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Archives: March 2016
Syria Endgame: Are Russia and US Planning overthrow of ISIL in al-Raqqa?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The Russian press had been complaining that the West was ignoring its defeat of terrorism in Syria. But now the Russian press is…
On Palestinian Land Day, Israel has usurped 90% of Jordan Valley in W. Bank
By Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics IMEMC | - - The following is a press release by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistic (PCBS), marking the fortieth anniversary of the Palestinian Land…
Republican front-runner Donald Trump: Women’s “punishment” for abortions
TeleSur | - - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Wednesday that women may need to be “punished” for having abortions in the United States. Speaking at a MSNBC town hall in…
Are Belgian Nuclear Plants vulnerable to Terrorism?
By Robert J Downes and Daniel Salisbury | (The Conversation) | - - Belgium’s counter-terrorism efforts are once again being called into question following the recent tragedies in Brussels. The attacks were…
“Investigate Israel’s Extrajudicial Killings:” Sen Leahy, 10 other Congressmen
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM -- US Senator Patrick Leahy along with 10 other Democratic congressmen have called on the US to investigate the possibility of "gross violations of human…
The Trump Doctrine: End NATO, Patrol Mosques, Nukes for Japan & Allies
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Anderson Cooper's interview with Donald Trump on Tuesday evening had the advantage of allowing come-backs and close questioning. At one point Cooper pointed…
Under Israeli Siege, Gaza running out of Clean Water
AJ+ | - - "According to the United Nations, 90 percent of the water in Gaza is undrinkable, and the population relies heavily on a coastal aquifer that could become unusable in…
After Palmyra, the last days of the phony Caliphate?
TeleSur The loss of the historic city amounts to one of the biggest setbacks for the extremist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014. Syrian government forces backed by Russian airstrikes…
Basques, N. Ireland, Muslims: Belgium’s Problems rooted in Europe’s long History of Exclusion
By Martin Conway | (The Conversation) | - - “What we feared has happened,” remarked Charles Michel, the prime minister of Belgium, in the immediate aftermath of the horrible and violent attacks…
After Brussels, the Strategy of ISIL/ Daesh
By Paul Rogers | (OpenDemocracy) | - - Tunisia, Paris, and now Brussels: escalating attacks on western targets reflect a shift of focus by ISIL. The security consultancy IHS Jane’s has just…How Green Energy is already taking over the World
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - In 2015 energy companies invested more in new renewables power plants in 2015 than in fossil fuel plants for the first time in…
Fall of Palmyra: Syrian regime races to take ISIL’s ‘Berlin’ and forestall ‘Partition’
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - That massive Russian air strikes and a determined infantry and armor assault by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) on the ancient city of…
Why are American Elections so much worse than Everybody Else’s?
by Pippa Norris | (The Conversation) | - - The world is currently transfixed by the spectacle of American elections. From New York, London and Paris to Beijing, Moscow, and Sydney there…
Momentum: Sanders Sweeps with Huge Wins in Hawaii, Washington and Alaska
TeleSur | - - "I think it is hard for anybody to deny that our campaign has the momentum," Sanders told supporters. Bernie Sanders won all three caucuses held Saturday in the…
Israeli Squatters issue death threats against Videographer who filmed execution of Palestinian
By Celine Hagbard | IMEMC | -- A Palestinian videographer and human rights worker whose video of the murder of a 21-year old Palestinian by an Israeli soldier has received widespread attention…
What would effective Counter-Terrorism look like after Brussels?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The various nostrums proposed to counter Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) terrorism in Europe and North America by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz (armed patrols…
Beyond Victimhood: 5 Slaves Who Fought Back and Changed History
By Mohamed Hemish | ( TeleSur | - - March 25 marks the United Nations’ “International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery,” which aims to draw attention to the more…
Meet the Conspiracy Theory Hatemonger behind Ted Cruz
Dena Takruri | (AJ+ Video Report) | - - "Ted Cruz is the Republican establishment's last hope against Donald Trump. But if you're hoping for a bit of sanity from him, well...…
Will Western powers Respond to HRW’s demand for arms embargo on Saudi Arabia?
