The forgotten victims of Pakistan's feud with the United States.

Zahra Haider, the widow of one of the men killed by CIA contractor Raymond Davis in January of 2011 was killed by her father today.  Her husband, Faizan, was killed when Davis opened fire in downtown Lahore.  Davis claimed he acted in self defense and invoked diplomatic immunity, sparking an intense backlash that plunged United States-Pakistani ties into crisis.

Everyone knows this story.  But what happened to the families the men killed by Davis left behind? How would society view them? How would they cope?

The fate of the two wives speaks volumes.  Zahra and her mother, Nabeela, were killed by Zahra's father.  Family sources allege Zahra's father was upset Zahra secretly remarried according to her wishes.  He had been pushing her to marry Faizan's brother.  Nabeela supported her daughter.

Zahra (I think--Google is an inexact science).
Photo: The National News [Pakistan]

Shumaila Kanwal, the wife of Davis' other victim, Faheem Ahmed, took her own life ten days after the incident by swallowing rat poison.  He was distressed at the prospect her husband's killer would go free.

The nurse and unidentified relatives of Shumaila Kanwal stand beside her at a hospital in Faisalabad.
Photo: AP

After Kanwal was found, she was taken to a hospital.

"The killer is being treated as a guest at the police station.  I need justice and blood for the blood of my husband," she told reporters who gathered at the hospital.

"I want blood for blood.  The way my husband was shot, his killer should be shot in the same fashion.  I do not expect any justice from this government.  That is why I want to kill myself."

The fate of the two women speaks to the issues facing Pakistan today, especially the spread of violence throughout the country, violence against women in particular, male-dominated social norms, and a convoluted and complicated relationship with the United States.  Zahra bravely followed her heart and her mother, equally bravely, defied her husband to ensure her daughter's happiness.  I will preface this by saying I don't know the intricacies of Pakistani society, but I am of the impression it can be male-dominated.  Arranged marriages--in and of itself not necessarily a bad thing--are prevalent.  What daddy says, goes.

Nabeela
Photo: The Express Tribune

Shumaila, distraught with her government's illegitimacy, lack of justice, and cozy ties with the United States chose to end her own life rather than live in the wake of the incident. She perhaps knew what would follow: Davis would be let off after intense United States pressure and she would lose control of her life and narrative.

I don't want this to be a woe-is-women story.  Instead, I wanted to highlight the overlooked repercussions of these incidents.  We may have moved on, but there are many who are left behind.

UPDATE: Reports say Zahra and Nabeela's deaths were fueled by a dispute over Faizan's blood money. 

Why prisoner swaps are dangerous

I did not agree with Israel's decision to swap Gilad Shalit for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. That will make people on both sides of the issue upset, but it is what it is.  For the Israelis, it set a bad precedent.  All those who you deem terrorists need to do is kidnap one of your people and you'll be willing to swap however many of those you incarcerated to get your man (or woman) back.

Palestinians take part in a rally in Gaza City to show solidarity with those in Israeli jails (Reuters)

For the Palestinians, well you got your people back so me saying I didn't agree with that won't win me any friends.

The fact of the matter is much of the swap happened for political reasons. The Israeli economy is in the pits and Bibi, et. al. are constantly searching for something to deflect attention or gain political points.

The Gilad Shalit saga was perfect for this. The young soldier was abducted along the Gaza border and held for over five years.  His family led a campaign to maintain pressure on the government to get their son back.

Not everyone in Israel agreed with the decision to swap Gilad for the prisoners.  Many survivors of victims of attacks opposed the deal.  Others noted such a deal would increase motivation to kidnap more soldiers in the future.

Earlier this week armed Gaza groups called on Palestinians to abduct Israelis in a bid to free Palestinian prisoners.  Their plea came days after over 2,000 prisoners announced a hunger strike to protest against jail conditions.  Khalid al-Batsh, a senior member of the Islamic Jihad, said, "We should work hard to get [Israeli] prisoners in our hands in order to secure the freedom of our prisoners.

"I say to all armed factions, the way to free the prisoners is through swaps... An arrest for an arrest and freedom for freedom.  That is the way."

By engaging in such swaps, especially one person for thousands, you set an example and make your people vulnerable.    

ECOWAS to send troops to Mali, Guinea-Bissau: what can go wrong?

A bit outside the geographic purview of this blog but notable nonetheless.  

Leaders from West Africa announced they will send “at least 3,000” troops to Mali and Guinea-Bissau after both countries’ governments were overthrown in military coups.

West Africa

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced after a summit in the capital of Code d’Ivoire, Abidjan, the troops would also fight secessionists in Mali’s north.

