Group items tagged

A string of assassinations over a 24-hour period in Benghazi has heightened tensions in the already blood-soaked Libyan city, raising fears that the killings could initiate an even deadlier wave of violence as the country threatens to fracture.

The Council on Foreign Relations published an article about democratization in the middle east and the major obstacles that are present in the process. While most assume Islamists and Islamic embedded institutions are the root of the delayed democratic transition, the problems are much bigger than that. While Islamist regimes do indeed stunt the growth of democratic progress in terms of creating a stable government, Arab countries struggle with economic and social factors as well. The Arab Spring Revolutions have caused economic and social degradation across the region, resulting in a road block of political leadership. Without a reliable and capable government structure, the states are unable to progress economically. However, in order to have a stable government, social and economic institutions must be in place to create this capitalist economy that they strive for. Because most wealth resides in oil, the revenue that the states bring in isn't distributed properly throughout society and is concentrated within few business elites. The article stresses that instead of foreign aid going into the hands of an unstable leader or regime, it should be invested in institutions in order to spur economic growth and eliminate corruption. Rather than focusing on the Islamist-secularist divide, the world should be working towards the strengthening of institutions to create a stable foundation for governance. 

The author of this article was on NPR Friday discussing the women of Isis and their use of social media. The author stated that whole social media accounts of these women are constantly shut down, they operate several accounts at all times to ensure they spread their message.

History of the Muslim Brotherhood is included in this article with regards to the islamists and Jihadists. According to the article "Jihadists loathe the Muslim brotherhood for rejecting global jihad and embracing democracy."  The article mentions members of the Brotherhood in "Egypt, France, Jordan Syria, Tunisian, and the United Kingdom."

Libyans are fleeing towards europe, creating another humanitarian crisis. If the situation in Libya is not addressed, there will be increased radicalization on the southern borders of Europe.

General Khalifa Haftar is suprising many people because he was once a Gaddafi supporter and then against him. Many are accusing him of being a renegade. He is leading many to support the war against the Muslim Brotherhood and ismanic power in Libya.

Islamist militias have seized control of Tripoli. The anti-Islamist Zintan militia attacked the libyan town of Kikla, an Islamist stronghold.

In May this year, a renegade general said that the best way to combat the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups is through eradication. According to general Khalifa Haftar, these groups are to blame for the destruction in Libya. This article claims that many Libyans are on Hafter's side and would like to see this plan come to fruition.

Many leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood have been detained and even killed since the end of Morsi's presidency. This article goes through the different leaders of the Brotherhood throughout the years and what role they took in the group.

Islamist & FSA factions are now allegedly shelling a neighborhood in Aleppo with chemical weapons. The smoke used was yellow in color and believed to be a phosphorus weapon.