By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) | - - UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - As hundreds of civilians continue to be killed in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, one of the leading…
30 Americans die worldwide from Terrorism annually, while 130,000 die by accident
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The right wing is carping that President Obama is "downplaying" the dangers of Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) in the wake of the Paris and…
UN: Israel Soldier’s execution of wounded Palestinian on ground gruesome, unjust
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A UN official on Friday condemned in the strongest terms the brutal "extrajudicial execution" of a wounded Palestinian by an Israeli soldier that…
Donald Trump Featured in ISIL Propaganda Video
TeleSur | - - The video uses the Republican presidential front-runner as a recruiting tool. Segments of an interview that Donald Trump gave to the "Today Show" have been used in a…
Mosul: Are Civilian Deaths in Coalition Airstrikes Reinforcing ISIL’s Hold?
Special Correspondent | Niqash.org | - - An increase in air strikes on Mosul is causing more civilian casualties. Ordinary people live in fear, the Islamic State uses deaths for propaganda and…
Trump’s and ISIL’s Gray Zones: Radicals’ Terrorism sign of Syria, Iraq Defeat
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - It is no accident that Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) is using Donald Trump in its new recruitment video. Although Trump hasn't killed anyone to…
The Way American Media covers Attacks
Sana Saeed | (AJ+ Video report) | - - "Why is American media so biased in the way it covers attacks in Europe compared to how it covers the rest of the…
ISIL’s target wasn’t Brussels, it was the whole idea of European Union
By Joaquín Roy | (Inter Press Service) | - - In this column Joaquín Roy, Joaquin Roy, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Director of the European Union Centre at the…
Day of the Demagogue: Trumpian Deportation Fantasies and American Realities
By Tanya Golash-Boza | Tomdispatch.com In 2006, when I first began researching deportations, George W. Bush was president and quietly building a deportation machine in the Department of Homeland Security. Outside of…
UN to Vote on Database of All Businesses dealing with illegal Israeli Squatter Settlements
TeleSur | - - The U.N. resolution, which angered EU countries, says certain companies and enterprises are helping the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. The United Nations Human Rights Council will vote…
In wake of Brussels attacks, Europe demands negotiated Settlement of Syrian Civil War, Now
By EurActiv with AFP The EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met with Syria’s regime and opposition... (23 March) to underscore the urgency of a political solution in the country, especially in…
Europe: Improve your Police Work instead of reducing your Peoples’ Rights
By Fiona de Londras | (The Conversation) | - - The attacks of March 22 in Brussels were shocking, but not surprising. They reinforced what many have known for years: Belgium has…
Bernie Sanders: We must defeat ISIL w/out letting Trump destroy our Constitution
Sen. Bernie Sanders | (Jimmy Kimmel Live Video Interview) | - - "Senator Sanders shares his thoughts on the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium." Jimmy Kimmel Live: "Senator Bernie Sanders Responds…
In attack on 1st Amendment, U of California outlaws criticism of Israel while ignoring Islamophobia
TeleSur | - - Pro-Palestinian groups argue that Muslims also need protection from Islamophobia on campus, an issue officials neglected to address. A University of California committee unanimously approved a statement Wednesday…
Dear Trump & Cruz: Muslim Turkey arrested Brussels Terrorist & Gave him to European Authorities
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The paroxysms of hatred and bigotry spewed by the two GOP frontrunners in the 2016 presidential campaign probably do not need any pretext,…
Remember: Refugees are fleeing ISIL; they aren’t ISIL
Kamal al-Ayash | (Niqash.org) | - - Getting from Turkey to Europe was a cakewalk compared to escaping the [so-called] Islamic State-run city of Fallujah, says one Iraqi. Fleeing families must cross…
Brussels: An Older Kind of Terrorism, and the challenge of Airport Security
By Steve Hewitt | (The Conversation) | - - The terrible scenes in Brussels following a terrorist attack now claimed by Islamic State are a reminder of just how vulnerable airports can…
Bravest man in Politics: Bernie Sanders harshly criticizes Israeli Occupation: ‘Absurd’ Settlements, 44% Unemployment
TeleSur The Vermont senator called himself a "friend" and "partner" of Israel but called for an end to occuption of Palestine. After Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders decided against attending the American…
How not to talk about Muslims after a Fringe Terrorist Group attacks
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - 1. Stop calling Daesh "the Islamic State." They are manipulating you. They aren't a state and they aren't Islamic. If some fringe cult…
Climate Warming Accelerating Carbon Release from Thawing Arctic Soils, Dartmouth Study Finds
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contact: John Cramer | john.cramer@dartmouth.edu | 603-646-9130 HANOVER, N.H. – March 16, 2016 – Warmer, wetter conditions in the Arctic are accelerating the loss of carbon stored in…
Brussels Attacks: It isn’t about Molenbeek, it is about a Broken Belgian Government
By Martin Conway | (The Conversation) | - - Just as during the German invasions of 1914 and 1940, war, it seems, is coming to France through Belgium. If one follows the…
Israeli decision to ban Palestinian products ‘racist’: Palestine PM
Ma'an News Agency | - - RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Sunday slammed the recent Israeli decision to ban Palestinian food products from entering Jerusalem as “racist.” “Israel…
Amy Goodman: Media ‘manufacturing consent’ for Trump over Sanders via Blackout
Bernieforpresident | (CNN's Reliable Sources Video) | - - "DemocracyNow! host Amy Goodman told CNN’s Brian Stelter that his network and most other mainstream media were “manufacturing consent” for Donald Trump by…
Will the Int’l Criminal Court charge Israeli PM Netanyahu with war crimes?
