Links 17-18 January 2012

• Just What Does Jordan’s Abdullah Understand? - By Laurie A. Brand and Fayez Y. Hammad | The Middle East Channel
  Nothing, he's a corrupt idiot.
• One U.S. family is responsible for half of Netanyahu's donations - Haaretz
• SOPA protests black out top Web sites - The Washington Post
  Awesome -"'Don't censor the web!' gallery - SOPA protests black out top Web sites"
• Islam with Chinese Characteristics - Massoud Hayoun - International - The Atlantic
  #Islam w/ #Chinese Characteristics @TheAtlantic @rezaaslan @muslimvoices @AAIUSA @MPAC @arabist @AlArabiya_Eng
• Newt Explains His Criteria For A Muslim President: Reject Sharia (VIDEO) | TPM2012
  My criteria for any president: reject religion.
• Egypt electoral fraud
  MAJOR more on #EgyElections fraud 
• SCAF, ministry plan for battles with 'rioters' during anniversary | Al-Masry Al-Youm
• www.speakmemory.org
  Archive of Cairo symposium on urban planning, art archiving, etc
• It's Time to Think Seriously About Intervening in Syria - Steven A. Cook - International - The Atlantic
• Bedouin leaders threaten armed rebellion against Egyptian government - CNN.com
  Bedouins not happy with election results, where Nour and MB trounced their candidates.
• Source: Khaled Meshal to resign as Hamas chief after upcoming vote - Haaretz
  I thought Meshaal was trying to stay on, so this could be a plant.
• Israel doing 'immense damage' to peace process Nick Clegg says
• Syrian rebel chief asks world to stop bloodshed | Reuters
• Oil, food and protest in Syria's restive east - The National
  RT @emile_hokayem: Great reporting from Deir Ezzor in Syria's tribal east by Phil Sands of The National
• Tunisian Prime Minister Invited to Saudi Arabia : Tunisia Live
  Ben Ali won't be discussed, though.
• Major Tunisian Secular Parties Announce Merger : Tunisia Live
  Egyptian liberals take note.
• gary's choices - Stealth Engagement?
  Gary Sick on confusing moves by US on Iran.
• Statement: Condemn Murder of Iranian Scientists | Iranian.com
• The West Wing - Holy Land Map - YouTube
  Funny because it feels true.
• Le Qatar et son émir indésirables en Tunisie - MBmaghreb
  Thousands of Tunisians protest Qatar emir's visit.
• Egypt snowfall - تساقط الثلوج مصر 2012 - YouTube
  Eerie.
• Corruption in Iraq: 'Your son is being tortured. He will die if you don't pay' | The Guardian
  Fine reporting by Ghaith Abul-Ahad.
• L'influence tacite du libre marché sur les révolutions arabes - LeMonde.fr
  Hernando de Soto, with another Bouazizi-as-freemarket-symbol argument.
• Brotherhood will raise taxes, revise subsidies to curb deficit: FJP official - Ahram
  Some concrete ideas.
• New report on Tunisia by Arab Reform Bulletin
  [PDF]
• Olives, Ironies, and civil war « Walls حيطان
  Good post on Assad's latest speech.
• AP: Egypt's transition to democracy grows more messy
  More on ElBaradei's pullout.
• Who are the True ‘Fulul’ of Post-Revolution Egypt? | Fikra Forum
  Good piece by Magdi Samaan.
• Tunisie : boire ou croire sans modération | Infosud - Tribune des Droits Humains | www.infosud.org
• Utopie, par Alain Gresh (Le Monde diplomatique)
  "Utopie", préface de Manière de voir qui vient de sortir en kiosque, " Algérie, histoire et espérances, 1954-2012"
• [toread] الشبكة الدولية لتبادل المعلومات حول حرية التعبير- مجموعة مراقبة حالة حرية التعبير في تونس تعبر عن قلقها من التعديات على الصحفيين والأكاديم
  #freedomofpress in #Tunisia notdoingwell مجموعة مراقبة حالة حرية التعبير في تونس تعبر عن قلقها من التعديات على الصحفيين