North Africa

US military advisors arrive in Libya: reports

Reports are emerging of US and British military advisors arriving in Benghazi, as a Qaddafi spokesman said the regime is open to reform—but that “the leader has to lead this forward.”

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: clash of fundamentalisms in round two of Koran wars

Wacky extremoid Christian fundi Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, apparently followed through on his threat to burn a Koran on March 20. This prompted wacky extremoid Muslim fundis in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, to storm a UN compound, killing as many as 20 employees and setting fire to several buildings.

North Africa

Moussa Koussa provides moral test for West’s Libya policy

Defected Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa may bear responsibility in the Lockerbie bombing—and in countless “disappearances” and rights abuses. Will he now be embraced as the technocratic face of a new regime?

J’accuse! The Betrayal of WBAI

After more than 20 years, WBAI has cancelled the Moorish Orthodox Radio Crusade. Producer Bill Weinberg examines the politics of this move, and demonstrates how it is an illegitimate act of political retribution.

North America

Ron Schiller, the Tea Party and the Jews: nobody gets it

Disgraced NPR exec Ron Schiller merely stated the obvious by calling the Tea Party movement racist—but then went on to engage in a racist trope himself with his canard that the media is “owned” by the Jews.

East Asia

Japanese leaders: radiation levels hit danger zone

In a televised statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation from the three stricken reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant has reached the danger zone. A fourth reactor is now aflame.

East Asia

Third explosion reported at Fukushima

A third hydrogen explosion at the Fukushima nuclear plant is reported, destroying the outer building of reactor Number 2. All three damaged reactors at the site have now experienced explosions.