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Archives: January 2009
Ajami’s Sleight of Hand: Bush made Emancipator and Obama Smeared
The odd collection of con men, carpetbaggers, mercenaries, court jesters, and professional propagandists that gathered around W. the way pilot fish jostle about a great white shark has now scattered to more…Provincial Elections in Iraq
More on Iraq's provincial elections, slated for Saturday for most people, though some categories of voter have already voted,on Wednesday (e.g.police, the sick).This sample is a skewed one and might not be…Talabani’s PUK Worried about Iraqi Army in Kirkuk
The USG Open Source Center translates a Kurdish newspaper article warning of Iraqi central government aspirations to have its army take over the northern oil city of Kirkuk (where the police and…Purohit & Atallah: International Justice Systems and the Muslim World: Why Bashir is Wrong
Raj Purohit and Amjad Atallah write in a guest op-ed for IC: If the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in February, it will certainly…Croken: Found in Translation– How a Thirteenth Century Islamic Poet Conquered America
Ryan Croken on translating the mystical poet Rumi, and on how Muslims are translated and mistranslated in America.Jalal al-Din Rumi was born in Afghanistan, wrote mainly in Persian, and lived much of…Obama on the Middle East
The transcript of President Obama's interview on al-Arabiya Television (Dubai)is at the latter's site and I will mirror it here, below.Just a few quick observations. Obama emphasized respect for the Muslim world,…Blog of the Day
A shout out to comedian Margaret Cho, whose material I've always found fresh, insightful and funny. As a public speaker who sometimes delves into humor, I can attest that it is way…Cole/ Marsh Debate on Obama’s Bombing of Pakistan
My Democratic Party colleague Taylor Marsh took exception to my Salon piece on Obama's decision to bomb Pakistan during his first week in office.I always welcome vigorous debate and believe that arguing…
Iraqi Politicians seek Wins in Provincial Elections
The big news in Iraq this week is the provincial elections due to be held on Saturday. These elections will have little direct impact on the Federal parliament or cabinet, since new…Cole in Salon: Obama’s Vietnam?
My column is out in Salon.com: "Obama's Vietnam? Friday's airstrikes are evidence Obama will take the hard line he promised in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But he should remember what happened to another…
Lyons: The Crusades are Over; The West needs to Engage with the Muslims
Jonathan Lyons writes in a guest op-ed for IC:With the change of administration in Washington, the time has come to acknowledge the so-called war on terrorism for what it truly is: the…Gaza War! Hunh! What was it Good For?
According to UNICEF, their preliminary estimate of the damage done by the Israeli military to Gaza infrastructure is $1.9 billion. Note that this is Gaza infrastructure, not Hamas infrastructure. So at least…Sunday Reading
Don't miss Barney Rubin's long and personal meditation in the Boston Review on his involvement in Afghanistan diplomacy over the past decades. The depth of that involvement in recent years makes all…Ibrahim: Al-Qaeda wants to Hit the US Again and turn Obama into another Bush
Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports in Arabic that Shaikh Najih Ibrahim, the leader of the fundamentalist group al-Gama'a al-Islamiya in Egypt, said Friday that his organization fears that al-Qaeda will launch an attack on…Guest Comment: Afghanistan Can’t be Fixed Just by Changing its President
An experienced observer writes with regard to rumors that President Obama may cease supporting Afghan President Hamid Karzai:"I read with interest the story about Afghanistan in today's Independent by Starkey and Sengupta,…Obama as Anti-Bush
President Barack Obama signalled on several fronts on Thursday that the new president is his own man and is eager to actively reverse Bush administration policies. There will be a lot of…Gaza Aftermath Raises Question of War Crimes: Obama Must Overcome Initial Muslim Distrust
The Israeli assault on Gaza has drawn to an end, now that its Great Enabler (W.) is no longer in the cockpit of the Calamity Machine, and its architect, Israeli Prime Minister…Obama’s Pledge to Withdraw from Iraq and the Iraqi Reality; 2 US Soldiers Wounded; 7 Dead, 22 Injured in Bombings
President Barack Obama will meet Wednesday, his first day on the job, with his secretary of defense, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high security officials to discuss…
The Dream of Our Founders will Live On
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the…"They even killed the cats!"
