The past few days have seen yet another round in the “last straw” dithering about Iran. This time the huffing seems heavier. The IAEA has suddenly woken up and finds that Stuxnet wasn’t much of a setback to the Iranian nuclear program, and it is … [Read more...] about Failing To Deal, Dealing To Fail: US Response To Iran Aggression Fumbling, Tepid
The Murkier Side Of Cyber
To keep us better informed (more likely, only slightly less disinformed), I offer up some articles today that are from the "dark side" of cyber. Well, maybe "dark" is the wrong word, except in the sense that it's not easy to access the "cultures" … [Read more...] about The Murkier Side Of Cyber
What Does China Want? No Answers From Ap.
"Thumbsucker, n.: A serious piece of journalism that concentrates on the background and interpretation of events rather than on the news or action." I disagree with the definition above. To me, a "thumbsucker" is not a serious piece of journalism, … [Read more...] about What Does China Want? No Answers From Ap.
Illicit Financial Flows
NOTE Before I get into anything else, I want to do a brief follow-up on the Charlie Hebdo story of the other day. You may already have read what happened after the French satirical magazine got the Prophet Mohammed to be editor-in-chief for its next … [Read more...] about Illicit Financial Flows
Recent Readings On Shari'a &Amp; Islamism
The selection of readings for November 3 is really a sampling of a number of things, not just shari'a and shari'a finance. There are, for example, pieces about Islamic politics in North Africa (i.e., Tunisia, Libya, Egypt) and the challenge of … [Read more...] about Recent Readings On Shari'a &Amp; Islamism
Alexandria'S Islamist Activists: Then And Now
On the third day following the outbreak of war in the Sinai, all was chaos in Alexandria. The Israeli Airforce was known to have destroyed the Egyptian airbases in both the Western Desert and the Cairo region, and Israeli planes controlled the … [Read more...] about Alexandria'S Islamist Activists: Then And Now
The Usual Suspects And Grumpy Old Terrorists?
The other day I tried an exercise to see if I could characterize the various parts of the current discussion on cyberwarfare. I went through around two days worth of English-language articles on cyber events, cybercrime, and cyberwarfare. Looking at … [Read more...] about The Usual Suspects And Grumpy Old Terrorists?
Egyptian Tourism And The American Dollar
(September 13, 2011) In August Mohamed Saad al-Katatny, Secretary General of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Freedom and Justice Party, sent a shiver of fear through his nation's tourist sector when he announced, "We need to place regulations … [Read more...] about Egyptian Tourism And The American Dollar
Home Court Advantage
THANKS to the Internet, universal access to the printed word and economic globalization, the 21st century is expected to be shaped by the free exchange of ideas. But casting a shadow over this optimistic prediction is the emerging threat of “libel … [Read more...] about Home Court Advantage
Obama's Un Pitch
Gone are the days when American presidents addressed the United Nations’ General Assembly as the leaders of the free world. President Obama used the international stage to reinforce his foreign policy doctrine, officially relinquishing America’s role … [Read more...] about Obama's Un Pitch