The Qaddafis have repeatedly accused the Free Libya forces to the east and south of Tripoli of being Muslim radicals and even al-Qaeda sympathizers. On Tuesday, the Libyan opposition responded in the Saudi-owned al-Sharq al-Awsat to these charges, denouncing them as lies. They said that in fact, they have had to fight pro-al-Qaeda bands (implying […]
Cole Interview: Bin Laden an Utter Failure
My interview on the significance of Bin Laden’s passing with Detroit Channel 2’s Bill Gallagher is now available. I argue that to take full advantage of this political moment, the US must withdraw from Iraq and support the declaration of a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. U-M Professor Juan Cole Sees […]
The Muslim World Sounds off on Bin Laden’s Demise
Usama Bin Laden, a mass killer, passed virtually unmourned from the scene. There were no demonstrations against his killing in the Arab world. A few Taliban protested in Quetta and Afghanistan, as one might expect. Mostly Muslims denounced him and expressed relief he was gone. Bin Laden carried out 9/11 to begin a big political […]
Obama and the End of Al-Qaeda
An American president, himself the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother, has taken down notorious terrorist Usama Bin Laden. Despite being a Christian, Obama, it seems to me, had a personal stake in destroying someone who had defamed the religion of his birth father and his relatives. His 2007-2008 presidential campaign was […]
Birth Certificate silliness Really Looks Petty Now
From hhur at reddit.com
President Obama’s Wicked Satire of Trump & the Birthers
President Obama’s satire of Donald Trump and the birthers at the 2010 White House correspondents’ dinner should reposted every time the issue comes up. It slays. They say that Mel Brooks’s satire Blazing Saddles killed the Western. This one should by all rights kill birtherism.
NATO Strike on Command Center kills Qaddafi Son
I’m going to play skeptic on the Libyan government account of the NATO airstrike. The cover story is that Muammar Qaddafi and one of his wives was visiting son Saif al-Arab and the grandchildren and suddenly a dastardly NATO airstrike killed the son and three grandchildren but left Muammar and the wife unharmed. NATO says […]
Protesters Brave Live Crackdowns in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia
Since Muslims gather on Friday afternoon for group prayers at mosques, Fridays have for 1400 years been a time when it is easy to mobilize crowds for political action. In the US, Friday is a nothing news day and in fact bad news is released late on Friday on the theory that no one will […]
Syrian Army Splits over Deraa Repression
The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Asad’s decision to quell popular protests in Deraa with military force and live ammunition may have begun splitting his army. AP reports eyewitness accounts on Thursday that units of the 4th Army Division, headed by Maher al-Asad (the brother of the president), began firing on the crowds in Deraa. The […]
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