Swap between Libya and Egypt

Five Egyptian diplomats kidnapped in Tripoli following the arrest in Egypt of a former Libyan rebel commander were released Sunday as part of a swap, officials said


The abduction of the five on Saturday and of another member of the Egyptian embassy's staff a day earlier came after Shaaban Hadeia, a prominent commander in the rebellion that ousted  Kadhafi in 2011. 

The kidnappings in Tripoli occurred despite Libya's announcement that security around the embassy had been reinforced.

They also came as fighting in the south and west of the country claimed more than 150 lives, adding to the sense of chaos in Libya more than two years after Kadhafi's demise.

Foreigners have been targeted several times in recent weeks: two Italians were seized last week in east Libya and a South Korean trade representative was released by security forces on Wednesday, three days after being abducted in Tripoli.

http://www.nst.com.my/world/egyptian-diplomats-seized-in-libya-freed-in-swap-1.530259

Moroccan Gender Inequality

Thanks to a real will for reform, slowly but surely progress is being made regarding the expansion of women's rights. Even though the country passed a new constitution three years ago guaranteeing gender inequality, Moroccan women claim that equality has yet to be fully enforced as much of the old laws remain untouched. Claims have been made that changes have not been fully carried out mainly because some judges have been finding ways around the law or remain unfamiliar with the new amendments. Many believe that this kind of change will not possible in Morocco unless the king steps in and lays down the law. If it is possible, studies show that it could take up to 30 years before society begins to be pushed in a different direction.

Some of the most controversial issues have risen from conflicts regarding marriage and household relevance. As  part of the amendments, the minimum age of marriage for women was increased from 15 to 18. Since then, judges have apparently granted permission for the marriage of minors in approximately 90% of cases as many families in rural areas are eager to have their daughters marry much earlier. A decade ago, Morocco adopted a family code which stated that male relatives receive double the inheritance of women. Enforcement of this law brought several consequences because the death of a male "head of the house" caused many families to disintegrate.

Since any women are now becoming the ones who provide for the family (or at least contribute in a significant manner), laws will continue to be altered to expand women's rights in the future.


Website: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/world/africa/gender-inequality-in-morocco-continues-despite-amendments-to-family-law.html?_r=0

Iraq child marriage bill sparks outrage

There is a draft law before Iraqi Parliament that will drastically effect girls and women, and is causing outrage among the human rights community. If passed, the bill allows the marriage of girls as young as nine and further restricts women's rights in marriage, divorce, parenting, and inheritance. This bill is causing much disrest just six weeks before the first national poll since US forces have left. Observers say the Shia community is split over the debate. Female parliament members have recognized the proposed bill as being a step backwards for the country. Those supporting the bill claim to not care about those apposing in because they are going against Islam.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/20/iraq-child-marriage-bill-human-rights

Still more happening in Egyptian Courts

While the hundreds of court cases that are currently happening in Egypt continue, on Sunday the Egyptian courts ordered the release on bail pending trial of one of  a key activist who took part in the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Abdel-Fattah. The case that is being drawn up against this activist as well as against the other 24 defendants has been criticized by many rights groups in Egypt. These arrests took place under one of the many crackdowns on Islamic supporters as well as the secular opposition’s activists.

The Egyptian courts are currently overburdened with thousands of defendants arrested in the past eight months, including Morsi and leading members of his Muslim Brotherhood. The fairness of these trials (seeing as how there are so many) is beginning to be brought to attention.

Abdel-Fattah is an interesting case because his was the first case since Morsi’s ouster against secular activists and it was also the first moved against protesters for violating the new law adopted in November, calling for more regulation of street protests.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch has been expressing its concern that Egypt has "demonstrated almost zero tolerance for any form of dissent, arresting and prosecuting journalists, demonstrators, and academics for peacefully expressing their views." This new law even crackdowns on people expressing dissent through Twitter, even though the new constitution grants the freedom of thought and opinion.

There is also still great disagreement over Egypts decision to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood which they feel is necessary to stop potential terror acts by militants linked to the Brotherhood.

This is also coming at a time where Egypt is calling on the Arab League to also recognize the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization not just a political party. The outcomes of this may affect the trials happening in Egypt, or Egypt’s government may just continue to pursue justice in their overburdened court systems.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/lawyer-egypt-trial-545-set-verdict-23018343?page=2

Tulu Koota Family Picnic

I promise to write a serious blog this week too, but I really wanted to write about something fun!

