News and Analysis (8/29/12)

The eye-witness report says Bin Ladin was shot on sight, not because he “might” have been reaching for a weapon:

• Bin Laden Book No Easy Day ‘Contradicts Official Account’ (BBC)

Indonesia’s counterterrorism chief tells Qur’anic schools “Stopping would-be bombers ‘is your job, not mine’”:

• Indonesian Security Forces Turn to Islamic Clerics to Uproot Terrorism (Washington Post)

The Egyptian “military chief-of-staff promised local leaders that his troops will ‘not permit any criminal hideouts in the land of Sinai, and current measures taken ensure that no innocent will be harmed’”:

• Egypt Troops Step Up Campaign Against Sinai Militants (BBC)

“I can say without a doubt that I believe my sister was seen as that bulldozer approached her…. As for the intent of the driver, I hope someday he will have the courage to sit down in front of me and tell me what he saw and what he feels” — Sarah Corrie Simpson, sister of the slain human rights activist …

• Israel’s Rachel Corrie Verdict: Court Rebuffs Case of Slain U.S. Activist (Time)

… but it may be prohibited to say that on California campuses where, on the pretext of fighting anti-Semitism, state legislators call for the suppression of criticism of Israeli aggression, apartheid, and atrocities:

•  California Resolution Denouncing Anti-Semitism on Campuses Targets Anti-Israel Protests (AP / San Jose Mercury)

There are no good options in Syria:

• Why No Safe Zone in Syria, Yet? 5 Complications (Christian Science Monitor)
• Syria: the Point of No Return (Guardian)
• Syrian Opposition Group Not Up to Job, Says Ex-member (Reuters)
• Iran Presents Its Own Cease-fire Proposal for Syria at Non-Aligned Summit (Christian Science Monitor)

The Egyptian “military chief-of-staff promised local leaders that his troops will ‘not permit any criminal hideouts in the land of Sinai, and current measures taken ensure that no innocent will be harmed’”:

• Egypt Troops Step Up Campaign Against Sinai Militants (BBC)

“I can’t deal with this by using weapons. These (attackers) are a big force in number and ammunition,” [Libyan interim interior minister Fawzi Abdel-Al] told reporters. “I won’t embark on a losing battle and drag the country to war.”

• Libya’s Interior Minister Withdraws Resignation that Followed Attacks on Sufi Muslim Shrines (Washington Post)

“The exhibition called I Speak For Myself features Muslim women photographed with personal messages challenging convention”:

• Muslim Women Challenge Stereotypes in Exhibition (BBC)

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