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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 24-Aug-2011
24-Aug-11 World View -- Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya

Web Log - August, 2011

24-Aug-11 World View -- Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya

China's looming debt disaster

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

* Libya's rebels overrun Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound
* Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya
* U.N. Human Rights Council condemns Syria
* Turkey says it killed 100 Kurdish terrorists in Iraq
* Israel denies apologizing for Egyptian deats
* Three Egyptians took part in terrorist attacks on southern Israel
* China's looming debt disaster
* Switzerland's Word of the Year: Sterbetourismus

Libya's rebels overrun Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound

Rebel fighter tears down the iconic giant golden hand crushing a US fighter jet (BBC)

Rebel fighter tears down the iconic giant golden hand crushing a US fighter jet (BBC)

After five hours of intense fighting, Libya's rebels breached a main gate of Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, and quickly overran it. The rebels were shown destroying statues - including the iconic giant golden hand crushing a US fighter jet - firing guns in the air in celebration, and seizing weapons and ammunition from arms depots. Gaddafi's Bedouin tent, where he used to receive visiting foreign dignitaries, was set on fire, while his golf cart, in which he appeared frequently, was paraded around the compound. BBC

Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya

The whereabouts of Muammar Gaddafi are still unknown. He may or may not be in Tripoli, and he may or may not be in Libya. In an audio messge, Gaddafi said his withdrawal from his Bab al-Aziziya headquarters in the heart of Tripoli was a tactical move after it had been hit by 64 NATO air strikes and he vowed "martyrdom" or victory in his fight against the alliance. Reuters

U.N. Human Rights Council condemns Syria

The U.N. Human Rights Council has overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning Syria for grave and systematic human-rights violations. The resolution also calls for an international investigation into possible crimes against humanity. The vote was 33 in favor, nine abstentions, and four opposed -- Russia, China, Cuba and Syria. Russia called the resolution one-sided and politicized. China said the right way to protect human rights is through respect and dialogue, not through accusations. The Syrian representative called the resolution political and unbalanced. Meanwhile, the carnage goes on, with five more activists killed on Tuesday by the regime of president Bashar al-Assad. VOA

Turkey says it killed 100 Kurdish terrorists in Iraq

A series of air strikes by Turkey's air force in Iraq has killed 90 to 100 fighters in the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) in the last six days. The air strikes followed a PKK attack in southeast Turkey, in which eight Turkish soldiers and a guard died. In the wake of that attack, Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: "The time for words is over. Now is the time for actions." Erdogan's opposition says that he's mishandling the situation, and that the air strikes may trigger civil unrest and ethnic violence in Iraq and among Turkey's own Kurdish population of 15 million. In recent years, Turkey has developed massive economic influence over northern Iraq. More than half of the 2,000 foreign companies working in northern Iraq are Turkish, and 75 percent of all goods sold in the region are Turkish made. Guardian and CS Monitor

Israel denies apologizing for Egyptian deaths

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday denied apologizing to Egypt following the deaths of five Egyptian soldiers at the hands of Israeli forces Thursday. "I didn't apologize to Egypt, I expressed regret," Barak said in a televised interview. Al-Masry Al-Youm

Three Egyptians took part in terrorist attacks on southern Israel

A probe carried out by Egyptian security forces found that three of the militants that perpetrated the terrorist attack in southern Israel last week on Thursday were Egyptian members of an extremist Islamic group. One of them had escaped from an Egyptian prison during the revolution against Hosni Mubarak. Remarks yesterday by Egypt's foreign minister, Mohammed Kamel Amr, suggest a wish to return to normalcy in relations with Israel, and the demand for an apology has been sidelined for the time being. In Cairo the expression of sympathy by Defense Minister Ehud Barak was perceived as a step in the right direction. Haaretz

China's looming debt disaster

With the United States and Europe buried in debt, much of the world is hoping that China will provide the engine to bail the world out. However, thanks to China's "hidden debts," China may be far worse off than either America or Europe. When the global downturn hit in 2008, China decided to spend its way out of the crisis, and pumped $1.1 trillion into its $4.3 trillion economy. One result is the building of 65 million apartments -- enough housing for 200 million people -- all empty. Despite the obvious oversupply, the government—in conjunction with private developers—is constructing 40 to 50 million more units. And the Chinese government recently announced it will be building 20 new cities a year over the next two decades, to match the numerous ghost cities already built. Daily Beast

Switzerland's Word of the Year: Sterbetourismus

"Sterbetourismus" (death tourism) has been selected from over 2,000 suggestions as Word of the Year in German-speaking Switzerland. Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when the patient commits the act and the helper has no direct interest. Most Swiss people support assisted suicide, but they are divided over whether the service should be provided to foreigners. A runner-up word was 'Taschenmunition,' ammunition that each Swiss soldier must keep at home. A previous "Unword of the Year," which is awarded for a term considered "crassly inappropriate", was Klimakompensation (climate compensation). This means for example sitting on a plane with a clear conscience in the knowledge that you have chipped in to a tree-planting project somewhere in the world. SwissInfo

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 24-Aug-11 World View -- Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (24-Aug-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 24-Aug-2011 24-Aug-11 World View -- Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya

Libya's rebels overrun Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound

Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya

U.N. Human Rights Council condemns Syria

Turkey says it killed 100 Kurdish terrorists in Iraq

Israel denies apologizing for Egyptian deaths

Three Egyptians took part in terrorist attacks on southern Israel

China's looming debt disaster

Switzerland's Word of the Year: Sterbetourismus

Web Log Pages

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 24-Aug-2011
24-Aug-11 World View -- Gaddafi vows 'Martyrdom or Victory' in Libya