Tuareg insurgents took control of northern Mali shortly after the coup and declared independence for the newly-renamed Azawad.   Nationalist National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) claimed to have liberated the region, but the group is facing competition from Islamists in the region.  Ansar al-Deen and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib (AQIM) are exerting power in the region’s main cities in Gao and Timbuktu.  There have been reports both Ansar and AQIM have begun to consolidate power, mostly through the provision of services as return of security instead of the imposition of shariah.  

The Washington Post reported on April 16 one way Ansar was working to gain the support of the local population and attract recruits was by setting up a hotline for emergencies.  The paper reported, 

When bus passengers called the emergency telephone number in Gao a week ago after the attackers attempted to rob their bus, the Islamists came, repelled the attack, and cut the throat of one of the bandits.

The Tuaregs had long been agitating for an independent state and took advantage of the security vacuum opened by the coup to seize control. 

The success of the insurgents in the north caused the military to do a quick turnaround.  Mali’s military recently handed power over to an interim government led by Dioncounda Traore after ECOWAS intervention.  They overthrew the government of Amandou Toumani Toure over accusations his government had not done enough to combat rebellions in the north.

Self-fulfilling prophecy, that one. 

Shortly after, Guinea-Bissau’s military overthrew the government during presidential elections in which the current prime minister, Carlos Gomes Junior, was expected to win.  The armed forces were apprehensive about alleged plans to cut the size of the army.

Guinea-Bisseau’s interim president, prime minister, and army chief-of-staff were arrested by the military.

Guinea-Bissau’s Military Command announced plans to set up a transitional government and plan elections for sometime in 2014, but their proposal was rejected by the international community. 

A spokesman for the Military Command said any international forces would be treated as occupiers. 

Got it all straight?

Morocco's PJD takes on the Makhzen

While Morocco's regime has thus far escaped the 'Arab Spring' relatively unscathed after King Mohamed preemptively announced a new constitution, political reforms, and new elections, there remains much public anger against the makhzen.  (The 'makhzen' is the king's cadre of secretive advisors who are known for their domination of Moroccan politics and economy.)

Since the Islamist PJD won elections on a platform of anti-corruption and economic growth, Morocco watchers have been holding their breath, waiting for a confrontation with the makhzen.

In rare public criticism, Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane spoke out against the makhzen after his plans for reform of the state-run television was walloped in the press by those close to the palace.

Abdelilah Benkirane

"The Arab Spring is not over yet," said Benkirane.  "It is still wandering about and may feel like coming back.  In this country, even the monarchy itself needs citizens who seek reform...Kings are not always surrounded by the right kind of people, they can actually be surrounded by foes who become the first to desert them."

Benkirane later tried to walk back his criticism, but he was voicing a widely-shared feeling amongst Moroccans.

While it remains doubtful the PJD-led government is able to make real gains against the makhzen, a public airing of the palace's dirty laundry will at least maintain pressure on the king to maintain the pace of reforms and reign in his advisors.  The makhzen's continued shady role in Morocco society hints that the reforms have been largely cosmetic, as they do not address the real problems in the Moroccan political sphere.  

Mid-level Talib shows up to collect bounty....on himself

From the Washington Post:

By Kevin Sieff

 Sometimes, capturing a Taliban commander requires vast resources and complex operations. Last week in eastern Afghanistan, it hinged on an insurgent’s “improbable stupidity,” as one U.S. official put it.

Mohammad Ashan, a mid-level Taliban commander in Paktika province, strolled toward a police checkpoint in the district of Sar Howza with a wanted poster bearing his own face. He demanded the finder’s fee referenced on the poster: $100.

 Ashan's want ad.

 

Afghan officials, perplexed by the man’s misguided motives, arrested him on the spot. Ashan is suspected of plotting at least two attacks on Afghan security forces. His misdeeds prompted officials to plaster the district with hundreds of so-called “Be on the Lookout” posters emblazoned with his name and likeness.
 When U.S. troops went to confirm that Ashan had in fact come forward to claim the finder’s fee, they were initially incredulous.
 “We asked him, ‘Is this you?’ Mohammad Ashan answered with an incredible amount of enthusiasm, ‘Yes, yes, that’s me! Can I get my award now?’” recalled SPC Matthew Baker.
 A biometric scan confirmed that the man in Afghan custody was the insurgent they had been looking for.
 “This guy is the Taliban equivalent of the ‘Home Alone” burglars,” one U.S. official said.
 Wanted posters are often distributed by NATO forces, but rarely have such a direct impact on the apprehension of an insurgent. In restive Paktika province, civilians are typically afraid to pass on intelligence that might lead to an arrest. And insurgents tend to shy away from the urban centers where they’re being hunted, particularly while carrying evidence of their own transgressions.
 Officials have guessed at what the unusual details of Ashan’s arrest might tell us about the state of the insurgency — its desperation, its lack of resources, its defiance of law and order.
 But, for now, the consensus has landed on the singularity of Ashan’s act, and the intellectual calculus that led to it.
 “Clearly,” one U.S. official said, “the man is an imbecile.”

