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Archives: November 2014
Egypt’s Female Genital Mutilation Shame and the Failure of Prosecution
Human Rights Watch | -- (Beirut) – Egyptian authorities need to take clear action to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) following the country’s first trial on the crime ending…
The Workers Movement and Class Struggle in the Egyptian Revolution
Middle East Eye "The 2011 Egyptian revolution is usually thought of as an uprising against dictatorship and corruption, with the aim of establishing a European or American style democratic system. But underlying…
Pope Francis in Turkey calls for interreligious dialogue to stop terrorism
Reuters | --- "On the first day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Francis has called for interreligious dialogue "so that there will be an end of all forms of fundamentalism and…
Cairo Erupts as Mubarak, Adly Declared Innocent in Deaths of Protesters
By Juan Cole | --- An Egyptian court on Saturday found found deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak and his former interior minister Habib Adly not guilty (or rather just dropped the charges) the…
The Rolex Caliph’s Camel Selfie: How Iraqi Youth are Ridiculing Daesh/ISIL Online
By Cathrin Schaer | Berlin | (Niqash.org) -- The extremist Islamic State group has been very effective on social media, terrifying their enemies and boosting their own prestige. Now a new group…![Far-Right Israeli FM Lieberman: Offer Israeli Arabs Money to Move to [Non-Existent] Palestinian State](http://web.archive.org./web/20170630223124im_/https://media.juancole.com/images/2014/11/far-right-israeli-fm-lieberman-o-187x137.jpg)
Far-Right Israeli FM Lieberman: Offer Israeli Arabs Money to Move to [Non-Existent] Palestinian State
Wotchit | --- "Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman proposed on Friday that Arab citizens of Israel be offered financial incentives to leave the country and relocate to a future Palestinian state. Lieberman,…
Israeli soldiers shoot Italian Activist in stomach at rally, wound 11 Palestinians
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- An Italian was critically injured along with 11 Palestinians on Friday afternoon after Israeli forces opened live fire on a protest march in the village of Kafr Qaddum west…
What is Climate Change? World Bank Cartoon on E. Europe impact for your GOP Friends
World Bank | --- "Romania is committed to moving towards a greener and more competitive low carbon economy that makes efficient use of resources and is resilient to climate risk. Therefore, the…
Oil Price Fall: Saudi Arabia targets US Shale Oil, Iran, Iraq, Russia
By Juan Cole It is clear that among the major losers in the fall in the price of Brent crude petroleum from $115 a barrel last summer to about $75 a barrel…
Crescent Dunes NV solar Plant Works Day & Night w/ Molten Salt Storage
Solar Reserve | --- "Take an exclusive look at this revolutionary solar energy plant that works day and night.This is the world’s first 110 MW solar thermal power plant with advanced molten…
100K Homeless in Gaza face severe Flooding, Cold as UN Declares State of Emergency
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The UN's Palestine refugee agency UNRWA on Thursday evening declared a state of emergency in Gaza City amid massive rains that have shut down normal life in parts of…
Christians of Syria’s Aleppo Hold out Despite Extremist Daesh/ISIL Threat
AFP | --- "Tens of thousands of Christians have fled homes in Syria's war-wracked second city of Aleppo but many others are determined to hold out despite their dread of Islamic State…
Rudy Giuliani Wants To Prosecute Ferguson Witnesses
The Young Turks | --- "Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani weighed in on the Ferguson grand jury decision Tuesday night and said that if it were his case, he would prosecute…
Iran Leader Khamenei: We are not Opposed to Nuclear Talks, Will Accept Just Deal
By Juan Cole | --- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the clerical Leader of Iran, told an assemblage of volunteer paramilitary (Basij) forces on Thursday that he is not opposed to nuclear talks with…
Americans ask Pres. Obama to show Thanksgiving Mercy to Gaza
PressTV | -- "President Obama pardoned two turkeys at the White House today, a tradition meant to illustrate the generosity and compassion of the Thanksgiving holiday. But for some, this time of…
Can the Police Phone-Track you without a Warrant?
Hanni Fakhoury and Jennifer Lynch (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Once again, a federal court will decide whether police can track your movements over an extended period of time without a search warrant. Federal…
Iraq Famine Threat? IS Daesh/ ISIL Stealing Wheat, Preventing Farmers from Providing Food?
