Mid-East Meets Midwest

A Mideast Meets Midwest special report: Chicago Iraqis absent in resettlement of Iraqi refugees http://bit.ly/FrPSM

Troops gather for a holiday show at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)

Kuwaiti security forces busted six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda planning an attack on a U.S. military installation, according to the country’s state-run news agency.

Security forces say the suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  This year Ramadan begins August 21.

Apparently the plot also involved an attack on Kuwait’s State Security Service headquarters and other Kuwaiti government facilities, according to the Kuwait News Agency, citing a statement from the Interior Ministry.

The investigation into the alleged al Qaeda plot is ongoing, the news agency reported. Read more…

Palestinian Fatah votes in new executive body. Vote was delayed
when Hamas prevented Fatah members from leaving Gaza. http://bit.ly/xQ3zo

UK military contractor could hang in Iraq after brawl shooting: 1st contractor to be tried in Iraqi judicial system. http://bit.ly/mwauX

UN concerned about limitations on movement/expression placed on Afghani presidential campaigns due to security concerns. http://bit.ly/7xvJl

Top US general in Iraq disputes memo recommending early withdrawal; “security situation is better than expected ” http://tinyurl.com/mfzn9m

No surprise here: 53 percent of Israeli Jews support encouraging Arabs to leave Israel, according to a new survey. http://tinyurl.com/kjoml3

Al Qaeda’s Zawahri tells Al Jazeera Israel should be wiped off the map; next target after democratic Iraq http://tinyurl.com/m8jauk.

Westerners up for trial spill the beans on specifics of Al-Qaeda’s training; Helped adapt to drone attacks. CNN: http://tinyurl.com/mutluh

Skipped that world politics class? Fret not. You can take a lesson from personality battles of rap world.

Press Play to listen to NPR’s Morning Edition Story: Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Professor Marc Lynch, George Washington University’s Director of Middle East Studies, says you can take a lesson about the United States’ hegemonic control from the career of rapper Jay-Z.

In his article in Foreign Policy magazine, “Jay-Z schools us in U.S. hegemony,” Lynch explains, “See, Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) is the closest thing to a hegemon which the rap world has known for a long time. He’s #1 on the Forbes list of the top earning rappers. He has an unimpeachable reputation, both artistic and commercial, and has produced some of the all-time best (and best-selling) hip hop albums.”

He continues the analogy saying, “But the limits on his ability to use this power recalls the debates about U.S. primacy. Should he use this power to its fullest extent, as neo-conservatives would advise, imposing his will to reshape the world, forcing others to adapt to his values and leadership? Or should he fear a backlash against the unilateral use of power, as realists such as my colleague Steve Walt or liberals such as John Ikenberry would warn, and instead exercise self-restraint?”

Read Lynch’s article:Jay-Z Schools Us In U.S. Hegemony