The Good, The Bad, and the OMG

18 May 2013

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 5/10/13" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 5/10/13Benghazi. No wait, I didn't do it right. Benghazi! Closer. BENGHAZI!!!!1!!1111!! Much Better. Also, complex circumstances illuminated by infographics make your humble author very happy.Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, May 10 2013 13:10:43

The Good

Pakistanis will go to the polls this Saturday for the country’s general elections. As the US becomes increasingly more simultaneously reliant and wary of Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and the “war on terror”, these elections are all the more important for us to pay attention to.

But Pakistan is home to 182 million people of various ethnic, cultural, and religious identities. Attempting to understand what this election, and the unprecedented amount of violence leading up to it, means for Pakistanis and regional politics is a dizzying prospect. Luckily, Al Jazeera has you covered with some awesome interactive graphics.

Infographic: How the Pakistan elections workExplaining polling process in the May 11 vote for national and provincial assemblies across the nation of 182 million.Pakistan Speaks: The biggest election issuesVoters tell Al Jazeera via SMS that education, corruption and the economy are top concerns ahead of May 11 poll.

Their whole Spotlight page on the elections is incredibly well done, and even includes the ability to collect readers’ video responses.

Dawn.com, sporting what looks like a swanky new Web 2.0 design, also has an interactive map of national constituencies. Its got more than a few coding kinks it needs to work out, but its still pretty cool. Constituency Profile + Party Position

Sometimes its just nice to sit back and admire the amazing things that tech savvy journalism can produce. Even when we know things are likely to get real messy real quick.

For more explainers and in depth analyses, check these out:

Explainer: Pakistan's main political partiesOn May 11, Pakistanis will go to the polls to vote in general elections. Read about the history, vote bank and ideology of six of Pakista...On Eve of Elections, a Dismal Public Mood in PakistanReleased: May 7, 2013 Rising Concerns about the Taliban Overview As Pakistan prepares for national elections, the country's public mood i...Pakistan: Putting democracy to the testThree of Pakistan's main political parties have been singled out as legitimate targets for attacks, throwing campaigning for parliamentar...

The Bad

The 2012 presidential race is behind us, but the politicking over the attack on American diplomats in Benghazi seems to have found a renewed vigor. This week’s hearing before Congress drummed up the familiar conservative ire over Obama’s foreign policy legacy, but also created a prime opportunity to possibly hamper Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential ambitions.

Or, at least, that’s what party hacks and PACs want us to take away from the emotional testimonies of three witnesses.

As always, Jon Stewart’s great takedown of the outrage being pumped out of Fox News:

The Big Benghazi Theory - "If"Fox News is outraged by the lack of media outrage over Benghazi. Airdate - 05/08/13And yet, this story is still juicy enough to the public that they continue to search for it in their daily news consumption.I've heard some say that Benghazi is an inside-the-Beltway story of little interest to the general public. But I think it may actually be the opposite. Beltway types-- particularly liberals, but some conservatives too -- are ready for this story to go away, but the public is still very much interested, and conservative media outlets in particular have continued to beat the drum. The administration may grumble that senators are politicizing a tragedy, but for the public, this has always been a political story.blog.foreignpolicy.comOf course, it could also be a case of "tail wagging dog" where the public accepted the story as political because media elites made it political first.

So what should we be taking away from the media hype? One Washington Post blogger says its that Republicans have perfected creating scandals in the press to the point where they don’t even have to make sense anymore. (I would direct you, once more to the prior Daily Show clip).

With Obama, there’s no need for these scandals to make sense; the conservative press will run with them either way. And there might even be an advantage to incoherence. After all, if the accusations are gibberish, the neutral reporters will tend to ignore them — and then conservatives can go on conservative talk radio and Fox News and charge the rest of the press of ignoring these extremely important charges. All of which means that Republican politicians have little incentive, and perhaps even some real disincentives, for doing the hard work of government oversight — or even the hard work of first-rate scandal-mongering. No wonder they get lazy!washingtonpost.comFor more on the demand for scandals, check out @JBouie over at The American Prospect.

Just as importantly, we should also be wary of jumping into the "When Bush Did It" black hole of inanity. Seriously, hardly anything good comes of it these days.13 Benghazis That Occurred on Bush's Watch Without a Peep from Fox NewsThe Republican inquisition over the attacks against Americans in Benghazi has never really gone away, but it appears as though in the wak...Not everything about this week’s hearings was so partisan-dominated. Benghazi probe is more than just an attack against Hillary Clinton"At this point, what difference does it make?" Those are the fateful words Republicans have been trying to hang around former Secretary o...Transparency, Secrecy and Retaliation Emerge as Major Issues in Benghazi CoverageWhen Col. Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, resigned from his post, protesting the torture of prisoners ...

The OMG

A pro-Assad group calling themselves the Syrian Electronic Army hacked The Onion’s Twitter account this week. The “hacktivists” may have failed at satirical humor, but the story itself is just too damned hilarious.

Syrian Electronic Army Has A Little Fun Before Inevitable Upcoming Deaths At Hands Of RebelsDAMASCUS, SYRIA-After hacking into The Onion 's Twitter account earlier today, members of the Syrian Electronic Army confirmed that the o...

Also, check out (or rather don't) what Madonna’s French boyfriend (left) is holding at their appearance at the Met Gala.

Buzzfed

Please, please, please don’t let this be a sign that Madonna is going to try and save the Middle East. I don’t think the region could handle yet another self-interested world power “peace” broker.

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: #BostonBombing Special" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: #BostonBombing SpecialPart I of our two part analysis of news coverage of the first major terrorist attack on US soil in the age of social media and smart phones.Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, Apr 26 2013 07:07:14img2-2.timeinc.net

These past two weeks have been a media clusterfrak: Saudi terror! South Asian terror! Dark skinned man terror! We got ‘em! Oh whoops, no we don’t. Ok now we got ‘em.

To honor the particularly horrible nature of the Boston bombings coverage, GBOMG will present a two-part analysis with a slightly altered format. In Part I, we’ll take a look at the rush to find the culprits; Part II will focus on what happened once the suspects were identified and caught.

The Bad

Let’s start with the first mainstream media screw up, from the New York Post. On the day of attack, Monday the 15th, the NY Post reported that a Saudi national was identified by the authorities as a suspect. The Boston Police, however, had not revealed any information to the press about who and who wasn’t a person of interest. Of course that didn’t stop Fox News anchors from speculating about his villainous nature . As it turned out, the young man was among the wounded and a witness.

Then, the NY Post again published a story on Thursday, the 18th, with a photo of two males it said being sought by law enforcement with the headline “BAG MEN.” Surprise! Those guys didn’t do it either. But whatever. The NY Post has is a tabloid and has always been a tabloid. But at what happens when tabloids start becoming toxic?

Young men, please sue the New York PostOne of the glories of journalism is openness. Want to file a story and publish it? Go right ahead. There are no government licensing requ...

Hell. Yes.

