![Why Rand Paul is right to Kill the So-Called PATRIOT Act: It was never about Terrorism](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-rand-paul-is-right-to-kill-t-187x137.jpg)
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Archives: May 2015
![Why Rand Paul is right to Kill the So-Called PATRIOT Act: It was never about Terrorism](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-rand-paul-is-right-to-kill-t-187x137.jpg)
![Nasty, New Neighbours: How Close Will Extremists Get To Baghdad?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/nasty-new-neighbours-how-close-w-187x137.jpg)
Nasty, New Neighbours: How Close Will Extremists Get To Baghdad?
By Mustafa Habib | (Niqash.org) | - The fall of Ramadi means that Baghdad, Karbala and Babel have unpleasant new neighbours in the Islamic State group. How long before the extremists are…![Finding: As Pacific warms with CO2 Emissions, Typhoons Intensify](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/finding-as-pacific-warms-with-co-187x137.jpg)
With Global Warming, a future of Pacific Superstorms
By Wei Mei | (The Conversation) | - Every year, typhoons over the western North Pacific – the equivalent to hurricanes in the North Atlantic – cause considerable damage in East and…![Muhammad Cartoon Ad Blocked From DC Metro](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/muhammad-cartoon-ad-blocked-from-187x137.jpg)
Muhammad Cartoon Ad Blocked From DC Metro
Jo Ankier and Nik Zecevic | (The Lip TV) | (Video) |- "A Prophet Muhammad cartoon ad has been blocked by Washington DC’s transport authority who voted unanimously on Thursday to suspend…![Why ISIL’s Attacks on Shiites of Saudi Arabia Threaten World Economy](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-isils-attacks-on-shiites-of-187x137.jpg)
Why ISIL’s Attacks on Shiites of Saudi Arabia Threaten World Economy
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) took responsibility for a terrorist attack Friday on the Shiite al-Husayn Mosque in Dammam, which left three victims dead. Saudi security…![Armed Bikers Protest at Arizona Mosque](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/armed-bikers-protest-at-arizona-187x137.jpg)
Armed Bikers Protest at Arizona Mosque
AJ+ | - "Anti-Islam activists have planned a “peaceful” protest at an Arizona mosque. Protesters are encouraged to bring American flags and “to utilize their second-amendment right” ... just in case." AJ+:…![85,000 Refugees from Ramadi Restricted from Entering Baghdad, despite 110– Heat](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/85000-refugees-from-ramadi-restr-187x137.jpg)
85,000 Refugees from Ramadi Restricted from Entering Baghdad, despite 110°F Heat
Human Rights Watch | - (Beirut) – Iraqi authorities are preventing thousands of families fleeing the fighting in Ramadi from reaching safer parts of the country. The government of Iraq has primary…![Bahamas will lose 80% of Land in this Century to Climate Change, Builds Sea Walls](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/sea-wall-629x418.jpg)
Bahamas will lose 80% of Land in this Century to Climate Change, Builds Sea Walls
By Desmond Brown | - NASSAU (IPS) - Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have championed the phrase “1.5 to stay alive” in demanding that global temperature increases be kept as far below…![Kaplan’s Fantasies of Empire and the Myth of the Arab Strongman](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/kaplans-fantasies-of-empire-and-187x137.jpg)
Kaplan’s Fantasies of Empire and the Myth of the Arab Strongman
By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | - Robert Kaplan explains the current conflicts in the Middle East as the inevitable results of the withdrawal of colonial powers which led to a…![How Mainstream is Bernie Sanders?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/how-mainstream-is-bernie-sanders-187x137.jpg)
How Mainstream is Bernie Sanders?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Sen. Bernie Sanders, the presidential candidate for the Democratic nomination, has trouble being taken seriously by the corporate media, what with him being a…![As Elections approach, Turkey’s Political Wildcard is the Kurds](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/41wlQD-J5IL.jpg)
As Elections approach, Turkey’s Political Wildcard is the Kurds
H. Akın Ünver | (Informed Comment) | - Regardless of the outcome of June 7 elections, Kurds have already grown into Turkey’s main corrective political camp with domestic and international implications. The…![Palestinians won’t back down on Expelling Israel from In’tl Soccer for Apartheid](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/palestinians-wont-back-down-on-e-187x137.jpg)
Palestinians drop motion on Expelling Israel from In’tl Soccer for Apartheid
Update: Having made their point, Palestine dropped this motion at FIFA on Friday, likely because of behind the scenes assurances the harassment will stop. (note: title has changed.). By Camila Benson |…![Hawks think the US alone can Still Garrison the Planet: How’s that Working Out?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/hawks-think-the-us-alone-can-sti-187x137.jpg)
Hawks think the US alone can Still Garrison the Planet: How’s that Working Out?
By Michael T. Klare | (Tomdispatch.com) | - Take a look around the world and it’s hard not to conclude that the United States is a superpower in decline. Whether in Europe,…![Why the so-called USA PATRIOT Act can’t actually Keep America Safe](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-the-so-called-usa-patriot-ac-187x137.jpg)
Why the so-called USA PATRIOT Act can’t actually Keep America Safe
by CHARLES KURZMAN for ISLAMiCommentary: Charles Kurzman With the “USA PATRIOT Act” set to expire at the end of the month, you might expect supporters of domestic surveillance to tout the take-down…![Iraq: Shiite Militias change Ramadi Campaign to “I’m Here, O Iraq”, capture southern reaches](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraq-shiite-militias-change-rama-187x137.jpg)
Iraq: Shiite Militias change Ramadi Campaign to “I’m Here, O Iraq”, capture southern reaches
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - After an outcry and Pentagon criticism, the Shiite militias in Iraq have changed their name for their current campaign to take Ramadi from Daesh…![Kaplan: An Impish Desire for Imperial Déjà Vu](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/kaplan-an-impish-desire-for-impe-187x137.jpg)
Kaplan: An Impish Desire for Imperial Déjà Vu
Daniel Martin Varisco | (MENA Tidningen) | - A recent online commentary by Robert Kaplan for Foreign Policy displays the provocative title: "It's time to bring imperialism back to the Middle East".…![Turkish Voters worried about Integrity of Elections, Deterioration of Democracy](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/turkish-voters-worried-about-int-187x137.jpg)
Turkish Voters worried about Integrity of Elections, Deterioration of Democracy
By Deniz Erkmen | (Informed Comment) | -- As Turkey approaches a pivotal parliamentary election on June 7, there is growing doubt about just how “free and fair” this election is…![Amnesty: Hamas Killings, Torture during Gaza Assault were War Crimes](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/amnesty-hamas-killings-torture-d-187x137.jpg)
Amnesty: Hamas Killings, Torture during Gaza Assault were War Crimes
By: Charlie Hoyle | (Ma'an News Agency) -- BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The extra-judicial executions of at least 23 Palestinians in Gaza during Israel's military offensive last summer could amount to war crimes,…![If Iran Nuclear talks fail, Sanctions on Tehran Could Unravel](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/16389773974_cc3ee61343_z-629x419.jpg)
If Iran Nuclear talks fail, Sanctions on Tehran Could Unravel
By Jasmin Ramsey | (Inter Press Service) | -- WASHINGTON (IPS) - Internationally supported sanctions against Iran could begin to crumble if talks over Iran’s nuclear programme fail to produce a final…![Shiite Militias announce “Here I am, O Husayn” Campaign for Sunni Ramadi](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/shiite-militias-announce-here-i-187x137.jpg)
Shiite Militias announce “Here I am, O Husayn” Campaign for Sunni Ramadi
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Shiite militias in Iraq, joined by some Sunni tribal levies, on Tuesday reached a university campus just to the southwest of Ramadi in what…![Why do Poor Nations care more about Climate Change than the Rich?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-do-poor-nations-care-more-ab-187x137.jpg)
Why do Poor Nations care more about Climate Change than the Rich?
