As the French operation in Mali extends beyond two months, Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, today proposed an 11,200-strong peacekeeping force in Mali that could maintain security after the French leave. Ban proposed that the UN force would work alongside non-UN forces to conduct major combat and counterterrorism operations. “Although the extremists and [...]
UN Chief Proposes Peacekeeping Force for Mali After French Soldiers Depart
March 27, 2013 | Posted by
Fear and Worry in Libya Two Years After Overthrow of Gadhafi
February 18, 2013 | Posted by
Two years after the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Libyans are frustrated over the chaotic state of their country, where militias rule the streets and hardcore Islamists are pushing a rigid form of sharia law. In a sign of just how rigid and authoritarian Libya has become, four foreigners were arrested and charged with being [...]
Killing of Opposition Leader Sparks Outrage, Chaos in Tunisia
February 6, 2013 | Posted by
In a region already brimming with chaos and instability, Tunisia exploded in protests and rage after the assassination earlier today of a leading opposition figure. The killing of outspoken Chokri Belaid sets a precarious course for the North African nation as it makes its way to new democratic elections later this year. As in other [...]
Islamist Rebels Fleeing Timbuktu Burn Priceless Scientific Manuscripts
January 29, 2013 | Posted by
It is what conservators, archivists and researchers have feared. As Malian troops, supported by the French military, advanced on the fabled city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, retreating Islamist rebels have set fire to the Ahmed Baba Institute and a warehouse containing valuable scientific manuscripts dating back to medieval times. The Ahmed Baba Institute housed [...]
Egypt Sees Hope on Horizon in Unity Talks
December 11, 2012 | Posted by
Egypt may be moving a step closer to the end of the turmoil roiling the nation, as the army chief has called for national unity talks Wednesday that President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood said they will attend. The meeting comes just four days before the referendum that Morsi scheduled during which Egyptians will [...]
With Egyptians Dying in Streets, Can Morsi Hold on to Presidency?
December 7, 2012 | Posted by
With Egyptian protesters dying in the streets and some of his most trusted aides resigning, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is facing the specter of his country tearing apart at the seams, as regular Egyptians have rapidly lost confidence in his ability to lead. The anger and outrage is entirely Morsi’s own doing, a reaction to [...]
Egypt to Vote on New Constitution Today in Morsi’s Bid to End Crisis
November 29, 2012 | Posted by
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi hopes to end the national crisis he ignited in Egypt by having the assembly writing Egypt’s new constitution vote on the document today, which would set in motion the steps to give the power back to the parliament that Morsi controversially took away by his infamous Nov. 22 decree. The president [...]
U.S. Banks Hit by Week of Powerful Cyber Attacks
September 29, 2012 | Posted by
U.S. banks have been buffeted by more than a week of powerful cyber attacks, but the mystery surrounding their perpetrators lingers. One expert said Friday that he was suspicious of claims of responsibility purportedly made by Islamists angry at an anti-Muslim movie made in the United States, explaining that the widely-circulated Internet postings might have [...]
Why Islamists in Mali are Destroying Sacred Tombs and Shrines of Timbuktu
July 3, 2012 | Posted by
It was a singular, defining act of barbarism, beamed out live for the world to see. In March 2001, Taliban fighters and grandees clustered around the famed giant statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province, laid explosives at their feet and blew them up. The extremists’ shadowy leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, lauded the destruction [...]