Saudi bans "gays, tom boys" from schools

According to Emirates 24/7: 

Saudi Arabia has decided to bar gays and tom boys from its government schools and universities within a crackdown against the spread of this phenomenon in the conservative Moslem Gulf Kingdom, a newspaper said on Monday.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared law enforcement authority in the oil-rich country, has been asked to enforce the new orders, Sharq Arabic language daily said.

“Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites,” it said.

The paper did not make clear who issued those instructions but said gay and tom boy students can go back to schools and universities if they prove they have been corrected and have stopped such practices.

It said high-level orders have been issued to the Commission to immediately enforce the new rules and to step up efforts to combat this phenomenon and other “unacceptable behavior” in public places.

McClatchy: Egypt's former spy chief runs for president, Islamist candidate excluded

Headlines like that give me a sinking feeling in my stomach.

Omar Suleiman, the former head of Egypt's despised intelligence for over 18 years, announced Friday his candidacy for president.  He's like a caricature of an evil boogyman and is responsible for much of the repression and torture of the Mubarak years.

Ooga booga! I'm going to come and kidnap you and take you to an undisclosed location to torture you. 

His election would be a huge slap in the face to the revolutionary movements, including the Islamists, who perhaps suffered most under Mubarak.

His announcement comes after revelations that Salafi frontrunner Hazem Abu Ismail's mother held dual United States-Egyptian nationality, which disqualifies him from running for president.

This dude: Actually more legitimate.

The timing of the disclosure regarding his mother is very convenient for those who want to nip the Islamist surge in the bud.

Honestly, part of me feels for the Islamists. A lot of them, especially the younger ones, really do believe in the hope-y, change-y stuff. And a lot of people voted for Islamists--70 percent, in fact. No, the elections weren't perfect. There were a lot of barriers. But liberals did what liberals (in the United States, especially) do best--they bickered amongst themselves. They didn't have the institutional knowledge the MB had for political organization. They lost. And just because the powers that be--SCAF, the Egyptian intelligencia, the United States--doesn't like where things are going, does not justify the delegitimization of the Egyptian political process.

Besides, imagine what would happen if the thousands of Egyptians, emboldened and heartened after the revolution, saw the elections that followed as proof their vote would never count and democracy will never come.

As Egypt moves toward democratization, it will serve everyone well to keep Islamists in politics. Marginalizing and alienating them will only serve to radicalize them as they simmer with (probably well-founded) disdain.

Update: I got it. Suleiman reminds me of Cheney. Fact. 

Morocco: One step forward, two steps back

Recent news out of Morocco doesn't look so good.

"Morocco to regulate print media"

 "The project should be incorporated into a general layout oriented toward creating profound, root change in the media field, provide it with the necessary institutional aspect and put the media in the framework of service to public opinion and interacting with it and reflecting its perceptions."

 "Morocco rapper charged for anti-police song"

The rapper, also known as El-Haqed, or "the enraged," writes songs about corruption and social injustice and is involved in the pro-democracy February 20 movement. He also has written songs attacking King Mohammed VI for his vast wealth and high ranking on the Forbes magazine lists.

El-Haqed is faces charges for his song "Dogs of the State," about the Moroccan police force.

"Morocco to withhold pay from protesters"

"It is as if the government is adding fuel to fire," said Baba Al-Netuo, in charge of the health sector at the General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM). "The prime trigger of the continued protests is the government's procrastination in implementing the agreements signed with syndicates."

Morocco's new constitution and small concessions have largely quelled protests.  Unlike in other countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco's protests have been relatively small.  But the increasing numbers of headlines such as these, high unemployment, an economy in a tailspin, and stories of repression in the Rif (more to come later) leaking out of the kingdom are blaring signs all is not well.

Seen in Luxor: Execute the Butcher of Maspero

My favorite part of my boat trip between Aswan and Luxor was the graffiti in Luxor. It seemed much angrier that in Aswan and even Cairo. 

"Who protects the tyrant?"

"Day to preserve the Egyptian identity."

"Hezb al-Nour," the Salafi party

"No to the military government"

"The military are liars."

"Revealed your [something] gas, Israel"

"The revolution is not a monopoly, 

"Revolution, revolution until victory."

Something about how America invades all homes through satellite dishes.

We are all martyrs 

"Execute al-Aadly, butcher"

"Sit-in 8 July until al-Musheer [Tantawi] is gone." 

"Revolution, revolution, until victory."

"The people are the leaders and [something]." 

"General Strike"

"Execute the butcher of Maspero"

"A trial by the people."

This guy lost one eye in the 25 January revolution and the other in a later demonstration.

"Khalid Ali for president of Egypt."

Another graffiti of the eye-shooters. 

"Beware remanents of the old party."