Alex Lo | (The Conversation) | - Alex Lo, University of Hong Kong Do rich countries care more about the environment that poorer ones? In a recent study I found that’s not…![Egypt: Executing Muslim Brotherhood leader Morsi for “Terrorism” will Fuel… Terrorism](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/egypt-executing-muslim-brotherho-187x137.jpg)
Egypt: Executing Muslim Brotherhood leader Morsi for “Terrorism” will Fuel… Terrorism
By Ebrahim Deen | (Informed Comment) | -- ‘In contemporary Egypt, due process is often not granted, evidence is often not considered, and impartiality and independence are often not maintained.’ The…![After the Cold War, did We all Get the worst of both Capitalist & Communist Worlds?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/after-the-cold-war-did-we-all-ge-187x137.jpg)
After the Cold War, did We all Get the worst of both Capitalist & Communist Worlds?
By John Feffer | (Tomdispatch.com) | - Imagine an alternative universe in which the two major Cold War superpowers evolved into the United Soviet Socialist States. The conjoined entity, linked perhaps by…![Iranian-Americans demand apology from Lindsey Graham for “Liar” Racism”](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iranian-americans-demand-apology-187x137.jpg)
Iranian-Americans demand apology from Lindsey Graham for “Liar” Racism
NIAC | -- NIAC Condemns Senator Graham’s Racist Statement, Demands Apology Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council, the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the United States, strongly condemns Senator Lindsey…![Is it the US that isn’t stepping up to fight Daesh/ ISIL?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/CF4LA7aUsAAaydU.jpg_large.jpg)
Is it the US that isn’t stepping up to fight Daesh/ ISIL?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter's blunt remarks on Sunday about the Iraqi army not having the will to fight have ruffled feathers in Baghdad and…![‘Climate Change Deniers Are Like Alcoholics’ | Ed Begley, Jr.](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/climate-change-deniers-are-like-187x137.jpg)
‘Climate Change Deniers Are Like Alcoholics’ | Ed Begley, Jr.
Dave Rubin | (Rubin Report Video) - "Ed Begley Jr sits down with Dave Rubin for an interview about everything from environmental activism and climate change, to the California drought and the…![Yemen conflict fans food insecurity](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/yemen-conflict-fans-food-insecur-187x137.jpg)
Yemen conflict fans food insecurity
By Peter Salisbury and Louise Redvers | (IRIN) - AMMAN / DUBAI (IRIN) - The conflict in Yemen is worsening the country's food insecurity, according to a new report, which predicts that…![Israel Confiscates 202 Acres of Palestinian land for Squatter Settlement Garbage Dump](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/settlementland.jpg)
Israel Confiscates 202 Acres of Palestinian land for Squatter Settlement Garbage Dump
By Saed Bannoura | (IMEMC) - The Israeli Authorities have decided to confiscate around 820 Dunams (202 acres) of privately owned Palestinian lands to establish new dumping grounds for its illegal colonies,…![Western Teen Who traveled to join ISIL wants to go back & live in Parents’ Basement](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/western-teen-who-traveled-to-joi-187x137.jpg)
Western Teen Who traveled to join ISIL wants to go back & live in Parents’ Basement
TomoNews | (Video) "Bridgeman, who was captain of his rugby team, graduated from high school in November 2014. He then traveled to Indonesia for humanitarian work, according to the teenager’s Facebook page…![More Bad Climate News: Once-Stable Antarctic Region Suddenly Melting](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/more-bad-climate-news-once-stabl-187x137.jpg)
More Bad Climate News: Once-Stable Antarctic Region Suddenly Melting
By Bert Wouters | (The Conversation) Antarctica’s glaciers have been making headlines during the past year, and not in a good way. Whether it’s a massive ice shelf facing imminent risk of…![Did the US DIA see ISIL as a strategic Ally against al-Assad in 2012?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/did-the-us-dia-see-isil-as-a-str-187x137.jpg)
Did the US DIA see ISIL as a strategic Ally against al-Assad in 2012?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment)- The answer, in a word, is "no." Fabius Maximus is right that this is just a clickbait story or an unfounded conspiracy theory. The Defense Intelligence…![The End of Dirty Coal? Britain CO2 Falls 10% on Coal Plant Closings](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/the-end-of-dirty-coal-britain-co-187x137.jpg)
The End of Dirty Coal? Britain CO2 Falls 10% on Coal Plant Closings
The Tree | -- The UK could soon see coal use fall back to levels last seen during the industrial revolution as yet another uneconomical coal plant shuts its doors. On Wednesday,…![Israel, fearing EU Sanctions over Apartheid, backpedals on Segregated Buses for Palestinians](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/Azzum-Atme-Flickr-629x472.jpg)
Israel, fearing EU Sanctions over Apartheid, backpedals on Segregated Buses for Palestinians
By Mel Frykberg | -- RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 24 2015 (IPS) - A decision by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to segregate buses in the occupied West Bank has backfired after…![US Kneejerk support for Israeli Nukes Torpedoes UN Disarmament Talks](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/us-kneejerk-support-for-israeli-187x137.jpg)
US Kneejerk support for Israeli Nukes Torpedoes UN Disarmament Talks
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) - After four weeks of negotiations, a revised UN treaty on nuclear disarmament has been torpedoed by the United States, leaving the issue of global disarmament…![Iraq Can’t Get Ramadi back without an Inclusive Policy toward Sunnis](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraq-cant-get-ramadi-back-withou-187x137.jpg)
Iraq Can’t Get Ramadi back without an Inclusive Policy toward Sunnis
By David Alpher | (The Conversation) - Last Friday, the city of Ramadi – provincial capital of Iraq’s Anbar Province, and symbolic seat of its Sunni population – fell to an ISIS…![Venezuela to Boost Palestine to Full Embassy Status](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/venezuela-to-boost-palestine-to-187x137.jpg)
Venezuela to Boost Palestine to Full Embassy Status
By Ben Tavener - IMEMC/PNN - Venezuela will boost its diplomatic representation in Palestine to full embassy status, according to the Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs. "Following instructions from President Nicolás Maduro,…![Conservative, Catholic Ireland 1st Country to vote in Gay Marriage](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/conservative-catholic-ireland-1s-187x137.jpg)
Conservative, Catholic Ireland 1st Country to vote in Gay Marriage
Channel 4 News | (Video) - "Support for gay marriage in Ireland reaches 65 per cent with just the final votes to be counted - a resounding yes which forces the hugely…![Snowden’s Revenge: USA “Freedom” [Surveillance] Act Fails in Senate](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/snowdens-revenge-usa-freedom-sur-187x137.jpg)
Snowden’s Revenge: USA “Freedom” [Surveillance] Act Fails in Senate
By Nadia Prupis, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) -- "The failure of these bills to pass shows just how dramatically the politics of surveillance changed once the extent of the government’s surveillance programs…![Daesh/ ISIL blows up Shiite Mosque in Saudi Arabia, seeking Sectarian Civil War](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/daesh-isil-blows-up-shiite-mosqu-187x137.jpg)
Daesh/ ISIL blows up Shiite Mosque in Saudi Arabia, seeking Sectarian Civil War
