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The main factor preventing another 9/11 was not counterterrorism, but simple awareness that another attack could happen
A lot of the 10-year retrospection discussion on 9/11, the extent to which al-Qaeda has been degraded, the necessity or non-necessity of an Afghan invasion, seems to me to be missing a key point: We could have taken no action … Continue reading
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Mubarak’s trial — so much for transparency
My blurb in the Economist on the decision to bar the cameras from Mubarak’s trial: http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2011/08/hosni-mubarak I don’t know what the judge’s rationale was, but it’s a pity. People everywhere really need to have an idea of what a criminal … Continue reading
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Back in Egypt
I’m now back in Egypt, hopefully for some time, so I’ll try to post more. Here’s a link to a post on Arabist.net about a trip I made to the south: http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/7/24/bringing-tahrir-to-upper-egypt.html No silawa sightings, but I did however get … Continue reading
Did Hell give us humanism?
I’m always interested in the forms of religiosity promoted by American Movement conservatives: a sort of stripped-down, generic Christian-flavored theism in which God rewards good, punishes evil, helps out in a pinch, and doesn’t make any demands that aren’t compatibile … Continue reading
Egypt: Mixed signals from the military
There have been quite a few dramatic events in Egypt recently, in particular the storming of Amn al-Dawla (State Security) headquarters and the posting of documents on the web. The military has removed a Mubarak-appointed prime minister Ahmed Shafik, and Interior … Continue reading
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Libya Feb23
I’ve made my own attempt at a Google map, focusing on control over towns. Link is here. This is a work in progress, and I will update regularly. I also highly recommend Arasmus’ map here, tracking of violence against Libyan … Continue reading
Omar Suleiman appointment
My flight to Egypt leaves in a few hours. A few thoughts on the latest news. I’d guess that the rationale of appointing Suleiman as VP is to clear the way for the army to start blocking demos and enforcing … Continue reading
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Ahlan, ya dunya
Cheers to any who have come this far. I’m starting this blog in preparation for a trip to Egypt, which at time of posting is undergoing a major political crisis. Assuming I get in and am able to upload, thoughts … Continue reading
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