Here and There, Nov. 1

Imshin shares a fundamental insight that helps explain the entire Middle East conflict. Be sure to click through to the very perceptive essay by Egyptian intellectual Tarek Heggy

I don't have nearly the number of visitors as do Glenn Reynolds or Bill Quick, but I believe I have a larger nose. Draw your own conclusions.

Is South Africa going the way of Zimbabwe? This article reports that the Mbeki government is blaming a recent series of bombings on a vague conspiracy of right-wing Afrikaaners in the security forces , but the report doesn't give any actual facts linking any Afrikaaners to the attacks. Is this a precursor to an ongoing purge of whites from the police and military? Any South African readers care to comment?

And now it really is time for Harvey Pitt to resign.

Saddam's shop of horrors: Jeff Jacoby in today's Boston Globe explains why regime change in Iraq would be "performing an act of nearly incalculable mercy" -- for the people of Iraq

As a boy, writes Kenneth Pollack [in his new book], Saddam Hussein would heat an iron poker until it was white-hot, then use it to impale cats and dogs. Years later, when he had boys of his own, he would take them into prisons so they could watch -- and get used to -- torture and executions

and the rest of Jacoby's column is even more gruesome. Read the whole thing [courtesy of reader Michael Delman]

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 01, 2002 11:26 AM