Updates Wednesday 18 July 2012

 

 

TOP OF THE NEWS Rebels battle to "liberate" Damascus July 18, 2012 Rebels declared the battle to "liberate" Damascus has begun as heavy fighting raged across the city on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Russia said an agreement is possible for a UN resolution on the crisis and peace envoy Kofi Annan said the 16-month crisis, increasingly described as a civil war, was at a "critical time." COMMENT A patronizing narrative pigeonholes Arabs Hussein Ibish, July 17, 2012 The prevailing view remains that Islamists have nearly unassailable appeal at the present moment in Arab elections, and that the Libyan election result is merely an exception. Contrary to facts on the ground, Western commentators have been engaging in extraordinary rhetorical contortions to protect their views from highly inconvenient facts. AGENDA Tremseh: Trying to spark sectarian conflict Matt Nash and Luna Safwan, July 17, 2012 Hussein Abudllah – a Tremseh resident who works in Lebanon – tells NOW Lebanon about his last visit home, just two days before an alleged massacre occurred. This was not the first time the regime attacked the town, but last week its objective was sowing sectarian discord. NOW EXTRA Just for laughs Naziha Baassiri, July 17, 2012 Arab-American comedian Amer Zahr performed for the first time in Beirut last week as part of The Comedy Factory organized by MTV. Zahr sat down with NOW Extra to talk about his take on censorship, what makes a good comedian, the future of stand-up comedy in the region, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. NOW SYRIA Latest Syria developments July 18, 2012 They toare standing up for freedom and demanding democratic reforms in the face of an oppressive regime. NOW Syria is tracking the latest developments from inside the state, where peaceful protesters are pushing forward the Arab Spring with a new uprising. BLOG Burning What? Posted by: Yasmina Hatem Monday, July 17, 2012 The pot calling the kettle black Posted by: Liliana Mihaila Monday, July 17, 2012 A Way Out Posted by: Dr. Waleed Brinjikji Friday, July 17, 2012 ARTS & CULTURE مارون صالحاني فيلم زينة صفير "Beirut عالموس".. وثيقة من ذاكرة وطن CUTS Goebbels, Iranian-style Gilad Erdan , jpost.com Syria's Collapse Could Be a Chem Weapon Nightmare Kris Alexander , WIRED The Other Side of Syria's Civil War Kate Brooks , Foreign Policy-Photo Essay Is Obama or Romney Better for Middle East Peace? Jeffrey Goldberg , Bloomberg Subscribe a Friend - Enter your friends' email address if you want them to receive our daily newsletter.

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