Perhaps the most talked about initial on-air media blunder came on Wednesday, the 17th, as CNN’s John King claimed the network had exclusively gained information that a “dark skinned male” had been arrested. That claim was echoed by Buzzfeed and Reuters, citing CNN as the source, with Fox News later coming in to report the same. It took about an hour for everyone to finally agree that no arrest had been made.

In times of crisis, what would we do without Jon Stewart?

The Most Busted Name in NewsIn Boston, CNN debates its own bogus arrest report. Airdate - 04/17/13Also, really? “Dark skinned male”? Really?The Problem With Identifying a Suspect as "Dark-Skinned"John King of CNN caused a frenzy today when he was the first to report that a possible suspect in the Boston bombings was in custody. Kin...

King did apologize for his “embarassing” error, but I’ll let you make your own judgements on that.

Print and broadcast outlets weren’t the only ones trying to jump ahead of law enforcement. As the LA Times points out, this was the first major terrorist attack to occur on American soil in the age of social media and smart phones. Witnesses quickly uploaded photos and video which proved helpful to police; but many other citizens became amateur sleuths, analyzing and hypothesizing in a way that fed panic and paranoia. Twitter and Facebook users were driving the general public confusion. However, other online networks like Reddit and 4Chan were actually encouraging the “investigation”.

Needless to say, none of this produced anything of value. Just more shaky accusations against the innocent.

The Good

Before any details about the attack were even known- beyond the casualty count- some Muslim communities around the world decided to send a message to the US. No, not the Muslim Brotherhood. Just ordinary Muslims who happen to be victims of terrorist attacks themselves, on a daily basis.

theatlantic.comhuffingtonpost.comThe above is from Iraq.Boston / Syriastream.aljazeera.com

Although I suspect some Americans may have prompted these communities to express their solidarity, that lack of spontaneity cannot eclipse the message that these people are sending:

“We are also victims of terror.”

Creating bridges through mutual understandings of suffering: priceless.

On the other hand, part of me cringed at the prospect that many Americans might see this and expect that Muslims in the US and abroad have an obligation to condemn all and every terrorist attack. Many Muslims would probably (and did) offer that anyway, but putting that expectation on them only deepens divisions.

We’ll explore more on those issues in Part II.

The OMG

Ladies and gentlemen, The Onion timeline of events.

BREAKING: No News BreakingWATERTOWN, MA-Sources are now confirming that no news is currently breaking in the manhunt for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar A....BREAKING: Still NothingWATERTOWN, MA-Sources can now confirm that there is still nothing new to report on the search for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar...BREAKING: Has The Word 'Breaking' Lost All Its Meaning?WATERTOWN, MA-Citing exhaustive use of the word "breaking" to preface media coverage of today's ongoing manhunt for one of the alleged Bo...BREAKING: Can Anyone Ever Truly Know Anything? What Is The Truth?WATERTOWN, MA-According to the latest news breaking from the scene of the ongoing Boston bomber manhunt, sources asked if anyone can ever...BREAKING: We Might Be Doing A Bad JobWATERTOWN, MA-Citing the fact that we have done five breaking news updates in the last 30 minutes and have added no new information to th...BREAKING: Do You Think We're Doing A Good Job?WATERTOWN, MA-Following earlier updates on the manhunt for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar A. Tsarnaev, sources were just wonderi...BREAKING: We're Doing A Bad JobWATERTOWN, MA-In an important development since our last update, sources can now positively confirm that we are doing a bad job covering ...

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 4/12" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 4/12Critiquing topless protests will never not be fun, Russell Brand offers a lesson in compassion over the death of Margaret Thatcher, and Iran invents...things. Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, Apr 12 2013 13:00:07

The Good

Its been a little over a week since extremist activist group Femen declared April 4th “Topless Jihad Day”. But the criticism against these ladies isn’t slowing down.

There was the creation of the Muslim Women Against Femen Facebook page which posted photos of Muslim women from around the world expressing their anger towards their would-be liberators. Other such photos and tweets were gathered around the hashtag #muslimahpride.

facebook.comfacebook.comfacebook.com

And these badass Muslimah (and one non-Muslimah) op-eds:

Put Your Shirts Back On, Ladies - By Naheed MustafaThe other day, I was sitting around thinking about all the women who are trying to bring real change to the world. They wade into politic...Muslimah Pride: We Reject Femens Islamophobic and Neo-Colonialist Crusade to Save UsIf Femen really want to help Muslim women they should address the fact that for far too long now, Muslim women have been marginalised, bo...Naked JihadWhen a young woman in Tunisia named Amina posted a photo of herself with the words "My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone...Anytime a discussion about feminism, race, and intersectionality breaks out you know its a good day. We can only hope a tolerant, supportive vision of feminism will deafen out the offensive and just plain juvenile views of Femen.

Ironically, it was Vladimir Putin who (unknowingly) championed the skepticism of Femen’s tactics when he made this “derp” face upon being accosted by topless protesters.facebook.com

Bring a kiddie pool full of jello next time, ladies. That’ll really get the attention of an oppressive patriarchy.

The Bad

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, aka The Iron Lady, passed away at the age of 87 this week. She was the UK’s first woman prime minister and a star on the right wing political scene. Naturally, some people were reverent and truly sad at her passing. Others used the occasion to recall her troubling legacy and express condolences for her “victims.” And others...got pretty nasty.

Margaret Thatcher's death greeted with street parties in Brixton and GlasgowSeveral hundred people gathered in south London on Monday evening to celebrate Margaret Thatcher's death with cans of beer, pints of milk...Thatcher's Death Sends Sales ofThe British public have long used the pop music charts as a form of protest - remember God Save The Queen - and now they appearintent on ...Yes, Margaret Thatcher is deadKeeping track of when, exactly, The Right Honourable Baroness Margaret Hilda Thatcher will finally cop it.Yikes.

Luckily, comedian Russell Brand penned a really good response. And no, that did not surprise me in the least.

if you opposed Thatcher's ideas it was likely because of their lack of compassion, which is really just a word for love. If love is something you cherish, it is hard to glean much joy from death, even in one's enemies.guardian.co.uk

For those that are interested, here are some pieces about Thatcher’s legacy in Middle East policy.

Baroness Thatcher's lasting legacy in Middle EastBaroness Thatcher famously told President George Bush not to get "wobbly" after Saddam Hussein sent Iraqi troops into Kuwait in 1990. She...What Kind Of Friend To Israel Was Thatcher?In a statement marking the occasion of Margaret Thatcher's passing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "She was a great lead...Was Thatcher a 'Champion of Freedom and Democracy'? Don't. Be. Silly.The reactions and tributes to Margaret Thatcher's death have illustrated the way in which modern conservatives have emptied the words 'fr...

The OMG

Iran announced two new inventions this week that sound so ridiculous that I honestly have no idea what to think.

