National Security | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Nat’l Security / Foreign Affairs: June 4, 2012
- Political Clashes on Mubarak and Aides
- Tiananmen anniversary: China arrests activists
- Assad Condemns Houla Massacre, Blaming Terrorists
- Iran Sanctions ‘Biting,’ Says Deputy Sec. of the Treasury
- Brutal killing marked new low in Syrian uprising
Excerpts below
Political Clashes and Vow of Appeal in Verdict on Mubarak and Aides - David D. Kirkpatrick, NY Times
Egypt’s military-led government said Sunday that it would appeal the weak verdicts delivered by a court on Saturday against former President Hosni Mubarak, his sons and top security officials of his government — verdicts that have intensified the polarization gripping Egypt two weeks before the runoff to decide Egypt’s first competitive presidential race.
Tiananmen anniversary: China arrests activists – BBC
China has arrested activists and placed others under increased surveillance to stop them from marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Searches on social media sites have also been restricted to try to prevent any reference to the 1989 events.
Assad Condemns Houla Massacre, Blaming Terrorists – Neil MacFarquhar, NY Times
President Bashar al-Assad denied Sunday that the Syrian government played a role in the massacre in the village of Houla, using his first speech in five months to reiterate his line that foreigners were fomenting the violence in Syria.
Iran Sanctions ‘Biting,’ Says Deputy Secretary of the Treasury David Cohen – Huffington Post
A senior U.S. official says sanctions on Iran are biting, but more will be done to pressure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program. David Cohen, who is the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told Israel’s Army Radio on Monday, “The sanctions are having an impact on Iran, but I also recognize that more needs to be done. And we are intent on doing more.”
Brutal killing of at least 108 in Houla marked new low in Syrian uprising - Washington Post, Liz Sly and Joby Warrick
It was midday on a Friday, and all across Syria protesters were gathering for the anti-government demonstrations that have become a weekly routine since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule began 14 months ago. In Houla, in central Syria, this was to be a Friday like no other. By the end of the day, at least 108 people were dead, some of them killed by shelling, but most of them slaughtered in their homes. Women and children were shot at close range.
===More News===
23 years after Tiananmen, calls for political reform still ring - Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver Sun
After 30 years of soar-away growth, China’s economy is slowing to a crawl and the questions are whether it can be revived under the current sys-tem of authoritarian capitalism or whether fundamental political reform is necessary for further advances. Today is the 23rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989, when troops crushed a nationwide uprising demanding political reform.
Where did the PA’s money go? – Barry Rubin, Jerusalem Post
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says that his regime is short of funds. And meanwhile a reader asks me: “Can you please explain to me why 20 years after Oslo and billions in dollars in foreign aid, the Palestinian Authority still has not built modern hospitals? Or rather, why do the donor countries pour money down the PA drain without expecting even some face-saving results?” Good question. Short answer: Swiss bank accounts.
How to Repair the U.S. Pakistan Relationship - Bruce Riedel, Daily Beast
Pakistani-American relations are broken. President Obama refused to meet with President Asif Ali Zardari at the Chicago NATO summit last month. The new head of Pakistani intelligence—the ISI—canceled his trip to Langley to see the CIA.
