Friday News Roundup - International
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-02-01/friday-news-roundup-international
An explosion outside the U.S. embassy in Ankara kills one Turkish guard and wounds two people. U.S. intelligence officials say Al Qaeda’s affiliate in north Africa is seeking to carry out attacks on western targets in the region. Niger, which borders Mali and Algeria, agreed to host American troops and surveillance drones to keep tabs on Islamic militants. An israeli airstrike on Syrian territory drew condemnation from Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. And opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi demand his overthrow after the deadliest week of his seven months in office. A panel of journalists joins Diane to discuss the week's top international news stories.
Guests
Abderrahim Foukara
Washington bureau chief of Al Jazeera Arabic.
Susan Glasser
editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy magazine.
Yochi Dreazen
contributing editor at The Atlantic and author of a forthcoming book on military suicide.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Salon mag on line reported this week that the government of Israel admits to limiting the fertility of Ethiopian Jewish women who sought refuge there. This was done without the women's knowledge in some cases and against their will in others. The report indicates that this policy was imposed on these African refuges and not refuges from other races or continents. Please comment on how such a policy of eugenics could have been put in place and how the US could use its influence with Israel to stop it.
When you talk about the "love fest" for the new Secretary of State, not all Vietnam Veterans thank that highly of him because he testified before Congress against the war wearing his ribbons while some were still doing our duty.
I know many folks are needlessly sensitive to the use the term "hacker" and the contexts in which it is appropriate--I do not normally care much for that argument. But in the case of the China and NYT controversy, I must speak up. Please--this was not hacking, this was an act of espionage by professionals. I think the language nuance shifts the debate from an issue of criminal law to one of international relations and the use of covert action by a foreign power against US citizens on US soil.
I know that Diane and her guests are intelligent people. However, as a critical consumer of political information, news and international politics, I find the frame of the entire show -- despite Diane's occasional hints that she sees a larger picture -- to be, if not jingoistic, at least prejudiced towards endorsing American positions. And that includes soft peddling Israel's disproportionate influence on US politics.
While I see that the show tries to be honorable in discussing subjects, you are about to lose a dedicated listener (not that anyone should care) because it is so painful to listen much of the time. If I want to get American exceptionalism regurgitated, I can get it numerous other places.
John Artim good point (on hacking vs espionage), and it speaks to the kind of dumbing down that I find about the show at times (and which I have relatedly addressed in comment above).
I don't think Don S was listening to the same program I was. He thinks the guy from Al Jazeera Arabic is a proponent of American Exceptionalism? I thought the guests this week were very well informed and delivered their knowledge very clearly.
We can certainly disagree, Gerald, and we apparently derive different impressions. I'm not particularly impressed by 'well informed' and 'clear' delivery. I am impressed by speaking truth to power. Maybe it's my fault and that's not part of the format, rather than just repeating consensus opinion.
Maybe there should be a spin off show taking down all the shibboleths. I even think Diane could host it well.
-- Don