Dissent

(By Alan M. Wald) In Memory of Edward Said (1935-2003) “You cannot continue to victimize someone else just because you yourself were a victim once—there has to be a limit.” –Edward W. Said, “The Myth of ‘The Clash of Civilizations,’” 1998 “A man once jumped from the top floor of a burning house in which […]

censorship

Turkey’s Ruling Party enacts “Orwellian” Web Censorship

Juan Cole

(Via AFP) Turkey lawmakers adopt ‘Orwellian’ Internet curbs (via AFP) Turkish MPs late Wednesday adopted new Internet legislation roundly criticised as a fresh assault by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on freedom of expression, access to information and investigative journalism. The proposals come amid parallel moves… ——— Related Video: Euronews reports, “Turkey approves new […]

censorship

Bush ordered NSA to spy on Germany’s Schroeder over Iraq War Opposition

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) The Guardian reports that the George W. Bush administration put German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s personal telephone under surveillance in 2002. Schroeder was opposed to the Bush-Cheney aggressive war on Iraq. This surveillance allowed the Bush administration to know where it stood with Germany and NATO. The surveillance continued, on the personal phone […]

Dissent

The Death of God in Iraq: 32% of Iraqis not Sure God Exists, 11% think Not

contributors

(By Mariwan Salihi) Despite its dangers and taboos in the conflict-ridden nation, some Iraqi youth are turning towards atheism. Mariwan Salihi met a few of them. One of the Iraqi capital’s most vocal young activists, who uses the pseudonym Omar Al-Baghdadi for his own security, is often described as “Baghdad’s Converter.” His mission, among others, […]

censorship

Egyptian Junta increasingly sees Journalism as a form of Terrorism, Arrests Journalists

Juan Cole

(Via Globalpost) Why Al Jazeera’s journalists are being targeted in Egypt (via GlobalPost) CAIRO, Egypt — In Egypt, journalists are being accused of terrorism. Twenty Al Jazeera employees, including four foreigners, are to stand trial on charges of joining or assisting a terrorist group, as well as fabricating news to convince readers that… —— […]

Dissent

NSA sucks up Phone App data from Google Maps to Angry Birds

contributors

(By Andrea Germanos) As part of their arsenal of spying tools, the National Security Agency and its British counterpart, the GCHQ, are sucking up personal data leaked from smartphone apps, according to documents provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. One of the apps the NSA and GCHQ used to gather data is the popular game […]

Dissent

Edward Snowden Interview: NSA is Engaged in Industrial Espionage for Interests, not Security

Juan Cole

Via Liveleak: German Television does first Edward Snowden Interview

censorship

Only post-Snowden did FISA Court even Consider if NSA Bulk Phone Collection is Legal

contributors

(By Michael Masnick) FISA Court Waited Until After Snowden Leaks To Actually Explore If Bulk Phone Record Collection Was Legal (via Techdirt) One of the most common defenses of the NSA’s bulk phone record collection (in which they get access to the record of basically every phone call in the US) is that the program […]

Arab Spring

54 Dead in an Egypt Polarized between pro-Military, anti-Coup on Revolution Anniversary

Juan Cole

(by Juan Cole) January 25 marked the third anniversary of the revolution that overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak, and Egyptians observed it in three distinctively different ways. In the iconic Tahrir Square downtown, thousands of supporters of the military coup of July 3, 2013, gathered for a big party. People never used to dance to patriotic […]