Some 50,000 Palestinians have been left homeless by the Israeli war on the people of Gaza, with 400,000 now lacking access to running water. Rebuilding what the Israeli military destroyed will cost…King’s Anti-Imperialism and the Challenge for Obama
The Martin Luther King, Jr. that most Americans know is the man who said, "I have a dream" at a massive rally 250,000 strong in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963, while…Abraham, Booker T. and Barack; Three Speeches on the Way from Philadelphia
President-Elect Barack Obama on Saturday evoked Abraham Lincoln's train procession to Washington DC, the last leg of which took the Great Emancipator from Philadelphia to Baltimore, and from Baltimore to Washington.It is…Israel Hits Another UN School before Ceasing Fire; On Ethnic and Civic Nationalisms
Israeli war planes stayed home on Sunday morning, sparing densely-populated Gaza the intense aerial bombardment to which it had been daily subjected for the previous three weeks. In the hours leading up…Olmert Announces Ceasefire; Mearsheimer on Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced a ceasefire in the Israeli assault on the population of the Gaza Strip, beginning at midnight Saturday, Israeli time. He will not withdraw Israeli ground…
3000 Abandoned Cars at Dubai Airport as Economy Turns Down
Airport police in Dubai have found some 3,000 abandoned automobiles during the past 4 months, as Indian and other South Asians in the real estate industry lost their jobs and fled the…Bahrain to Build Zero Emissions Skyscraper
Bahrain is building the world's first zero carbon emissions skyscraper:' Thomas Lucking, of architectural firm Gerber Architekten, said they have designed a tower which will be completely energy self-sufficient."We basically achieve this…Bahrain to Build Zero Emissions Skyscraper
Bahrain is building the world's first zero carbon emissions skyscraper:' Thomas Lucking, of architectural firm Gerber Architekten, said they have designed a tower which will be completely energy self-sufficient."We basically achieve this…Cosby on voting for Barack Obama
Bill Cosby on voting for Obama:End/ (Not Continued)Cosby on voting for Barack Obama
Bill Cosby on voting for Obama:End/ (Not Continued)Israel Should Stop the War and Let US Enjoy the Inauguration; Cease fire Mooted; 55 Palestinians Killed Friday, including Little Girls
There are rumors that the Israeli government may declare a unilateral cease fire Saturday. They had better. Because if they ruin the Obama inauguration by splashing the bloody bodies of dead Palestinian…Israel Should Stop the War and Let US Enjoy the Inauguration; Cease fire Mooted; 55 Palestinians Killed Friday, including Little Girls
There are rumors that the Israeli government may declare a unilateral cease fire Saturday. They had better. Because if they ruin the Obama inauguration by splashing the bloody bodies of dead Palestinian…W.’s Twilight: A Man of Feeble Temper
W. said goodbye to us last night, in an appearance that was surely notable for most Americans mainly because of the annoyance that he delayed by fifteen minutes their prime time shows…W.’s Twilight: A Man of Feeble Temper
W. said goodbye to us last night, in an appearance that was surely notable for most Americans mainly because of the annoyance that he delayed by fifteen minutes their prime time shows…Ban Rebukes Israel over UN Warehouse Strike; UK Jewish MP Calls for Arms Boycott of Israel; Civilian Suffering Spreads
It is being claimed that Israeli troops fired on Gazans attempting to flee the fighting, even though they had white flags. Israel is denying the allegation. UN and other groups contest Israeli…Ban Rebukes Israel over UN Warehouse Strike; UK Jewish MP Calls for Arms Boycott of Israel; Civilian Suffering Spreads
It is being claimed that Israeli troops fired on Gazans attempting to flee the fighting, even though they had white flags. Israel is denying the allegation. UN and other groups contest Israeli…Israel in Gaza increasingly seen as Rogue State by EU, Red Cross, Lancet; Are Gazans Slaves?