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - A suicide bomber with a concealed weapon detonated his payload during Friday prayers at the Ali b. Abi Talib Mosque in Qadif, a suburb…![Richest Countries Bomb among World’s Poorest: Yemen already a Forgotten War](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/richest-countries-bomb-among-wor-187x137.jpg)
Richest Countries Bomb among World’s Poorest: Yemen already a Forgotten War
VICE News | (Video) | - "For more than six weeks, nine countries led by Saudi Arabia have been carrying out airstrikes on Yemen, the Arab world's poorest nation. Whole neighborhoods have…![Now Jeb Bush thinks Scientists are Arrogant for Discovering Climate Change](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/now-jeb-bush-thinks-scientists-a-187x137.jpg)
Now Jeb Bush thinks Scientists are Arrogant for Discovering Climate Change
John Iadarola and Ben Mankiewicz | (The Young Turks) | (Video) - "A few weeks back we gave Jeb Bush credit for admitting that climate change is actually a fact. Well today…![Obama Prosecutes another Whistleblower to Senate for “Espionage”](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/obama-prosecutes-another-whistle-187x137.jpg)
Obama Prosecutes another Whistleblower to Senate for “Espionage”
By John Kiriakou | (Foreign Policy in Focus) Jeffrey Sterling learned the hard way that the feds will throw the book at anyone who embarrasses them. Jeffrey Sterling recently stood before a…![World Bank Warns of Total Collapse of Economy in Gaza](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/world-bank-warns-of-total-collap-187x137.jpg)
World Bank Warns of Total Collapse of Economy in Gaza
IMEMC | -- The World Bank will be presenting a report to the bi-annual Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting on May 27, 2015 in Brussels that highlights the Gaza Strip's economic…![ISIL beheaded Dozens in Palmyra, but how Strategic is the City?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/isil-beheaded-dozens-in-palmyra-187x137.jpg)
ISIL beheaded Dozens in Palmyra, but how Strategic is the City?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Nearly 500 people died in the campaign by Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) to take the Syrian city of Palmyra, including 49 who were executed before…![TPP and Fast Track Harm Web Creativity and Users’ Rights: Tech Companies to Congress](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/tpp-and-fast-track-harm-web-crea-187x137.jpg)
TPP and Fast Track Harm Web Creativity and Users’ Rights: Tech Companies to Congress
By Maira Sutton | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | - In a In a joint letter to Congress released this week, more than 250 technology companies and user rights organizations say that the…![Obama: Climate change deniers endanger national security](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/obama-climate-change-deniers-end1-187x137.jpg)
Obama: Climate change deniers endanger national security
WTNH News8 | (Video) - "President Barack Obama says climate change deniers are endangering national security." WTNH News8 "Obama: Climate change deniers endanger national security"![As Palmyra Falls, Who Supports Bashar al-Assad in Syria? (Charles Glass)](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/as-palmyra-falls-who-supports-ba-187x137.jpg)
As Palmyra Falls, Who Supports Bashar al-Assad in Syria? (Charles Glass)
VICE News | (Video) "VICE News and the New York Review of Books have partnered to create Talking Heads, a series about the big issues of the day as seen by the…![Digital Militarism: Israel’s Occupation in the Social Media Age](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/51R-GlUwT2L._AA324_PIkin4BottomRight-5722_AA300_SH20_OU15_.jpg)
Digital Militarism: Israel’s Occupation in the Social Media Age
by JULIE POUCHER HARBIN, EDITOR, ISLAMiCommentary — Q & A with REBECCA STEIN: Digital Militarism: Israel’s Occupation in the Social Media Age (Stanford University Press, April 2015), by scholars Adi Kunstman and…![Washington asks, “Who lost Ramadi?” But Washington never had Ramadi](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/washington-asks-who-lost-ramadi-187x137.jpg)
Washington asks, “Who lost Ramadi?” But Washington never had Ramadi
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | -- The inside-the-Beltway debate set off by the fall of the Iraqi city of Ramadi to Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) on Sunday is, as usual, Dadaistic…![Israel: Court Permits Discriminatory Evictions of Palestinian-Israeli Villagers](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israel-court-permits-discriminat-187x137.jpg)
Israel: Court Permits Discriminatory Evictions of Palestinian-Israeli Villagers
Human Rights Watch | - Arab Villages in Israel, West Bank Face New Displacement (Jerusalem) – Separate Israeli Supreme Court decisions issued on May 5, 2015, open the way for state authorities…![Solar, Wind don’t do this: 21,000 Gallons of Oil Stain Santa Barbara, CA Coastline](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/solar-wind-dont-do-this-21000-ga-187x137.jpg)
Solar, Wind don’t do this: 21,000 Gallons of Oil Stain Santa Barbara, CA Coastline
By Nicholas Sirianno | (Mountain Weekly News) -- About 25 miles north of Santa Barbara, CA Refugio State Beach, a quiet white-sand surf and popular family beach, turned black this morning from…![Syrian Opposition, Caught between Assad & Extremists, Despair at World’s Neglect](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/syrian-opposition-caught-between-187x137.jpg)
Syrian Opposition, Caught between Assad & Extremists, Despair at World’s Neglect
By Haroro J. Ingram with L. T. Anthony | (The Conversation) | - Syrian civilians are trapped in the middle of a holocaust: prizes in a ruthless contest for popular support and…![Epilectic Girl moved to Denver for Medical Pot, Dramatically Improves](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/epilectic-girl-moved-to-denver-f-187x137.jpg)
Epileptic Girl moved to Denver for Medical Pot, Dramatically Improves
WCPO Denver | (9 on Your Side Video) | - "Adam and Heather Benton uprooted their lives to move across the country this April to provide their daughter, Addyson, with medical marijuana…![Iraq: 25,000 Shiite Militiamen gather for Battle of Ramadi](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraq-25000-shiite-militiamen-gat-187x137.jpg)
Iraq: 25,000 Shiite Militiamen gather for Battle of Ramadi
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | -- Al-Zaman (The Times of Baghdad) reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi met Tuesday with leaders of the Shiite militias to plan the retaking…![Unlike Congress, Majority of Americans Oppose NSA Spying](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/unlike-congress-majority-of-amer-187x137.jpg)
Unlike Congress, Majority of Americans Oppose NSA Spying
By Nadia Prupis, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | - Survey commissioned by ACLU shows "how disconnected members of Congress are from the feelings of a lot of the public." A new survey…![The National Security State gets Real: 9 Ways the US is becoming Bizarro World](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/the-national-security-state-gets-187x137.jpg)
The National Security State gets Real: 9 Ways the US is becoming Bizarro World
By Tomd Engledhardt | (Tomdispatch.com) | - It’s commonplace to speak of “the fog of war,” of what can’t be known in the midst of battle, of the inability of both generals…![Hip-Hop Hijabis: Spitting Rhymes About Being Muslim And Female](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/hip-hop-hijabis-spitting-rhymes-187x137.jpg)
Hip-Hop Hijabis: Spitting Rhymes About Being Muslim And Female
AJ+ | - "Hip-hop is a male-dominated arena. In California, a hip-hop collective of Muslim women are challenging stereotypes about being Muslim, and women, through their lyrics." AJ+: "Hip-Hop Hijabis: Spitting Rhymes…![Vatican recognition of saints symbolic victory for Palestinians](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/332458C.jpg)
Vatican recognition of saints symbolic victory for Palestinians