TeleSur \ - - The cases, brought to the court by several legal and activist groups, include wide-ranging charges of war crimes against Israel[i officials]. A Palestinian delegation presented documents to the…
Is Saudi Arabia’s ‘Islamic’ Coalition against Terrorism a Paper Tiger?
By Frud Bezhan | ( RFE/RL ) | - - Saudi Arabia made a splash when it announced the formation of a 34-country "Islamic" alliance against terrorism in December -- and followed…
Hillary Clinton goes full Neocon at AIPAC, Demonizes Iran, Palestinians
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - I once heard Hillary Clinton give her AIPAC speech at a university. It doesn't change much, just as US policy toward the Mideast…
Obama in Historic Tour of Old Havana
TeleSur | - - Obama will spend two and half days in Cuba, where he will meet with U.S.-backed activists and attend a baseball game. U.S. President Barack Obama, together with First…
How Bush-Cheneyism made Mideast in its Image: Wars, WOT, With us or Against Us
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Thirteen years after the illegal US invasion of Iraq, it is worth considering its full impact on this country and on the region.…
The New Interventionists: It isn’t just the Yanquis any more
Mark Leonard | ( Project Syndicate ) | - - In the 1990s, after genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans, Western countries developed a doctrine of so-called humanitarian intervention. “The Responsibility to…
White Terrorist and Muslim-Hater Breivik Sues Norway over ‘Inhumane Treatment’
AJ+ | - - "Anders Breivik's trial over inhumane prison conditions just ended. His more serious complaints include 23-hour isolation, censorship and hundreds of strip searches. In 2011 he killed 77 people…
How Israel has trapped its Bedouins between a dump and red tape
By Jonah Mandel | ( Your Middle East ) | - - The almost unbearable stench of the dump fades for a moment when Musa Tarabin puts freshly ground coffee into a…
Syria: Russia Targets Daesh in Palmyra despite Drawdown
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Despite the Russian announcement of a determination to withdraw the bulk of its air force from Syria, Moscow has underlined that some planes…
Iranians Celebrate first Now Ruz (New Year’s) Since lifting of Int’l Sanctions
CCTV | (Video News Report) | - - "March 20 marks the Persian New Year, Nowruz, which translates as “New Day.” Millions of people across the Middle East and Central Asia are…
‘Not Sharia’: Female Afghan Rap Star campaigns against Child Marriage
Jon Snow | (Channel 4 News Video Report) | - - "Sonita Alizadeh was just 10-years-old the first time her parents tried to sell her as a child bride. She turned to…
Climate Change: 13 Million Americans in Path of slow-motion sea rise Tsunami
by Nadia Prupis, staff writer | (( Commondreams.org) | - - "Once you take into account growth of population, the numbers end up being two to three times more." In a scenario…
Turkey’s Erdogan: Democracy Has ‘Absolutely No Value Any Longer’ given war on PKK Terrorism
TeleSur | - - "Democracy Has 'Absolutely No Value Any Longer'" The Turkish president made the comments in the context of the government’s fight against the Kurdish PKK resistance group. In the…
Mr. President: Weakening Apple’s Defenses puts us all at Risk
Electronic Frontier Foundation | - - The Apple Fight Is About All of Us A Joint Statement from Access Now, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation Apple is…
Netanyahu Targets for Prosecution Whistleblowers on Israeli Military abuses in Neighboring Palestine
IMEMC | - - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said rights group Breaking the Silence had “crossed a red line", following allegations that the group collected classified information from members of the…
More US Muslims favor Bernie Sanders than do US Jews
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) published a new opinion poll on America's Muslims and other religious groups this week, which…
Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam Captured in Brussels Firefight
Euractiv.com | - - The most-wanted fugitive from November’s Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was wounded and caught in a shootout in Brussels on Friday (18 March), according to the Belgian minister for…
Israeli Gov’t violations of Palestinian Journalists’ Rights reached new Peak in 2015
