The unrest in the Middle East has been at the forefront of the news since 2001. The countries have been analyzed. What is their religion? What is their contribution to the world as a whole? How are their governments run? Why do some of them feel such disdain for Americans? Do they wish the Army would leave them be, or are they happy with their presence?

These questions, though insightful, are too broad and too assuming. We are assuming that all countries in the Middle East reflect each other. This is like saying all the states in the US reflect each other, except it’s even more blatantly untrue to claim it of the former. The states in the US have the same fundamentals, though culture, specific laws, and other variables may differ. Many countries in the Middle East have very little in common.

Cosimo has published an insightful and analytical report titled, The Right to Freedom of Religion & Belief: An Analysis of Muslim Countries.

This report examines constitutional provisions in predominantly Muslim countries and the diversity of these provisions. With over forty-four countries discussed, this report is incredibly thorough and thought provoking.

Recently, there has been a series of political unrest in the Middle East. Uprisings, mass rebellions, protests and violence are straying far and wide in the hopes of redeveloping some governments. The populations are looking at their governments and comparing them to others, demanding that what they feel is only right. This report was the first to point out the truth among these governments. Not only comparing and contrasting the different regimes within the Middle East but also comparing them to the recognized international human rights standards.

If the mess of revolutions in the Middle East has you hooked to your preferred news outlet, this report is a must read. Filled with an overwhelming amount of knowledge on Middle Eastern government, it is sure to pique your interest. If you’re not all that interested in the Middle Eastern turmoil, consider this. Stereotypes are infectious. One is developed and the world picks it up, assuming the stereotype is true. Maybe it’s not, maybe it is. Either way an education beyond the mass consensus is needed to prevent the development of a seemingly ignorant opinion. There are a lot of unstable Middle Eastern countries highlighted in the news, but what about those that are stable? This report is a great way to educate yourself on the truth about religious freedom and human rights in the Middle East.

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If the government was fighting to keep UFO discoveries top secret forever, they lost the battle. We’ve all had our suspicions. Perhaps some have seen an odd shaped orb flying through the sky, others have felt they made contact. The government has always adamantly denied such possibilities. To what purpose? One can only assume. But with The Freedom of Information act, this has all changed. The FBI released UFO documents, which are of a particular interest to those who feel they’ve encountered UFOs. These top secret documents took long enough to be available to the public and I think it’s unlikely we’re still seeing the whole truth. But hey, some documents confirming what many of us believe are better than none, right?

At the Merovee Blog, Frank has selected three documents he feels are of the most significance. These three come from the desk of a known FBI agent. The letters contain information from an anonymous informant. Though there is no indication how reliable said informant was, it’s still interesting information. The letters contain a description of a flying disk in New Mexico. It also alludes to animal mutilations that are believed to be related.

Blogger Frank accessed these documents from the FBI archive website. There are more documents to be found here, eleven total, all of which seem to have the distinguished quality of remaining a secret for too long. Another curious thing you will note is that some of the documents say “5 of 5” or “13 of 16” but the first four or first twelve parts are missing. Is the government still holding out on us? Or perhaps they were conveniently lost? We may never know.

There is a lot to be inferred from these documents. It could be suggested that the documents are a clear indication of the existence of UFOs. Others could argue it’s all circumstantial and open to interpretation. One thing is for sure, the information, which is old to some, is new for most. Take advantage and examine these interesting documents. At the very least we learn from these documents that if you want to encounter a UFO you’ll have a better chance if you move to New Mexico. Apparently it’s a hot bed for UFO activity.

For further UFO reading please check out Cosimo’s UFO titles, including Flying Saucers Over the White House: The Inside Story of Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and the Official Airforce Investigation, The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, The Original 1956 Edition, and Crash at Corona: The U.S. Military Retrieval and Cover-Up of a UFO - The Definitive Study of the Roswell Incident.

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Now that it’s April and spring is in the air, we think it’s time to look at something new and fresh with the start of the season. April’s “Book of the Month” selection is all about the unexpected and the new: considering new theories and ideas, learning about something mysterious and different. Flying Saucers Over the White House by Colin Bennett is an interesting look at the life of ufology founder Edward Ruppelt: a man who conducted military-sanctioned investigations into UFO sightings only to discover that the possibility of life NOT on Earth was supported by his results. The military, of course, wanted it all shushed up, as their official position was quite contrary to Ruppelt’s findings. Instead, Ruppelt published his conclusions and research independently, in a book titled The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, also from Cosimo.

Of course, the government made him release an edited version that supported their position a couple years later, but the rare original 1956 edition can still be found. Both Bennett’s book and the Ruppelt Report (which, incidentally, also has an Introduction from Colin Bennett) shed light on the mysterious subject of UFOs, extraterrestrials, and why the U.S. government takes such a negative, reactionary stance on the idea that they might exist.

Colin Bennett has also written other books on UFO researchers, always with his own commentary on their studies and findings. He sheds important light on background information that will be useful and interesting to people researching UFO history for the first time. He also makes enlightening and engaging commentary for old hats at the UFO business. His books include The Entertainment Bomb, Looking for Orthon, and Politics of the Imagination, which won the Anomalist Award for Best Biography in 2002. After leaving school to become a professional musician, he returned to college to study English at University of Oxford, Balliol College. He wrote several plays that were performed in London before reinventing himself as an electronics engineer and founding a consulting agency. Bennett continues to write today at his home in London.

If you enjoy reading about controversial topics from authoritative authors, you should read not only Colin Bennett’s UFO books and biographies, but some of the other Cosimo UFO titles such as A Covert Agenda by Nick Redfern, Left at East Gate by Larry Warren and Peter Robbins, an eye-witness account about the government cover-up of the Rendlesham Forest Incident, or Flying Saucers are Real by Donald Keyhoe, a UFO classic.

You can read more about Colin Bennett and his views (and UFOs) at his controversial blog and website, The Combat Diaries. You can also email him at colin@combat-diaries.co.uk or sharkley1@btinternet.com.

Happy Reading!

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Tomorrow evening, Danny Schechter will be reading an excerpt from his newest book, The Crime of Our Time at the NYU bookstore on 726 Broadway in New York, at Waverly Place near the 8th Street N/R Subway station. This is the companion book to his movie, Plunder, the Crime of Our Time, which expounds on the themes found in the Cosimo Book Plunder.

Danny will also show screenings from the movie and discuss why Wall Street is NOT too big to jail. The event takes place tomorrow, April 6, between 6:30 and 8:00 PM. You can see the ad for the event and read more about Danny and his work at his blog.

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