On March 14 the Tulu Koota Family Picnic was held at Mishreh Garden in Kuwait. The annual day of family fun and celebration began with the traditional lighting of the torch by the Tulu Koota president and passed along to past presidents. Children of all ages participated in field day style games, including a zig zag race, mother and child soccer ball relay, and the sack race. Couples competed in a blind walk relay and musical chairs.

Tulu Koota is an Indian culture organization that provides a community for Indians living in Kuwait. The organization provides opportunities for southern Indian natives to gather and participate in traditional rituals, discuss issues and practice their native language. Typically over 2,000  members of the community participate in the Tulu Koota family games.

Tulu Koota Family Picnic Photos borrowed from: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=223788

For more information about Tulu Koota Kuwait http://www.tulukootakuwait.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g60iT-n_3Rc

Libya could be headed towards bankruptcy

Revenue Watch, a New York-based think tank, believes Libya is heading towards bankruptcy. With ninth-largest proven oil reserves in the world and a population of 6.5 million should be a wildly prosperous nation but it is not. Two years since Muammar Gaddafi's regime fell, militias have seized control of Libya's oil production facilities.


The big problem is oil output, which has fallen to 230,000 barrels per day; before the revolution, that number was closer to 1.6 million barrels. That is a huge drop when Libya's oil and gas provides 90 percent of state revenue; in 2013, oil income brought in around $48.7bn.


http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2014/03/libya-heading-towards-bankruptcy-2014313173334276217.html

US Military Assistance to Iraqi Forces

The United States has made a large arms delivery to Iraq as part of the anti-terror campaign. The delivery includes 100 Hellfire missiles, assault riffles and ammunition. Hellfire missiles are the one the United States uses on drones for attacking human targets. They are designed to be precise and deadly. the United States claims that the delivery was made this month in response to escalated violence and violent action by the "Islamic State if Iraq" and "Levant."

It was also reported that Iraqi forces have been receiving large arms shipments since mid January. The military has been reportedly working closely with Sunni militias to combat al Qaida. Despite these arms shipments, violence has continues to escalate in Iraq, making the withdraw of US troops very controversial.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/car-bombs-kill-people-iraqs-capital-baghdad-22925127

Overburdened Egyptian Courts

Right now there are a lot of activities in the Egyptian court rooms. There are currently two ousted presidents on trial right now. There are also many activists facing charges who have been rebelling during the trials along with many people being accused of being Muslim Brotherhood members. Unfortunately even with all of these trials happening since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak there is still no guarantee of a fair trial in Egypt and these high-profile cases are no exception.

There is a lot of irony and bad feelings because the first freely elected president was quickly ousted in a military coup and is now being dragged into the courts wearing prison jumpsuits. He is currently being charged with murder, inciting violence, spying, a prison break and insulting the judiciary.

There are also increasing complaints from human rights groups claiming that this is an example of politics not law. There are a lot of charges of corrupt policeman and beneficiaries that are getting off with no penalties even after all of the atrocities they committed against rebels and civilians. From their “cages” in the courts many of the young activist and Islamist are calling out about torture and Morsi has declared himself the true leader of Egypt.  All in all there are a lot of problems in the Egyptian court system and it seems to be very overburdened right now.

This is a very precarious situation for Egypt to be in and should be watched by the Arab League as there is a lot of room for more uprisings by rebels and Islamist as their brethren are being prosecuted and injustice is occurring in the system.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/03/14/289815812/in-egypt-a-new-courtroom-drama-every-day

Violent Protests Breakout in Mauritania's Capital

On Sunday night men dressed in turbans allegedly drove a truck into a mosque in the nation's capital and shredded 4 Qurans. Shortly after, protests broke out surrounding the capital where hundreds of Mauritanians threw rocks and shouted anti-government phrases. A young man was killed during the protests after being hit by an exploding tear gas canister. Being an Islamic Republic, blasphemy is a capital offense punishable by the death penalty; however, Mauritania has not used the death penalty as punishment for blasphemy since the 1980s. One young Muslim man, might face the death penalty after being arrested in January for criticizing the Prophet Muhammad. President Aziz, current chairmperson of the AU, and anti-Al Qaeda ally of the west is up for re-election in June. While Mauritania has been slowly re-stabilizing, the Sahel nation still faces great political security.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/protests-mauritania-over-quran-desecration-20143474732393880.html