As of Thursday morning, the Israelis have now killed 1038 and wounded 4850 Palestinians. The BBC reports that "More than 300 of the dead are said to be children, 76 are women…On the Streets of New York, Calls to "Wipe Out" Palestinians; Friedman: Hit Civilians to Teach them a Lesson
Max Blumenthal films a pro-Israel rally in New York and asks questions about civilian casualties that elicit the most horrific answers.But these sentiments are not just on the street. They are even…Clinton’s Pragmatism, Smart Power, Multilateralism Welcomed in Muslim World
Hillary Clinton at her confirmation hearing for Secretary of State said in her opening remarks,' The president-elect and I believe that foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and…Biden in Iraq: Mission Possible? Obama sends Personal Letter to Kirkuk
Incoming Vice President Joe Biden was in Kirkuk, Iraq, Tuesday afternoon. According to al-Hayat writing in Arabic, he is on a fact-finding mission and will report back on the current situation to…Gaza War Sours Turkey-Israel Relations
One of the little noticed side effects of Israel's war on Gaza has been a substantial souring of relations with Turkey. The Israelis had had a relatively close diplomatic, military and trade…Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Claims to be Able to Order Bush Around
So outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was speaking in Ashkelon on Monday, and he said the most amazing thing. The USG Open Source Center translated the relevant passage from his speech,…Shields: I Accuse! An Open Letter to Congress
Sarah Shields writes in a guest op-ed for IC:I accuse you, the US Congress, of having voted for US House Resolution 34 by an overwhelming margin, 390-5. In the name of protecting…
Occupied Gaza in Photographs
British Gaza"Gaza: Soon after the British Empire occupied the city from the Ottoman Turks," (circa 1918) "Grand Omari Mosque, 1928"Egyptian Gaza"UN soldiers keeping the peace during the Israeli withdrawal from Egypt," 1957…
Occupied Gaza in Photographs
British Gaza"Gaza: Soon after the British Empire occupied the city from the Ottoman Turks," (circa 1918) "Grand Omari Mosque, 1928"Egyptian Gaza"UN soldiers keeping the peace during the Israeli withdrawal from Egypt," 1957…Israeli Forces into Gaza City; Hamas Fighters Brace for Guerrilla Actions
Israeli war planes bombed densely populated Gaza 12 times Sunday night through Monday morning, even as Israeli reservists were sent into the territory and troops engaged in firefights with local forces. Israel…Only a "For America" PAC Can Stop the Madness
I want to follow up today on my postings over the weekend on how organizing to defend progressive congressional representatives and punish reactionary ones is far superior to street protests as political…Monday Last Day: 2008 Weblog Awards
Update: We're way behind, progressive blogosphere. Today is the last day to make a push. You can vote again if it has been 24 hours. Let's at least try to pull closer.Thanks…Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is not self-defence – it’s a war crime
This letter of attorneys and academics appeared in the Times of London on Sunday. I suggest that all bloggers who agree with it just reprint it so that it is everywhere in…Massive Protests in London, Barcelona
Some videoblogging for a snowy Sunday (where I am).Israel renewed its strikes and shelling against targets in densely-populated Gaza on Sunday morning. Some 850 Gazans and 13 Israelis have been killed in…Save the Congresspersons, Save the World
Regarding the Congressional resolution on Gaza, The breakdown of the vote is here. (h/t Antiwar.com. You may be looking at an endangered species list.Cont'd . . .Actually, although the vote appeared overwhelmingly…On the Uselessness of Street Protest; And the Usefulness of Web 2.0 Lobbying
This kind of headline about large street protests against the Israeli attack on Gaza annoys me no end.The mechanisms are well known whereby the Israeli Right* is able to engage in this…Lind: If Israel Bombed Iran US Army in Iraq Could be Lost
Iran's PressTv is alleging that its building in Gaza took Israeli fire, wounding two of its employees. An Israeli spokesman denied that the building had been targeted.Iranian preachers had stirred up crowds…Lind: If Israel Bombed Iran US Army in Iraq Could be Lost
Iran's PressTv is alleging that its building in Gaza took Israeli fire, wounding two of its employees. An Israeli spokesman denied that the building had been targeted.Iranian preachers had stirred up crowds…UN: Ceasefire Call Ignored; The Miseries of Settler Colonialism
