policy – Testbist

Links February 6th to February 7th

Automatically posted links for February 6th through February 7th:

Moroccan Held for Alleged Royal ID Theft – Moulay Rachid’s identity stolen on Facebook

Nominee Backs Human Rights in Egypt – Margaret Scobey, future US Ambassador to Cairo, promises to fight for rights, Nour but discount aid pressure

US admiral confirms secret camp at Gitmo – On secret facility of al-Qaeda suspects (so what does that make the others exactly?)

Arab state power is on the defensive – Rami Khouri on decentralization and governance

Be Riberar – Funny column by Magdy Gallad about schizo government

Project on Defense Alternatives Infogate – PDA, a centrist security policy think tank, has revamped info, document and bookmark collection

World Leaders Gather To Roast Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | The Onion – “Musharraf went on to update the group on the status of Ahmadinejad’s mouth, opening the floor to debate on whether or not it has sheltered a greater number of fundamentalist Muslim dicks than the Sudan.”

Qatar focuses on its currency policy – Doha may drop dollar peg

Links for January 11th

Automatically posted links for January 11th:

Islam and democracy | The practice?and the theory | Economist.com – Rather flawed piece since it alleges democracy not discussed in Muslim lands

The Arabs | Between fitna, fawda and the deep blue sea | Economist.com – “IT IS not easy to be an Arab these days”

George MacDonald Fraser – Economist obituary of Flashman creator

ACLU: Court Rejects Government?s Attempt to Deport Egyptian to Torture – Egyptian convert successfully claims torture is likely if sent back to Egypt

House Leaders Vow Tough Stance on Iran – Tom Lantos potential successors just as gung-ho on Israel

Torture In Egypt: The Nadeem Center?s Report at 3arabawy – Hossam has torture report available for download

Egypt names site of first nuclear reactor – It’s Dabaa, whatever the real estate speculators wanted!

CIA: We said back in 1974 that Israel had nuclear weapons – But in Seymour Hersh’s “Samson Option” it’s clear the US knew, but did not want to hear, in late 1960s

25 Simply Amazing Mosques – List includes many modern mosques, but what about Hassan II in Casablanca?

Threat To Cut U.S. Aid Opens Rift With Egypt – Forward looks at Egypt’s accusations at Israel lobby

Links for November 29th

Automatically posted links for November 29th:

Toward a New U.S.-Middle East Strategy – Saban Center (eeekh!) and CFR team up for Mideast policy recommendations for next prez

Foes Use Obama’s Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him – washingtonpost.com – “Obama aides sharply disputed the initial stories suggesting that he was a Muslim, and in Iowa, the campaign keeps a letter at its offices, signed by five members of the local clergy, vouching for the candidate’s Christian faith.” I like these conspiracy

1973 U.S. Cable on Mideast Mirrors Current Events – washingtonpost.com – “In January 1974, with the Watergate scandal making headlines, Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat wrote in a secret letter to Faisal that President Richard M. Nixon “could easily be impeached” and that “Arabs must do everything they can to strengthen” Nixon, a

Seven Years for Murder – More Egyptian police officers sentenced for torture

Trappist Command: Thou Shalt Not Buy Too Much of Our Beer – WSJ.com – I have had this beer, and it really is something else. It tingles against your palate and feels incredibly velvety and smooth. The bizarre sensation lingers a long time, numbing your mouth, and its bouquet is very subtle for such a strong beer, with very

L?affaire du faux mariage homosexuel s?avère être une manipulation politique – This article (from a very pro-regime newspaper) accuses the Islamist movement in Morocco that is close to the PJD of nearly lynching a man involved in a rather sordid affair of “homosexual marriage” in northern Morocco. If you check at-Tajdid, the PJD-fri

??? ????? – The site of Muslim Brotherhood activist and blogger Ahmed Mohsen, who was arrested in Fayoum along with 25 people who were apparently planning their strategy to contest next year’s municipal elections

New term for Egypt CB governor – al-Okdah’s reappointment should squash persistent rumors that he is in the running for becoming PM. Nazif probably to stay for another year at least

Saudis See Potential for Influence in Sharif – WSJ.com – An interesting look at Saudi policy towards Pak, based on the fall of Musharraf

Al Jadid Magazine – New issue of US-based Arab culture mag out, including a look at the World Press Photo pic from Lebanon, an interview with Alaa al-Aswany, and a lot more

Links for November 28th

Automatically posted links for November 27-28th:

Critical writer jailed in Tunisia – On Monday, police in Sfax, Tunisia’s second largest city, detained Slim Boukhdhir, a well-known blogger and contributor to the London-based Al-Quds Al Arabi.
‘Aqoul: Hirsi Ali: Ideological Chameleon – Holy CRAP! Hirsi Ali’s rightward shift
tabsir.net Â» Al Qaeda?s generational split – Yemeni tactics for splitting jihadist groups
Talking Points | National Security Network – Website of reality-based security types
Le Monde.fr : Une vidÃ©o-amateur contredit la version de la police sur l’accident de Villiers-le-Bel – Amateur video indicates initial shock of police car against motorbike not very violent, car was damaged with metal bars afterwards and police is lying about it
WHO’S WHO OF PREZ CAMPAIGN SECURITY ADVISERS – New list of security / FP advisors to US presidential candidates, surprisingly does not include the more well-known rabid neocons in Rudy’s list
Hillary Clinton’s advisers too gung-ho on Iraq war, critics say – Is Hillary Clinton the hawk masquerading as the dove?
‘Not very good’ Saddam spy gets 4 years – Yahoo! News – More examples of the terrible threat to the US that Saddam represented. Hmm, let me think, what other Middle Eastern country successfully infiltrated spies in critical national security institutions?
Police say Paris rioters are armed as clashes escalate – Officials in Paris last night warned that rioters in the suburb of Villiers-le-Bel were armed with hunting rifles and air rifles as clashes with police continued to escalate.
Boom fuels new Saudi spending spree | Business | The Guardian – Annual revenues of $165bn are funding six new cities to create jobs – but can it last?
Cairo International Film Festival – Home Page – Schedules, events, etc. (apparently Morocco is focus of festival)
In Annapolis, Conflict by Other Means by Robert Blecher and Mouin Rabbani – “As for the Annapolis meeting itself, it is being greeted with indifference, with few believing it will lead to either meaningful change in their daily lives or substantive progress toward the end of an Israeli occupation now in its fifth decade.”