Kuwait to Raise Oil Production

Kuwait, currently producing 3.25 bpd (barrels per day), plans to increase oil production by 150,000 barrels a day to 3.4 million bpd by 2015.  Additionally Kuwait Oil Company plans to add between 300,000 and 400,000 barrels to the company's oil production to meet the 2020 goal of producing 4 million bpd.  This increase comes as the nation is experiencing a slow in the banking sector, leaders hope increased oil production will maintain the nation's stability. Currently a fair price for a barrel of oil osculates just over $100. Kuwait remains an important pillar of economic,social, and political security in the Gulf and Arab region, thus it is crucial that Kuwait maintains its stability.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/03/04/kuwait-raise-oil-capacity-34m-bpd
http://www.oil-price.net/

Protesters storm Libya parliament

Two members of Libya's interim parliament have been shot and wounded by protesters who stormed the General National Congress in downtown Tripoli. The protesters demanded the dissolution of the GNC and railed against the overnight "kidnapping" of demonstrators from a sit-in outside the parliament building.According to demonstrators, the gunmen belonged to the Operations Cell of Libyan Revolutionaries, a former rebel group which operates under the GNC's command. Meanwhile, the head of Libya's election commission and two of its members resigned on Sunday, state media reported, a day after it released initial results of a vote for the country's constitutional panel. he February vote for the 60-member constitutional panel was marred by violence, with several voting stations coming under attack and security forces failing to secure others.The commission said late on Saturday that only 47 of the seats were filled, with 13 left empty because voting had been disrupted or protesting minority groups boycotted the vote. What do you think Parliament will do to fill these 13 seats? Do you think they will accept the resignations? 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/injuries-as-protesters-storm-libya-parliament-20143220375426574.html

Violence in Iraq

As the United States attempts to reduce forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iraq appears to be continuing down an increasingly violent path. The United Nations released an updated death toll of 703 for February. Most parties point to a crackdown, ten moths ago, on a Sunni protest camp as the cause for the surge in violence. The Sunni population often conducts violent attacks out of frustration of being the minority and led by as Shia government. The majority of victims are civilians rather than security forces, and most of the attacks are located in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. As expected, the actual death toll could be much higher, but many deaths are not reported of can not be confirmed.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/united-nations-reports-703-deaths-iraq-february-article-1.1707566

Israel warns Lebanon to control Hezbollah retaliation after air strike

Israel on Friday warned Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from retaliating to an air-strike on a base controlled by the that allegedly originated from Israel. Israel has neither claimed or denied that they were responsible for the attack, although technically Israel is currently at war with Lebanon, and there has been three similar strikes in the past year. There has been bad blood between Israel and Lebanon ever since Israel was officially created as a state after World War II. Since then, Lebanon has been in open conflict with Israel multiple times, and is one of the countries that is most directly affected by the Arab-Israeli conflict, as it is a neighbor of Israel and has been the destination of most of the Palestinian refugees who have been displaced due to the violence. 
Israel has made it clear that it will view the Lebanese government as responsible for any actions by Hezbollah taken against Israel. Hezbollah's official statement on the matter is that they are going to "choose the time and place and the proper way to respond" but many experts on the region believe that Hezbollah is too busy supporting the Assad regime in the Syrian Civil War to properly retaliate. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/28/us-israel-lebanon-hezbollah-idUSBREA1R0NI20140228 

Kuwait Busts 33 in Illegal Casino Raid

Police busted an illegal casino, arresting 33 people including 1 American and 3 Europeans, after a man reported loosing 200,000 Dinars. After heavy monitoring of the area the police felt secure in raiding the illegal casino not far from the Kuwaiti capital. Initial reports suggested the American arrested was responsible for the casino; however, upon further investigation the police found a Kuwaiti doctor to be the leader. This casino appears to be part of an illegal casino ring, the police vow to continue to investigate and prosecute nationals and foreigners conducting illegal gambling in Kuwait.

