Stories about War & Conflict from July, 2008
Latvia, Russia: Views of European Court Ruling
Marginalia presents a Latvian view of the background to and case of Kononov vs. Latvia, which Latvia lost last week in the European Court of Human Rights, whereas Voices from Russia gives a Russian view of perceived Latvian motives for the original war crimes’ charges against Kononov.
Iraq: Thousands of Visitors
Iraqi blogger Najma, A Star from Mosul, gives us a brief run down of her life over the previous two years – where they literally had thousands of visitors in their home.
Palestine: Pregnant woman shot
The Palestine Video Blog shares a video about a pregnant woman who was shot by Israeli soldiers in Nablus. (Warning: Graphic images)
Sri Lanka: 25 years after Black July
Sepia Mutiny on this weekend marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of war in Sri Lanka, which is commonly dated to the anti-Tamil riots there in 1983.
India: Apathy and Terror
Greatbong on the institutional and cultural apathy in India surrounding acts of terror – with people not pressing for political action.
Sri Lanka: Riots in the early 80s
groundviews has a moving post, recollecting ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka in the early 1980s.
Afghanistan: Seeking Justice
Despite its reputation for a very conservative brand of Islam, Afghanistan is deeply torn. Before the recent decades of war, the country was more known for its mystical Sufism that attracted crowds of hippies and tourists than anything else; the Soviet War helped entrench a more fundamentalist brand of Islam...
Soviet History: The Afghan War
The Turkish Invasion writes at length about the Soviet Afghan War and posts pictures from the memorial in Kyiv. Window on Eurasia writes that Russian Afghan War vets “want Moscow to celebrate their war too.”
Lebanon: Clashes in the North
Blacksmiths of Lebanon posted a video (about 2 minutes) showing live clips of the clashes currently taking place in North Lebanon as shown on a local TV station.
Latvia: European Court Goes Against Riga
Who has the right to pass judgment on what a man does in the service of his country during wartime and what should the legal grounds for such a verdict be? These are some of the key issues surrounding a legal process on WWII war crimes against a soviet veteran, Vasily Kononov, that has been dragged through the Latvian legal system since 1998. However, earlier this week, the European Court of Human Rights found that Latvia lacked legal grounds for prosecuting Kononov. Following the verdict, the Russian blogosphere has generally reacted with joy and relief, although there have also been some opposing voices.
Lebanon: Reviving Lebanon’s Jewish Community
“Lebanese Expatriates are helping to fund and renovate the ancient Magen Abraham synagogue in the heart of the Lebanese capital, one of the largest in the Arab world. Renovation is expected by the end of this year or by 2009,” reports The Lebanese Inner Circle.
Lebanon: Defying Political Unstability
“The will to live is stronger than death, happiness is stronger than sadness, and peace is stronger than war,” writes The Lebanese Inner Circle, who is reporting on the musical festivals taking place in Lebanon this summer.
Lebanon: “Lebanon Cluster Bomb”, the Film
“The film is a primer on the cluster munition problem in Lebanon, but much more so an intimate portrait of those struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating 2006 war. The under-represented of South Lebanon are given voice here, as they work shoulder to shoulder to return the land...
Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice
Reacting to the news of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, Bahraini blogger Hayat [Ar] describes the decision as ‘cross-eyed justice.' Will the ruling save Darfur and its people or is it another ploy to allow the United States direct control over the region and its rich resources?
Sudan: Who's Next After Al Bashir on the US Hit List?
The International Criminal Court Prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir for his ”criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.” A Sudanese blogger writing in Arabic wonders who will be next on the United States' hit list which targets Arab leaders.
Russia, US: A Cuba Crisis in the Making
Der Spiegelfechter (GER) comments on rumours in Moscow, according to which Russia might station strategic bombers on Cuba in reply to deployment of the US missile defence system to Poland and the Czech Republic. Is it a new Cuba crisis in the making?
India: Ahmedabad Hit By Bomb Blasts
With barely a gap of 24 hours since the attack in Bangalore, another terrorist attack was witnessed today in the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat with sixteen blasts going off in various parts of the city. While the blasts, much like the ones in Bangalore were of...
Lebanon: Mental Laziness and Stereotyping
“That common American/Israeli refrain that Arabs have a cult of death, whereas Israelis/the West love life is older than, e.g., suicide bombings. It is, I think, a thought well-embeded in imperialist thinking, along with the idea that Arabs are irrational,” writes Burghol on going to war to restore honor.
Lebanon: Forest Fires and Land Mines
“Wild fires near Aley are causing civil-war-era mines to explode and are proving hard for the firefighters to contain,” reports Mustapha with photos of the fires.
Lebanon: Women's Rights
“I remember a friend of mine… who was quite worried during the latest armed confrontations… because her estranged husband won’t give her permission to take the children out of the country, and she cannot take her children out of Lebanon without his written and explicit permission. one story among many,”...
Serbia: Anglophone Bloggers Continue Discussion of Karadžić's Arrest
From one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, Radovan Karadžić - aka Dr. Dragan David Dabić - has turned into one of the world's most talked about detainees. Below are snippets of some of the discussions that have taken place in Anglophone blogs in the past few days.
