Friday, July 6, 2012

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- July 6, 2012


A Cultural Assault In Mali: The Jihadists’ Frightening New Front -- The Economist

Extreme Islamists are threatening the region—and an ancient African heritage

EGEND held that the main gate of Timbuktu’s Sidi Yahya mosque, a wood-panelled affair with metalwork cast in the shape of crescent moons, would open only at the end of time. In a metaphorical sense that is what Islamist militants apparently linked to al-Qaeda who now control the ancient trading-post in northern Mali have now unleashed on the city. Since July 2nd they have been battering down the ancient entrance with picks and shovels to “destroy its mystery” as part of a city-wide programme of cultural vandalism inspired by religious zeal that has left inhabitants aghast with horror. Destroyed, too, are eight mausoleums and a number of saints’ tombs. More wreckage is feared.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Mali's conflict and a 'war over skin colour' -- Afua Hirsch, The Guardian

Timbuktu’s cultural heritage sites are under attack -- Washington Post editorial

The bloodshed continues as Syria awaits 'implementation' of an impossible peace plan -- Michael Weiss, The Telegraph

What this defection means to Assad: How the loss of a loyal Sunni insider can help ratchet up pressure on Syria's brutal dictator -- David Schenker, New York Daily News

Qaddafi Lives -- Alison Pargeter, Foreign Policy

How Morocco Dodged the Arab Spring -- Nicolas Pelham, New York Review of Books

No More Bullying Pakistan
-- Vali Nasr, Bloomberg

History interrupts Japan-South Korea pact -- Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver Sun

Letting North Korea Starve -- Morton Abramowitz, National Interest

China heads for a hard landing -- Jeremy Warner, The Telegraph

Asia’s next booming economy -- William Pesek, Bloomberg

Think Again: India's Rise -- Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Policy

Ukraine's war of the words -- Andrey Kurkov, The Guardian

France's choice -- Irish Times

Mexico will not return to third world foreign policy -- Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald

U.N. treaty would disarm U.S. foreign policy -- Peter Brookes, Boston Herald

The U.N. is coming for your guns -- Washington Times editorial

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