Iran's New Fake Inventions: Time Machine, 'Islamic Google Earth' | Danger Room | Wired.comIran's technological prowess has reached an all-time high. First it claims to have solved the metaphysical conundrums associated with tim...

The first is the “Aryayek Time Travelling Machine” created by the state run Center for Strategic Inventions. The “time machine” doesn’t actually allow the user to travel in time, but rather brings the future to the user by giving them “highly accurate predictions” about an individual’s next 5-8 years.

The second is an “Islamic Google Earth” program called Basir. Because the regular Google Earth is the tool of Western spy agencies. Or a Zionist plot to sow confusion over global geography. (What the hell is a Liechtenstein and how is it not Switzerland?!) Or something. You know, whatever is popular that day.

Sci-fi dystopian future here we come?

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 4/5" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 4/5The Islamophobia of the "New Atheists", the arrest of the "Egyptian Jon Stewart", and smurfs. Yes, smurfs.Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, Apr 12 2013 12:42:19

The Good

Our Editor-in-Chief @NathanLean apparently sparked a fantastic new debate about the Islamophobia of New Atheists like Sam Harris, @RichardDawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. His article in Salon, along with @MazMHussain ’s Al Jazeera article on the scientific racism of these characters, inspired Glenn Greenwald to get into an impassioned email, Facebook, Twitter exchange with Sam Harris and his fans and post the conversations as well as author a response in the Guardian.

If atheism writ large was a tough sell to skeptics, the “New Atheism,” Muslim-bashing atheism, must be like selling Bibles to believers. After all, those who are convinced that God exists, and would otherwise dismiss the Dawkins’ and Harris’s of the world as hell-bound kooks, are often some of the biggest Islamophobes. It’s symbiosissalon.comThe right to atheism - as well as the right to criticize Islam or any other religion as a system of belief - is as fundamental as the right of any religious adherent to practice their faith. Islam as an intellectual movement is not above scrutiny any more than any other religious tradition, and attempts to shut down legitimate debate using the charge of Islamophobia should be rejected. However, what is being pursued today by individuals such as Harris and others under the guise of disinterested observation is something far more insidious. By resurrecting the worst excesses of scientific racism and its violent corollaries, Harris is heir to one of the most disreputable intellectual lineages in modern history.aljazeera.comAll in all, I think this encapsulates the crux of these gentlemens’ arguments.twitter.com

Also check out Nathan’s response to the uproar at PolicyMic.

The Bad

The incredibly charming and funny Bassem Youssef, known as the “Egyptian Jon Stewart” to us here in the States, was arrested and charged with insulting Islam and President Mohamed Morsi this week. On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart highlighted the plight of this man he considers a “brother” and made an impassioned plea for his release.

Daily Show: Morsi "Viva Hate" - Egyptian DemocracyEgypt's Mohamed Morsi takes exception to Bassem Youssef's insulting of the presidential hat. Airdate - 04/01/13

The good stuff comes around the last two minutes. Everything before that is pretty “meh”.

The clip became so widely shared that it even sparked a bit of a diplomatic incident between the US Embassy in Cairo and the Egyptian government. On Twitter. I will never not be amazed by that.

Our Arts and Music Editor, Safa Samiezade-Yazd, looked at the situation with through a historical lens of censorship in Egyptian politics and the utter stupidity of arresting someone who enjoys such global popularity.

So where’s the bad?

Bassem Youssef is milking his five minutes of fame, and his friends are talking about him as if he is some modern-day Martin Luther King Jr. MLK did not have a million-dollar contract. MLK did not insult people for money. MLK did not try to embarrass his foes. Let's stop pretending Youssef is fighting the good fight. He is just fighting for a paycheck.huffingtonpost.com

The author, Hani Almadhoun, claims he is a fan of Youssef’s show but spends the majority of his article blaming the comedian for the situation he has now found himself in. Almadhoun could have a great argument about Western media giving Western-friendly faces undue attention to the detriment of freedom for Egyptians, but he wastes his opportunity in a weird “I’m his #1 fan but he’s everything that’s wrong with Egypt” sort of way.

The OMG

In an unrelated story from Egypt, it appears that Prime Minister Hesham Kandil is a fan of the smurfs and especially the Facebook game Smurf’s Village. The app sent an automatic tweet about Doctor Smurf’s recommendations for a healthy diet. Foreign Policy’s Editor’s blog has the full scoop on what ensued.

Egyptian prime minister takes heat for tweeting about SmurfsWith Egypt's economy entering crisis mode, you'd think government officials would have their hands full. But Prime Minister Hesham Kandil...

But isn't it just as likely that the Prime Minister is exploring bold new ways to rebuild Egyptian society? Leave his simulations alone!

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/29" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/29Surprise! Jadaliyya found another way to be awesome. Also, the Arab Spring was a total failure because there were no boobs. How else do women gain equality?Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Mar 30 2013 09:29:20

The Good

Last week, I criticized outlets like Haaretz and Reuters for ignoring nonviolent acts of Palestinian resistance that occurred simultaneously with the militant rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. To present one reaction to President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel without mentioning the other is at best lazy, biased journalism and at worst a way for our society to delegitimize Palestinian calls for independence and equal rights.

The fast growing web-zine @Jadaliyya announced this week that it would be launching a new thematic portal on their site that can help combat the problem I just described above. As if one couldn’t get anymore lost in the wealth of insightful and post-colonial discourse Jadaliyya presents about the Middle East everyday.

Dars | JadaliyyaThis is a bi-weekly roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Resistance and Subversion in the Arab world, and reflects...Stories included in its “inaugural launch” are “The Urban Subalterns and the Non-Movements of the Arab Uprisings: An Interview with Asef Bayat”, “Beyond the State: The Refugee Camp as a Site of Political Invention”, and “Reconciling Return and Rights: Palestinian Refugees and the Emergence of a "Political Society"”.
jest.comDon’t act like you didn’t just pee yourself with excitement.

The Bad

Oh no.jest.comNo.jest.comNO!jest.comTopless protests are the battle flags of women's resistance, a symbol of a woman's acquisition of rights over her own body! Femen declares 4 April the day of relentless topless jihad against Islamism!huffingtonpost.co.uk

I sympathize with the women of Femen who want to challenge societal norms of womens’ sovereignty over their bodies, I really do. But it is not a tactic that is suitable for every woman or even practical for every feminist cause. Nor does their strategy always make sense.

