Bin Laden Dead & Gone?

Ok so unless you have been living under an isolated rock of sorts you will probably already know the hoopla surrounding whether Osama Bin Laden is dead or not. There are conflicting views and that is mainly because the circumstances surrounding Osama Bin Laden’s death have been vague and mysterious to say the least. But I’m not here to re-hash the many different views or opinions on whether he is dead or not, rather what I’m going to talk about is how all these different scenarios still lead us to the same conclusion.

So the options surrounding what has happened mainly fit into these 3 categories:

1> Osama Bin Laden Is dead and the narrative given by the US is what occurred.

2> Osama Bin Laden is not dead and this is all a ruse to distract us from the issues at hand i.e. Middle East unrest.

3> Osama Bin Laden has been dead for a while or has died already and it’s now just coming to light as it is being used as propaganda for one reason or another by the US.

So those are the 3 main positions I have ascertained from people, if it isn’t exactly that, then it is something that is very similar to 1 of the 3 points.So regardless which camp you fit into let me tell you how regardless what you believe the aftermath is the same. Here are the facts:

Osama Bin Laden was already rumored to be very ill due to kidney failure and was already on a dialysis machine. He was an old man stricken with illness and was therefore a shadow of the man he was before. Regarding Al-Qaeda Osama Bin Laden was never really the brains behind the operation; he was more a figurehead and leader and had a devoted team around him that helped him execute plans or decisions. But this network had been greatly diminished in strength, size, importance and capability if not completely demolished. This is mainly because of the many US led attacks on the organization and the many members that have been killed off or arrested in the time between 9/11 till now. So overall, the operation was a hollow shell of its former self.

So what about all the failed attacks we saw occurring in the US by so called Al-Qaeda members i.e. shoe-bomber? Well the attacks we have seen in the past few years where actually those orchestrated by self-made small Al-Qaeda type cells like the one in Yemen that spurned the failed shoe-bomber attack. So these weren’t really branches from the organization but more a fact of groups trying to emulate and share in the familiarity associated with an already world-renowned and recognizable network like Al-Qaeda.

So what now? Basically, regardless of whether he is dead or not, or died a while ago Osama Bin Laden and the original Al-Qaeda network he spurned is no longer the main focus or worry for many state leaders and terror analysts. His irrelevance has been greatly highlighted especially by the recent Middle Eastern uprisings. Reform and revolution were simply brought about by the people on the ground and not by Al-Qaeda. The so-called and self-imposed ‘bastions of change’ were noticeable by their absence as the nation’s people showed how much can be done through simple unity and determination. A case in point being the fact that Osama Bin Laden released a tape calling for the overthrow of Mubarak a WEEK after Mubarak had already been overthrown by the Egyptian people.

So in summary, I don’t mourn nor care much for Osama Bin Laden and the twisted organization he founded. Mainly because he not only caused countless innocent deaths but also tainted a region’s people and religion.  The people in the Middle East have managed to swell the hearts of their nations with pride and honor through pacifism and unity, something which Osama Bin Laden never could or did. He divided rather than united, destroyed instead of built. He is the antithesis to the brave uprisings we see occurring in the Middle East.  He is an irrelevant and unnecessary stain in the narration of the momentous and historical events we see unfolding in the Middle East. The perceptions of him greatly outpace the reality of the situation. A man whose time was up well before his death.

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Till Next Time,

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Viva La Revolution EGYPTIAN style!

Right off the bat I want to congratulate all the fearless Egyptians who have come out throughout these protests to voice their rights and unequivocally demand that they be recognized and heard. That also includes the many brave souls and hero’s who have risked and lost their lives in this movement. May you rest in peace and may your actions resonate throughout time in the hearts of every Egyptian. It’s a bittersweet moment knowing that those who risked the most cannot be part of the joy and celebration that all the Egyptians are participating in today

But I do think the question that people will be faced with after the celebrations and festivities  have died down will be what happens next? It’s important that things are not left up in the air as the revolution of change does not simply stop with the door hitting Mubarak forcefully on the way out. So here is my brief summary about some overall important points:

Firstly, the fact that Mubarak has been forced out is of course in itself an amazing achievement ..It’s also very powerfully symbolic as it shows that no leader can claim to be immune from the movement and will of his people… It’s also helps in making the remaining corrupt, dictatorial and autocratic Arab leaders hopefully shake uncontrollably in their custom-designed-fur-lined-dolled-up-gold-embroidered-slippers… in other words the demand for sleeping pills will shoot up drastically as restless nights take their toll…so if anyone is looking to make a quick buck that’s a heads up to which shares you should invest in. If the guy who gives extra strong super-glue a run for its dam money *on what can act as better adhesive to the throne of power* can eventually haul on out than ANYONE is susceptible to getting the Alan Sugar ‘Your fired’  dress down.

