World View: Al-Qaeda Chief Says Jihadists Should Be Cheered by America's Losses

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Greece’s parliament squeaks through the austerity package amid violence
• Israel announces plans to build 1200 new homes in East Jerusalem and West Bank
• Al-Qaeda chief says that jihadists should be cheered by America’s losses
• Palestinians hope that President Obama’s 2nd term will bring change
• U.S. stocks slump most in past year

Greece’s parliament squeaks through the austerity package amid violence

A protester on Wednesday about to throw a petrol bomb is struck by water cannon (Guardian)

The faltering coalition of the government of Greece’s prime ministerAntonis Samaras managed to get 153 votes in parliament, out of 300MPs, just enough to pass the package of austerity measures that theEuropean leaders are demanding in exchange for a new bailout payment.The payment is needed before mid-November to prevent Greece’sbankruptcy. Outside the parliament building, tens of thousands ofpeople engaged in anti-austerity protests that were peaceful at firstbut turned violent. Protesters threw petrol bombs, while police usedtear gas and water cannons. Greek protesters were particularly angryat the use of water cannon, the first such incident in many years.Kathimerini and Guardian

Israel announces plans to build 1200 new homes in East Jerusalem and West Bank

Israel announced that plans to build over 1200 new settlement homes inEast Jerusalem and the West Bank. The announcement triggeredwidespread criticism, especially from European countries. The BritishForeign Office said that the announcement was “provocative” and

“The UK has been consistently clear that Israelisettlements are illegal under international law and by alteringthe situation on the ground are making the two state solution,with Jerusalem as a shared capital, increasingly hard torealize.”

East Jerusalem and the West Bank were captured by Israel during theSix Day War in 1967. CNN and YNet

Al-Qaeda chief says that jihadists should be cheered by America’s losses

Ayman al Zawahiri, the man who replaced Osama bin Laden as leader ofal-Qaeda, posted a pep talk to al-Shabaab jihadists in Somalia, whohave been losing ground recently. He said that they should be cheeredfrom recent United States defeats:

“They were defeated in Iraq and they are withdrawingfrom Afghanistan, and their ambassador in Benghazi was killed andthe flags of their embassies were lowered in Cairo and Sana’a, andin their places were raised the flags of tawhid [monotheism] andjihad.

After their consecutive defeats, they are working from behindagents and traitors. Their awe is lost and their might is goneand they don’t dare to carry out a new campaign like their pastones in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The statement about flags refer to attacks on American embassies wherethe American flag was pulled down and replaced with an al-Qaeda flag.

According to a collection of letters that Arab TV reporters found whenthey went to the Benghazi consulate where U.S. Ambassador ChrisStevens was killed, the Libyan police had stopped providingprotection. Furthermore, on the morning of September 11, a Libyanpoliceman had been taking pictures inside the consulate, suggestingthat the police were conspiring with the jihadists. It’s now believedthat al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar al-Sharia, andother al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist groups participated in the murderof Stevens. Long War Journal and Memri

Palestinians hope that President Obama’s 2nd term will bring change

Following President Obama’s reelection victory, with no need to worryabout reelection, Palestinians are hoping that Obama will bring abouta two-state solution to Mideast peace. According to one Palestiniananalyst:

“On the one hand, he is more knowledgeable of theissues, and on the other he has to deal with the changing politicsin the region, particularly with the emergence of two new powersin the Middle East — Iran and Turkey — which means the U.S. cannotafford to leave a political vacuum that could be filled by eitherof these two powers.”

However, Palestinians don’t expect Obama to change his support ofIsrael, since Congress is “hijacked by the pro-Israel camp.” LA Times

U.S. stocks slump most in past year

The day after President Obama won reelection, and the pre-electionhysteria has begun to disappear, the Dow Industrials had the biggestdecline in a years. Pundits are blaming it on the worsening debtcrisis, and the approaching “fiscal cliff.” In addition, some of theonerous price control and employment regulations of Obamacare will bekicking in during the next few months. On Wednesday, the EuropeanCommission sharply downgraded the 2013 economic forecasts for theregion. Bloomberg

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