By: Charlie Hoyle BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The grounds of the Carmel Convent in Bethlehem, home to blue-shuttered stone buildings on a hilltop facing the Nativity Church, are adorned with the image of…![2007: Progress Continues in Ramadi, Mullen Notes During Visit](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/US_Navy_050220-N-6967M-138_U.S._Marines_and_Sailors_assigned_to_1st_Marine_Division_2nd_Battalion_5th_Marines_search_Iraqi_vehicles_and_their_occupants_at_a_Ramadi_Iraq_checkpoint.jpg)
2007: Progress Continues in Ramadi, Mullen Notes During Visit
Just to show Iraq's ups and downs, here is a celebratory article from the US Department of Defense about the apparent rollback in Ramadi of al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia (the parent organization of…![Why does the Iraqi Army Keep Running Away from ISIL?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-does-the-iraqi-army-keep-run-187x137.jpg)
Why does the Iraqi Army Keep Running Away from ISIL?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Commen) | -- Baghdad was shaken by the news that the Iraq army and police in Ramadi ran away from the advancing forces of Daesh (ISIL, ISIS).…![Jeb Bush & Schiavo Affair: Islamization of GOP?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/jeb-bush-schiavo-affair-islamiza-187x137.jpg)
Jeb Bush & Schiavo Affair: Islamization of GOP?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment)| - Michael Schiavo is speaking out about Jeb Bush's determined, sustained and energetic intervention, as Florida governor, in the private medical decision of the Schiavo family…![Does Sen. Lindsey Graham want to Drone Americans for Thought Crimes?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/does-sen-lindsey-graham-want-to-187x137.jpg)
Does Sen. Lindsey Graham want to Drone Americans for Thought Crimes?
John Iadarola & Jimmy Dore | (The Young Turks) | - ""Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is ready to join the crowded 2016 presidential race — and he's having a blast in doing…![After fall of Ramadi to ISIL, does Iraq have a future?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/after-fall-of-ramadi-to-isil-doe-187x137.jpg)
After fall of Ramadi to ISIL, does Iraq have a future?
By Brian M Downing | (Informed Comment) | - Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, has fallen to forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. ISIL has now reversed…![Israel Pushes Negev Bedouin Palestinians into a Corner](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israel-pushes-negev-bedouin-pale-187x137.jpg)
Israel Pushes Negev Bedouin Palestinians into a Corner
By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | - Israel’s latest move to demolish a Bedouin village and replace it with homes for Jewish citizens is no surprise to anyone familiar with…![Who does Jerusalem belong To?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/who-does-jerusalem-belong-to-187x137.jpg)
Who does Jerusalem belong To?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Far right Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commemorated Israel's "Jerusalem Day" with a speech in which he said, "Jerusalem was always the capital of…![Seattle Activists, Native Americans Kayak to Protest Shell Arctic Drilling](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/seattle-activists-native-america-187x137.jpg)
Seattle Activists, Native Americans Kayak to Protest Shell Arctic Drilling
By Deirdre Fulton, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | -- Kayaks began lining up on the shores of Seattle's Elliot Bay early Saturday morning in preparation for the sHell No! "flotilla rally," organized…![Sharia Law Comes To Walmart, According To Allen West](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/sharia-law-comes-to-walmart-acco-187x137.jpg)
Sharia Law Comes To Walmart, According To Allen West
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) | - ""Fox News contributor Allen West went to Walmart and thought he was the victim of "Sharia law" because a checkout clerk under the age…![As ISIL takes Ramadi: America’s Hydra Problem in the Middle East](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/as-isil-takes-ramadi-americas-hy-187x137.jpg)
As ISIL takes Ramadi: America’s Hydra Problem in the Middle East
By Inge Fryklund | (Foreign Policy in Focus) | -- In the Greek myth, Heracles battles the Hydra — a multi-headed reptilian monster that was terrorizing the Greek countryside. However, every time…![Illegal Israel Squatters uproot hundreds of Palestinian olive trees near Hebron](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/illegal-israel-squatters-uproot-187x137.jpg)
Illegal Israeli Squatters uproot hundreds of Palestinian olive trees near Hebron
HEBRON (Ma'an) - Israeli settlers destroyed and uprooted hundreds of olive saplings in the Palestinian town of al-Shuyoukh northeast of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Local activist Ahmad al-Halayqa told Ma'an…![Death Sentence for Morsi: Egypt’s Junta takes another step toward being N. Korea](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/death-sentence-for-morsi-egypts-187x137.jpg)
Death Sentence for Morsi: Egypt’s Junta takes another step toward being N. Korea
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - That the only freely elected president Egypt has ever known has been sentenced to death is only to be expected from the current military…![Floatting Graveyard: 6000 Migrants, incl. Rohingya Muslims, Marooned in SE Asia Seas](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/floatting-graveyard-6000-migrant-187x137.jpg)
Floating Graveyard: 6000 Migrants, incl. Rohingya Muslims, Marooned in SE Asia Seas
By Kanya D'Almeida | -- UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - On Thursday, May 14, a group of journalists rented a boat from Ko Lipe, a small island in Thailand’s southwest Satun Province, and…![A Journalist Journeys to the Heart of the Quran (Muslim Scripture)](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/61la3LWcpiL._SY344_BO1204203200_.jpg)
A Journalist Journeys to the Heart of the Quran (Muslim Scripture)
By JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary : Carla Power Great journalists invite us to be companions with them on their journeys to extraordinary places. Carla Power offers such…![Palestinian Christians, under Pressure, Honored by Pres. Abbas as they welcome New Saints](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/palestinian-christians-under-pre-187x137.jpg)
Palestinian Christians, under Pressure, Honored by Pres. Abbas as they welcome New Saints
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- In the run up to Pope Francis' canonization of two Palestinian nuns, President Mahmoud Abbas praises Palestinian Christians for the "distinctive dimension" their community and history gives to the…![Syria: Roman Palmyra Monuments in danger as ISIL Fighters Near](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/syria-roman-palmyra-monuments-in-187x137.jpg)
Syria: Roman Palmyra Monuments in danger as ISIL Fighters Near
BBC News | Video | - "Islamic State militants move to within a few miles of one of the world's oldest and most important archaeological cities, Palmyra, in the latest stage of…![Iraq: Ramadi falls to ISIL as Shiite Gov’t refuses to Arm Sunni Tribal Levies](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraq-ramadi-falls-to-isil-as-shi-187x137.jpg)
Cole: Iraq’s Ramadi falls to ISIL as Shiite Gov’t refuses to Arm Sunni Tribes
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) The Times of Baghdad (al-Zaman) reports that fighters of the Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) terrorist group raised their black flags over the central government building in Ramadi…![Was that a White House- Gulf Arab Summit or an Arms Bazaar?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/was-that-a-white-house-gulf-arab-187x137.jpg)
Was that a White House- Gulf Arab Summit or an Arms Bazaar?