But Mubarak didn’t of course survive as long as he did in throes of power without having sweetened the deal for the people he has placed around him. So therefore anyone who is seen to be a dummy or cronie of Mubarak should be also swiftly shown the door….. preferably the door of the garbage disposal chute… when the disease -ridden head rolls the body should swiftly follow… and that includes that TWAT Suleiman who i think has proven that no matter who you are, there is always some prick waiting in the wings who will eclipse you at whatever area you choose to specialise in… in Mubarak’s case…that area is : Bastard-ness…yep Mubarak…you officially have someone you can favourably contrast yourself against..

These changes need to be coupled with a complete overhaul and reform of the flawed constitution and electoral process. This will allow things like limits to presidential term to be added so that no one else will be able to do a ‘Mubarak’….if the constitution and electoral process are not addressed fairly and properly, then the foundations of democracy will be weak and anything that is built on it will be inherently shaky and susceptible to failure.

And another thing is that caution should be exercised with regards to the military who are now effectively in power…. that is for the simple reason that Mubarak himself and the presidents that have preceded him have all come from the military……coupled with the fact that the many heads of the military are BFF’s with Mubarak … I heard they even have those tacky BFF necklaces  … someone needs to tell them that’s SO 2000 & late.. Plus the proof that they receive millions in funding from the U.S means that people should be wary of where their loyalties actually lie….And by the military I’m only really referring to the top brass…not the brave underlings who have generally shown that their loyalties are to the Egyptian people first and foremost.

So therefore the interm government that will rule and look after things till elections are actually held should include the opposition figures that have been instrumentally part off and supportive of the movements in and out of Tahrir square and who have stood firmly by the Egyptian people.

This is an unprecedented moment in the history of the Middle East and the momentum should not be lost as this change can hopefully reform not only Egypt’s destiny but the destiny of the whole region…

Egypt is, after all, Om El-Donia: Mother of the world

Till Next Time,

 

Tunisia- viva la revolution!

Well, who-da-thunk-it? A well deserved congratulations to the Tunisian people.

It’s been quite an eventful few days in the Middle East region *yea anyone who wants to argue the geographic location of Tunisia with me is obviously missing the big picture*. The whole Tunisian overthrow of Ben Ali came as a shock to many who didn’t really know much about the region…It’s especially eventful since many news outlet in the western world didn’t really cover the protests and riots *which had been going on for around a month or so* till Ben Ali himself decided to get on a plane and high-tail his dumb ass out the region……welll…i say region…he did leave the region to try to get into France but was rejected *yea…France…the country that gave refuge to the Shah of Iran thinks you’re not good enough for it….talk about kicking a person when he is down…that had to burn*….But not to worry….he managed to find a place called home in Saudi Arabia…which considering how its government and leaders run things…must be realllllly confused over why exactly he got his ass served on a plate to him by his people:

Saudi Official; you mean to say you ALLOW your woman to drive…..you allow a sort of religious freedom…. you allow your woman to dress as they please….you allow your woman to go out and about on their jack-jones…….*let’s just cut the woman list short for the sake of the post not turning into a book of sorts*…you also don’t claim a monopoly on the Islamic religion whilst hypocritically not following those rules….and THEY still weren’t happy? PSHTT… youth these days….so inconsiderate.

But regardless of all that…..the point still stands that what the Tunisian’s did is something which is practically unheard of in the middle eastern region…they did something that is commendable…they stood up for their rights and they did not accept anything less than what they were truly owed….when Ben Ali offered to step down after his term ends in 2014* yea…boi thought that it was the idea of his seeking re-election that had grinded people’s gears….26 years of rule…. alright….anything more..and boi is pushing his luck*  years to quell the protest the people did not stop. It’s something which has rightfully sent shock waves through the region and throughout the world….and …it is hoped…that it might finally have woken up the Arabs in the region and shown them that nothing is impossible if they put their minds, heart and soul into it and if they UNITE to achieve the goal…

These corrupt, despotic leaders do not claim a monopoly over their people if the people don’t allow them to.

But of course…..events should be seen in context….there are factors in Tunisia which played into the hands of the population,

Firstly: the employment rate amongst the youth was around 50%….why this is important is because it is the youth who are usually at the forefront of any type of revolution, so their dissatisfaction adds a huge amount of fuel onto the fire

Secondly: the high gas and food prices…as everyone knows when the people are hungry..that is when they are most dangerous…it’s also why you’ll probably see a lot of countries now in the middle east re-assessing and lowering prices …keep people fed and warm…and you will breed a certain amount of complacency.