Over the past few years they have protested for gay rights in St Peter's Square during the Pope's weekly prayers; against the use of ultra-thin models at Milan fashion week; and during Euro 2012, in Ukraine, they grabbed the championship trophy in protest against the sex industry. In London last summer, they smeared themselves in fake blood and accused the International Olympic Committee of supporting "bloody Islamist regimes"; at Davos, in January, they protested against male domination of the world economy. And in February, they provoked both raised eyebrows and a few sniggers by launching themselves topless at Silvio Berlusconi.guardian.co.uk

Nor does it help that the author of this article, a 22 year old Ukrainian national, gained public attention by cutting down a cross with a chainsaw topless. (And hair tie-less. Who the hell uses a chainsaw without tying back their hair first?) The act was in support of Russian punk rockers Pussy Riot, but the band was apparently not amused by the stunt.

guardian.co.ukInna Shevchenko and Femen are openly opposed to all religion, making their "jihad" for Muslim women's liberation even more troubling. It displays a sad lack of understanding of intersectionality, something incredibly important for all proponents of social justice.As sad as it is, some feminists continue to preach that feminism can mean one thing and only one thing. They are reluctant to recognize the possibility that “being like men” or protesting topless are not every feminist’s dream. Movements such as Islamic feminism (which is itself varied, and also has its problems and challenges) have demonstrated that Western feminism is not necessarily the answer for Muslim women because sometimes feminisms can even be Islamophobic as explored by Sharrae in an earlier post.patheos.com

The OMG

How can you have an article like this and not offer any quotes from the film in question?How the Syrian opposition is like Mean GirlsConclusively proving that you can find anything on the Internet, there's a great, nerdy blog out there called It's Raining Mensheviks. Th...

I am very disappointed in you, @DavidKenner.

But also, brilliant analogy.

Sometimes, its easy to be confused about the tangled web of relationships and characters in Syria and Lebanon. Luckily Jadaliyya (yes, today we’re lovin’ on this site) has a run down with a clever mnemonic device for remembering each: pop songs!

A (Neocolonial) Musical Introduction to Lebanese Political Actors, complete with Wikipedia HyperlinksLebanon has been in the news a lot lately. From union strikes to legal advocacy to intermittent Sunni-Shiite violence to daily Israeli vi...

My favorite is the song assigned to the role of Syria in Lebanese politics.

SHAGGY - IT WASNT MEHasnainzoeb

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/22" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/22All Obama, all Israel. All the time.Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, Mar 22 2013 12:16:21

The Good

The top story coming out of the Middle East this week was President Barack Obama’s first trip to Israel as President of the United States.

Some Israeli media had even taken to calling the visit “Operation Unbreakable Alliance.” Its no secret that Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have had a pretty frosty relationship as of late, especially since Bibi actively courted Republican candidate Mitt Romney during the recent U.S. presidential elections. Most of the media, and the US and Israeli public, appear to be in agreement that the relationship between the two countries must be repaired.

But, Akiva Eldar asks the brilliant question: Why?

The answer is simple: Obama is coming here to try and salvage what’s left of US standing in the region. An America that abandons the Israeli-Arab conflict to its fate is not worthy of the title “world power." Giving up the leading role in the play entitled “The Peace Process” is a declaration of bankruptcy by US foreign policy.al-monitor.com

Let everything these hapless heads of state did this week be seen through that lens: its all for show. But was it a good performance?

AJ Stream has an excellent collection of the hype and reviews of the visit in their More Symbolism Than Substance? storify.

More symbolism than substance?We speak to Israelis and Palestinians about the US president's visit.

Complete with a great satirical music video featuring Obama putzing around the West Bank telling Palestinians they’ll get a state...one day.

أوباما جاي - Obama Jaydozanproductions

The Bad

Any good coverage of Obama’s trip to Israel would include the reaction from the Palestinian street. But some outlets like Haaretz and Reuters appear only to be interested in showing only a certain kind of reaction.

Around 150 demonstrators chanted anti-American slogans, saying they wanted weapons not presidential visits.haaretz.comIn Bethlehem, Palestinian concern for a convicted terrorist imprisoned in the US and one man's comment that Jews "lead the US economy."Bethlehem underwhelmed ahead of Obama's visit - Obama visits IsraelFathia Ajaj holds a picture of Ahmed, who is serving a 115-year sentence for his part in the 1993 bomb attack at the World Trade Center, ...Gaza rockets hit Israeli town during Obama visitCredit: Reuters/Amir Cohen Israeli police officers stand near the remains of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza after it lan...

Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel also saw only one Palestinian reaction worth mentioning in one of its briefs this week.

President Obama meets with Palestinians as rockets are launched from Gaza - By Mary Casey and Jennifer ParkerOn Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Ramallah, a city in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmo...

Yes, all of these things happened. But so did these nonviolent, yet still harshly critical, actions.

Palestinian Protesters Set Up Camp in West BankAL-AZARIYA, West Bank - It was hardly the most visible place to stage an anti-Obama protest, on a stony hillside on the edge of this West...Palestinians greet Obama with popular resistance; army arrests dozensAfter several days of small-scale demonstrations ahead of Obama's visit, Palestinians organized two larger events Wednesday morning as th...Some Palestinians Wary of Obama VisitRAMALLAH, West Bank - There are no American flags lining the streets here, no banners bearing the official "Unbreakable Alliance" logo of...

So why isn’t there a bigger effort to portray all these things as happening simultaneously? Is it just about a general media ambivalence towards nonviolent action? Or is it an indication of a deep rooted bias against a culture we consider so different from our own?

The OMG

As might have been expected, The Onion just keeps on winning the coverage of this topic. Check out these top stories.

Thursday, 12:20 p.m.: Obama to address protesting Palestinians with symbolic nod, shrugtheonion.comObama Sarcastically Asks How Israel Afforded Such A Great Missile Defense SystemJERUSALEM-While touring Israel's "Iron Dome" all-weather missile defense system Wednesday, President Barack Obama sarcastically asked Pri...'This Is A Pointless Trip,' Obama Says While Shaking Hands With NetanyahuTEL AVIV, ISRAEL-Moments after stepping out from Air Force One Wednesday, President Barack Obama reportedly greeted Prime Minister Benjam...Palestinians, Israelis Come Together To Mock Obama's Hopelessly Naive SpeechJERUSALEM-Coming together for the first time in generations, Palestinian and Israeli citizens were reportedly seen gathered at the West B...

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/15" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/15A week of horrible anniversaries, a new pope, and a silly controversy that might actually make you feel bad for Ahmadinejad. Key word: might. Storified by Aslan Media· Fri, Mar 22 2013 12:42:44

The Good

This week, English-language media marked ten years since the American invasion of Iraq, two years since the Saudi-led intervention on anti-government protesters in Bahrain, and two years since the uprising that gave way to civil war in Syria.

It’s stories about the toll of war in Syria that are taking up a lot of the headlines. And no, it doesn’t look good.

What does the Syrian war look like? It looks like armed men with little accountability.newyorker.comTwo years on - Syria's refugee crisisAl Jazeera examines the alarming rate of Syrians fleeing to neighbouring countries in search for a better life.UNICEF warns of lost generation as Syria war enters third year - AlertNetSource: alertnet // Katie Nguyen By Katie Nguyen LONDON (AlertNet) - A generation of Syrian children is at risk as the conflict which has...

Less was written about the war in Iraq this week, but what was published should be especially poignant given the growing Western concern over Syria and the EU potentially stepping up its involvement. (Read: France just wasn’t feeling the whole arms embargo.)