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A Palestinian press freedoms watchdog on Thursday said 2015 had seen an “unprecedented” increase in Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists across the occupied…
Sanders politely Avoids AIPAC & sharing Stage with pro-Netanyahu Warmongers
TeleSur | - - The Vermont senator said that he would send comments to AIPAC on Monday and requested that the organization present them to the summit. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders…
Where are the Women? Syrian, other Peace Talks need female Representation
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage | (Inter Press Service) | - - UNITED NATIONS, Mar 17 2016 (IPS) - “When it comes to peace talks, women have a special stake,” said Gloria Steinem while…
Putin: Russia can ramp back up in Syria “within hours”
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat (Life) summarized Russian sources on Thursday's speech by Russian president Vladimir Putin: Putin made several points: 1. Russia hopes…
Climate Godzilla Stirs: Heat and CO2 Records ‘Obliterated’
By James Dyke | (The Conversation) | - - And another one bites the dust. The year 2014 was the warmest ever recorded by humans. Then 2015 was warmer still. January 2016…
Dear Candidates: What’s the US Military for and What exactly do you want from the Mideast?
by Peter Van Buren | ( Tomdispatch.com) The nuances of foreign policy do not feature heavily in the ongoing presidential campaign. Every candidate intends to “destroy” the Islamic State; each has concerns…
New York Times Edits Pro-Bernie Article Into Hit Piece
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks Video Report) | - - "Interesting development: The New York Times wrote a positive story about Bernie Sanders… for a few hours until they edited it…
Putin’s Syria Gambit: Surprising Views of Russian Pundits on What Moscow Achieved
By Robert Coalson | ( RFE/RL ) | - - As Russian warplanes continued their partial withdrawal from Syria two days after President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly announced that Moscow's objectives in the…
Int’l Criticism mounts over massive Israeli ‘land grab’ in Palestinian West Bank
By Killian Redden | (Ma'an News Agency) | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian and international leaders joined a growing chorus of criticism this week over Israel's recent seizure of hundreds of…
Syria’s Kurds to declare Federal Province
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Syria's Kurds have decided to declare a federal province in the northeast of the country and along the northern border with Turkey. Many…
An Offer we can’t Refuse: Trump threatens “Riots” if Brokered Convention Sidelines Him
By Mark Sovel and Nik Zecevic | (TheLipTV Video Report) | - - "Donald Trump warned of riots if the Republican party denies him the presidential nomination should he fail to win…
Forgetting Tahrir: The Man on Horseback and the fate of Egypt’s Revolution
Neil Serougi | ( OpenDemocracy ) | - - Why would a country that showed itself so courageous in confronting Mubarak’s repression now be content to sacrifice its hard won gains, and…
Why is Putin Really withdrawing from Syria?
By Alexander Titov | (The Conversation) | - - Back in September 30 2015, when Vladimir Putin unexpectedly announced the deployment of the Russian air force in Syria, the consensus was that…
Bernie Sanders’ Path Forward: The Disappointed Generation
TeleSur | - - Since the beginning of the presidential campaign Bernie Sanders has received little coverage and has been counted out of having any possibility of winning the Democratic nomination. Though…
If it’s Trump versus Clinton, what does it Mean for Iran and ISIL Policy?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - - Despite Donald Trump's big wins on Tuesday, he is still only halfway to the delegate count he needs to win the GOP…
Has the Pentagon become Lawless, Corrupt & only overseen by Civilian Hawks?
Gregory D. Foster | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | - - Item: Two U.S. Navy patrol boats, with 10 sailors aboard, “stray” into Iranian territorial waters, and are apprehended and held by Iranian…
Israel returns to pre-Oslo policy of vast land confiscations
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israel has reinstated a policy of confiscating vast swathes of Palestinian land for settlement expansion in a trend not seen since the pre-Oslo…
Will the Mideast’s Civil Wars Partition it into small Warring States?
