Daybreak: U.N. Suspects Syrian Crimes
Plus, the new Sinai, and more in the news
August 19, 2011
The Israel-Egypt border this morning (note the photo credit!).(Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
• The U.N. report on Syria finds unspeakable acts as well as a “pattern of human rights violations … which may amount to crimes against humanity.” It also names 1900 civilians who were killed by mid-July, and concludes that most of them were unarmed. [Turtle Bay]
• Syria accused the U.S. of waging “a humanitarian and diplomatic war” against it. So kind of you to say! [AP/WP]
• Yesterday’s attacks are already bringing attention to the new, dangerous, post-Mubarak lawlessness in Sinai. [NYT]
• Was Al Qaeda involved? Expert Bruce Riedel and others see evidence that the group has established a Sinai affiliate. [Washington Times]
• Lebanese politics explained, with limited reference to The Wire. [FP Middle East Channel]
• A new mosque opened in Staten Island, and the news is that there was no news. [NYT]
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.
