I ask myself why. Some Pakistanis are complaining about the violation of their country’s sovereignty during the Navy SEALs’ raid at Abbottabad. But why aren’t they complaining about Usama Bin Laden’s violation of Pakistani sovereignty? He and his family entered their country illegally, and then re-formed a paramilitary organization that killed Pakistanis and raided from […]
Junun Musician Ahmad: Bin Laden Demise a Great Good thing for Muslims
In this excellent Dawn article, rock musician Salman Ahmad of Junun explains why it is a great good thing that Usama Bin Laden was taken out. Ahmad, who favors the mystical, often tolerant, Sufi form of Islam, said that few individuals in the past 1400 years had wrought as much destruction on Islam as Bin […]
Jahanpour: Is Iran Next? Supreme Leader Versus Ahmadinejad
Farhang Jahanpour writes in a guest column for Informed Comment The tug of war between Supreme Leader Khamene’i and President Ahmadinejad Despite the political turmoil and subsequent crackdowns in Iran since summer, 2009, seeming unity among the hardliners who rule the country was largely preserved. Recently, however, the façade of unity between Supreme Leader Ali […]
Taliban, al-Qaeda Flee N. Afghanistan as Morale Collapses with al-Qaeda admission of Bin Laden’s Death
While Usamah Bin Laden’s passing will not destroy al-Qaeda altogether, it is a horrible blow to their morale, despite the bravado in al-Qaeda’s message acknowledging Bin Laden’s death at American hands. (By the way, for those who insisted that President Obama had to release the photos of Bin Laden’s corpse for the reality of his […]
Pakistani Military between Rock and Hard Place
One of the reasons for which Pakistan’s military is so incensed about the unannounced US raid into Pakistan territory is that they are afraid the operation might form a precedent that could be exploited by India. Indeed, Pakistani generals thought that the SEALs were an Indian special ops team that had inserted itself at Abbottabad. […]
Koch Brothers Exposed
Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Foundation is attempting to expose the billionaire Koch brothers and their attempt to buy American democracy. Here is the video: Here is the Variety article about it.
Anzalone, After Usama: The Jihadi-Takfiri Trend after Bin Laden
Christopher Anzalone writes in a guest column for Informed Comment The killing of Usama bin Laden, the founder of Al-Qa‘ida Central, this week in Pakistan has opened the door to intense speculation about the future of the militant organization and the transnational jihadi-takfiri trend that it represents. A great deal of attention has been paid […]
Obama right not to Release Usama Photo
President Obama’s decision not to release photographs of Usama Bin Laden’s disfigured corpse is wise and decent. Obama is right that the photo would be used by radicals to whip up emotions. But it should also be remembered that a Mahdi Army member surreptitiously filmed the execution of Saddam Hussein on his cell phone, and […]
No need for Torture. Did a Telephone Call to al-Qaeda in Iraq Unravel Bin Laden?
The Obama team is said to have been dismayed by the rapidity with which the national subject has switched from the death of Usama Bin Laden to the use of torture in interrogations. The first thing to say is that Democratic leaders and the Obama administration only have themselves to blame for this torture issue […]
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