The international rights group Amnesty International has joined
activists in the United Arab Emirates urging authorities to investigate
allegations of abuse against a group of hunger strikers convicted of
anti-state charges.
Activists in the UAE say at least 18 inmates are now part of a hunger
strike that began more than a month ago. London-based Amnesty said at
least three are in critical condition Wednesday.
The hunger strikers are among 69 suspects convicted in July of links to
an Islamist faction that authorities allege seeks to overthrow the UAE's
Western-allied ruling system. The prisoners claim that they have faced
torture and other abuses since their arrests last year.
UAE officials have made no public comments.
Separately, security officials have stepped up crackdowns against suspected backers of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rights-group-urges-uae-hunger-strike-probe-20150285
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
American Universities Overseas
A mention of NYUAD in this opinion piece from NYT -
www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/opinion/sunday/liberal-education-in-authoritarian-places.html
www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/opinion/sunday/liberal-education-in-authoritarian-places.html
Why Syria
People are up in arms with the proposed USA bombing of Syria for many different reasons.
The USA wants to bomb Syria, however, to continue the unstable curtain it has drawn around its oil interests.
Look at a map of West Asia and East Africa. Draw a line from Pakistan through Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan and Somalia.
All of these countries are suffering from the deliberate imposition of instability by the USA.
Why?
Because the oil from the Arabian Gulf cannot flow gently through unstable countries.
Instead, the only way out is through the Gulf - protected by the military of the USA.
The oil cannot go to Russia. It cannot go to China easily. It cannot go to India or Europe. It is only going to the USA.
This is your contemporary Middle East course 101.
There is no terrorism, no crazy people just being crazy Middle Easterners, but there are deliberate movements to destabilize some countries and keep others secure.
How democratic is Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar? Zero percent.
But on the news we hear how horrible Saddam was, Assad, Palestine, Morsi, Somalia, Taliban - all people created by the West to maintain that curtain.
It's fine to use your strength to protect yourself, I suppose, but why can't it also come with a demand on your friends?
If we are to keep the curtain and the oil flowing, let's also impose democratic principles on the GCC, demand more from them than just that they open up Chili's restaurants and buy Ford cars.
The USA wants to bomb Syria, however, to continue the unstable curtain it has drawn around its oil interests.
Look at a map of West Asia and East Africa. Draw a line from Pakistan through Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan and Somalia.
All of these countries are suffering from the deliberate imposition of instability by the USA.
Why?
Because the oil from the Arabian Gulf cannot flow gently through unstable countries.
Instead, the only way out is through the Gulf - protected by the military of the USA.
The oil cannot go to Russia. It cannot go to China easily. It cannot go to India or Europe. It is only going to the USA.
This is your contemporary Middle East course 101.
There is no terrorism, no crazy people just being crazy Middle Easterners, but there are deliberate movements to destabilize some countries and keep others secure.
How democratic is Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar? Zero percent.
But on the news we hear how horrible Saddam was, Assad, Palestine, Morsi, Somalia, Taliban - all people created by the West to maintain that curtain.
It's fine to use your strength to protect yourself, I suppose, but why can't it also come with a demand on your friends?
If we are to keep the curtain and the oil flowing, let's also impose democratic principles on the GCC, demand more from them than just that they open up Chili's restaurants and buy Ford cars.
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