Gadhafi: A Shame for the whole World to Bear

A mere few months ago Gadhafi and his family could boast of Billions (with a capital B) and outright ownership of Libya. He is now a worthless fugitive running for his life, two of his sons having reportedly lost theirs, and many members of his family having fled a burning nation. The question that begs itself is whether or not it had to be this way?

Gadhafi could have negotiated a settlement and walked away with Billions, but didn't. Instead he chose to stay put and fight against the most powerful of global military coalitions- NATO- with fledgling mercenaries from poor neighboring African countries. The reasons for this seemingly irrational behaviour are not for certain. One could contemplate a complete detachment from the factual- with those around him preferring not to state the obvious to him. His ludicrous and vociferous sons claiming inevitable victory tend to support this theory. Perhaps over the years, the regime's upper echelons had begun believing their own web of lies and parabole.

Then again his choice may shed light on the theory that he is indeed a madman- a Neroesque sort of character who preferred to watch Libya burn and laugh at the spectacle even if he himself inevitably forgoes all the riches and gets killed in the process. After all faced with the choice of walking away with Billions or almost certain death for himself and members of his family, who in their right state of mind would choose the later? Better yet, who would choose it after seeing what had happened to Saddam and his sons, Mubarak and his sons, Ben Ali and his family ... And yet as irrational as it may seem, to men like Gadhafi, the rationality of preferring to live in obscurity to them would be the irrational choice- that is over dying in the limelight, even if it means taking their whole family down with them.

Regardless of the reasons, a choice Gadhafi made, and his family and him will pay for it. The world should not feel sorry for the whole lot. What the civilized world should feel sorry for are the lives of all those innocent civilians that have been lost as a result of his actions, and for having allowed such a man to rule his nation unopposed for so long. As mass graves resulting from his regime begin to be unearthed, it will be a shame not only for Libya to bear, but the world at large- especially those nations, which were affected by his violence and yet continued to deal with him. That perhaps was the greatest shame of all.

US 'wasted $30bn on Afghanistan and Iraq' over decade (BBC Article)

Here is an interesting article on waste in the Middle East in the Afghan and Iraqi wars written by Kim Ghattas from the BBC. What a shame for the US and what a shame for the region. Not the proper first step to take after years of abuse by the autocrats. Hopefully, there will be lessons learnt going forward:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14712172

Egypt Trial of Mubarak Begins: A BBC Video

The following BBC article and video of Mubarak on a stretcher inside of a caged courthouse being tried for his misdeeds is surreal and points to the inevitable fruits of the Egyptian revolution's labor. Anyone thinking that the temporrary Egyptian military junta will dare attempt to create a post-Mubarak neo-dictatorship should think again. These scenes are earily similar to those of Saddam a handful years ago (who together with most of his clique were summarily executed) but with one major difference. The trial was not brought about by a foreign power and an imposed democracy but rather by an organic and home-grown revolution- one whose potential recurrence is bound to continue sending shivers down the spine of any overly ambitious dictatorial Egyptian or Arab leader.

Fearful of the same fate, and as ultimately futile as it may prove, we should expect incumbent Arab dictators to want to attempt to hold on even more to their power- and that inlcudes Yemen's Saleh, Libya's Qadhafi, and Syria's Assad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14382997

Until When Will Situation Persist In Hama?

It is one thing for a government to want to restore order. It is another for it to declare war on it's people for demonstrating. While no one can be 100% certain of what is going on in Syria, what is for sure is that the Syrian regime does not help its cause by sending tanks into residential areas of Hama, a city almost wiped out a couple of decades ago. Nor does it help its cause by denying the international press access. Is it not high time the international community did something more than just pay lip service to the Syrian people?

Here is a recent BBC article about the current state of affairs:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14360027

'Christian terrorist'? Norway case strikes debate: AP Article

This is an interesting article by the Associated Press, which highlights the introspection currently occuring in the West as a result of Norway's terrorist attacks, which seem to have been concocted by one of its own. If anything, it proves that religious extremism, bigotry, and terrorism are not limited to any single creed, color, or nationality and spares no one of its pains. What a shame that Norway and its people had to become its latest tragic victims. I fear, it may not be the last ...

http://news.yahoo.com/christian-terrorist-norway-case-strikes-debate-181559379.html.

Trying to Figure Out Social Media: An Article

The role that technology has been playing in the Middle East uprisings is indisputable. Where stifling the media was a common regional practice by the autocratic regimes only a few years ago, Chapter 4 of the book details emerging technological realities and how technology has been opposing and indeed breaking down all forms of censure.

This phenomenon is not purely an Arab one, of course, and the influence is being felt globally. Following is an interesting article I came across that highlights how even resource-rich and technologically advanced nations and organizations in the West- such as the Pentagon- are grappling with it.  

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/10885-pentagon-looks-to-social-media-as-new-battlefield.

Somalia: Yet Another Tragic Arab Story

As Libya, Syria, Yemen and Egypt battle for democratic survival, Somalia is facing a battle even more grave- that of famine. Approximately 1.5 million Somalis are currently teetering on the brink. Interestingly enough and rather counter-intuitively, according to recent reports, this famine is not due solely to climactic conditions nor to a shortage of food. Rather, it is due to a failed state that has been unable to provide for its citizens- even when it has received aid that is earmarked for that purpose. The world is now scampering trying to figure out solutions to alleviate the Somalian people's hunger.

If nothing else Somalia is a sad case study for the entire region of what falling into anarchy and disorder would look like and what it could result in.

Here is an article written by CNN's Moni Basu: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/20/somalia.famine/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2.