By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) | - - UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - As civil wars and cross-border military conflicts continue to escalate in the Middle East, Syria, Iraq and Libya…
Here’s the Bernie Sanders Primary Day Speech Corporate News Blacked Out
Bernie Sanders | - - Bernie Sanders is speaking, but both CNN and MSNBC are ignoring him right now. pic.twitter.com/8jglLxxD4s— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) March 16, 2016 Bernie Sanders says he's doing something…
Mystery: Russia & Hizbullah begin withdrawal from Syria
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - al-Hayat [Life], the London pan-Arab daily, reports on the announcement Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would begin withdrawing the greater…
Can Turkish Democracy survive Bombings, Ethnic Polarization?
By Cengiz Gunes | (The Conversation) | - - Hours after Ankara was rocked by the second bomb attack in less than three weeks, killing at least 37 people and injuring 70…
9/11: Clueless US Judge doesn’t Know Shiites from al-Qaeda, finds against Iran for $10 Bn.
TeleSur | - - A U.S. court last week ordered Tehran to pay US$7.5 billion to victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Iran on…
And the Best Teacher in the World is . . . a Palestinian
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A Palestinian teacher from the occupied West Bank on Sunday won the Varkey Foundation's 2016 Global Teacher's Prize "for her work educating children…
The American Muslims Trump doesn’t Know About
Bridge Initiative Team | (Bridge) | - - In an interview with Donald Trump that aired on Wednesday on CNN, Anderson Cooper asked the Republican presidential frontrunner if he thought “Islam is…
Syria: More US Weaponry goes to al-Qaeda
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - al-Akhbar (Beirut) reports that al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Levant, also known as the Support Front (jabhat al-Nusra), repeated scenarios it had…
Ankara, Turkey: At least 39 dead after car bombing, Judge Bans Social Media
Euronews | (Video news Report) | "A car bomb has caused carnage in the centre of the Turkish capital Ankara. The authorities now say at least 3[9] people have died and some…
Hypocrisy: Israel’s BDS of Palestinian Companies
Ma'an News Agency | - - RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Israeli troops used tear gas to suppress a march held by five Palestinian food production companies on Sunday near the Israeli Ofer prison…
What is Political Revolution and Can Bernie Sanders Deliver?
By Ali R. Abootalebi | (Informed Comment) | - - The 2016 American presidential election can prove to be a turning point in the development of American politics. This is not because…
Will the Militias & gun nuts volunteer as Donald Trump’s Storm Troopers?
By Bob Dreyfuss | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | - - Can it happen here? That’s the question circulating now that Donald Trump, the nativist, rabble-rousing xenophobe, and billionaire, is threatening to capture…
Winners and Losers in 5 Years of Syrian Civil War
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Five years ago this week, protests began in Damascus and Deraa (mainly Deraa) in Syria, on the heels of the overthrow of dictators…
Who made it OK to Hate Muslims?
Dena Takruri | (AJ+ ) | - - "Donald Trump openly hates on Muslims, but you might be surprised at who else has used Islamophobia during their presidential campaigns." AJ+: "Who Made…
John Legend to Trump & Son on Chicago Protests re: their Racism: ‘This isn’t Complicated’
TeleSur | - - The back and forth began over the rally that gathered more than 10,000 protesters in Chicago forcing Trump to cancel his electoral event. R&B singer John Legend, who regularly speaks out…
Your Tax Dollars Enable Police Brutality Abroad: Egypt
By Chris Toensing | ( Otherwords.org) | - - Washington wants to loosen aid restrictions even as security forces crack down on innocent Egyptians. Ever since the Black Lives Matter movement exploded…
Palestinian Families expelled by Israelis in ’48 to Syria now Forced to Gaza
By Silvia Boarini | (Inter Press Service) | - - GAZA, Palestine, (IPS) - In the safety of his sister’s bare flat in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, 42 year-old Iyad Yusef still shakes…
Syrian Family Talks About Living In Besieged Town (AJ+)
AJ+| Video Report|-- A Syrian family discusses what it is like living in the besieged town of Deir al-Zor. Two hundred and fifty thousand children are currently living in Syria in towns…
Which Protest-busting Dictator is Trump most Like?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Donald Trump's incitement chickens came home to roost in Chicago on Friday, when his acolytes attacked the protesters who turned up to a…
Is Iran Pres. Rouhani trying to Rehabilitate Khatami & the Reformers?
By Frud Bezhan | ( RFE/RL ) | - - Iran's president has broken a long-standing taboo by publicly defending a reformist predecessor, but his remarks were met with a muted response.…
Thousands of Children Under Siege in War-Torn Syria
By Valentina Ieri | (Inter Press Service) | - - UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - Seeing children dying due to a lack of doctors and medicines, and seeing them grow up in a…
Is the Clinton Campaign Borrowing Bernie Sanders’ Issues, Rhetoric?