By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) | - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia on Mar. 5, 2015, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,…![Palestinian Catastrophe Day: Injuries as Israeli Soldiers Attack Peaceful Nil’in Protest](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/palestinian-catastrophe-day-inju-187x137.jpg)
Palestinian Catastrophe Day: Injuries as Israeli Soldiers Attack Peaceful Nil’in Protest
By Saed Bannoura | (IMEMC News) | - More than 1,200 Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli and international peace activists, marched in the weekly protest in Ni’lin village on Friday, near the central…![Obama: No Mideast NATO, but US committed to Security of Arab Gulf States](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/obama-no-mideast-nato-but-us-com-187x137.jpg)
Obama: No Mideast NATO, but US committed to Security of Arab Gulf States
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council came to meet President Barack Obama at Camp David in search of a renewed, formalized US commitment…![Why Obama is bucking Saudis, Israel on Iran: Deal would much Strengthen US Security](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/why-obama-is-bucking-saudis-isra-187x137.jpg)
Why Obama is bucking Saudis, Israel on Iran: Deal would much Strengthen US Security
By Brian M Downing | (Informed Comment) | - The dialog between the US and Iran moves ahead, albeit haltingly. Opposition comes from important groups in both Tehran and Washington – as…![Iraq’s Shiite Militias turn on their Shiite Prime Minister](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraqs-shiite-militias-turn-on-th-187x137.jpg)
Iraq’s Shiite Militias turn on their Shiite Prime Minister
By Mustafa Habib | (Niqash.org) | - (Baghdad) - Iraq's relatively new Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, has been performing a tricky balancing act for the past few months, carefully keeping the various…![Too Big not to Fail: The US Military’s Missions Unaccomplished](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/too-big-not-to-fail-the-us-milit-187x137.jpg)
Too Big not to Fail: The US Military’s Missions Unaccomplished
By William J. Astore | (Tomdispatch.com) It’s 1990. I’m a young captain in the U.S. Air Force. I’ve just witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, something I never thought I’d see,…![United Nations: “No confidence vote” on America’s Post-9/11 Human Rights Record](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/united-nations-no-confidence-vot-187x137.jpg)
United Nations: “No confidence vote” on America’s Post-9/11 Human Rights Record
By Gustavo Capdevila | (Inter Press Service) | - GENEVA (IPS) - Without the emperor’s clothes, like in the Hans Christian Andersen story, the United States was forced to submit its human…![BB King R.I.P.: “When the Saints go Marching In”](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/bb-king-r-i-p-when-the-saints-go-187x137.jpg)
BB King R.I.P.: “When the Saints go Marching In”
BB King | "When the Saints go Marching In" R.I.P.![Palestinians welcome Pope’s Recognition of their State](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/palestinians-welcome-popes-recog-187x137.jpg)
Palestinians welcome Pope’s Recognition of their State
By Juan Cole The Arabic press widely and favorably reported the news that the Vatican has recognized Palestine as a state in a new treaty with it, despite a strong protest from…![Over 40 Ismaili Shiites shot down by Sunni Extremists in Pakistan](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/over-40-ismaili-shiites-shot-dow-187x137.jpg)
Over 40 Ismaili Shiites shot down by Sunni Extremists in Pakistan
BBC | - "Dozens of people are thought to have died after an attack by gunmen on a bus in Karachi. They surrounded the bus, which was carrying Ismaili Shia Muslims, and…![Obama greenlights Shell’s Arctic drilling plans, badly tarnishing his climate legacy](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/obama-greenlights-shells-arctic-187x137.jpg)
Obama greenlights Shell’s Arctic drilling, tarnishing his climate legacy
The Tree | -- President Barack Obama’s reputation as a climate leader took a hit on Monday when his administration gave its blessing for Shell to begin drilling exploratory oil wells in…![Europe’s Post-Revolution Abandonment of Libya led to Mediterranean Crisis](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/europes-post-revolution-abandonm-187x137.jpg)
How Europe’s Post-Revolution Abandonment of Libya led to Mediterranean Crisis
By Ioannis Chapsos | (The Conversation) | - Libya has been in a state of chaos ever since the fall of its former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and the situation scarcely seems to…![Obama: Palestinians deserve end to indignity of occupation](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/obama-palestinians-deserve-end-t-187x137.jpg)
Obama: Palestinians deserve end to indignity of occupation
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Barack Obama says the United States is "taking a hard look" at its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling an Arabic language news source Wednesday that Palestinians "deserve…![Did Jeb Bush just commit a War Crime in Justifying the Iraq War?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/did-jeb-bush-just-commit-a-war-c-187x137.jpg)
Did Jeb Bush just commit a War Crime in Justifying the Iraq War?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | -- Jeb Bush's people are trying to walk back his disastrous interview with Megyn Kelly in which he said that even if he knew then…![Farkhunda is Our Sister: A “Martyr” to women and the Making of a New Afghanistan?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/farkhunda-is-our-sister-a-martyr-187x137.jpg)
Farkhunda is Our Sister: A “Martyr” to women and the Making of a New Afghanistan?