Iraq after the invasion: a decade visualisedIt's ten years since Iraq was invaded. What kind of country has been left behind - how many people died and what was the effect on the US...U.S. Military Neglects Huge Data Trove of Iraq War: The Iraqis Themselves | Danger Room | Wired.comMore than the U.S. military ever knew, the Sunni tribes in Iraq prevented America's long, searing occupation from descending into an even...Iraq: 10 Years After Invasion | Costs of WarThe goal of the Costs of War project has been to outline a broad understanding of the domestic and international costs and consequences o...And Bahrain? Not a whole lot of reflection, but at least some recognition. Protests mark anniversary of Bahrain uprisingThousands of anti-government protesters burned tires and threw firebombs and stones at riot police in Bahrain on the second anniversary o...

You may have heard a new Pope was chosen this week. Although tweeps like @MonaEltahawy and @JillianCYork wanted to hide from the inevitable ZOMG #NewPope!!111!! craziness, Pope Francis still has nothing on Obama when it comes to Twitter.

The choice of a Latin American from a Jesuit order certainly holds many implications for the future of the Vatican, but its also prompted some questions about the future of interfaith relations.

Reflections On Christian-Muslim Relations And The Legacy Of Pope Benedict XVIAs the conclave begins on Tuesday, much of the Muslim world looks at the future of the papacy with a hope that the new pope will build on...What Muslims Want In A New Pope(RNS) Together, Islam and Catholicism represent about 40 percent of the world's population, so the estimated 1.6 billion Muslims in the w...Aslan Media’s own Editor, Nathan Lean, also explored opportunities for better relations with a changing Arab world in the Washington Post’s On Faith section. What the Catholic Church can learn from the Muslim experienceAnxieties may stem from legitimate concerns over faith differences. But today, the Muslim community is plagued with unbridled suspicion a...

The Bad

The image of BBC camera man Jihad Misharawi carrying the shrouded body of his 11 month old son during the Israeli assault on Gaza last year galvanized people on both sides of the conflict. But, this week a new UN report revealed that the child may have been killed by a misfired Hamas rocket, instead of an Israeli airstrike.

With the way the story from the New York Times and the Washington Post are being circulated around the web, you’d think this was the only civilian who died during the offensive or that other childrens’ deaths could not be attributed to Israel.

Has this prompted a good, responsible discussion over civilian casualties in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

...In November, an infant was killed in Gaza. #Israel, of course, was blamed. Now, four months later, guess what: http://<a href="http://t.co/IQBMYCDDJO" class="">yhoo.it/Zuj45Z</a>Avi MayerNope. I guess all that matters is how Israel’s public image comes out of all this.

The OMG

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in a pretty nasty power struggle with more conservative elements within the Iranian government. When your supporters have to doctor images to counter criticism that you touched a grieving mother’s hand, that’s usually a pretty good sign that %^&* is bad.

Iranian Media Clash Over Ahmadinejad's Embrace of Chavez's Mother | Iran Pulse: Must-Reads from Iran TodayA picture of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embracing the mother of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died last week from cance...The Mourning Mahmoud - Aslan Media"When I die, do not touch my mother," says Iran's Supreme Leader in this imaginary conversation with the Iranian president, Mahmud Ahmadi...

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/1/13" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 3/1/13The US ups its aid to Syria, American foreign policy at the Oscars, and Egyptians and Tunisians do some interpretive dancing for the authorities.Storified by Aslan Media· Sun, Mar 03 2013 06:33:24

The Good

Last week, I talked about the continuing debate on whether or not to arm Syria’s rebels. This week, Secretary of State John Kerry announced a significant change in US policy towards Syria: $60 million of “non-lethal” aid to the Syrian National Coalition. This would include providing food and medicine to opposition fighters and could later be expanded to offer military vehicles and body armor.

Some commentators, like Elliot Abrams and the Editorial Board at the Washington Post, say that without weapons the move comes “too little, too late.” The Syrian rebels, for their part, are also greatly dissatisfied by the lack of military support. As an added bonus, Iraqi officials have equated support for Syria’s rebels with a “declaration of war” on Iraq.

But the dissenters have been given a chance to voice their concerns as well.

Here are our picks for the best among them:There are many elements of the opposition that are pursuing peaceful and nonviolent means of change and preparing for a transition. They recognize that Syria's problem was a failed political regime and are working toward a better political future and thus are pursuing political solutions to the crisis. The opposition calling for intervention should give up on a failing strategy that portends more violence and bloodshed and get on board for a democratic and just future. After all, that is what I've always understood to be the purpose of the uprising, not merely the overthrow of Bashar al-Asad.huffingtonpost.comIf humanitarian relief workers are seen as serving ends beyond feeding starving people, they will be barred from accessing populations in need. That is what makes proposals to harness aid for extraneous purposes so dangerous.undispatch.comAs the exact details come to light in the next few weeks, expect a lot more analysis. And frustration.

The Bad

Several films relating to foreign policy and conflict were nominated for Oscars this year. Ben Affleck’s Iranian hostage thriller Argo was nominated for six awards. Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden which sparked a controversy over its accuracy in Washington, was nominated in five categories. The joint Israeli-Palestinian film about life under occupation in the West Bank, 5 Broken Cameras, was pitted against The Gatekeepers, a story about Israel’s security agency Shin Bet told from the perspective of six former heads, in the Best Documentary category. VoxxiUltimately Argo was the big winner taking home three Oscars including Best Picture, which was presented by Jack Nicholson and Michelle Obama via satellite. Zero Dark Thirty won for Best Sound Editing, which it shared with the latest installment in the James Bond series Skyfall. FbcdnThe winner for Best Documentary, however, went to Searching for Sugar Man, a feel-good story about a little known American musician who had become wildly popular in South Africa. It may have been inevitable that the Academy would refuse to award either of the two Israeli-Palestinian films as a way of avoiding controversy over its “message” to Israel. But really? Waiting for Sugar Man? I can’t help but see that decision as a cop out.

+972 has a deliciously wicked imagining of Netanyahu’s consolation call to 5 Broken Cameras director, Emad Burnat.Bibi calls Emad BurnatIn all seriousness, its a pretty safe bet that people will be making films on this subject for a long time. One day it will finally be recognized by mainstream America. Let’s hope that it comes before Palestinian narratives turn into retrospectives.After the big night, what was on the lips of so many Oscar-watching writers? Seth MacFarlane is a racist, sexist, frat boy. Seth MacFarlane's Juvenile Oscars: Sexism, Assassination & Nazi JokesSeth MacFarlane bombed terribly hosting the 85th Academy Awards honoring the best in cinema for 2012, says Marlow Stern.The Banality of Seth MacFarlane's Sexism and Racism at the OscarsThe host's feeble wisecracking may have been meant to provoke, but provoke what? Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP The best moment of Seth MacFa...Calif. female lawmakers condemn Oscars hostThe Oscars may have drawn in big ratings on Sunday, but not everyone is thrilled with Seth MacFarlane's performance. Two female Californi...The righteous Academy’s reputation has been besmirched by this outsider!