By Bianca Perez | ( TeleSur Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont has stuck to his ideals throughout his campaign and has been criticized by politicians and media outlets for his message…
Occupation forces from Israel disperse protests in Palestinian West Bank
Ma'an News Agency | - - RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Scores of demonstrators suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation after Israeli forces dispersed weekly protests in the occupied West Bank with rubber-coated steel…
GOP debate Civil? Candidates urged torture, child-murder, backing bloody Dictatorships
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The headlines Friday about the GOP debate in Miami stressed how relatively civil it was, with less name-calling and pissing matches among the…
The FBI’s outrageous assault on the 1st Amendment and Apple
By Andrew Crocker | ( Electronic Frontier Foundation ) | - - Last week, EFF filed a brief in support of Apple’s fight against the FBI, in which we argued that forcing…
Turkey’s Gender Stereotyping made a Mockery of Women’s Day
By Ece Basay | ( Globalvoices.org ) | - - March 8 is marked as International Women's Day in Turkey, and is typified as elsewhere across the world by speeches appreciating the…
Giant British security firm G4S to end Israeli business after BDS pressure
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- British security giant G4S announced Wednesday plans to sell its Israeli businesses in the next 12 to 24 months citing commercial reasons, according…
America’s Groundhog Day in Afghanistan and Iraq: The Headlines just Recycle
By Tom Engelhardt | (Tomdispatch.com) | - - With General John Campbell’s tour of duty in Afghanistan finished, a new commander has taken over. Admittedly, things did not go well during Campbell’s…
Top 6 Signs Trump is wrong & Islam doesn’t ‘Hate us’
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Republican presidential candidate and billionaire bigot Donald J. Trump said in a CNN interview on Wednesday that "Islam hates us." "I think Islam…
Why Isn’t this News? US-Saudi War Helping al-Qaida Flourish in Yemen
By Bill Hess | (Informed Comment) | - - The just-announced negotiations between Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia may or may not lead to a subsiding of hostilities in Yemen, though early…
Does Fracking give you Cancer?
By Tom Giesen | (Informed Comment) | - - Alarming and world-shaking new findings have emerged about the dangers of waste water from hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). Researchers have assessed the potential health…
Biden: Israel cannot stop violence solely through physical force
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- United States Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Israel could not stop violent acts carried out by Palestinians solely through physical force,…
A Majority of those going Hungry in the World are Women
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage | (Inter Press Service) | - - UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - Women, responsible for more than half of global food production, comprise of 70 percent of the world’s hungry,…
Has The Gateway to Europe Been Shut To Refugees? (AJ+)
AJ+| Video Report|-- The European Union was founded upon the principles of the promotion of human rights. With the refugee crisis ongoing, the EU has come to an agreement with Turkey to…
Nearly Half of Israeli Jews want to Expel Palestinian-Israelis from Country
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Nearly half of the over 6 million Israeli Jews want to expel from the country the 1.6 million citizens of Palestinian heritage, most…
Does Bernie’s Michigan Win make it a whole new Ball Game?
Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, John Iadarola & Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks Video) | - - "Just before Michigan was called for Bernie Sanders TYT discusses what will happen if the…
Oil Glut Blues and the last hurrah of the Fossil Fuel Bubble
Michael T. Klare | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - Three and a half years ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) triggered headlines around the world by predicting that the United States would…
Young American Muslim Protesting Trump Racism ejected from Rally in Style
TeleSur | - - The U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent was dressed in sunglasses and a long South Asian coat. An Asian American was escorted from a Donald Trump rally in Warren,…
That stream of Refugees into Europe? It includes Palestinians forced out by Israeli Occupation
By IMEMC | - - Palestinians are joining the Middle East exodus to Europe in greater numbers because of the Syrian war and ongoing Israeli occupation, a senior Palestinian official has said.…
Netanyahu GOP Policy in Tatters, he snubs White House Invitation
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - A year ago, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu intervened in US politics in a big way, addressing a Republican-dominated Congress and lobbying it…
‘He would Make US like Syria’; Muslim-Americans of Dearborn on a Trump Victory
AJ+ | (Video Report) | - - "Donald Trump is leading in the presidential primaries, despite some of the alarming things he’s said, including about Arabs and Muslims. We went to Dearborn,…
7 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About The Ultra Rich
By Scott Klinger | ( Inequality.org ) | - - New data provides a glimpse into the lives of the richest of rich—how the 400 highest earners make their money and pay…
Disillusioned Volunteer Says Syria A Battle For War Booty, Territory
By Luljeta Krasniqi Veseli and Charles Recknagel | ( RFE/RL | - - "In the beginning, when I went [to Syria], everybody was greeting us. But later, they were looking at us…
As EU pays Turkey billions to stop migrants, Anger over ‘unconscionable’ border closures
By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) | - - As EU and Turkey barter over migrant lives, campaigners decry pay-outs and border closures as 'unconscionable' Leaders from the European…
As Bomb Kills 60, is Iraq Army Preparing for Armageddon with ISIL?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - A truck bombing in the largely Shiite city of Hilla killed 60 on Sunday, one of the worst terrorist attacks in that city.…
SNL Spoofs Election Coverage, Trump: ‘We in GOP do not say Racist Things, we Imply Them”
NBC | (Saturday Night Live) | - - "Jake Tapper (Beck Bennett) covers the outcome of Super Tuesday, including Donald Trump (Darrell Hammond) and Hillary Clinton's (Kate McKinnon) big wins, Ted Cruz's…
The US is a Center-Left Country; Why is its politics FrankenRight?
