Links 21-22 March 2011
- Gaddafi : the Corsican connection
Was Muammar's real father Corsican? (Am told this is right-wing French disinfo from the 1970s against Corsican nationalists, but entertaining nonetheless.)
- Arab spring: an interactive timeline of Middle East protests |Guardian
Very cool.
- Prominent Egypt Salafi proclaims victory for religion in referendum | Al-Masry Al-Youm
Vile people.
- He is the regime « LRB blog
Charles Glass on Qadhafi.
- Infantile Leftism « P U L S E
It's not just about oil, stupid.
- Egyptian Christians return to politics - Ahram Online
This story does not make it clear that referendum was not about Article 2, despite widespread confusion.
- 100 Years of Air Strikes « LRB blog
"The world’s first aerial bombing mission took place 100 years ago, over Libya" (by Italy).
- FT - The Brotherhood will soon be left behind
Rather confident argument that MB stands to lose from democracy in Egypt.
- FT - Gold key to financing Gaddafi struggle
Some $6.5bn in gold keeps regime afloat, smuggled through Chad and Niger (or indeed Tunisia and Egypt).
- The butterfly and the boiling point - Le Monde diplomatique
On revolutions in the Arab world and elsewhere.
- FT.com - Tripoli lives to a rhythm of bombs and anti-aircraft fire
"Using the foreign press is practically the only tool left at the Gaddafi regime’s disposal to influence its rapidly deteriorating situation."
- Don't bet on a brief or limited war in Libya –
Tony Karon
- Is Muammar Gaddafi a target? PM and military split over war aims
Still no clear aims.
- Making a Democracy - By F.W. de Klerk | Foreign Policy
De Klerk on how a transition might work in Egypt and lessons from South Africa.
- Officers Fire on Crowd as Syrian Protests Grow - NYTimes.com
Bashar blames "infiltrators" in security.
- Israel has Palestinian who vanished in Ukraine: report - Yahoo! News
International kidnapping?