By William Tucker
Syrian forces have engaged lightly armed opposition forces in the western city of Homs with heavier weaponry such as artillery and tanks. The Syrian military has been hitting several areas of the city over the last few days. According to what little independent news media is in Syria, the military is continuing to strike areas that opposition forces have withdrawn from.
By William Tucker
Syria will once again be on the agenda for the UN Security Council as the violence between al-Assad loyalists and opposition parties continues. The UN estimates that nearly 5,400 people have been killed since the uprising began a year ago and a frustrated Arab League monitoring mission has left Syria without any accomplishment. There is a growing chorus of nations that want Bashir al-Assad to leave power.
By William Tucker
According to local reports, 11 people were killed in an airstrike near Lawdar, Yemen in Abyan province. One tribal leader speaking to Reuters claimed that four of the deceased were leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The same individual speculated that the airstrike was carried out by an unmanned U.S. aircraft. There is no independent confirmation of the identities of those killed at this time.
By William Tucker
Azerbaijani authorities arrested two of its citizens on Wednesday for plotting to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to the country. One suspect is still at large and is believed to have fled to Iran. Local authorities stated that the three suspects had planned to strike the local Chabad house as well. Although this story didn’t get much international attention it is worthy to note that the Azerbaijani has accused Iran of terrorism in the past.
By William Tucker
It has been quite some time that I have addressed Pakistani politics, but with the current intrigue following “Memogate” it might be time to access the situation. In 2007, I called into question the wisdom behind the U.S., and other Western powers, pushing for then President Musharraf to remove his military uniform and rule as a civilian. Shortly thereafter, Benazir Bhutto, and several other Pakistani politicians returned from exile.
By William Tucker
Yemen is not a failed state, but it is failing. This doesn’t mean that the state is facing an imminent collapse, but it does mean that Yemen is in trouble. Before the massive uprising that gripped the country over the last year, Yemen was in dismal shape and the situation in the country has now deteriorated to the point that the writ of the state doesn’t extend beyond Sana’a.
By William Tucker
Over the past few weeks public opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect-IP Act has reached a fever pitch. Today, many major websites have taken measures to protest the legislation with some, such as Wikipedia, going offline completely. As is typically the case with any controversial legislation, supporters and detractors have gone to great lengths to demonize one another while relevant facts are tossed aside.
By William Tucker
Paksitani intelligence officers are claiming that Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a recent drone strike near Miramshah. Mehsud has been reported dead by the Pakistanis so many times that he should win a prize, but strangely this report is a bit different (For those keeping score at home this is the fourteenth time Mehsud has been reported dead by the author’s count).
By William Tucker
Thai authorities have detained a Lebanese national on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks. The individual was detained after an investigation began in late December after a tip from the Israelis. As of now, the individual has only been detained because of his immigration status and not formally arrested. This could change later today, however, as Thai police were led to a large cache of bomb making materials.