Farah on non-state actors. Counterterrorism Blog:
One of the fascinating things about a spate of recent articles is that they point to how non-state armed actors acquire information and new, ever-more sophisticated techniques. Two examples are the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the more sophisticated of the Somali pirates.
This shows that these groups talk and learn from other groups, have networks to transfer technologies and "lessons learned" and greatly accelerate the speed of their learning curves. Unconstrained by laws, acquisition regulations and budgetary considerations, these groups can rapidly acquire whatever they can afford. Thanks to the fact that dozens of shipping companies have paid tens of millions of dollars to the different Somali clans and sub-clans that carry out the piracy, they are cash flush.
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) says the pirates, until recently, had attacked during the day and were relatively unsophisticated in their tactics. Now, however, "pirates have attacked vessels at night and have conducted attacks far off the eastern coast of Somalia," the CMF said. Using "mother ships" as staging platforms and night vision technology, they are able to operate much further from the Somali coast than before.
Read the rest at the link.
Irshad Manji: "There is no outsider." Here's lesbian Muslim reformer Irshad Manji plugging a book by reformist Muslims titled "Critical Thinkers for Islamic Reform":
Reform-minded Muslims invite you to read our message to fellow Muslims through a brand new book that challenges the complacency, passivity and denial of the so-called moderates in our faith.
Hot off the presses is Critical Thinkers for Islamic Reform, a collection of essays to which I’ve contributed and which you can buy on amazon.com. It’s the product of a recent conference naughtily named, “A Celebration of Heresy.” ...
Read the rest at the link, and buy the book here or here.
Hezbollah: Losers. Michael Totten:
Most observers and analysts were surprised by the March 14 victory, but I could never figure out where Hezbollah’s additional support was supposedly coming from. Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah strapped a suicide bomb vest around his own country when he picked a fight with Israel in 2006. Mounting an armed assault against the capital, as he did last May, was no way to win the hearts and minds of new voters. Until recently, I was certain Hezbollah and its allies had no chance of winning, but they grew so sure of their own propaganda that they managed to persuade even their enemies that they might come out on top. The March 14 side was rattled, and some of their analysts convinced even me that Hezbollah might pull it off. But Hezbollah lost, and Nasrallah conceded.
Syrian dictator Bashar Assad also lost big when his most powerful proxy in Lebanon was rejected by the majority. “So much for Bashar’s ‘imaginary majority,’” wrote Lebanese political analyst Tony Badran ...
Read the rest to find out what Walid Jumblatt told Michael Totten. Here's Tony Badran:
The victory is impressive in that, despite being written off by most journalists and many analysts, the incumbent "March 14 coalition," renewed its majority after four years on the receiving end of a brutal campaign of intimidation and violence at the hands of Hezbollah and its allies, and systematic assassinations believed to be the work of their regional backers.
The result is not only a defeat for Hezbollah's coalition, but also a failure for Syria, which in the last four years had done everything in its power to topple the March 14 majority, and Iran, whose president had declared that a Hezbollah victory would "open new fronts that strengthen the resistance."
Some say regime's days numbered: Iran "weird and unstable". Canada-based Winston at The Spirit of Man:
I've talked to bunch of people from inside of Iran in the past few days and most tell me the situation in Iran is very weird and unstable. I warned my family and friends to stay away from polls and avoid large crowds due to security reasons. You never know who is going to get hurt one of these days. Me thinks what you're seeing in Iran are all the signs of a dying regime. Every thing I hear sounds bad. From violent crowds to Basijis threatening regular people. Then there'll be this summer when Israelis will have to decide how to deal with the nuclear armed Iran. This is gonna be one crazy year.
Azarmehr detects a note of desperation in the latest pronouncements from the regime cheerleaders at CASMII:
But some on the list did not just ignore what was happening to their countrymen, they even went out of their way to promote the regime. The likes of Elaheh Rostami, Ziba Mir Hosseini and Haleh Afshar even made outrageous cliams that Iranian women were better off now than before the revolution. The likes of Abbas Edalat, Mohammad Kamali and bourgeoise Communists like Ali Fathollah-Nejad, went out of their way to suppress any news of human rights abuses which would portray a negative image of the Islamic Republic in the world.
Suddenly these 'academics' have sensed the desire for change amongst the Iranians. Suddenly the 'eruptions of pent-up rage' of our people against the Islamic Republic's 'empire of lies' has rang their alarm bells and so they have decided to produce a statement asking for the very things they have always refused to highlight in the past when they were asked to do so.
Another Iranada blogger, Toronto's Sayeh Hassan at Shiro-Khorshid Forever, warns that "Canada is not the place to advertise for the Islamic Regime!"
It has come to my attention that certain pro-Islamic Regime elements in Toronto are supporting the sham Presidential [S]election in Iran. The Iranian Student Union of U of T is providing transportation to and from Ottawa for any students who might want to vote in this [S]election.
Perhaps these “students” need a reminder that Canada is a democratic country which has taken a very strong stand against the crimes committed by the Islamic Regime of Iran. Furthermore many of us freedom loving Iranians have fled from the Islamic Regime in fear of our lives, and come to Canada to live in a free and democratic society, away from the threats of the Islamic Regime.
SKF also covers a June 12th protest in Ottawa.
Chastity Bono to transition FTM. Fox:
Chastity Bono, daughter of legedary singing duo Sonny and Cher, is no longer Chastity.
TMZ reports that Bono, an author and musician, is changing her gender from female to male -- and, as a transgender male, is now Chaz.
The process began shortly after Bono's 40th birthday.
"Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Bono's publicist, Howard Bragman, told TMZ.
Alison Bechdel, the immensely talented cartoonist whose "Dykes to Watch Out For" has featured transwomen, transmen, and even (gasp) a neoconservative lesbian, says simply, "Go Chaz!"
Hezbollah terrorists busted in Azerbaijan. OSINT reports that one of their targets was the Gabala radar station: 'The facility was built by the Soviets and is now leased back from Azerbaijan by Russia. There has been talk of US/Russian cooperation in operating the site for the purpose of monitoring Iranian actions, much to the chagrin of the mullahs.'
Commentary. On Chastity/Chaz Bono's transition, the comments at TMZ are about what we might expect, and for the most part, so are the comments at GayPatriot.
I've commented previously on gender and sexuality (August 2004 ... yikes, almost five years ago!).
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