By: Paul Street | ( TeleSur | - - In a recent column opinion writer Roger Cohen notes that “Europe is alarmed by America's’ embrace of a latter-day Mussolini” – namely Donald…
Can non-violent Revolt actually Change practical Politics?
By Mark Engler and Paul Engler | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - Bernie Sanders's insurgent presidential campaign has opened up a debate about how social change happens in our society. The official…
Israel prepares 10 New Laws to Discriminate against Palestinians, Rights Activists
IMEMC | (Via Alternative Information Center) - - Adalah unpacks 10 Israeli laws and bills with provisions liable to harm Palestinians and those who defend Palestinian rights. Adalah: the Legal Center for…
The Middle East reacts to Trump: ‘Strange Candidates’ with ‘Weird Beliefs’ & anti-Muslim Pogroms
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The meltdown of the US Republican Party is an unlovely sight inside the country, but what do people abroad think about the outlandish…
‘A dark day for Turkish democracy’: violent clashes follow Zaman takeover
Euronews | (Video News Report) - - "The country's "top-selling newspaper reopened on Saturday"following a state takeover and police raid. But the staff has experienced a shake up, with reports of editor-in-chief…
Why did Ted Cruz win Saturday? Is this a Turning point against Trump?
Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola, and Jimmy Dore | (The Young Turks Video Report) | - - "Ted Cruz has won Kansas and Maine. Can he mount a serious comeback? Cenk Uygur, John…
The New York Times Presents Islam More Negatively than Cancer and Cocaine
TeleSur | - - Researchers say they were shocked to learn that Islam receives more negative coverage than cancer. The New York Times portrays Islam and Muslims more negatively than cancer, cocaine and alcohol,…
Climate change will kill more Italians and Greeks than Syrians
By James Crisp | EurActiv.com | - - Climate change will kill more Italians and Greeks than Syrians in 2050, as soaring temperatures destroy crops and disrupt food supplies, new research published…
Top 5 Crazy things Ben Carson said about Middle East and Islam
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Ben Carson is withdrawing from the GOP primary fight. Since he has emerged as the front runner, the focus of the press and…
Numbers Game: Can the Republican Establishment still Defeat Trump?
Francesca Fiorentini | (AJ+ Video Report) | - - "Donald Trump is well on his way to the Republican nomination for president. But Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and John Kasich think they…
Nine Takeaways From Iran’s Elections
By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL) | - - Iran's moderates and reformists have had nearly a week to celebrate their return from a decade of political marginalization in elections that recast…
Has Western intervention prolonged the Syrian Civil War? & has our Press Covered it up?
By Ian Sinclair | ( Open Democracy ) | - - The media keeps saying that the West isn't involved in Syria. This isn't true. “The sinister fact about literary censorship in…
No, Mr. Netanyahu, Hamas is not exactly like ISIL
By: Belal Shobaki | Ma'an News Agency | al-Shabaka | - - While Israel's efforts to link Palestinian resistance to its military occupation to global terrorism are not new, it has expanded…
US Airstrikes have made Hundreds of Thousands of Widows, Orphans in past 15 Yrs; GOP Pledges New level of War Crimes
By Mattea Kramer | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - The crowd that gathered in an airplane hangar in the desert roared with excitement when the man on stage vowed to murder women…
Can we trust Middle East Policy to any of these Presidential Candidates?
