Series of car bombs explode near Baghdad

According to Iraqi police, a wave of car bombs in and around Baghdad have killed at least nine people and injured dozens. In one bombing, a taxi exploded outside the entrance to a market in Washash, a mainly Shiite area in Baghdad. In another incident, three bombs exploded in the predominately Sunni city of Taji, outside of the local mayor’s office. Meanwhile, gunmen killed two members of a of a local Awakening council in Samarra. The councils are usually comprised of Sunnis who turned against al Qaeda in late 2006. These bombings are the latest in a series of deadly explosions this month and come just a day after bombs targeted the home of a tribal sheikh who also leads an Awakening militia.  

Syria

A Turkish military convoy of about 30 trucks with anti-aircraft artillery and rocket launchers was seen leaving Iskenderun, heading towards the Turkey-Syria border. Syria’s state-news agency, SANA, reported that central Damascus’ main court building, the Palace of Justice, was hit by at least two loud explosions. However, no casualties were reported. Hamas claims that one of its operatives, Kamal Ghanaja, was assassinated at his home in a Damascus suburb. Ghanaja’s files were also confiscated by the assailants. He was the former deputy of  Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas operative who was assassinated in Dubai in 2010. Al-Mabhouh’s death is widely attributed to Israel’s Mossad. Meanwhile, rebels and government sources offer conflicting accounts of a recent assault on the pro-government television station, Al Ikhbaria. A Free Syrian Army spokesperson claims the attack was perpetrated by group of Republican Guards who had defected. But the government argues that it was carried out by rebels, whom they refer to as terrorists. On the diplomatic front, International envoy Kofi Annan has proposed creating a unity government that would include Assad loyalists as well as opposition members. But the plan was vague about the role that Assad might play in this unity government.  

Headlines

• Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights activist and a vocal critic of Bahrain’s ruling family, has been released after three weeks in detention.
• A group of prominent Egyptian activists have met with Mohamed Morsi, the President-elect, to discuss transparency in the government and the goals of the revolution.
• Eleven activists in Oman who were detained during a protest earlier this month have been released on bail. Four others will remain in jail.

Arguments & Analysis

‘The Turkish Paradox‘ (Michael J. Koplow and Steven A. Cook, Foreign Affairs)

"Turkey has thus become more open in some ways and more closed in others, allowing for greater participation and less contestation. The AKP’s behavior during the debate surrounding the drafting of a new constitution will say much about its commitment to democracy. Although the AKP has stressed the importance of consensus, Erdogan lashed out last month at critics who have begun to accuse him of molding the constitution to increase his own power, warning that if the opposition stands in his way, he will proceed without them. The drafting committee began work on May 1 but will save the most challenging issues, from minority rights to the power of the presidency, for the end of the summer. Should the AKP successfully push for a strong executive without concurrent checks and balances, Turkey will sink more deeply into its paradox. Turkey will not likely revert to full-blown authoritarianism. But an autocratic slide will undermine its international standing, built largely on its democratization. Should Turkey’s liberalization falter, the country may quickly lose that influence — suggesting that there are consequences to having it both ways."

‘Arab Women and Men See Eye to Eye on Religion’s Role in Law‘ (Gallup Poll)

"Many observers of the Arab uprisings are growing concerned about women’s rights as Islamist parties that generally favor a more assertive role for religion in public life gain influence across North Africa. Gallup surveys in five Arab countries found Arab women are as likely as Arab men in their countries to favor Sharia as a source of legislation. The majority of women and men across countries experiencing political upheaval do want some level of religious influence in law, though people’s views of the specific role for Sharia vary widely from one country to another. Those who want no legislative role at all for Sharia are in a small minority in every country."

‘Obama and Terror: The Hovering Questions‘ (David Cole, The New York Review of Books)

"President Obama has in fact decisively broken from the Bush approach. While he has continued to employ tactics traditionally associated with war-military detention, killing, and war crimes trials-he has sought to reconcile those practices with the rule of law that Bush rejected. Where he has fallen short is not in fighting al-Qaeda, but in fighting his critics at home, and in failing to embrace the obligations of transparency and accountability so central to democratic legitimacy. And nowhere is the latter failing more evident than with respect to his aggressive but secretive exercise of the power to target and kill our "enemies.""

–By Jennifer Parker