This bust comes at an interesting moment in Kuwait security. GCC states continue to pressure the Kuwaiti parliament to agree to the newest GCC security pact which aims at maintaining regional security through extradition of criminals and more closely monitoring media outlets including private internet usage. Kuwait's parliament is resisting, claiming the pact would persecute those seeking political asylum and limits press and personal freedoms.


http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-busts-illegal-casino-run-by-doctor-arrests-34-1.1296631
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/gcc-security-pact-divides-kuwait-1.1297430

Interim Government Installed in Egypt

The new Prime Minister of Egypt, Ibrahim Mehlib, swore in the new Egyptian government on Saturday March 1^st. This reshuffle kept the powerful ministries of defense and interior in place, meaning that Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is still the country’s defense minister. He is actually expected to run for president in elections happening in April. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of Egypt’s police force is also still in place which is controversial because there has been a lot of criticism over how he is handling the rising violence the police force is using against protestors and dissent.

This reshuffle is due to the shocking resignation on Monday of most of the Cabinet including the Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblaw. Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is responsible for overthrowing Islamist President Mohammad Morsi back in July. The president had backed prim minister el-Beblawi’s government rough violent times including the crackdown on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and a nationwide referendum that adopted a new constitution. This all happened while Islamic military insurgency and acts of terror continued to occur in Egypt.

The surprise resignation is believed to have happened so close to the Presidential elections because of the rising discontent and criticism of the Cabinet. They were being accused of failing to stem widening labor strikes and continued protests throughout the county. Parliamentary elections are expected to occur by the summer which will reinstall a new government.

This new interim government is actually the sixth since 2011 and the second interim government after Morsi was ousted. This is significant to the Arab community because it means Egypt is facing more uncertainty in the face of their already drained economy and will still be facing problems of protests and upheaval until something is done to stop it, and no one knows if this new interim government will be able to stop it.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gunmen-kill-egypt-policeman-killed-protest-22720508

Moroccan Torture Turmoil

Morocco has suspended judicial cooperation with its formal colonial ruler, France. A diplomatic row has been growing between the two countries over allegations of human right abuses regarding the torturing of people detained by the Moroccan government. It is speculated that the Moroccans have noticed that released prisoners are filing legal complaints of torture when they get back to France. This move has effected matters such as joint investigations, prisoner transfers, civil procedures for dual French-Moroccan nationals, and extraditions between the two countries. The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch has urged Morocco to investigate the alleged injustices performed by the country's law enforcement.

Although Morocco remains under fire from human rights groups over police injustice, press privileges, and judicial independence, France is keen to resolve the dispute as soon as possible. One can infer that Morocco is trying dangerously to become an independent nation when considering that France is Morocco's top economic partner. I believe that Moroccans feel that outside nations are breeching the sovereignty of the country's own governmental ability to investigate internal issues, which is fueling Morocco's diplomatic spats.

Website 1: http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33808:morocco-raises-stakes-in-diplomatic-spat-with-ally-france&catid=56:diplomacy-a-peace&Itemid=111

Website 2: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/27/us-morocco-france-idUSBREA1Q0GW20140227

Iraq Kurdistan-US relations

When most Americans think about Iraq, the War on Terror is the conflict that comes to mind. Often the Kurdish population is never thought of or their ongoing battle with the rest of Iraq. The Iraq Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani is refusing to meet with President Obama because the United States has placed the two main Kurdish political parties on the terrorist black list. The Kurds feel as if this label is unfair and damaging to their people. I found this article interesting because of the Kurds history of opposing Saddam Hussein and favoring the United States during our war in Iraq. The Kurd government reinforced my feelings in the article by pointing out that US forces did not suffer any casualties in the Kurd controlled area during their invasion, and proved thankful towards our forces. This leeds me to wonder why the Kurds were placed on the terror list in 2001?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/12/iraqi-kurdistan-president-obama-terror-list

Suicide Bomber in Lebanon Kills Three

In Lebanon on Saturday a suicide bomber killed two soldiers and a civilian while passing through a Hezbollah checkpoint. The group claiming responsibility for this attack is called the Nusra Front, which is named after a group that is fighting against the Assad regime in Syria. The Nusra Front in Lebanon is claiming that this attack is in retaliation to the fact that Hezbollah is a supporter of the Assad regime, and regularly sends troops into Syria to fight against the rebels. The checkpoints themselves however, were put into place by Hezbollah in order to crack down on such attacks from many different militant organizations who are unhappy with Hezbollah's stance on the fighting in Syria.
Preventing security breaches like this is one of the many challenges faced by the brand new government in Beirut. However, the government is facing many internal problems, with it being polarized by the Shi'a Hezbollah and its supporters, and the the Western-backed Sunni part of the government. Unfortunately, many experts are saying that the government won't last long due to this bi-polarity and the continuation of attacks like this one may put more stress on the new government than it can handle.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/02/22/uk-lebanon-blast-idUKBREA1L0UF20140222