There is no racism at the Oscars, and it certainly wasn’t present in any of the big films. Especially Argo. On the other hand, with the exception of a loyal maid at the Canadian ambassador's house who helps protect the hiding American hostages in the film, Iranians are shown either as fanatical, if dim-witted officials or as an undifferentiated mass of beards and hijabs.foreignpolicy.comThere is no sexism at the Oscars.So when we finally get to the Oscar night and find seven categories (including Directing, Cinematography, and Writing, original screenplay) that have no women nominated and five with exactly one woman nominated, we’ve come to the culmination of a long process of women’s voices being squeezed out, ignored, or entirely missing from production of some of our most influential cultural products.womensmediacenter.comAs BuzzFeed’s Shani O. Hilton perfectly sums up:Hollywood is still sexist. And it's racist. That's not to say it doesn't occasionally produce wonderful art, but that wonderful art doesn't mean the sexism and racism don't exist.buzzfeed.comCondemn Seth MacFarlane if you must, Internet (or just brand him as unfunny like I do). But let’s not make him a scapegoat for the Academy’s own weaknesses.

The OMG

If there’s anything that can help the world recognize a common humanity in the “other” these days, the chances of it being a YouTube dance craze appear to be pretty high.

This time its the Harlem Shake video (not to be confused with the real Harlem Shake) that are taking over the world. Fans have made their own versions of people doing pelvic thrusts with weird costumes and props, including the People of Walmart, the Miami Heat, and a washing machine.

After authorities in Egypt and Tunisia started cracking down on their local versions, people in both countries staged Harlem Shake protests.

Check out these Tunisian students who are fighting back against hardline Islamists and censorship.Gangnam Style & Harlem Shake Tunisia Version Père BlancwadjamiAnd these activists who had a dance party in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo.رقصة هارلم شيك امام مقر الاخوان بالمقطم HARLEM SHAKEelbadeil

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/22/13" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/22/13Two years on and the debate over arming Syria's rebels is still going, Bill Maher gets his racist jerkface on to take a stab at Republicans, and Gangnam Gaza Style is a thing that exists.Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Feb 23 2013 11:10:16

The Good

The week, the debate over how, or if, the US should intervene in the ongoing war in Syria has had a major presence in American media coverage of the Mideast. The quality of that debate is of course open to scrutiny, but it’s encouraging that it’s still part of public discussion.

Marc Lynch’s roundtable discussion in Foreign Policy is a great look into the different expert opinions on the subject and is well worth the read. Here are some choice quotes of those views from the article.With a large and sustained program to arm (and particularly train) the opposition, the United States can shape it, enabling more moderate forces to gain strength vis-à-vis radical rivals and prove themselves on the battlefield.lynch.foreignpolicy.comDaniel Byman, Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and research director of the Saban Center at BrookingsLet's assume that you are indeed right that the course chosen by the Obama administration is the best. I hope you will agree that even this policy is under resourced, badly implemented, and awfully communicated, and that it likely won't have any significant, let alone decisive impact inside Syria.lynch.foreignpolicy.comEmile Hokayem, International Institute for Strategic StudiesArming the Syrian opposition remains a bad idea. If anything, Syria's chaotic evolution toward sectarian civil war vindicates the Obama administration's caution on the question. The potential is great for unintended consequences: Arms may fall into the wrong hands, and the United States could get sucked into a long, nasty proxy war that foments spillover across the region.lynch.foreignpolicy.comMona Yacoubian, Stimson CenterThe ‘arming the moderates' option is an exercise in abstract political logic that is entirely oblivious to the fast-changing social and political dynamics in Syria.lynch.foreignpolicy.comKarl Sharro, karlremarks.comAnother interesting bit of analysis on the subject comes from As’ad AbuKhalil, @AngryArabNews. AbuKhalil is certainly no friend to the Syrian government but remains an ardent critic of the opposition.What is particularly not amusing is that they are rather clear that their recommendation (for arming) has nothing to do whatsoever with the Syrian people and their suffering but with the best way to manipulate and control Syria after the fall of the Asad regime.angryarab.net

The Bad

Bill Maher is possibly my favorite example of a liberal bigot. He is so successful as a TV show host and stand-up pundit and is completely unapologetic for abandoning liberal values when it comes to Muslims and Islam. During 2012’s election season, he was also criticized for sexist comments towards women and some even demanded that the Obama campaign return his $1 million donation.

This week, Bill Maher continued in this fine tradition of offending when he turned his attention away from Muslims and women to another demographic:

“Based on every statement I’ve heard out of any Republican over the last two years, the Israelis are controlling our government.”

Watch the full context of his comment below.

Bill Maher Real Time 'The Israelis Are Controlling Our Government'Grammy AawardsWhat is worse, no one but viciously racist right wing Zionists seems interested in condemning Bill Maher’s not so covertly anti-Semitic comment. One of my go-to progressive foreign policy sources, War In Context, even called it “truth telling”.

There is no denying that Israel, as a symbol, has undue influence over our government. But by stating “Israelis” and not “Israel” Maher has shifted any grounded argument about the Zionist lobby in the United States to a subtle suggestion of a shadowy group of Jews wringing their hands in delight at how they’ve been able to fool us into supporting their state. This isn’t just racist, its condescending.

If the “Israel lobby” wields an absurd amount of power over our government’s decisions, its because our politicians have allowed it. As a democracy, we can even say “we the people” allowed it. The strategy in support of Israel has been substantially based on how useful Israel is for American strategic and imperial interests in the Middle East. We, as a nation, made the decision to support Israel. We weren’t strong-armed by a gang of Jews. The state of Israel should not and does not bear any responsibility for our own dysfunction.

The OMG

A group of young Palestinians decided to use a Gangnam Style parody as a way of showing the hardships of life under Israel’s strict control of movement and the devastating effects of war. The story was featured on Al Jazeera, Electronic Intifada, and was even tweeted about by the PLO delegation to the US. I love seeing activists using creative ways to get their message to the global public, but sometimes I have to roll my eyes at some methods. Gangnam Gaza StylegangnamgazastyleEveryone is entitled to their own opinion and if people out there think this Gangnam Gaza Style video is great, more power to them. For me, it was a terrible mix of a feel-good song with a sad reality. If the video had been more explicitly about Gazans perseverance in spite of tragedy, I would applaud the video for portraying Palestinians as something more than helpless victims.

Yet such are the travails of capitalizing on internet memes when you live under constant power black outs.

….Although, the blend of dabke with Psy’s cheesy dancing is pretty awesome.

