It seems like the concept of peaceful transition of political power in Africa is an alien notion. This century has seen a least a dozen successful or attempted coups d’états on the continent. Disputed elections in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nigeria have drawn world wide criticism. After stealing the most recent presidential elections, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe declared recently, “Zimbabwe is mine”. Zimbabwe’s currency is worthless, schools and hospitals are shut down, and a cholera outbreak has taken the lives of over 1,000 of his citizens. Yet, he remains President, refusing to share power with Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader that easily defeated him in the first round of elections in early 2008, only to have Mugabe’s electoral commission call for a second round of voting. Mugabe won the runoff with 85% of the vote amid allegations of intimidation, kidnappings, beatings, and blatant fraud.
Zimbabwe Dictator and Present Owner Robert Mugabe
So it is fitting that today, we are alerted to yet another coup d’état attempt. This time, the lucky nation is Guinea. The impoverished West African nation of 10 million, finds itself in limbo upon the death of its authoritarian President Lansana Conté, who not surprisingly had ruled Guinea since 1984, assuming power following, you guessed it, a coup d’état. Though details remain sketchy, it has been reported that elements within the Guinean army have dissolved the nation’s constitution and its government.
Deceased Guinean President Lansana Conté
We can chalk up another success story in the evolution of African Democracy. Congratulations Guinea!
Amid allegations of torture, Iraqi journalist and shoe thrower, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, has been scheduled to appear in open court on December 31st. He faces the charge of “aggression against a foreign head of state”.
If convicted the journalist faces up to two years in jail.
The allegations of torture has been made by the journalist’s brother, Uday al-Zaidi, who also claims that the letter written by his brother last week, asking forgiveness from Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, was done under duress and against the journalist’s will. The brother also contends that al-Zaidi has had a tooth knocked out, has cigarette burns, and has been beaten with iron bars and cables. Uday al-Zaidi also stated that his brother remains steadfast in his refusal to apologize to President Bush for the shoe throwing incident. It is also being reported that Mr. al-Zaidi plans to sue the Iraqi security forces for injuries incurred during his detention.
Torture and the threat of litigation… Yes it does look like American style democracy is taking hold in Iraq. Mission Accomplished!
In today’s digital edition of the Telegraph, Neil Durkin, posted a piece regarding the disappearance of Iranian-Canadian blogger, Hossein Derakhshan. A prolific bilingual blogger, Hoder, as he is better known as, was one of the first Farsi language bloggers. His English language blog, Editor: Myselfhas not been updated since October 6, 2008. He has been detained by the Iranian government, possibly facing serious charges, since early November. He was visiting family in Iran at the time of his arrest.
Mr. Durkin reports that Hoder has had at least four phone communications with his family in Iran but has not spoken with them in quite some time. His physical condition or whereabouts are not known. His disappearance has been condemned through out the blogosphere. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shirin Ebadi, has recently called for his release.
Having no power to sway any governments’ foreign policy (my own children barely listen to me); I can only try to keep Hoder’s plight public and fresh. I urge my fellow bloggers to do the same. Silence and apathy on our part will only embolden those who oppose the ideals that drive our efforts.
As Mr. Durkin alluded to, it is real easy being a blogger in a society where you know your written words won’t lead to your arrest.
Again, I urge the government of Islamic Republic of Iran to unconditionally release Hossein Derakhshan.
In an absolutely stunning move, President George W. Bush has actually made a rational decision. After weeks of picking his nose and scratching his head, pretending that he was remotely concerned with the economic disaster he has caused, Mr. Bush has finally decided to act.
The Decider-in-Chief agreed to throw a life line to the US automakers. In a nationally televised address, President Bush announced that he was providing $17.4 billion dollars in rescue money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) in order to help the Big Three automakers.
While acknowledging the potential for further economic damage, Mr. Bush set a March 31st 2009 deadline for the automakers to come up with a viable business plan while stressing that concessions will have to be made by management, labor unions, suppliers and creditors. Surprisingly, Mr. Bush did not announce the creation of a “Car Czar” to oversee the loan disbursement.