JURF-AL-SAKHAR/DUBAI (IRIN) | -- November is usually a busy month for farmers in the Iraqi town of Jurf al-Sakhar as they sow their seeds ahead of the bitter winter months. Yet this…
How Israel’s Bus Segregation Affects Palestinian Workers
AJ+ | -- 'Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has argued for keeping Palestinian workers off of public Israeli buses. Yaalon says the laborers are dangerous and harass Israeli women. AJ+ caught a…
Thanksgiving was always about Climate and Adaptation: Let’s Make it Green Again
By Juan Cole | --- The popular story about Thanksgiving is an environmental parable that we would do well to remember today. It was a harvest festival in 1621, participated in by…
Turkish Pres. Erdogan says Women not Equal to Men: “Their System is Different.”
Euronews | --- "The Turkish President has triggered fresh controversy, declaring in a speech that women are not equal to men. Recep Tayyip Erdogan also criticised the feminist movement, claiming they do…
What if it was Russia and China invading and Bombing? The Blindness of MSM and Washington
By Tom Engelhardt (Tomdispatch.com) | -- Let’s play a game, the kind that makes no sense on this single-superpower planet of ours. For a moment, do your best to suspend disbelief and…
Global Warming brings extreme Floods and Drought: World Bank
By Andrea Germanos, staff writer (Commondreams.org) "Even very ambitious mitigation" can't change the fact that the world has already "locked in" mid-century warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, a new report from…
Racial Fearmongering and Ferguson: US Stereotype of “violent” African-American Men as old as Slavery
By Peter Bloom, The Open University (The Conversation) The decision not to charge police officer Darren Wilson with the unlawful shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown has reignited protests across the US.…
Race inequality between US Whites and African-Americans by the Numbers (Again)
By Juan Cole | --- With regard to employment, African-Americans got hit harder by the Bush Depression than did whites, and jobs have not come back for them at nearly the same…
Iran: US War Hawks go on Offensive after Nuclear Energy Talk Deadlines are Postponed
by Jim Lobe | (Inter Press Service) | --- Buoyed by the failure of the U.S. and five other powers to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme after…
The Ferguson, Mo. Shooting in American History: What to Tell the Children
By Julian Hipkins III (Zinn Education Project) In light of the grand jury decision, we share this collection of teaching ideas and resources, originally published by Teaching for Change in August of…
Sen. Lindsey Graham furious GOP House Benghazi Report Shows He Wasted All our Time & Money
The Young Turks | --- ""Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday blasted a House GOP-led investigation that recently debunked myths about the 2012 Benghazi attack. “I think the report is full of…
Iraq: A Bigger Threat than Extremists? Economy on Verge of Collapse
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | via Niqash.org The Iraqi dinar: there might not be enough oil revenue coming into Iraq next year. The high cost of fighting the extremist Islamic State…
As SecDef Hagel Exits, an Iraq Daesh/ISIL Scorecard
By Juan Cole | --- Mosul rose up in alliance with Daesh /ISIL against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on June 9 of this year, sparking a crisis in…
Top Five Washington Assumptions on Mideast that Are not True
By Andrew J. Bacevich (Tomdispatch.com) | -- “Iraq no longer exists.” My young friend M, sipping a cappuccino, is deadly serious. We are sitting in a scruffy restaurant across the street from…
Jerusalem: This Is Why The Temple Mount Matters To one Israeli-American
AJ+ | -- "For Jews, the Temple Mount (known as Haram as-Sharif, or "Noble Sanctuary," to Muslims) is their religion's holiest site. The Temple Mount is on the same hilltop as Islam's…
Syrian Refugees Between a Legal Rock and a Hard Place in Lebanon
By Oriol Andrés Gallart | --- BEIRUT, Nov 21 2014 (IPS) - Staring at the floor, Hassan, a 21-year-old Syrian refugee from Idlib in northwestern Syria, holds a set of identification papers…
Israel and Mississippi: Racist Plans for 2nd Class Citizens and Religious Legislation
By Juan Cole | --- The Guardian reports that "A controversial bill that officially defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people has been approved by cabinet despite warnings that the…
How Public Power can get Big Money out of Politics & Defeat Plutocrats
Bill Moyers | --- Bill Moyers: "How Public Power Can Defeat Plutocrats" via BillMoyers.com "Government has become a clearinghouse for corporations and plutocrats with deep pockets to buy the politicians who grease…
Will GOP Congress block an Obama Iran Nuclear Deal?