The United Nations has now called for a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza, which is probably a sign that it will wind down not so long from now. Despite assurances…UN: Ceasefire Call Ignored; The Miseries of Settler Colonialism
The United Nations has now called for a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza, which is probably a sign that it will wind down not so long from now. Despite assurances…Rocketry 101
I don't think it is going to be easy to stop Gazans from making rockets if they want to. /EndRocketry 101
I don't think it is going to be easy to stop Gazans from making rockets if they want to. /EndUN Halts Relief Work in Gaza; Driver Killed by Israeli Fire; Starvation Looms for Civilians
The UN is halting its relief works in Gaza, after an Israeli tank fired on a UN truck, killing the driver:' "The IDF knows all of our movements, and coordinates. Despite that…UN Halts Relief Work in Gaza; Driver Killed by Israeli Fire; Starvation Looms for Civilians
The UN is halting its relief works in Gaza, after an Israeli tank fired on a UN truck, killing the driver:' "The IDF knows all of our movements, and coordinates. Despite that…Kucinich: Israeli Violation of Congressional Arms Restrictions
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) argues that Israel cannot claim self-defense when fighting a weak enemy with no air force, navy or army. If Israel is not engaged in self-defense then it is…Kucinich: Israeli Violation of Congressional Arms Restrictions
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) argues that Israel cannot claim self-defense when fighting a weak enemy with no air force, navy or army. If Israel is not engaged in self-defense then it is…The Neoconservative Style & Weblog Awards
Michael J. Totten has surged way ahead in the voting online for the best Middle East weblog. The way he has done this is very instructive and tells us something about how…Sadr: Kill US Troops for Gaza; Rockets Hit Israel from Lebanon; Heavy Israeli Bombardment of Gaza
Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Iraqis to kill US troops in Iraq in revenge for the Israeli assault on the people of Gaza. "I call upon the honest Iraqi resistance to…Sadr: Kill US Troops for Gaza; Rockets Hit Israel from Lebanon; Heavy Israeli Bombardment of Gaza
Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Iraqis to kill US troops in Iraq in revenge for the Israeli assault on the people of Gaza. "I call upon the honest Iraqi resistance to…Schmidt: It is 3 Crises, Not One
Soren Schmidt writes in a guest op-ed for ICAnalysis. The fighting in Gaza is closely linked to two other conflicts: Israel’s relationship with Syria and Iran’s role in the region. All three…Schmidt: It is 3 Crises, Not One
Soren Schmidt writes in a guest op-ed for ICAnalysis. The fighting in Gaza is closely linked to two other conflicts: Israel’s relationship with Syria and Iran’s role in the region. All three…Cole in Salon: Gaza and the End of Neoconservatism
My column is out in Salon.com, "Neoconservatism dies in Gaza: The recent Israeli offensive has put the final nail in the coffin of the Bush administration's Middle East fantasy.".Excerpt:' The Gaza War…Israeli Captain: We are Near WW III
BBC interviews a former captain in the Israeli army who condemns that attack on Gaza and warns that because of US-Iran tensions, "we are very near WW III."/End.Something Horrible has been Discovered
The Telegraph: 60 Family Members Killed at Zeitoun/End
Al-Fakhoura School Bombed, 42 Killed, Including Children; 13,000 Homeless Water, Medicine in Short Supply
In 1996, Israeli jets bombed a UN building where civilians had taken refuge at Cana/ Qana in south Lebanon, killing 102 persons; in the place where Jesus is said to have made…2008 Weblog Awards: Vote for Informed Comment
Hey, an update. Please vote for Informed Comment, which has been nominated for the 2008 Weblog Awards. If you voted 24 hours ago, you can now vote again. IC is losing! But…Sayyid Najm: "Tanks against Flesh is not War"
Aljazeera Arabic this evening interviewed Sayyid Najm, an Egyptian novelist and literature specialist on war in literature. He is author of, among other things, Ayyam Yusuf Mansi (Cairo: Zahran, 1990). He made…Sayyid Najm: "Tanks against Flesh is not War"
