Daily News Brief — July 16, 2010

Suicide bombers kill 27 in Iranian mosqueA militant group claims responsibility for a suicide blast at a mosque that killed at least 27 people — including members of the Revolutionary Guard — late last night. Jundollah, the militant group, said it sent two suicide bombers to the mosque during the evening prayer in order to ...

Suicide bombers kill 27 in Iranian mosque
A militant group claims responsibility for a suicide blast at a mosque that killed at least 27 people -- including members of the Revolutionary Guard -- late last night. Jundollah, the militant group, said it sent two suicide bombers to the mosque during the evening prayer in order to kill members of the Revolutionary Guard in response to the regime's recent execution of the group's leader. Of the 270 people injured, about 150 were severely wounded and remain hospitalized.

Suicide bombers kill 27 in Iranian mosque
A militant group claims responsibility for a suicide blast at a mosque that killed at least 27 people — including members of the Revolutionary Guard — late last night. Jundollah, the militant group, said it sent two suicide bombers to the mosque during the evening prayer in order to kill members of the Revolutionary Guard in response to the regime’s recent execution of the group’s leader. Of the 270 people injured, about 150 were severely wounded and remain hospitalized.

Jundollah draws most of its support from Iran’s ethnic Baluch minority, who are mostly Sunni Muslims — while the state of Iran is nearly 90 percent Shia. Iranian officials claim that the group is backed by the United States. This morning, Iranian lawmaker Esmail Kowsari blamed the U.S., Britain and Israel for the attack.

  • A hotel fire in Iraq kills 29 people.
  • A new poll says 46 percent of Israelis believe Obama is more pro-Palestinian.
  • U.S. military hands over its last detention facility in Iraq.
  • Israeli FM Lieberman proposes passing Gaza responsibility to international community.
  • Frustrated Palestinians will likely reject direct peace talks with Israelis.
    Daily Snapshot

    Members of the Iranian military perform the weekly Friday prayers at Tehran University in the Iranian capital on July 16, 2010 (Atta Kenare AFP/Getty Images).

    Arguments & Analysis

    ‘Al-Asad’s Decade in Power Marked by Repression’ (Human Rights Watch)
    On the eve of his 10th year in power, a new report (pdf) says that Bashar al-Asad has not lived up to pledges to increase civil freedoms and improve the human rights situation in Syria. In the areas of repression of political and human rights activism, restrictions on freedom of expression, torture, treatment of the Kurds, and Syria’s legacy of enforced disappearances, nothing has changed (for more on Syria’s ‘decade of repression’, see Nadim Houry writing in the Guardian)

    ‘The long wait: A special report on Egypt’ (Max Rodenbeck, The Economist)
    Despite decades of economic growth, years of political paraylsis and entrenched one-man rule have left space for a younger generation clamoring for change. With an ailing Mubarak and an as of yet unnamed successor, the feeling of a looming seismic shift in Egyptian politics, culture, and economy is as palpable as the future course is ambiguous (see also ‘Arab autocracy: Thank you and goodbye’, profiling Egypt and Saudi Arabia’s upcoming changes through political succession).

    ‘Iraqi leaders and the selfish gene’ (Sami Moubayed, Asia Times)
    Much of the blame for Iraq’s ongoing inability to form a government is due to the politicking of incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA). Opposing the assent of challenger Iyad Allawi has, perhaps unsurprisingly, been more about internal and regional powerplays, and less about a genuine concern for national progress. 

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    Maria Kornalian is the executive associate for the Project on Middle East Political Science and an assistant editor for the Middle East Channel.

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