Quick Notes on Saudi Arabia
While all the hoopla has continued throughout the Middle East, Western media has focused (as have I) in on the situation in Libya, as it is more a war zone than a simple sea of turmoil. Consequently, protests and uprisings in other countries have been left alone. Michael Collins Dunn reminds us of the revolutionary … Read more
Egyptian Waves in Palestine
The democratic tsunami in the Middle East that started in Tunisia and gained incredible momentum in Egypt is now inundating the cities of Sudan, Algeria, Yemen, Iran, Bahrain, and Jordan. Is it possible that the revolutions and protests that are “plaguing” the Middle East will reach Palestine? The Palestinian Authority, much like Israel, was initially very … Read more
Abbas: The New Mubarak?
The clashes in Tahrir Square over the past 24 hours are a clear sign of the desperation of a faltering, falling regime. Pro-government ‘protesters’ arrived at Tahrir Square yesterday and initiated clashes with the protesters demanding Mubarak’s resignation. The pro-Mubarak forces apparently rode in on camels and horses, wielding sticks, rocks, knives and swords, attacking … Read more
What It Means To Be Corrupt
One of the reasons that Tunisians overthrew their president this week was the level of corruption by the president and those around him (along with unemployment, closures, poverty…) – a level that was s worrying that the US Ambassador to Tunisia, Robert Godec, wrote a secret memo (released by Wikileaks) condemning the President’s rising corruption. … Read more
The Emergence of Tunisia
The emergence of commentary lately on Tunisia has been quite extraordinary. Certainly, the revolution that toppled the autocratic Ben Ali is big news and will have immense consequences throughout the region, yet it seems as though all the Tunisian experts have come out recently to write about it (not to mention those, like me, who … Read more
The Spread of Natural Change?
Not to harp on the idea of some sort of revolutionary fever catching hold in the Middle East after Tunisia popular upheaval, but I came across two articles today that made me wonder if Tunisia has the potential to mark the beginning of some sort of longer-term change in the way Middle Eastern autocrats rule … Read more
Is Overthrowing Authoritarian Regimes the New Beanie Baby?
While the world anxiously waits to see what will happen in the post Ben Ali era in Tunisia, many are starting to wonder (if not predict) the fall of other autocratic/authoritarian regimes in the region. While searching for some sort of international significance of the events in Tunisia, it seems natural to look at other … Read more
Syria Ain’t No Tunisia
As more information comes in from Tunisia, it is still impossible to tell what the future holds for the North African country. With the Speaker of Parliament / interim President Fouad Mebaza putting his feet on the presidential desk for the moment, while promising (and being constitutionally obligated to promise) new elections within 60 days, there … Read more
Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution
If you live outside of America, there is a good chance you have heard about the enduring Tunisian protests that have recently resulted in the collapse of the Tunisian government and the fleeing of the country’s authoritarian (and now former) President. The development of Tunisian protests is quite amazing for its speed geographic and ethnographic … Read more
Assassination in Algiers
The Algerian police chief, Al Tounsi, was assassinated today after a cabinet meeting. While there is no immediate evidence of terrorist ties to the assassin, it shouldn’t be ruled out. Algeria has fought a brutal counter-insurgency operation against militants in their country. Al Tounsi, a veteran in the war of independence against France in the … Read more
Chris Keeler
Chris Whitman
