IHT: 300,000 protest Islamic hue of Turkish system ANKARA, Turkey: Tens of thousands of people filled the central streets of Turkey’s capital on Saturday to protest what they see as an increasingly Islamic tint to their government… News reports said demonstrators numbered as many as 300,000, an unexpectedly high turnout for a gathering that was [...]

Islam, Middle East | 3 Comments »

The Reuters analysis reads “Africa bombers signal growing regional threat.” Four suicide bombers and one policeman died during a raid in Morocco, while car bombs hit the Prime Minister’s office and a police station in Algiers, killing 33. And suicide bombers struck again today: in two ineffective attacks against fortified American diplomatic targets in Casablanca. [...]

Africa, Europe, Islam, Terrorism | 2 Comments »

William Lind, writing in January just after Ethiopia invaded Somalia: For more than a decade, Somalia has been Exhibit A in the Hall of Statelessness, a place where the state had not merely weakened into irrelevance but disappeared… Then, over the past several weeks, a Blitzkrieg-like campaign by the Ethiopian army seemed to change everything… [...]

4GW, Failed states, Islam, Non-state actors, Terrorism | 1 Comment »

The Australian, “Islamic fears kill off children’s thriller”: A LEADING children’s publisher has dumped a novel because of political sensitivity over Islamic issues. Scholastic Australia pulled the plug on the Army of the Pure after booksellers and librarians said they would not stock the adventure thriller for younger readers because the “baddie” was a Muslim [...]

Art, Islam | 1 Comment »

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. (Nietzsche) I see a link between these two stories: “BNP verdict ‘may change race laws’” (Scotsman) “Burka ban in the Netherlands?” (FP Passport) The [...]

Europe, Islam, Politics | 1 Comment »

“A Mercenary Force for Darfur” – Max Boot on privatizing peacekeeping. “The SAS and Other Demonic Forces”- interesting discussion of the “satanic ritual abuse” hysteria, and conspiracy theories in general. Robotic exoskeletons. “Australian Muslim leader compares uncovered women to exposed meat” Paying African leaders to eschew corruption. When will NZ Prime Ministers become eligible for [...]

Islam, Linkage, Mercenaries | No Comments »

Some thoughts today on nationalism, ethnic conflict and the future of Europe, prompted by a link in FP Passport to a Financial Times story about increased opposition to immigration in Europe. “Lebanization” Jean-Marie Guehenno, in The End of the Nation-State, warns of increasing “Lebanization” even in Western countries. His thesis is that nationalism is defined [...]

Europe, Islam | 1 Comment »

But first, from FP Passport: “Ignorance is Bliss.” America, you have a problem. Only in the United States are Annie Leibovitz photos considered more important than the dire situation in Afghanistan… Foreign Policy’s Passport blog also picks up on one of John Robb’s recent posts on Global Guerrillas, “Taking Out Musharraf.” Pakistan recently suffered a [...]

4GW, Failed states, Infrastructure, Islam, South Asia, Terrorism | No Comments »

Did you not see us victorious upon the Yarmuk, The way we prevailed in the campaigns of Iraq? The virgin cities we conquered, as well as The Yellow Meadow, on our galloping steeds. We conquered before that Busra, which was Impenetrable even to the flying crows. We killed those who stood against us With flashing [...]

4GW, Empire, Islam, Middle East, Terrorism | No Comments »

From Youtube, this incredible video shows an intense firefight ensuing after an ambush against Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Apparently some Canadians still harbour the delusion that their troops are “peacekeepers” and aren’t actually fighting a war… they might change their minds if they saw the video. Hat tip: Winds of Change, although I emphatically disagree [...]

4GW, Failed states, Islam | 1 Comment »