By Ann Jones | (Tomdispatch.com) | -- I went to Kabul, Afghanistan, in March to see old friends. By chance, I arrived the day after a woman had been beaten to death…![Are the Houthis in Yemen really Iranian “Proxies”? What does that even Mean?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/are-the-houthis-in-yemen-really-187x137.jpg)
Are the Houthis in Yemen really Iranian “Proxies”? What does that even Mean?
By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) -- A 2014 al-Monitor headline declared “Yemen’s Houthis Proxy, not Ally for Iran” but then neglected to explain the difference. It is certainly unlikely that the…![Yemen: Fierce fighting in Lead-up to Saudi Ceasefire, Children at risk of Starvation](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/yemen-fierce-fighting-in-lead-up-187x137.jpg)
Yemen: Fierce fighting in Lead-up to Saudi Ceasefire, Children at risk of Starvation
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Heavy fighting continued in Yemen on Monday and Tuesday, despite the agreement reached between Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia that a five-day ceasefire would…![Now Yemen’s Houthi Rebels are forcing Children Into Battle](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/now-yemens-houthi-rebels-are-for-187x137.jpg)
Now Yemen’s Houthi Rebels are forcing Children Into Battle
Human Rights Watch | - (Beirut) – The Houthi armed group in Yemen has intensified its recruitment, training, and deployment of children in violation of international law. Since September 2014, when the…![Just how Illegal has the NSA’s Domestic Spying Been?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/just-how-illegal-has-the-nsas-do-187x137.jpg)
Just how Illegal has the NSA’s Domestic Spying Been?
By Andrew Crocker | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | - We now have the first decision from a court of appeals on the NSA’s mass surveillance program involving bulk collection of telephone records…![Israel plans forced evacuation of Bedouin families east of Jerusalem](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/330349C.jpg)
Israel plans forced evacuation of Bedouin families east of Jerusalem
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) – Dozens of Palestinian families living in the Bedouin Abu Nuwwar village to the east of Jerusalem will be forced from their land in less than a month, locals told…![Hanan Ashrawi: New Extremist Israeli Gov’t generates a Culture of Hate](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/hanan-ashrawi-new-extremist-isra-187x137.jpg)
Hanan Ashrawi: New Extremist Israeli Gov’t generates a Culture of Hate
By IMEMC | - PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi stated: “Such a coalition betrays the true nature of the Israeli political system and promotes an anti-peace agenda and the language…![What makes one Palestinian Village School one of the Best in the Middle East?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/what-makes-one-palestinian-villa-187x137.jpg)
What makes one Palestinian Village School one of the Best in the Middle East?
World Bank | - "Amid widespread dissatisfaction with public services in the Arab world, a new report identifies local success stories that could point the way to solutions." World Bank: " What…![Do Republicans favor Coal Plants over Americans’ Health?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/do-republicans-favor-coal-plants-187x137.jpg)
Do Republicans favor Coal Plants over Americans’ Health?
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) | - '"The Obama administration’s proposed curbs on coal-burning power plants could prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart attack and respiratory disease, scientists said…![Saudi Arabia as the Incredible Hulk: King Salman snubs Obama’s Gulf Summit](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/saudi-arabia-as-the-incredible-h-187x137.jpg)
Saudi Arabia as the Incredible Hulk: King Salman snubs Obama’s Gulf Summit
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- Watching Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia nowadays, is like Kremlin-watching in the old days of the Cold War. It is not as if most…![38 Million displaced and homeless in their own Countries](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/38-million-displaced-and-homeles-187x137.jpg)
38 Million displaced and homeless in their own Countries
AFP | -- "Conflicts and violence in places like Syria and Ukraine have displaced a record 38 million people inside their own countries, equivalent to the total populations of New York, London…![Lurch to Far Right keeps Netanyahu in power, but for how long?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/lurch-to-far-right-keeps-netanya-187x137.jpg)
Lurch to Far Right keeps Netanyahu in power, but for how long?
By Luisa Gandolfo | (The Conversation) | - Only weeks after Israel’s snap Knesset elections, the Likud party was bluntly reminded that winning the most seats does not guarantee an easy ride.…![Egypt: Mubarak, Sons, given 3-year Wrist Slap for Massive Corruption](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/egypt-mubarak-sons-given-3-year-187x137.jpg)
Egypt: Mubarak, Sons, given 3-year Wrist Slap for Massive Corruption
Reuters | -- "Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are sentenced to three years in jail without parole in the retrial of a corruption case. Nathan Frandino reports." Reuters: "Egyptian court sentences…![Hawaii goes Green and other Big Renewables Stories](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/cumulative-solar.jpg)
Hawaii goes Green and other Big Renewables Stories
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - The Hawaii legislature has just passed a bill by an overwhelming margin that sets a goal of 100% renewable energy in the state by…![Is Sen. Tom Cotton right that ISIL is Winning?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/is-sen-tom-cotton-right-that-isi-187x137.jpg)
Is Sen. Tom Cotton right that ISIL is Winning?
John Iadarola, Jimmy Dore, Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks) --- "Senator Tom Cotton has a lot of faith in the military prowess of ISIS, and its fighters, unfortunately though he doesn't…![Palestinians: “”The face of a new form of racist, discriminatory Israel has been revealed”](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/palestinians-the-face-of-a-new-f-187x137.jpg)
Palestinians: “”The face of a new form of racist, discriminatory Israel has been revealed”
By IMEMC Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing religious "government of war" is a blow to an already stagnating peace process, PLO officials said Thursday, vowing to fight it on the…![Why won’t US, Israel Ratify Nuclear Test Ban Treaty but seek Iran Sanctions?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/15832575821_8ed3688158_z-629x420.jpg)
Why won’t US, Israel Ratify Nuclear Test Ban Treaty but seek Iran Sanctions?
