- Syria's war: If this isn't a red line, what is? - The Economist Aug 24th 2013
- Egypt's turmoil: The army tightens its grip - The Economist Aug 24th 2013
"IN THIS bitterly divided country, a disturbing number of conversations now start with the exclamation, 'Sons of bitches!' Then comes the delicate task of discerning to whom this insult refers..."
- Bombings in Iraq: Bloodier than ever - The Economist Aug 24th 2013
"IN A country inured to violence, the scale and scope of recent attacks have shaken even the most hardened Iraqis. More than 500 have been killed in bombings this month, after some 1,000 perished violently in July—the highest number since civil strife tailed off five years ago..."
- Blast rock Israel as rockets fired from Lebanon - The Jordan Times Aug 22nd 2013
"Explosions were heard near Israel's border with Lebanon on Thursday, witnesses and AFP correspondents said, as Lebanese security sources said militants had fired four rockets at Israel..."
Additionally, a spate of tribal violence this past week has left five Jordanians dead in Mafraq.
I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this part of the world...
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In more uplifting news:
- Four boys from my village, including one Syrian refugee, attended the world's first ever Peace Corps Camp BRO (Boys Respecting Others) in northwest Jordan this past week;
- Four girls from my village attended Peace Corps Jordan's Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). To quote one of the counselors: My "GLOW girls are the best"; and
- I will be published on August 26th in The Places We've Been: Field Reports from Travelers Under 35. Get your copy here!
Good news from the Middle East?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/23/six-pieces-of-good-news-from-the-middle-east-this-week-really/
Hello from Mongolia! How are Peace Corps and PCVs affected by the unrest?
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! The primary way that we as PCVs are affected is in the limitation and restriction of our movement, both in Jordan and also in our foreign travels. For obvious reasons Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and Iraq are all off-limits to us meaning vacations require an airplane. Further, northern areas along the Syrian border and tribal areas in the South are also forbidden to volunteers.
ReplyDeleteTwo Minds on Syria - The New Yorker - 27 Aug 2013
ReplyDeletehttp://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/08/the-debate-over-intervention-in-syria.html