German Ex-Rapper Fighting in Syria Calls for Jihad in Central African Republic

“A rapper-turned-jihadi fighting in Syria called on his brethren in Africa to enter the Central African Republic, ravaged by months of sectarian violence, and protect Muslims from deadly attacks.’

MENA Media Sources

allAfrica. http://allafrica.com/middleeastandafrica/

BBC. “Africa.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world/africa/

——. “Middle East.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world/middle_east/

CRDF Global. http://www.crdfglobal.org/where-we-work/regions/middle-east-and-north-africa

The Guardian. “Middle East and North Africa.” http://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast/roundup

Financial Times. “Middle East & North Africa.” http://www.ft.com/world/mideast

House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/subcommittees/the-middle-east-and-north-africa

National Institutes of Health. “Middle East and North African Region Information, Grants and Resources.” Fogarty International Center. http://www.fic.nih.gov/WorldRegions/Pages/MiddleEastNorthAfrica.aspx

The North Africa Journal. http://www.north-africa.com/

UN News Centre. “Winds of change: North Africa & Middle East.” http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=129&Body=North+Africa&

Wilson Center. “Middle East and North Africa.” http://www.wilsoncenter.org/region/middle-east-and-north-africa

Frontline Special Report on Crimea

Two Crimeas, courtesy of PBS Frontline.

Jones, James. “Inside Ukraine’s Propaganda War.” PBS Frontline. March 14, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/inside-ukraines-propaganda-war/

Putin Speaks – RT broadcasts of Putin on Crimea / Questions

Two videos of Putin on the evolving crisis in Crimea.

The first follows Putin on the onset of the intervention of the “little green men.” Translated from Russian to English.

RT. “FULL VIDEO: Putin speaks Ukraine, Yanukovich, Maidan, Crimea.” March 4, 2014. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiKF8JN1qmk

The final video is Putin’s speech on Russia’s annexation of Crimea, citing the Kosovo precedent from international law.

RT. “Putin: Crimea similar to Kosovo, West is rewriting its own rule book (FULL SPEECH).” March 18, 2014. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDLwu4E35us

What do you think?

Is Russia violating international law by protecting ethnic Russians in the Crimea by annexing the territory after a popular referendum and after a government installed in Kiev by a coup?

Or is Russia using realpolitik to denounce a Western leaning legitimate government moving closer to the EU and Western values and markets?

Has the International Community responded proportionately to Russian actions, or are they holding a double standard between the former Cold War imagined constructs of the “East” and “West?”

Please leave respectful, thought provoking comments below.