Forum Post: Revolution, Elections, and Betrayal: Hard Lessons from Egypt

Revolution, Elections, and Betrayal: Hard Lessons from Egypt

Thursday, 20 September 2012 10:09 By Ryan Harvey, Truthout | News Analysis

http://truth-out.org/news/item/11622-revolution-elections-and-betrayal-hard-lessons-from-egypt

As the new Morsi government negotiates with the IMF, it's clear that - as in the United States - elections in Egypt have not responded to citizens' revolutionary demands for economic and social justice, alleviation of poverty and democratic decisionmaking.

Stenciled faces stare out from almost every wall as one walks through Cairo. Some faces are accompanied by names and dates, others by political slogans. Some wear eye patches; some depict blood and pain. Others are determined, brave and proud. They are just some of the up to 1,000 people who lost their lives in the streets here in Egypt between January and December of 2011.

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Taliban Outflank US War Strategy With Insider Attacks

Thursday, 20 September 2012 14:36 By Shah Noori and Gareth Porter, Inter Press Service | Report

http://truth-out.org/news/item/11669-taliban-outflank-us-war-strategy-with-insider-attacks

Washington/Kabul - Sharply increased attacks on U.S. and other NATO personnel by Afghan security forces, reflecting both infiltration of and Taliban influence on those forces, appear to have outflanked the U.S.-NATO command's strategy for maintaining control of the insurgency.

The Taliban-instigated "insider attacks", which have already killed 51 NATO troops in 2012 – already 45 percent more than in all of 2011 – have created such distrust of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and national police that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command has suspended joint operations by NATO forces with Afghan security units smaller than the 800-strong battalion of Kandak and vowed to limit them in the future.

ISAF had intended to carry out intensive partnering and advising of ANA and police units below battalion level through 2012 to get them ready to take responsibility for Afghan security. Now, however, that strategy appears to have been disrupted by the insider attacks, and Afghan military and civilian officials are seriously concerned.