MORSI AND MB TO STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER
On Sunday, Mohamed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders were ordered to stand trial in Egypt on charges that included inciting murder. Until now, the former president had been held without any formal charges being levied against him. The prosecution alleges that the Morsi regime and the Brotherhood used brutal and occasionally deadly violence against Brotherhood opponents on numerous occasions throughout the Morsi presidency. The charges came on the same day the military-backed government announced a committee to amend a draft constitution. A trial date has not yet been announced and Morsi supporters have continued their protests despite government crackdowns. The charges and the trial indicate that a political settlement allowing the Brotherhood to legitimately return to Egyptian politics is very unlikely. (New York Times September 1, 2013)
SAUDI ARABIA’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION
For the first time in its history, Saudi Arabia has passed legislation designed to combat domestic violence. Saudi Arabia's legal system is based on sharia law and the country has been condemned for its lamentable record on women's rights. Though the law states that physical or sexual violence will be punishable with jail time, the country's tradition of male guardianship is likely to cause resistance to the law. While Bandar al-Aiban, President of Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission, is confident the new law will protect the citizens and bring the country in line with international human rights standards, others believe it may be "more about talking than actually implementing." The law is set to be implemented within 90 days. (CNN September 2, 2013)
REBELS SEIZE LIBYAN OIL FIELDS
In reaction to a perceived seizure of power and oil revenues by the Muslim Brotherhood in Tripoli, workers and armed groups have blockaded oil fields and terminals around Libya. They claim that successive governments have failed to revive Libya's desiccated economy despite heightened oil revenues. The government has been left with two oil ports and has threatened to send troops to retake the striking ports, action which would be perceived by the rebels as a "declaration of war.” Prime Minister Ali Zaidan threatened to bomb any tanker trying to buy oil directly from the rebels, who he says are just protesting for the profit. (The Guardian September 3, 2013)
AL-QAEDA’S COUNTERDRONE STRATEGY
Al-Qaeda has been trying to devise plans to take advantage of the technological vulnerabilities of U.S. drones in order to shoot them down, jam, or remotely hijack them. U.S. intelligence reveals that the counter-drone strategy, monitored by the U.S. since 2010, has not yet been successful. U.S. drone attacks have killed approximately 3,000 people over the last decade and have forced al-Qaeda operatives and other militants to limit their movements. While al-Qaeda faces significant challenges to creating an effective way to destroy U.S. drones, the terrorist group has been distributing a "strategy guide" to operatives around the world, recruiting engineers, and publicly denouncing U.S. drone attacks. Reports claim that interference with the drones is a real possibility, and a real threat, despite al Qaeda’s lack of success to date. (Washington Post September 3, 2013)
FRANCE, BRITAIN, US: ASSAD RESPONSIBLE FOR CHEM ATTACKS
French, British, and U.S. intelligence all implicate President Bashar al-Assad as the perpetrator of the chemical attacks in Syria. The details of the reports differ significantly, but the allies all agree that Sarin Gas was used and that only the Assad government had control over the chemicals. Additionally, they agree that the chemical attack in Damascus was not the first, and that small-scale chemical weapons attacks began in Syria last year. Britain and the U.S. agree that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons on 14 different occasions since 2012. The French warn that they possess information that further attacks could occur. The U.S. and its allies cannot agree on precisely how the attacks began or what the motive behind them was, but they believe they have clearly established responsibility for the attacks. (New York Times September 3, 2013)