· January, 2009

Stories about War & Conflict from January, 2009

Palestine: “They used our clothes as a toilet”

Bloggers in Gaza are gathering information about what happened during the recent Israeli attacks. In this update, we hear from families whose homes were looted and left covered with faeces by Israeli soldiers, learn what the effects of DIME weapons are, and are told the story of a father whose baby daughter was shot, his wife breastfeeding the girl as she bled to death.

31 January 2009

Sri Lanka: A Ceasefire, But For How Long?

Kettikili at pass the roti on the left hand side writes on the latest state of the war in Northern Sri Lanka: “The announcement of a ceasefire, however brief, is...

30 January 2009

MENA: Reflections on Obama's Al Arabiya Interview

It came as a surprise to many people that US President Barack Obama gave his first formal interview as president to an Arab television channel. Some were optimistic with Obama's replies, while others were disappointed. Yet, almost everybody was more concerned about the decision to have the interview conducted for Al Arabiya.

30 January 2009

Jordan: The BBC and Gaza

“The BBC says the risk of compromising confidence in its fairness, coupled with ‘question marks’ about aid getting through, had led to its decision not to broadcast the Gaza appeal....

29 January 2009

Armenia: Army Day

517 Design [RU] posts photographs of a youth procession to the Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan to mark yesterday's Army Day in Armenia. The national holiday also gave the blog...

29 January 2009

Russia: Conscript Seeks Asylum in Georgia

Aleksandr Glukhov, a 21-year-old Russian conscript, has asked for asylum in the Republic of Georgia to escape the "unbearable conditions" in the Russian army. One of Glukhov's media appearances took place as he was dining at a McDonald's restaurant in Tbilisi. Russian officials claim that Glukhov was captured by Georgian armed forces in South Ossetia, where he was performing his compulsory military service, and taken to the Georgian capital. Quite a few people in Russia seem to consider Glukhov "a traitor." Below are some of the reactions from the Russophone blogosphere.

29 January 2009

Sri Lanka: After The War

Darini Rajasingham Senanayake at Groundviews opines that the long ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka cannot be solved by military means alone. “It would require a political solution that ensures power-sharing...

28 January 2009

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Young Bloggers Bridge Geopolitical Divides

Nearly 15 years after a ceasefire agreement put the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, a lasting peace remains elusive and few citizens of either country have the opportunity to meet or communicate with the other. That might all be set to change, however, with DOTCOM, a project funded by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by Project Harmony.

28 January 2009

Israel: Where is Mahmoud al-Zahar?

Senior Hamas official Mahmood el-Zahar is no where to be seen. Gilad Lotan tunes into to the whispers making rounds on the blogs about his possible whereabouts.

28 January 2009

Arab World: “We Stopped Saying Israel…”

A message on Twitter calling upon Arabs to stop saying Israel has snowballed into a movement across the Arab world, in this latest twist of the ongoing online war following the Israeli bombing of Gaza. Anas Qtiesh reports from the front lines.

28 January 2009

Russia: Siege of Leningrad Photos

On the 65th anniversary of the lifting the siege of Leningrad, one of the most popular posts in the Russian blogosphere, by LJ user komen-dant (RUS), features Sergei Larenkov's selection...

27 January 2009

Africa: Obama's War of Deception

“Obama's War of Deception in Africa” is an analysis by Sekou Nkrumah, the Chairman of the Pan-African Improvement, of Obama's military strategy in Africa.

27 January 2009

Russia, Ukraine: “Far From Over”

Streetwise Professor writes: “In short, the Gas War is just the surface of things. Under the surface one finds the true dynamic–Russian imperial ambition resisted by a nation struggling to...

27 January 2009