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Gaza Crisis [12/31] [updated]

Updates from 12/28-12/29 and 12/30. The Dove quotes an American general on the folly of the current incursion. Money quote of the money quote: Politically, the ultimate result of ’06 was to make Hizbullah, and their Christian allies under General Aoun, the arbiters of events in Lebanon. “We have now seen the Israelis run through their target list in Gaza. Hamas is still firing at Ashkalon and Beersheba. One wonders just who has who by the testicles in this situation. If the Israelis back away with some sort of unilateral ceasefire, then the ’06 judgment of the Muslims on them…

NYT: #torture loopholes

Op-ed about military interrogation techniques: Tomorrow will be one year since President Obama signed an executive order outlawing torture, yet our debate about interrogation methods continues. Though the president deserves praise for improving matters, the changes were not as drastic as most Americans think, and elements of our interrogation policy continue to be both inhumane and counterproductive. Americans can now boast that they no longer “torture” detainees, but they cannot say that detainees are not abused, or even that their treatment meets the minimum standards of humane treatment mandated by the Geneva Conventions, the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (the…

Arabic Language Skills, or lack thereof

I came across an interesting article on Slate. So, where should one go to learn Arabic in an environment with relatively little propaganda? And should one start classical and then go colloquial or vice versa?