Thirdly: believe it or not…..the fact that the Tunisian youth are socially active online…the use of things like fb and twitter and other social mediums was instrumental in getting the movement started…so the next time your parents/friends/lecturer/sister tell you to get your face off of fb and into a book…just tell them when a revolution of sorts is needed…they will be rueing the day they asked you to shift on out…books don’t connect people…websites do *respect*…you reap what you sow ay?

The fact that Egypt ticks two of those boxes is the reason why people are looking to it to carry the mantle of the Tunisian movement through onto it’s shores. In fact, Egypt compared to Tunisia is worse off in the first two points in general…. but it’s the 3rd factor which is missing in Egypt that experts say is a problem…they aren’t as well-connected as Tunisia was.

Plus….the reason why this might not be so easy to replicate in countries like Egypt or Saudi or Jordan etc. is because in Tunisia, the military *and even police to a certain extent* where less willing to get extremely violent with the protesters as would have happened in the former countries….That is not to say that they weren’t violent…they where…especially the police …as lives were lost in the protests unfortunately…but the army in a sense took more of a back seat which wouldn’t have occurred in the other countries where they would probably be knee-deep in blood… as nearly everyone knows in the middle east region, generally…the army…instead of the police….would probably the be the first people on the scene of any type of  protest….yea….in the middle east…when you join the army…you do end up fighting contrary to what people think…..it’s just you end up fighting your own people.

So in summary, I’m completely in awe of all those people who participated and did what they did in the protests *even though they had been intimidated and threatened with violence* to secure justice for their people….And for those who lost their lives, May your actions be forever remembered in the hearts and minds of the current and future generations…let’s hope your deaths will not be to no avail…and that real change comes to a country which has fought and truly deserves it.

And also, as a sign of respect and recognition to the man who sparked these calls to protest through the actions he carried out in the last few moments of his life, I give a brief summary of what his story is:

‘ Mohamed Bouazizi, aged 26, from Sidi Bouzid, in southern Tunisia, had graduated from Mahdia University a few years ago, but could not find a job. Being the only breadwinner in his family, he decided to earn a living and with his family’s help, he started selling fruit and vegetable from a street stall. His venture gave him very little, enough to guarantee the dignity of his family. But city hall officials were on the look out, and have seized his goods several times. He tried to explain to them that what he was doing was not his choice that he was just trying to survive. Each time, his goods were confiscated; he was also insulted and asked to leave the city hall premises. The last time this happened, Mohamed lost all hope in this life and decided to leave it forever. He poured gasoline on himself and set himself on fire.’

I paraphrased his story from this website for those who are interested:

http://inmytrends.com/tunisia-unemployed-mans-suicide-attempt-sparks-riots.htm

R.I.P

Till next time,

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” – Malcolm X

 

Iran and the constant denial

Now reading the title you might be thinking that I am going to talk about the obvious issue of whether Iran seeks or doesn’t seek to build nuclear weapons. But that’s not the issue I want to actually talk about. The issue I want to talk about is Iran’s constant denial that there is any sort of internal rift in its populations over the current leadership of Ahmadinajad. Any sort of evidence to the contrary is blamed on ‘western’ interference and influence. The election demonstrations back in June- the west’s doing, claims of election fraud- the west’s doing, the recent alleged ‘assassination’ attempt on Ahmadinajad- a fabrication of the west.   Now the last point is what initially brought me to post on this subject.  On Thursday the president was visiting the city of Hamedan and during the procession a loud explosion was heard near his motorcade. In initial comments to western agencies the Iranian officials seemed to indicate that this was an attempted attack and that someone had been arrested. But this version changed during the rest of the day and the official response now was that it was just an over excited supporter letting of ‘steam’.

Now, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about celebrating, but not once have I felt the urge to throw a handmade grenade at a the person I am celebrating for. Wedding? throw a grenade at the bride and groom. Graduation? through a grenade at the graduate. Show them you REALLY care with a good old bang. A congratulatory hug just doesn’t cut it any more.  And when the western news agencies round the world reported it was an attack the Iranians responded that the west where just doing what they do best and trying to undermine the government and make a story out of nothing. If I was Iran, id be firing my dam spin doctor, if your going to cover up something, do it right. Don’t just hand us your deceit on a silver platter. And if your going to lie badly, then go all the way, do it the North Korean way and realllllly push the boat out.

It seems like Iran out of all nations has achieved the impossible and has a government and leadership in place that apparently is supported by the whole nation. The citizens who don’t fit this criteria are apparently stooges and lackeys of the west. Though there is no denying that Ahmadinajad does have a great share of support within Iran it’s not to say that the support against him is not large. And its this point that the Iranian leadership just won’t publicly own up to. No matter how many times you try and sweep crap under the carpet you know its still there cause you can dam well smell it. And one day the Iranian leadership is going to have to face up to it, the more they lie the more they loose the support and trust of the people. The big bad wolf aka the west won’t be a good enough excuse forever.

Till next time