Category: The Middle East

Priorities in the region

America’s secret plan to arm Libya’s rebels By Robert Fisk, Monday, 7 March 2011 … Desperate to avoid US military involvement in Libya in the event of a prolonged struggle between the Gaddafi regime and its opponents, the Americans have asked Saudi Arabia if it can supply weapons to the rebels in Benghazi. The Saudi …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/03/06/priorities-in-the-region/

Ripe for revolution

Yes, It Could Happen Here By Madawi Al-Rasheed, February 28, 2011 In the age of Arab revolutions, will Saudis dare to honor Facebook calls for anti-government demonstrations on March 11? Will they protest at one of Jeddah’s main roundabouts? Or will they start in Qatif, the eastern region where a substantial Shiite majority has had …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/03/05/ripe-for-revolution/

When you fancied your great numbers

Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt By Robert Fisk, Saturday, 5 March 2011 … Saudi Arabia was yesterday drafting up to 10,000 security personnel into its north-eastern Shia Muslim provinces, clogging the highways into Dammam and other cities with busloads of troops in fear of next week’s “day of rage” by what …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/03/05/when-you-fancied-your-great-numbers/

Fiat justitia ruat caelum

America’s much abused moral authority By Morris Davis, Saturday 5 March 2011 14.00 GMT Once upon a time, Americans across the political spectrum were united behind efforts to prevent torture and punish torturers. The United States signed the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) in 1988 when Republican Ronald Reagan was president. A Democrat-controlled Congress ratified it …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/03/05/fiat-justitia-ruat-caelum/

Mirror by proxy

Decline and fall of Israel’s Messianic politics By Carlo Strenger, published 17:36 04.03.11 … Benjamin Netanyahu, very belatedly, has decided to confront the settlers on a limited scale, and their reaction has been violent. At some point an open conflict with the national-religious movement will be inevitable, because Israel will end the occupation either on …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/03/05/mirror-by-proxy/

Irhall, irhall, ya saffah

How the Arabs Turned Shame Into Liberty By Fouad Ajami Published: February 26, 2011 … PERHAPS this Arab Revolution of 2011 had a scent for the geography of grief and cruelty. It erupted in Tunisia, made its way eastward to Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain, then doubled back to Libya. In Tunisia and Egypt political freedom …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/27/irhall-irhall-ya-saffah/

The little children died

Our absurd obsession with Israel is laid bare By Nick Cohen The Observer, Sunday 27 February 2011 The Arab revolution is consigning skip-loads of articles, books and speeches about the Middle East to the dustbin of history. In a few months, readers will go through libraries or newspaper archives and wonder how so many who …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/27/the-little-children-died/