By Kanya D'Almeida UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - With the four-week-long review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) underway at the United Nations, hopes and frustrations are running equally high, as a…![Hizbullah, Syrian Army push back al-Qaeda in Qalamoun as Christian militia mobilizes](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/hizbullah-syrian-army-push-back-187x137.jpg)
Hizbullah, Syrian Army push back al-Qaeda in Qalamoun as Christian militia mobilizes
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Smarting from a string of losses, the proregime coalition of Hizbullah and the Syrian Arab Army is looking for some victories against the al-Qaeda-linked…![Syria: What if Turkey and Saudi Arabia install al-Qaeda in Damascus?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/Idlib_Governorate_with_Districts.png)
Syria: What if Turkey and Saudi Arabia install al-Qaeda in Damascus?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - Journalists such as the intrepid Liz Sly covering the Syrian Civil War were struck with the victories of the Army of Conquest coalition in…![Iraqi Shiite cleric al-Sadr threatens USA as GOP Draft Seen aiming at Partition](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/iraqi-shiite-cleric-al-sadr-thre-187x137.jpg)
Iraqi Shiite cleric al-Sadr threatens USA as GOP Draft Seen aiming at Partition
Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | -- Fighters loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr staged a military parade after al-Sadr protested the US' draft law. A recent piece of proposed legislation sponsored…![HUGE WIN FOR PRIVACY! Court Rules NSA Spying Is Illegal](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/huge-win-for-privacy-court-rules-187x137.jpg)
HUGE WIN FOR PRIVACY! Court Rules NSA Spying Is Illegal
John Iadarola, Jimmy Dore, Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks) | - "The second circuit court of appeals has ruled that the bulk collection and storage of Americans phone records is ILLEGAL,…![The Wall Street Connection: The Clintons and their Banker Friends](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/the-wall-street-connection-the-c-187x137.jpg)
The Wall Street Connection: The Clintons and their Banker Friends
By Nomi Prins | (Tomdispatch.com) | - The past, especially the political past, doesn’t just provide clues to the present. In the realm of the presidency and Wall Street, it provides an…![Overwhelming US Public Approval of Iran Talks gives Momentum to Peace Deal](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/overwhelming-us-public-approval-187x137.jpg)
Overwhelming US Public Approval of Iran Talks gives Momentum to Peace Deal
By Carlyn Meyer | (Informed Comment) -- For years, AIPAC and the Netanyahu government in Israel have tried to mark the Iran nuclear talks as a “Jewish” or ‘Israeli’ concern distinct from…![Israel’s Government Ratchets even Further Right: Great Moments in Colonialism](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israels-government-ratchets-even-187x137.jpg)
Israel’s Government Ratchets even Further Right: Great Moments in Colonialism
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) - Binyamin Netanyahu has succeeded in putting together a shaky coalition of parties that would give him 61 seats in the 120-member Israeli parliament. In such…![‘Too Big to Exist': Sanders Introduces Bill to Break Up Big Banks](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/too-big-to-exist-sanders-introdu-187x137.jpg)
‘Too Big to Exist’: Sanders Introduces Bill to Break Up Big Banks
by Nadia Prupis, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | - If passed, bill would give Treasury Secretary a year to break up institutions bailed out in financial crisis. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is…![Israel Slammed Over Treatment of Palestinian Children in Detention](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israel-slammed-over-treatment-of-187x137.jpg)
Israel Slammed Over Treatment of Palestinian Children in Detention
By Mel Frykberg | - RAMALLAH, West Bank (IPS) - Palestine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council demanding that action be taken…![Holy War Hotel: 5-star resort opens for ISIS supporters in Iraq](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/holy-war-hotel-5-star-resort-ope-187x137.jpg)
Holy War Hotel: 5-star resort opens for ISIS supporters in Iraq
RT | - "It may look like any other top resort in Iraq, but the Ninawa International Hotel in Mosul has one major difference. It is the first 5-star hotel for Islamic…![“Killing Me Softly” in Palestine: Lauryn Hill Cancels Israel Appearance under BDS Pressure](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/killing-me-softly-in-palestine-l-187x137.jpg)
“Killing Me Softly” in Palestine: Lauryn Hill Cancels Israel Concert under BDS Pressure
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - In another sign that Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu's far-right nationalism is turning Israel into a pariah state, pop star Lauryn Hill has cancelled…![Iranian Police Arrest Leading Human Rights Activist Again](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/Screen-Shot-2015-05-05-at-4.27.04-PM.png)
Iranian Police Arrest Leading Human Rights Activist Again
By Golnaz Esfandiari | (RFE/RL) | - Narges Mohammadi, the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) co-founded by Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, was arrested on…![We’re all Iraqis now: How Bush’s Wars Militarized Baltimore & Ferguson Police](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/were-all-iraqis-now-how-bushs-wa-187x137.jpg)
We’re all Iraqis now: How Bush’s Wars Militarized Baltimore & Ferguson Police
By Michael Gould-Wartofsky | (Tomdispatch.com) | - Last week, as Baltimore braced for renewed protests over the death of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) prepared for battle. With state-of-the-art surveillance…![Afghanistan’s Endless War: Between the US, Taliban and ISIL](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/afghanistans-endless-war-between-187x137.jpg)
Afghanistan’s Endless War: Between the US, Taliban and ISIL
By Brian M. Downing | (Informed Comment) | - War is largely a seasonal activity in Afghanistan. Winters are harsh and fighters need to work fields and tend herds. With spring, another…![Young Muslim-Americans Draw Their Own Muhammad](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/young-muslim-americans-draw-thei-187x137.jpg)
Young Muslim-Americans Draw Their Own Muhammad
AJ+ | - "Muslims condemned the attack at a Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas. But some of them started drawing cartoons of their own." AJ+: "Muslim Americans Draw Their Own Muhammad"![How Muslim-Americans can avoid being Trolled by the Israel-Firsters: Look again and the Prophet’s example](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/how-muslim-americans-can-avoid-b-187x137.jpg)
How Muslim-Americans can avoid being Trolled by Israel-Firsters: Look again at the Prophet’s example
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) - In the period from roughly 610 to 622 CE ("AD"), Muhammad ibn Abdallah of the noble Quraysh tribe in the western Arabian city of Mecca…![What Islamic State learned from the mad men of the ad world](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/what-islamic-state-learned-from-187x137.jpg)
What Islamic State learned from the mad men of the ad world
By Mike Marinetto | (The Conversation) | - John Bartle, Nigel Bogle and John Hegarty were the mad men of the 1980s. Their BBH ad agency was the marketing genius behind Levi’s…![Cunning Stunts in Iraq: ISIL Sleeper Cells Are Secret Weapon in Ramadi](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/cunning-stunts-in-iraq-isil-slee-187x137.jpg)
Cunning Stunts in Iraq: ISIL Sleeper Cells Are Secret Weapon in Ramadi
Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) - Refugees from Ramadi trying to escape the city and extremists. Last week's small extremist victories in Ramadi were fuelled by the work of sleeper cells,…![Video Shows Ethiopian-Israeli Soldier Beaten By Police – Violent Clashes In Tel Aviv](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/video-shows-ethiopian-israeli-so-187x137.jpg)
Video Shows Ethiopian-Israeli Soldier Beaten By Police – Violent Clashes In Tel Aviv