By Carl Schreck and Luke Johnson (RFE/RL) | ---- WASHINGTON -- With the deadline for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program looming, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is under increased…
Jerusalem: where religion divides but lives are entwined
By Wendy Pullan, University of Cambridge (The Conversation) The latest violent episode between Palestinians and Israelis has prompted Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to assert that Israel is in the midst of…
Snowden Docs.: UK Telecom Conspired to Turn over millions of our Emails to British Intelligence
Channel 4 News | --- "An unprecedented grab of personal data: this programme reveals that a communications firm not only handed over its own information to GCHQ, but also allowed access to…
Taiwan Animators wonder if anyone paid attention to Obama Immigration Speech
Tomo News: Tomo News: "Obama announces immigration reform, America forgets to watch"
Iraq: Daesh/ISIL executes 26 Sunni Tribesmen in Campaign to Take Ramadi
By Juan Cole: Daesh (the Arabic acronym for ISIS or ISIL) has mounted a major offensive in a bid to take Ramadi, the capital of al-Anbar Province in western Iraq. Ramadi is…
“Iran too big a fish for Israel to fry” – Former IAEA Head Hans Blix on Nuclear Talks
RT | -- "The latest negotiations over Iran's nuclear program are entering their final days - the deadline set for November 24. Officials say there are many obstacles – but they also…
Israeli Occupation forces wound dozens of Palestinian Protesters across West Bank
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces opened fire and injured dozens of Palestinians across the West Bank on Friday, as hundreds marched in a number of cities and villages in protest against the…
South Dakota Native Tribe: Keystone XL an “act of war”
RT | ---- "The Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota says that congressional approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline will be considered an act of war. If given the green light…
Top 6 Green Energy Good News Stories, November 2014
By Juan Cole 1. There has been a lot of reporting and angst over the possibility that India will turn to coal to electrify the country (many in India still lack electricity).…
Junta arrests Thai Protesters using ‘Hunger Games’ 3-finger Salute at Mockingjay Premiere
TomoNews & The Telegraph | --- [Taiwan Animators (TomoNews)] "I’m sure you remember this touching scene from 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' where Katniss shows her resolve and will to fight after her…
An Israeli-Arab Spring? 1.6 mn Palestinian-Israelis are Marginalized, Angry and Defiant
By Emile Nakhleh | -- WASHINGTON, Nov 20 2014 (IPS) - The recent killing of an Arab youth by the police in the Israeli Arab village of Kafr Kanna, outside Nazareth, the…
Climate Change already turning China Wetlands into Dust
Euronews | -- "Former wetlands in north-west China (Gansu province) have been sucked dry as the climate has changed. It is a stark warning that we can expect other ecological disaster areas…
Right-Wing Media vs. Reagan On Immigration – How GOP lost the Script
Media Matters 4 America | -- Right-Wing Media vs. Reagan On Immigration mediamatters4america
Two Different American Futures: With an Iran Deal & Without
By Charles Recknagel (RFE/ RL) As the six world powers and Tehran try to reach a deal in Vienna, there is more at stake than simply ending the crisis over Iran's nuclear…
Top 5 Ways Obama Punked the GOP on Immigration; and the 2016 Campaign
By Juan Cole | --- The 2016 presidential election will be very different from the 2014 congressional midterms just held. In the off years, turnout is low (this time it was less…
Another Domino Falls: Spanish Parliament votes to Recognize Palestine
Euronews: "Spanish MPs have urged their government to recognise the Palestinian state. The a non-binding resolution presented by the socialists won the backing of all the political groups of the lower house,…
In Iran, US Choice is a Negotiated Peace Now or the Risk of War
By Carlyn Meyer In 2012, Israeli PM Netanyahu stood before the UN General Assembly with a cartoon representation of an “Iranian bomb.” It was filled with red paint (uranium) up to a…
How human-emitted Carbon Dioxide Circulates in Earth’s Atmosphere (NASA)
NASA Goddard | --- "An ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere travels around the globe. Plumes of carbon dioxide in…
How German TV covers climate change: interviews scientist respectfully, disses denialist Politicians
DW | -- "We are joined by Martin Cames who heads the Energy and Climate Division at the Institute for Applied Ecology in Berlin. He talks about the new synthesis report released…
The Historical Drivers of Modern Day Developments in Iraq (Cole Interview)
By Juan Cole, interviewed by Bassam Haddad | -- Bassam Haddad, a prominent Syria specialist at George Mason University, interviewed me this fall for the new web radio program Status Hour ,…
Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas Denounces Synagogue Killings
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday condemned an attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem that killed four Israelis earlier in the day. Abbas' office said in a statement that the…
Why Israel Opposes a Final Nuclear Deal with Iran and What to Do About It
By Robert E. Hunter WASHINGTON, Nov 18 2014 (IPS) - Nov. 24 is the deadline for six world powers and Iran to reach a final deal over its nuclear programme. If there…
Our new Climate-Change Denialist Congress and Looming Planetary Disaster
By Michael T. Klare (Tomdispatch.com) Pop the champagne corks in Washington! It’s party time for Big Energy. In the wake of the midterm elections, Republican energy hawks are ascendant, having taken the…
American Public’s Rewards for voting GOP control of Congress (Political Cartoon)
Paul Jamiol | -- via Jamiol's World
Pope Francis’s Visit to Turkey Embroiled in Partisan Controversies
By Ali Murat Yel The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Turkey on 3-day official visit from November 28 to 30. However, the publication of Turkey's official invitation letter in…
3rd Possibility: Coming Civil War in West Bank/ Jerusalem?