Aljazeera Arabic this evening interviewed Sayyid Najm, an Egyptian novelist and literature specialist on war in literature. He is author of, among other things, Ayyam Yusuf Mansi (Cairo: Zahran, 1990). He made…$240,000 Airline Settlement over Banning Arabic Script
Raed Jarrar received a $240,000 settlement from JetBlu and TSA over an incident in which he was not allowed to fly wearing a t-shirt with an Arabic phrase on it. For those…$240,000 Airline Settlement over Banning Arabic Script
Raed Jarrar received a $240,000 settlement from JetBlu and TSA over an incident in which he was not allowed to fly wearing a t-shirt with an Arabic phrase on it. For those…Palestinian Girl, Israeli Troops
Korean television has video of a Palestinian girl confronting Israeli soldiers over their firing (rubber bullets?) at demonstrating Palestinian children and youth.She is being identified by my facebook friends as Huwaida Arraf,…Gaza in the Time of Ashura
The Gaza War is coming at a poignant time for the Shiite world, since the opening 10 days of the first month of the Muslim year, Muharram, are a time of mourning…Israel/Gaza Cyberwar and Parallels to Abu Ghraib
SC magazine reports that Muslim and Israeli hackers have been going at each other in cyberspace, as an adjunct to the fighting in Gaza: 'More than 10,000 sites have been compromised by…Israel/Gaza Cyberwar and Parallels to Abu Ghraib
SC magazine reports that Muslim and Israeli hackers have been going at each other in cyberspace, as an adjunct to the fighting in Gaza: 'More than 10,000 sites have been compromised by…"It’s Hell in Here" "They are Bombing 1.5 million People in a Cage"
CBS News broadcasts an interview with a Norwegian physician on the scene in Gaza.He says he has seen one military casualty come into the hospital. Of 2500 wounded, 50% are women and…"It’s Hell in Here" "They are Bombing 1.5 million People in a Cage"
CBS News broadcasts an interview with a Norwegian physician on the scene in Gaza.He says he has seen one military casualty come into the hospital. Of 2500 wounded, 50% are women and…Have Bush and the Neocons Ruined it for the Israelis?
The Israeli propaganda blitz around their attack on Gaza has been greeted with uncharacteristic skepticism by the American public and even by some of the mainstream US press. Even the Jewish American…Davidson Guest Op-Ed: "Whose Interest Defines National Interest?"
Lawrence Davidson, author of Foreign Policy, Inc.: Privatizing America's National Interest, writes in a guest op-ed for IC: Why is it that most Americans pay little attention to foreign policy? For instance,…Unlikelihood of a Shiite-Majority Cabinet in Iraq: 1939
A little bit of irony from the British archives on Iraq."Muhammad al-Sadr, the President of the Senate, is believed to aspire one day to head a predominantly Shia Cabinet, but,though his name…Gaza 2008: Micro-Wars and Macro-Wars
With regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict, we have entered the age of micro-wars.The first wars that Israel fought with its Arab neighbors were conventional struggles in which infantry, artillery, armor and air…Israel Destroys American School in Gaza, Kills Guard
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports of Israel's heavy artillery bombardment of densely populated Gaza on Saturday that "The American School north of Gaza was directly hit…Israel invades Gaza
After a four-hour artillery barrage, Israeli troops moved into the northern part of the Gaza strip on Saturday. This land operation raises the same question Jonathan Freedland asked about the whole Gaza…Thousands Protest Israel, US in Kabul
Thousands of Afghans rallied on Friday against the Israeli attack on Gaza Three thousand protesters in Kabul burned Ehud Olmert and George W. Bush in effigy, chanted death to Israel and death…30 Killed, 112 Wounded in Bombing; Iraqi Air Force Carries Aid to Gaza;
A suicide belt bomber killed his own clansmen at a tribal reconciliation meeting at Yusufiya just south of Baghdad, killing at least 30 and wounding 110. It was the first big suicide…Moderates Must Give up Moderation: Jordanian Press on Gaza
The USG Open Source Center paraphrases articles in the Jordanian press on the Israeli attack on Gaza. Jordan is one of only two Arab states to have a formal peace treaty with…Iraq Regains National Sovereignty; Takes Control of Green Zone, Basra Airport; MEK Terror Group to Leave
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Thursday that Iraq had "regained its national sovereignty". It could in fact be argued that for the first time since the end of the Gulf War,…