Oil Output in Libya Drops

Libya's oil production has fallen to 230,000 barrels a day from 570,000 bpd due to the closure of the el-Sharara field following protests, state-owned National Oil Corp (NOC) said. The crisis has already cost the country an estimated 10 billion in losses. "The country's oil production has fallen to 230,000 bpd after the closure on Thursday evening of the oilfield at el-Sharara," which has an output of 330,000 bpd, NOC spokesman Mohamed al-Harairi said on Sunday. The recent decline is the latest blow to the oil-rich North African nation, where the oil sector accounts for 70 percent of GDP, 95 percent of state revenues and as much as 98 percent of exports. Ever since the revolt against Gaddafi the nation's oil industry has often been targeted by rebels in order to undermine the state's authority while gaining international attention. I am curious to see how the fellow Arab League nation's will react to this especially OPEC since Libya is a member nation. Could we see a rise in gas prices?

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/02/libya-oil-output-dives-after-key-field-shut-2014223153123479374.html

Morocco Relations in Africa

As a result of Islamist terrorism across North Africa, foreign ministers of 19 countries (including France and much of North Africa) attended a meeting in Morocco's capitol (Rabat) last November to consolidate effort against the AL Qaeda and its followers. This Rabat Declaration implies that there are some major changes coming to Europe and Africa. Regarding Al Qaeda prevention efforts, Morocco and France have acted with the most force; Morocco's efforts were largely diplomatic. Morocco has been heavily ostracized by neighboring Algeria--with Algeria's influence keeping Morocco the only nation on the continent excluded from the African Union and most regional security initiatives. When friction erupted in Mali, nations looked to Algeria to lead efforts to stabilize the country. However, when Algeria was slow to engage efforts, Morocco charged into action and saw a chance to partner with France to address issues as well as lead a coalition against jihadists in Mali.

Since then, Morocco has launched initiatives to boost trade and investments across the region by working with the EU and the USA. With the King of Morocco the head of state and the highest religious authority, the country worked to champion moderation and reform against extremist ideas across North Africa and Southern Europe using religious grounds. As Morocco builds on its success and expands its sphere of influence across Northern Africa and Southern Europe, the country shows no signs of loosing steam as it continues to announce partnerships with countries such as Tunisia, Guinea, and Libya to fight extremist ideas.

Website: http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/morocco-modern-islam-and-the-future-of-africa-comment-special-to-ians-114022300072_1.html

Kuwait continues pro-media by welcoming media to Arab summit

Kuwait continues to be a leader in free and fair media in the Arab world, welcoming Al-Jazeera TV and numerous other media outlets to openly cover Arab Summit which will be held later in March. Kuwait's Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Sabah welcomed the media delegation expressing Kuwait’s excitement and support of a free press. Kuwait sets a strong tone by welcoming media, confirming their support and belief in freedom of expression. While many Arab nations add additional restrictions to press and political expression, Kuwait hopes to encourage other heads of state to lessen restrictions after the summit.

Trials in Egypt Stir Unrest

On Saturday Mohamed Morsi, the deposed president appeared in court. He has been charged with prison breaks that freed over 20,000 inmates back in 2011 during their 18-day revolt. This revolt was responsible for toppling the autocratic Hosni Mubarak. He is one of 130 being charged with this, including members of the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. Morsi was one of the many inmates freed back in 2011 and became the first ever freely elected president in 2012.

During his appearance Morsi urged the people to “continue their peaceful revolution”. Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt which continues to stage weekly protests. However, these protests have been cracked down on recently and over 1400 people have been killed since July.

Six police officers are also being acquitted and are being charged of killing 83 protestors during the 2011 revolution. Many rights groups feel this is not adequate punishment and that many police officers who killed protestors are not being brought to justice.

These court cases are bringing back a lot of feelings and unrest in Egypt over what happened in 2011 and what is still happening today. This unease will not disappear until the groups feel they have gotten what they want. This does not bode well for their opposition and for the rest of the Middle East which really does not need more unrest right now.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/02/egypt-morsi-urges-revolution-from-court-2014222132155680303.html