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View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/15/13" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/15/13#SOTU is the policy wonks' version of tweeting the Grammy's, articles published on Valentine's Day get awkward, and drones just want to love you, is that so wrong?Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Feb 23 2013 11:39:17

The Good

On Tuesday President Obama gave his State of the Union address. How’d it go? If Twitter is any indication, not that great. The Pew Research Center counted that only 42% of #SOTU tweets expressed favorable opinions, while 58% of the tweets were unfavorable. Obama’s big topics of the night centered around education, the economy, and gun violence with short snippets Mideast policy.

Here are some of our favorite twitter critiques on what Obama did and didn’t say:Word not mentioned in Obama’s #SOTU address: Iraq.Blake HounshellNo mention of #drones. Apparently, only policies that #Republicans object to warrant an #SOTU defense from #Obama.Omar Baddar"Our war in Afghanistan will be over." Heck, our war in Korea still isn't over. #sotuSam HusseiniSo Obama's new Middle East policy is that Palestinians don't exist. #sotuLolita LempickaThe Atlantic had great storify covering the issues of the night, minus the the annoying Marco Rubio water meme. The 2013 State of the Union AddressAnd a great Joe Biden gif, because that’s all any of us really want.Biden getting fidgetyVineAl Jazeera’s interactive Deconstructing Obama’s States of the Union is also a fabulous, easily searchable archive of Obama’s speeches. It even has a feature that will play your favorite pieces of the speech just through highlighting the text in the transcript. Deconstructing Obama's States of the UnionWith searchable video transcripts, view how US president's platform evolved from first annual policy address until 2013.

The Bad

As some of you may have noticed, this past Thursday was Valentine’s Day. Its a highly commercialized staple of American and Western culture that all commentators must take advantage of in their articles that day.

Sometimes, the attempt to make your story connect to the romantic holiday doesn’t work so well. Be Mine, Except in International DevelopmentValentine's Day is upon us, and those little candy hearts pervasively sugaring the public sphere with the words "Be Mine!" got me thinkin...On Valentine’s Day, in an eternal relationship, we all have a date with Bahrain.jadaliyya.comGreat stories that would read so much better if they weren’t awkwardly forcing in Valentine’s cliches.

The OMG

This next story could have been bad. Right wing runs with "John Brennan-is-a-Muslim" theoryGlenn Beck, Bryan Fischer and others agree that a former FBI agent may be on to something VIDEOThe “right-wing” players in question are Glenn Beck, the American Family Association, and a former Republican congressman. People who, thankfully, have a lot less influence on mainstream America than they used to.

That makes this story hilarious. Didn’t get a Valentine’s Day card, or boldly choose to boycott the corporate-sponsored day of inevitable disappointment, this year? Don’t worry. The Washington Post found some #dronevalentines for you. I will never disclose my reasoning for loving you. #dronevalentinesLois BeckettMy love for you knows no legal bounds. #dronevalentinesShane HarrisMy love for you is like a signature strike, tacitly allowed by the relevant authorities but loudly denounced in public fora #dronevalentinesKelsey D AthertonAnd another worthy contender from Mondoweiss...Wordpress

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/8" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMG: 2/8All in all, it was good week to be anti-drones. Well, as good as it could be to oppose a serious violation of human rights and international law our executive branch has little interest in reining in. Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Feb 09 2013 09:09:45New national furor over America’s use of drones in the so-called “War on Terror” erupted this week as the leak of a Department of Justice white paper on the legal justification for killing US citizens was revealed, while would-be CIA chief John Brennan had his confirmation hearing.

The white paper was first published by NBC on Monday and gave us insight into how the definition of an “imminent threat to the United States” could be expanded and how the “kill order” could be immune to external evaluation. Glenn Greenwald described the paper as “chilling” and said “its clinical, legalistic tone completely sanitizes the radical and dangerous power it purports to authorize.” Noura Erakat says that although its not a complete picture of Obama’s legal reasoning, its enough to know it “does not bode well for global order and stability.” And Spencer Ackerman says Obama it shows Obama is “providing, and institutionalizing, a blue print” for perpetual war.
globalpost.comJohn Brennan was “grilled” by a senate panel on the use of drones on Thursday, and was even interrupted by Code Pink protesters. It was clear that many activists and people in the media weren’t about to let anyone forget about Brennan’s drone legacy.John Brennan may not be divine, but he plays God often as President Obama’s counterterrorism chief — and he will do so even more frequently once he moves to Langley as CIA director when (not if) senators confirm him.washingtonpost.com

The Bad

Does Michael Gerson even know what drone critics are opposed to? The slippery slope of stretching "imminent threat"? Killing unarmed civilians indiscriminately? Perpetuating an un-winnable and never-ending war? Drone strikes are an innovation in anticipatory self-defense, requiring careful oversight and a high threshold for action. They are also a technology that allows the most discriminate application of force in the history of warfare. That the use of drones protects U.S. troops from risk is a virtue.washingtonpost.comNope. Great job, pro-dronies.

The OMG

Some gay-bashing right-wing Christian evangelicals think they’re being portrayed in the media like an “American Al Qaeda.”

That might make things awfully confusing for those secret high-level executives issuing their kill orders in dark basements filled with zombie heads in fishtanks.

Also, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has volunteered to become the first Iranian in space. Which means the Iranian “space monkey” probably did die.

Damnit.

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMGEgypt's #Jan25 turmoil is the worst violence since Morsi's election, major US media outlets yawn at Israel boycotting the UN Human Rights Commission and bombing targets near Damascus, and why I'm hoping Iran's monkey space flight really was successful.Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Feb 02 2013 11:53:01

The Good

Last Friday was the second anniversary of the #Jan25 “revolution” that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. The anniversary would predictably see another surge of demonstrations that would be doomed to end in a bloody crackdown; but perhaps no one expected the Egyptian government would claim the country was “on the brink of collapse” a few days later.

As of the writing of this column an estimated 60 people have been killed and three Canal cities remain under a state of emergency. The anti-Morsi demonstrations have also become linked to popular anger over the death sentences recently handed to Al-Masry soccer fans involved in the deadly soccer clashes of 2011. It is the worst violence to erupt in Egypt since Morsi’s election.

Is this the start of a new revolution? Did the first one never really end?The Revolution Will Not Be TerminatedAndrew Katz CAIRO -- The scene downtown on Friday morning was like any other: shops were open, vendors were hawking their wares on the si...CrossTalk: Unfinished RevolutionrussiatodayIs a Second Egyptian Revolution on the Way? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle EastOn the second anniversary of its heroic popular revolution, Egypt returned to the forefront of the regional and international scene with ...

The Bad

The UN Human Rights Council declared that Israel’s settlements are in violation of the Geneva Convention and that the self-described “Jewish” state may face the International Criminal Court if it does not withdraw settlers from the West Bank. The Israeli government called the report “systematically one-sided” and “biased” and has now refused to participate in a periodic universal review of human rights records at the UN. That is to say, they are boycotting the Human Rights Council.

Or as the New York Times mildly puts it, they’re just “skipping” the meeting. (h/t @AngryArab)

While a couple other major US news outlets have reported on the story, like Reuters and the Washington Post, the media (pundits and serious columnists alike) have shown little interest in demonstrating how much of a big deal this is.