In a statement immediately following the loan approval, the Chrysler Corporation expressed its satisfaction at the government’s decision.
Only the worst President in modern times could take this nation’s economic crisis and make it even worse with his absolute detachment. When asked today about his plans for the automakers assistance plan, Mr. Bush responded, “I haven’t made up my mind.” (are you kidding me?) Yet, the Undecider-in-Chief may have shown his hand when he stated, “I’m worried about a disorderly bankruptcy and what it would do to the psychology of the markets.” The only thing disorderly in all of this is his own psychological state of mind!
The banking industry has been bailed out to the tune of over $300 billion dollars. The automakers are asking for 10% of that figure (in LOANS), and yet the President is concerned over “putting good money after bad”. He made this comment even after it was revealed this week that AIG has been doling out secret bonuses to its employees while the automakers begin to idle their plants. Mr. Bush did make it clear that he did not want saddle incoming President Obama with a “financial catastrophe”.(What?!!!)
Mr. Bush has demonstrated his inability to handle anything. The financial catastrophe that he wishes to avoid passing on to the next President is already happening. He can add the bankruptcy of our nation’s automakers to his incredible resume of failure.
Having set the record for most days on vacation during a presidency, it may be time for him to go on another.
Iraqi journalist and shoe thrower Muntadar al-Zaidihas sent a letter of apology to Iraqi Prome Minister Nuri al-Maliki. According to a government spokesman, Mr. al-Zaidi asked for a pardon as “a son asks his father for forgiveness”.
The show throwing incident sparked protests through out the region against his detainment and possible injuries suffered at the hands of and security forces. He was seen by a judge in his jail cell on Monday prompting speculation that he injured and unable to attend a hearing in open court. A chaotic shouting match broke out in the Iraqi Parliament when legislators supporting Mr. al-Zaidi wanted to bring the issue of his detention to the floor. The Speaker of Parliament has reportedly resigned his post as a result of the ruckus.
There is no word as to how the al-Maliki government will respond to the clemency letter. There is no mention of an apology issued to President Bush in the letter.
As out-going President Bush winds down his “farewell tour”, he continues to distort history in the hopes of re-engineering his legacy. The tour has been met disinterest, skepticism, and a pair of flying shoes. Mr. Bush has given himself credit for keeping the nation safe after 9/11. Was he not in charge on 9/11? He also claims that his economic policies have strengthened the nation’s economy. That is simply laughable! In a three part blog series, The George W. Bush Legacy – FUBAR, I detailed his failures and how I felt history will judge him. (Read parts: I, II, III ).
One of the outlandish assertions that Mr. Bush is making during his tour is that under his leadership, the Middle East is now a more democratic Middle East. Is it really? Let’s take a look:
Iraq:
The jury is still out. Nobody knows what will happen in Iraq once American forces withdraw from the country. The country is deeply divided and the government of Nuri al-Maliki’s Islamic Dawa Party may not have the popular support to stand up against Muqtada al-Sadr’s loyalists. The Sunni minority and the independence-minded Kurds will make matters worse. The recent arrests of key government officials, accused of reconstituting Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party, signals a move to consolidate power and could be the precursor to one party rule.
Afghanistan:
They’re baaaack! The Taliban has reconstituted itself to the point that American forces have been redeployed into the region. Political parties can come and go. Quasi-cultural religious movements, however twisted they may be tend to linger for a long time. The Taliban will remain a force in Afghanistan for years. The country remains fractured and Afghan President Hamid Karzai controls just a portion of the country. The alien concept of democracy in Afghanistan is remote at best.