By Simon Reich | (The Conversation) | - - Elections, the perennial wisdom tells us, are generally not decided by foreign policy issues. But who’s to say that 2016 will not buck…
GOP Candidates up ante, Promise 4 Major Ground Wars, murder of Innocents, Large Genitalia
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - At yet another GOP debate, there was a foreign policy section, which Fox News predictably put under the heading of "terrorism." Brett Baier…
Islam: Do you know the difference between Sunni & Shiite?
AJ+ | (Video Report) | - - AJ+: "What's The Difference Between Shia And Sunni Islam?"
Syrian Refugees: Colonial Legacy & the Responsibility of France & UK
David Peduto | (Informed Comment) | - - The Syrian war has resurrected uncomfortable colonial legacies for France and the United Kingdom. For the French and the British, whose policies in post-World…
Refugees Sew Lips As Calais Jungle is Demolished (AJ+)
AJ+| Video Report|-- Refugees located in Calais' camp sew their lips shut in protest over treatment at their refugee camp in Calais, France Refugees Sew Lips As Calais Jungle is Demolished (AJ+)
As Coasts Flood, why isn’t the Corporate Press asking Candidates about Climate Change?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The US corporate press is letting the presidential candidates set the agenda. Occasionally someone will step out of line, as Fox's Megyn Kelly…
Debunked: The GOP “Civilization Jihad” Conspiracy Theories
Bridge | (Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding, Georgetown U.) |- - • Presidential candidate Ben Carson has recently peddled a conspiracy theory about a Muslim “civilization jihad” plan to take…
Why did Nigerian Military attack Muslim Protest Movement when violent Boko Haram is Still at Large?
By Allan Christelow | (Informed Comment) | - - On December 12-13, 2015 Nigerian security forces carried out an attack against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in the city of Zaria.…
5 Surprising Truths about Terrorism
By Joseph S. Nye | (Project Syndicate) | - - SAO PAULO – American politics has been captured by terrorists. In December 2015, polls showed that one in six Americans, some 16%…
What’s A Rigged Economy? How the Rich keep you Poor
Dena Takruri | (AJ+ Video) | - - "Income inequality is rising and working Americans feel like they aren't getting ahead. Welcome to the rigged economy. Here's how it works." AJ+: "What's…
Don’t be fooled: Lindsey Graham & GOP Establishment just as Crazy as Trump
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Lindsey Graham has been posing as the voice of reason in the Republican Party for the past few weeks, warning Tuesday that if…
US Ally Saudi Arabia Sentences Atheist Tweep to 10 Years & 2,000 Lashes
By Amira Al Hussaini | ( Global Voices ) | - - Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Twitter user to 10 years in prison in addition to 2,000 lashes for publishing 600…
To combat Extremism on both Sides, Europe Needs its own Islam
By Massimo D'Alema and Tariq Ramadan | ( EurActiv.com ) | - - To escape from extremism and xenophobia, Europe needs to carve a European Islam, not an Islam composed of communities…
Machiavelli: To combat Muslim Extremism, see Prophet Muhammad as bringer of a Constitution
Miguel Vatter | (The Conversation) | - - Everyone wants to die for Allah. We all want to live the best life in the hereafter and we want to make it to…
Mr. Netanyahu, We don’t have to Apologize for being Israelis of Palestinian Heritage; We’re the 20%
By Rita Khoury | (Ma'an News Agency) | - - When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv last month after a fatal shooting during which two…
Russia open to “Federal” Syria, but opposition worries about Partition
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov said Monday that Russia supports whatever arrangements the Syrians in the current negotiations reach about the future,…
US Says Mosul Dam faces serious risk of Collapse; Could Kill 1.4 Million
TeleSur | - - The U.S. Embassy in Iraq warned its citizens to be ready to leave the country as the Mosul Dam faces a "serious and unprecedented" risk of bursting. The…
John Oliver on Trump: “I’m Rich, therefore I Tell the Truth”
John Oliver | (Last Week Tonight) | (HBO Video) | - - "Our main story was about Donald Trump. We can't believe we're saying that either." Last Week Tonight: "Last Week Tonight…
Is US Syria Policy to back new Saudi-Turkish Moves against Iran?
By Fernando Betancor | ( OpenDemocracy)| - - The pattern of strikes by the disjointed US-led coalition of Operation Inherent Resolve remains the best and most reliable public indicator of intentions and future operations…