Worth Reading

In the LA Times, Matthew Levitt explains how Hamas accumulated enough money to take over Gaza. In short, it was A) a combination of weapons smuggling and B) “mixing funds across its political, charitable and militant wings” till the bucks stopped at the people carrying out attacks.

*Daniel Pearl’s father gives A Mighty Heart a big thumbs down. Here’s why:

There can be no moral equivalence between those who seek to build a more liberal, tolerant world and those who advocate the annihilation of other faiths, cultures, or states. Thanks to the release of "A Mighty Heart," the movie based on Mariane Pearl's book of the same title, the legacy of my son, Daniel Pearl, is once again receiving attention. Yet the film compares Danny's abduction with Guantanamo and compares al-Qaeda militants with CIA agents. I am concerned that aspects of the movie will play into the hands of professional obscurers of moral clarity.
Danny's tragedy demands an end to this logic. There can be no comparison between those who take pride in the killing of an unarmed journalist and those who vow to end such acts - no ifs, ands, or buts.

* Der Spiegel reports on Hamas’ relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood and why neighboring Arab regimes are so concerned. Excellent history and updates on Brotherhood branches “from the Atlantic coast to the Indian Ocean.” It isn't often the MSM spotlights the organization to this extent.

Posted at 05:27 PM