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25 Aug 2011 23:23

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World: Gaddafi as a wizard

  • He looked like a wizard recovering from an evening of drinking who had wandered into the picture by mistake.
  • The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri • In a comedic psuedo-obituary to Muammar Gaddafi’s career. Petri also notes that Gaddafi often “looked like he’d shot a couch and was wearing it on his back as a trophy, after an intense struggle in which the couch nearly prevailed.” There’s more to the article than just ribbing the dictator’s physical appearance, of course, but those descriptors are just too rich to pass up. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Aug 2011 22:20

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U.S.: Libyan rebel nabs Gaddafi’s hat

  • This rebel made out like a bandit, scoring Muammar Gaddafi’s hat during a raid of the likely-soon-to-be-deposed leader’s compound. A pretty good memento, if you ask us. The interview gets bittersweet midway through, when the rebel starts recounting the deaths of his friends. The whole thing is worth watching, if only to hear a first-hand account of the rebel experience.  source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Aug 2011 08:29

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World: King Abdullah, somewhat hypocritically, speaks out against Syrian violence

  • Any sane Arab, Muslim or anyone else knows that this has nothing to do with religion, or ethics or morals; spilling the blood of the innocent for any reasons or pretext leads to no path to…hope.
  • Saudi King Abdullah • Denouncing the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Abdullah’s denunciation is politically significant, given his significance in the Arab world, and it comes on the heels of a similar condemnation from the Arab League. However, it’s worth noting that last March, Abdullah provided military support to the Bahrainian government to help it suppress on its own anti-government protests, so for him to now suddenly condemn counter-revolutionary government crackdowns seems just a tad insincere. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Aug 2011 04:51

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World: Arab League, Saudi King denounce Syrian violence

  • 200 Syrian tanks rolled into the city of Deir el-Zour on Sunday, accompanied by soldiers and armored cars
  • 50+ people were killed in the assault, which took place during the dawn call to prayer  source
  • » For the first time, the Arab League has condemned the al-Assad regime’s violent assaults on the protesters, and Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its ambassador to Syria. Saudi King Abdullah strongly denounced the violence, calling for “an end to the death machine and bloodshed.”
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jun 2011 15:48

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World: Prison break in Yemen attributed to crumbling government

  • 57 al-Qaeda militants escaped from prison in Yemen source
  • » Political turmoil in Yemen gave them the green light. The turmoil in Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government gave the prisoners the extra courage to rise up against prison guards. They attacked the guards, stole their guns, and escaped — along with six prisoners without any ties to the terrorist group. As they fought inside, other gunmen outside the prison had a gunfight with guards outside to distract them further. As the situation in the country continues to destabilize, will this become the norm in the country?
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2011 13:43

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World: Yemen: Allies suggest injured president Saleh will return soon

  • Rebels in Yemen do not welcome this news. A few weeks ago, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was badly injured and burned in an attack on his palace, forcing him to receive medical treatment in nearby Saudi Arabia — a situation which led to an interim leader and celebrations in the streets. But the celebrations might have been a little premature if there’s any truth to reports that Saleh will return to the country soon, having recovered significantly from his injuries. “He will return home after medical reports said he is getting better,” ruling party official Yasser al-Yamani explained. Protesters rallied in the wake of the news; as you might guess, they’re not ready to welcome him back. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 23:53

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World: Yemen: Ali Abdullah Saleh’s losing friends faster than MySpace

  • Friday broke our hearts; yesterday opened our eyes. We saw people of our generation killed with head shots and chest wounds. We don’t want that pain again.
  • DC-based Yemeni spokesperson Mohammed al-Basha • Describing the pain he felt over the violence in his country, pushed forth by president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The bloodshed in particular pushed many in the government over the edge. While many other government figures resigned yesterday, al-Basha hasn’t. Rather, he says he seems himself as a “neutral” civil servant. Saleh, meanwhile, threatened civil war at the same time he was offering an olive branch to the people he was threatening civil war against. Follow that? Neither did we. Clarity is not Mr. Saleh’s strong suit. Nor is human rights, apparently. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Mar 2011 10:14

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World: Did Iraq’s al-Maliki take offices away from protest leaders?

  • cause In recent weeks, protests against Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government have increased, along with protests across the entire Middle East. It’s a trend or something.
  • reaction? Suddenly, two of the political parties protesting were forced to close their offices by security forces controlled by al-Maliki. They didn’t explain why they took the offices from the parties. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 11:32

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World: Iraq’s “Day of Rage”: Economic strife leads to massive protests

  • Now it’s Iraq’s turn to be angry. Today’s “Day of Rage” in the nation perhaps most changed by American intervention comes with great sacrifice for many of the protesters. Already, 13 have been killed during the protests, which many people took part in despite an official curfew. In Baghdad alone, many protesters had to walk for miles to get to the city’s Tahrir Square, after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki imposed a curfew so stringent that it forced bikes off the road. Yeah. Bikes. Let alone cars. Bikes. The protests have had some effect – a handful of local governments have stepped down in the wake of protester demands. Many of the protesters are upset about bad living conditions, including few jobs, low wages, no electricity, lacking water quality, and underwhelming medical benefits. All things that, honestly, we can get behind. (Photo by Karim Kadim/AP) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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