Or even questioning Israel’s justification for inserting itself into Syria’s civil war through a not-so-covert bombing of a weapons convoy outside Damascus it claims was headed for Hezbollah.

Yeah, no its cool. We were totally thinking about dropping some bombs in Syria anyway.

The OMG

Anytime I get to mention AMC's The Walking Dead and Syrian refugees in the same context, my journo nerd brain explodes.amctv.comI am a huge fan of The Walking Dead for its dramatic post-apocalyptic storytelling (and okay, epic zombie kills too). When I came across an article from one of the actors, Sarah Wayne Callies, who played everyone’s favorite unfaithful and manipulative wife Lori Grimes, describing her upcoming trip to the Middle East I was particularly intrigued. Miss Callies, who briefly mentions that she is a survivor of sexual violence, will be exploring the issue of gender based violence among Syrian refugees. I enjoy seeing actors who can connect with victims of war on a more human level than just the standard Madonna-type “Hey! Cameras follow me!” Hollywood approach to humanitarianism. Good luck Sarah!presstv.irIran may, or may not, have sent a monkey into space and brought it back to Earth alive. The story has yet to be independently confirmed, but if true it would be a major triumph for the Iranian space program which aims to put humans in space soon.

Part of me is really excited about the implications if it is confirmed, and not just for the monkey’s sake. While almost embarked on nuclear war during the space race of the Cold War era, the fear of Soviet technology also drove us to the stars like nothing else. While I hope the world never has to go through the violence and paranoia of the Cold War again, the prospect of a renewed interest in “the last frontier” is pretty tempting.

Curiosity needs some friends on Mars, people!

View the story "The Good, The Bad, And The OMG" on StorifyThe Good, The Bad, And The OMGThe crisis in Algeria and Mali reveals links to the fallout of NATO's operation in Libya, Israelis voted a center-left party into the Knesset, and our outgoing Secretary of State could get a job as the internet's official BFF.Storified by Aslan Media· Sat, Jan 26 2013 13:17:31

The Good

The spotlight on the Algerian crisis and the conflict in Mali has become even greater since Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the US must increase military and political intervention in North Africa to tackle the “growing jihadist threat” tthere. British Prime Minister David Cameron also spoke of a “global threat” demanding a “global response” in the Maghreb.

The hostage crisis at the Ain Amenas gas plant ended last Sunday, claiming the lives of 38 hostages and 29 kidnappers. Hundreds of Malians continue to flee to Algeria to escape the fighting between the government and Ansar Dine, however.

Analysts still continue to explore the regional issues that gave rise to the current circumstances, even taking a look at how Gaddafi’s fall in Libya may have played a role.

While it is impossible to measure the exact role that Libya’s revolution and the ensuing security vacuum played in the recent unrest, analysts say that without the arrival of Libyan weapons and trained fighters, it would have been far more difficult for Mali’s extremist groups to seize control of the country’s vast desert north.washingtonpost.comLibyan Crisis Sparked Rising Extremism In North Africa : NPRSecretary of State Hillary Clinton appears before two congressional committees Wednesday to talk about the attack that killed the U.S. am...Some Algeria Attackers Are Placed at BenghaziALGIERS - Several Egyptian members of the squad of militants that lay bloody siege to an Algerian gas complex last week also took part in...However, Mauritanian-American blogger and author Nasser @Weddady warns that although there may be a connection to the NATO mission in Libya, Mali’s jihadist threat had been a long time in the making. By the time Qadhafi’s regime in Libya fell, northern Mali had been home to Jihadi elements that left Algeria a decade earlier after being thoroughly defeated in the civil war. By 2002, remnants of Algeria’s GIA found sanctuary behind the borders away from their nemesis the Algeria’s army. They were also attracted by the allure of making easy money by partnering in the flourishing Saharan smuggling commerce. Drugs, tobacco, weapons and stolen cars provided a lucrative alternative to war.dekhnstan.wordpress.comThe War In Context blog, in addition to providing great links on Mali and Algeria, is also continuing to post videos of Malian musicians. Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Kala Djulaworldcircuitltd

The Bad

Surprise, surprise, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is still the prime minister of Israel. But the real surprise? A surge in votes for the center-left.

A lot of focus was put on Naftali Bennett and his Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party in this year’s elections in Israel, but its the victory of Israel’s center-left Yesh Atid (There Is A Future) party and its head Yair Lapid, a former TV personality, that everyone is talking about now. Yesh Atid managed to exceed expectations and became the second largest party in the Knesset behind Netanyahu’s Likud. Israel Swings Centre-left, Not Right - Oops!Anyone who read about the Israeli elections in the UK media in the past week will have been told that Israel was set to choose its most r...Netanyahu's Coalition Loss May Usher in an "Israeli Spring"Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud/Beitenu right wing slate limped across the Israeli electoral finish line, leaving a trail of lost Knesset seat...While we can all smirk and laugh at Netanyahu’s lost votes, its a huge leap to look at the results of this election and conclude that there’s anything “good” here for the peace process and Palestinians as a whole.

What we need are more nuanced, and outright skeptical, responses to the election results.Status quo biggest winner in Israel voteTel Aviv, Israel: The results of Tuesday's election could be seen as successful damage control for Israel's international brand image, an...Furthermore, the grouping of Labor, Hatnua, and Yesh Atid under a centrist or center-left banner is analytically lazy. On economic issues, those three parties do indeed fall within the left and the center. On security and foreign policy issues, Labor and Hatnua are centrist as well. Yesh Atid, however, cannot be accurately described as centrist when it comes to the peace process.foreignaffairs.comI would speculate that the gradual migration of Jewish voters to the Right that has taken place since 1996 seems to have stopped, and might have even ended. Yet we are still talking small numbers and a long-term process, so don’t expect new policies immediately.972mag.com

The OMG

One of the greatest things about outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is how “meme-able” she is. Look no further than Texts From Hillary for undeniable proof.

Now Aslan Media is getting in on the action, giving us some great captions for Hillary’s testimony in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Benghazi (something no one in our government comes out looking particularly well over). Oh Hilary, you're so right: Our #MemeOfTheWeek http://ow.ly/i/1qfGt #Clinton #BenghaziAslan MediaAt the time this went to our editors, the #Jan25 anniversary was just heating up. So, stay tuned next week for #GoodBadOMG coverage of that , and the fallout we’ll undoubtedly see from it this coming week.

Senior Editor for Palestine Note, Team member and Columnist for Aslan Media. Part time social media strategist, full time conflict resolution devotee. Self described Mid East enthusiast, post-Orientalism constructivist, pro-theist Christian agnostic, bad feminist, and Peace Studies wonk. Speaks a little Arabic, a lot of French, and still learning "the internets". Penchant for hipster music and social science fiction. Easily distracted by animals and small children.

See more from Christa at http://flavors.me/christab

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