New York TimesMarch 17, 2009 The Children Of AsadabadBy Kristen L. RouseONE afternoon in April 2006, my Army unit got word that the hospital at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, might need help carrying possibly dozens of litters from medevac helicopters into the emergency room.The story gradually filtered in: the Taliban had attacked a primary school just east of us in Asadabad. The school taught young boys and girls together in an open courtyard outside a mosque. One rocket made a direct hit on... Read Full Story

Barbara Ferguson | Arab News WASHINGTON: When Barack Obama, the president-elect takes office next month, he plans to wage and win — or at least conclude — two wars. And he must confront unpredictable states with nuclear ambitions and seek to repair the nation’s tarnished reputation around the world. Yesterday, Obama announced that he will keep, for at least one year, Robert Gates, the current Secretary of Defense. Gates has spearheaded the Defense Department’s increasing belief that after s... Read Full Story

As a new administration takes shape in the United States, it is important that the War of Ideas feature prominently in policy efforts moving forward. The attack in Mumbai, involving hijacked ships, sea born infiltration, the early execution of the local terrorism chief and multiple, simultaneous attacks on soft targets, represents something of a revolution in terrorist tactics--well planned, rapid execution based on solid intelligence. To carry out this type of attack the planners would have ... Read Full Story

Again, this sounds good; we will have to watch it unfold to see if it is truly targetting extremism across the board:Riyadh, Nov 18.(APP)‑ As part of the continuous drive to root out terrorism from the Kingdom’s soil, Saudi Arabian universities and educational institutions joined hands with the authorities in implementing several plans and programs aimed at enlightening students about the dangers of extremist ideologies. These programs are reaping rich dividends besides serving as a major boo... Read Full Story

A recent blog post by Steve Schippert, reported on a 17 year Afghan girl who defiantly returned to school after having acid thrown in her face by Taliban: "I will go to my school even if they kill me," she told reporters. "My message for the enemies is that if they do this 100 times, I am still going to continue my studies." I made the following comment to that post:The very fact that this young girl feels to stand up for her rights in this way--demonstrates the success t... Read Full Story

More news from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that demonstrates the need for liberty and reform:The Saudi's banned a human rights defender from travelling abroad to receive an award for his work as a defense attorney. Abdul-Rahman al-Lahem gained fame for his defense of a girl who received a sentence of several months in prison and 90 lashes for being alone in a car with a man when the two were attacked by a gang and raped. What kind of justice is that? While we need to take a long term appr... Read Full Story

In an article in the NY Times Magazine, Katherine Zoepf writes about the Saudi Arabian effort to deprogram jihadists--in what they describe as a war of ideas. If you look at what they are doing, however, they are really only focussing on delegitimizing the Takfiri ideology--that ideology that justifies the identification of other Muslims as apostate, and thus worthy of death. The Saudis have a clear self-interest in attacking the Takfiri ideology as its extension allows al-Qa'ida to call ... Read Full Story

A Great Article from Doug FarahA Worthwhile Reminder of the Jihadist Agendafrom Counterterrorism Blog by Douglas FarahEvery once in a while, it is necessary to step back from the abstract world of ideas and see what the ideas actually mean in people's lives. That is particularly true as the new administration enters and has to think about what the radical Islamist agenda really means to those who live under it. It is also worth noting the little-noticed support some of the worst parts of ... Read Full Story

Iran continues to reject the notion of inalienable rights through its persecution of human rights advocates. In a recent court decision, an Iranian activist was sentenced to eleven years for the "crimes of": “acting against national security by establishing [a human rights NGO],” “widespread propaganda against the system by disseminating news,” “opposing Islamic penal laws by publicizing punishments such as stoning and executions,” and “advocating on behalf of political prisoners.” ... Read Full Story

Nadia Schadlow of the Smith Richardson Foundation argues that philanthopists can contribute much to the war of ideas, as they did during the Cold War. She advocates for a philonthopic focus on five areas to support Muslim reformers: education in the Islamic world, the media--especially the internet, cultural exchanges, increasing the US knowledge base of the Muslim world, and promoting effective development policies. See her article here: And here is the rest of it. Read Full Story