Democratization in the Region:
Mr. Bush points out that the Middle East is now a beacon of democracy. Unfortunately, the truth tells a different story. Here are examples of Mr. Bush’s “beacons of democracy” and their respective democratically elected leaders:
Saudi Arabia remains a monarchy
King Abdullah bin Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait remains a monarchy
Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait
The United Arab Emirates remain a monarchy
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
Qatar remains a monarchy
Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar
Bahrain remains a monarchy
Sheik Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Oman remains a monarchy
Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said of the Sultanate of Oman
Jordan remains a monarchy
King Abdullah II of the Kingdom of Jordan
Syria remains a one party rule state
President Bashar al-Assad of he Syrian Arab Republic
Egypt remains a one party rule state
President Hosni Mubarak of the Arab Republic of Egypt
The only true democratically elected Arab government in the region can be found in Yemen. Yet the country is beset with a growing separatist movement threatening its young democracy. The Israeli occupied territory of Gaza did hold democratic elections in 2006. Once Hamas was declared the winner, the results were rejected by the US and now Gaza and the West Bank are governed by different Palestinian Authority factions. Lebanon remains a fractured democracy with confessional politics having paralyzed the country for decades.
In light of these facts, Mr. Bush’s assertion that the Middle East has become democratized during his time in office is nothing more than another one of his fantasies and another failed attempt to rewrite his own sad history.
Muntadar Al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush, was seen by a judge at his jail cell. The fact that the meeting took place in Al-Zaidi’s jail cell and not in open court has fueled speculation that the reporter has been severely beaten. He is expected to be released on bail later this week. His continued detention has sparked protests throughout Iraq. A “Free Al-Zaidi”Facebook page has been created.
Numerous games have come online spoofing the incident. Check some of them out below:
The Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush is being praised as a hero through out the Arab world. The shoes thrown by Muntadar Al Zaidi are fetching offers from across the region. The BBC reports that the former coach of the Iraqi National Soccer Team has offered $100,000 dollars for the footwear. A Saudi national reportedly is offering $10 million dollars for the podiatric projectiles. A Libyan charity headed by the daughter of Muammar Gaddafi, will bestow a medal of courage to the reporter. Protesters in Gaza are marching with posters of Bush with shoes glued to his image. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has publicly lauded Al-Zaidi’s courage.
Al-Zaidi
Mr. Al-Zaidi has been detained and it has been widely reported that he has been severely beaten by Iraqi security. Though his whereabouts remain unknown, it is believed that he has been transported to an American medical facility for emergency treatment.
Mr. Al-Zaidi’s “courageous act” is being praised by the media in the Arab world. The Gulf News, UAE’s English language daily, has a poll on their web page for readers to select their favorite George Bush moment. (See the poll here) The shoe incident is winning the poll with over 52%. The Saudi Gazette has run an editorial praising Mr. Al-Zaidi’s act of temerity. The online Iraq Daily has thirteen (yes, 13) wire stories about the incident on their homepage.
The incident has incited Arab anti-American imperialist sentiments. To a certain degree, the shoe throwing debacle symbolizes what the Arab world feels towards the President’s policies in the region. I am sure that everyone is relieved that it was only a pair of shoes hurled at the President and not grenades. The fact that the President escaped injury with his cat like reflexes allows us to view the incident with a twist of ironic humor. Though we are laughing at this, we cannot lose sight of the underlying anger and hostility still being felt by the region’s inhabitants. There is still great resentment towards American intervention in the region. The incoming Obama administration will have its hands full.
As for Mr. Al-Zaidi; his 15 minutes of fame may last a lifetime.
In what can only be described as yet another international embarrassment, out-going President George W. Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him by a Baghdad TV reporter. The incident occurred while Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were giving a joint press conference in Baghdad. The reporter, Muntazer al-Zaidi, was arrested and is being charged with commiting a “barbaric and ignominious act” He faces up to seven years in prison for his actions.
Muntazer al-Zaidi
Having lived in the Middle East myself, I am aware that showing the soles of one shoes or the bottom of one’s feet to an Arab is considered rude and disrespectful. I commonly committed this faux pas as I casually propped up my feet on my coffee table while entertaining Arab friends. But to throw your shoes at someone is the ultimate insult!
Al Jazeera reports the shoe thrower’s brother as saying, “Millions of Iraqis or rather millions of the people of the world wish to do what Muntadhar did”. He added, “Thank God he had the guts to do it and avenge the Iraqi people and the country from those who plunder it and have killed its people.”
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