AJ+ | -- "Clashes on the streets of Tel Aviv. Thousands of Israelis of Ethiopian origin have taken to the streets after a video appeared online. It appeared to show an Ethiopian-Israeli…![Rohingya Muslim Minority Migrants targeted by Buddhists found in Mass Grave](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/rohingya-muslim-minority-migrant-187x137.jpg)
Rohingya Muslim Minority Migrants targeted by Buddhists found in Mass Grave
Wochit News / IRIN | - "Dozens of police and volunteers exhumed six more bodies on Saturday in the second day of digging out a mass grave near a suspected human trafficking…![Israeli soldier testimonies reveal ‘shoot to kill’ policy in Gaza war](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israeli-soldier-testimonies-reve-187x137.jpg)
Israeli soldier testimonies reveal ‘shoot to kill’ policy in Gaza war
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Testimonies from over 60 Israeli soldiers and officers who fought during last summer's war in the Gaza Strip were released to the public Monday, raising serious concerns over whether…![Warren Buffett betting big on Wind Energy to Nebraska & other Planet-Saving News](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/warren-buffett-betting-big-on-wi-187x137.jpg)
Warren Buffett betting big on Wind Energy in Nebraska, & other Planet-Saving News
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) - Wind power is on a roll in the US despite a fickle Congress and the machinations of Big Coal and Big Gas to keep all…![Black Lives Matter in Israel too: Protest against police violence](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/black-lives-matter-in-israel-too3-187x137.jpg)
Black Lives Matter in Israel too: Protest against police violence
By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | -- Several thousand people, mostly hailing from Israel's large Ethiopian population, took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday to protest racism and…![Daesh in Mosul seeks Child Soldiers, Child Suicide-Bombers](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/still-from-isis-video-children.jpg)
Daesh in Mosul seeks Child Soldiers, Child Suicide-Bombers
By Khales Joumah | Mosul | (Niqash.org) - One of the latest inventions by the Islamic State in Mosul is the mobile pulpit. Most recently a caravan for propaganda appeared in a…![“Bug Splat”: Body Counts, Drones, and “Collateral Damage”](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/bug-splat-body-counts-drones-and-187x137.jpg)
“Bug Splat”: Body Counts, Drones, and “Collateral Damage”
Tom Englehardt | (Tomdispatch.com) | - The Obama administration has adamantly refused to count. Not a body. In fact, for a long time, American officials associated with Washington’s drone assassination campaigns and…![One in six species faces extinction as a result of climate change](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/one-in-six-species-faces-extinct-187x137.jpg)
One in six species faces extinction as a result of climate change
By James Dyke | (The Conversation) | - The Earth is on course to lose up to one in six of all its species, if carbon emissions continue as they currently are.…![US Airstrike in Syria kills 53 Civilians, 6 Children](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/us-airstrike-in-syria-kills-53-c-187x137.jpg)
US Airstrike in Syria kills 53 Civilians, 6 Children
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) As Mariam Karouny reports for Reuters, the US air strike on Friday that inadvertently hit a village of non-combatants, killing members of six families, raises new…![Pakistan – Court jails 10 for life over attack on Malala and on Women’s Education](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/pakistan-court-jails-10-for-life-187x137.jpg)
Pakistan – Court jails 10 for life over attack on Malala and on Women’s Education
France24 English | - An anti-terror court in Pakistan has sentenced 10 men for their roles in the 2012 attack on Malala Yousafzai. France24 English: "PAKISTAN - Court jails 10 for life…![The China-Pakistan trade corridor and its implications for regional security](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/the-china-pakistan-trade-corrido2-187x137.jpg)
The China-Pakistan trade corridor and its implications for regional security
By Brian M. Downing | (Informed Comment) | - China and Pakistan announced, with considerable fanfare in Islamabad, a $46 billion dollar investment program to build a transportation corridor from the western…![Tom Cotton’s ‘Chickenhawk’ Taunt at Iran FM Demeans Jeb Bush, GOP Field](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/tom-cottons-chickenhawk-taunt-at-187x137.jpg)
Tom Cotton’s ‘Chickenhawk’ Taunt at Iran FM Demeans Jeb Bush, GOP Field
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - So freshman senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) got into a Twitter slamming match with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif this week. Zarif spoke at…![Turkish Police Repress Mayday Labor Protests](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/turkish-police-repress-mayday-la-187x137.jpg)
10,000 Turkish Police Repress Mayday Labor Protests
Aljazeera Top Stories | - Aljazeera Top Stories: "TURKEY MAYDAY PROTEST" See also: AJ+: "May Day Protest In Turkey Goes Ahead Despite Ban" For more see Turkey marks tense May Day as…![Tesla batteries: just the beginning of how technology will transform the electric grid](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/tesla-batteries-just-the-beginni-187x137.jpg)
Tesla batteries: just the beginning of how technology will transform the electric grid
By Michael McElfresh | (The Conversation) | - Tesla Motors already makes batteries for its electric cars. On Thursday, it’s expected to introduce battery systems for homes, businesses and electric utilities. The…![Could the New USA Freedom Act stop NSA Bulk Collection of Americans’ Telephone Records?](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/could-the-new-usa-freedom-act-st-187x137.jpg)
Could the New USA Freedom Act stop NSA Bulk Collection of Americans’ Telephone Records?
By Mark Jaycox and Rainey Reitman | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) A bipartisan group of congressional leaders has reintroduced the USA Freedom Act. The bill is an attempt to rein in the intelligence…![Palestinian-Israelis: Hundreds pray outside closed mosque in Beersheba](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/187x137/329385C.jpg)
Palestinian-Israelis: Hundreds pray outside closed mosque in Beersheba
BEERSHEBA (Ma'an) -- Some 250 Palestinians performed Friday prayers outside a mosque in Beersheba in southern Israel that Israeli authorities have kept closed since 1948. The prayers came amid heavy Israeli police…![Fatal Triangle: Saudi, Iran, US Tensions spike over continued Yemen Airstrikes](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/fatal-triangle-saudi-iran-us-ten-187x137.jpg)
Fatal Triangle: Saudi, Iran, US Tensions spike over continued Yemen Airstrikes
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - The attention span of US television news is so short that it is difficult for it to cover ongoing wars in which there isn't…![Israeli PM Begins Forming Pro-Settlement Coaltion](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/israeli-pm-begins-forming-pro-se-187x137.jpg)
Israeli PM Begins Forming Pro-Settlement Coaltion
By IMEMC | - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed coalition deals with two parties on Wednesday, in his first steps toward constructing a new government, one week before the deadline to…![The One-State Conundrum: The Everyday Politics of Confinement in Palestine](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/the-one-state-conundrum-the-ever-187x137.jpg)
The One-State Conundrum: The Everyday Politics of Confinement in Palestine
By Sandy Tolan | (Tomdispatch) | - The SUV slows as it approaches a military kiosk at a break in a dull gray wall. Inside, Ramzi Aburedwan, a Palestinian musician, prepares his…![Global Connections: World History as Social History – a New Synthesis](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/04/187x137/9780521761062.jpg)
Global Connections: World History as Social History – a New Synthesis
I and colleagues have just brought out a world history. Because of the fine and exciting writing of my co-authors, it is more than just a textbook. My readers often ask me…![“We had to destroy Tikrit to save it from ISIL”: Recovered Iraqi City a Ghost Town](http://web.archive.org./web/20160410021824im_/http://media.juancole.com/images/2015/05/we-had-to-destroy-tikrit-to-save-187x137.jpg)