur New Patrols in West Bank (Christian Science Monitor)
Ahmadinejad is at playing at two chess boards at once in the timing of the hikers’ release, maneuvering for position at the UN while avoiding a sacrifice in his political struggle with the mullahs at home; hikers and their families are just glad they are free:
- Iran Frees US Hikers Held as Spies (Guardian)
- How American Hikers’ Release Is Playing in Iran (Christian Science Monitor)
- Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, Hikers Freed from Jail in Iran, Arrive in Oman (abc News)
Is the assassination of Rabbani the precursor to a civil war? The Taliban are keeping uncharacteristically silent:
- Rabbani Killing Sparks Fresh Concerns About Civil War in Afghanistan (Christian Science Monitor)
- Taliban Stay Quiet on Killing of Former Afghanistan President Rabbani (Guardian)
“The way the Turkish and Chechen media tell the story, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three suspected Chechen militants, possibly at the hands of a Russian spy, in Istanbul last week read more like the latest Jason Bourne screenplay than any run-of-the-mill homicide — and, according to a Russian official, are just as fantastic”:
- Russian’ Assassin Sought in Istanbul Murders (abc News)
The NYPD claims “it has established its own internal review committee to determine whether prior evidence or indications existed that anyone under surveillance had been planning to break the law. But this is hardly an independent committee. It reportedly consists of Police Intelligence head David Cohen, the former CIA spook and current NYPD spy mastermind”:
- Brooklyn College Profs to Ray Kelly: Stop Spying on Muslims (Huffington Post)
“Kergaye’s uniform might look different compared to her teammates, but state athletic directors say uniform accommodations are built into the rules for every sport in order to protect religious expression”:
- Utah Muslim Soccer Player Dedicated to Her Religion, OK with Being ‘Different’ from Peers (Deseret News / Columbia Republic)
“tens of thousands of men, women and children stood in silence. The crowd had gathered to mourn the deaths of 83 protesters, shot dead by Yemeni security services over the past three days. It was the worst bout of violence in the eight-month uprising”:
Now with at least one 9/11 family member” on its advisory board, the once controversial Park51 project is quietly open for business:
- Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Opens Its Doors (AP / Forbes)