By Juan Cole | -- Observers of the evolution of the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians have long argued that there are only two likely outcomes of the alternating violence and…
Secular Palestinians in Iraq made Refugees again by Daesh/ ISIL Threats
Fearing IS, Palestinian families leave Mosul for Iraqi Kurdistan | -- RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- About 120 Palestinian families have emigrated from Mosul in northern Iraq to Iraqi Kurdistan fearing IS threats, according…
Child Homelessness rising in US — Red States wonder why they’re the Worst
ABC 15, AZ | --- "Arizona ranks as one of the worst states for homeless children." ABC 15 Arizona: "Increase in homeless children in the US"
Should Iran and the US accept a Good, but not perfect Nuclear Deal?
By Hamid Zangeneh | -- We have a few days left to the final deadline (Nov. 24 target date) for this round of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of…
Egypt’s Battle for Worker’s Rights in Upcoming Legislation
By Nehal Amer Over the past year Egypt has undergone harsh reforms in a narrowing sociopolitical environment. New legislation is rapidly being produced in the absence of an elected parliament—from the repressive…
Americans 64 times more likely to be Murdered than die in Terrorism
By Juan Cole | -- The Institute for Economics and Peace in the UK has released a report on terrorism in 2013, which it maintains was substantially up. There are virtues of…
“More Collective Punishment of Gaza”: Norwegian Dr. Denied Entrance to Gaza by Israelis
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Norwegian physician who has volunteered in the medical field in the Gaza Strip repeatedly in recent years has been banned by Israel from ever returning. Dr. Mads Gilbert,…
Turkish President Alleges Muslims ‘discovered’ America before Columbus
Ruptly TV | -- [ What follows is some crackpot theory completely divorced from reality... for another attempt at mystifying the Ottomans in the New World see this earlier blog post about…
Yazidi Women Victimized by Daesh/ ISIL tell of Rape, Slavery, & their Resistance
By Khales Joumah | Mosul | via Niqash.org | -- Three months ago, the extremist group known as the Islamic State kidnapped hundreds of women from the Yazidi sect. Since then there…
U2’s Bono on ‘Band Aid 30’: Ebola is a ‘political failure’
Channel 4 News | -- "The spread of Ebola is "not a medical failure" - U2 lead singer Bono tells Channel 4 News political leaders "need to keep their promises"." Bono on…
Top 5 Ways Daesh/ ISIL is Losing, as it lashes out like a Cornered Rat
By Juan Cole Daesh is what ISIL is called in the Middle East by the vast majority that doesn't like it. It has not had a good month, suffering substantial setbacks in…
G20 conclude “Climate Change Summit:” Obama Pressures Australia as PM presents lonely defense of Coal
By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra, (The Conversation) G20 nations have supported “strong and effective” action on climate change - but included some equivocal wording on the timing for issuing post-2020 targets…
Thousands march in Bethlehem to mark Palestine Independence Day
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Thousands marched in the streets of Bethlehem on Saturday to mark Palestinian Independence Day and the 10th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death. Palestinians marched through the main…
Israel’s Ban on Norwegian Humanitarian Dr. in Gaza spells ‘trouble for gov’t’
RT | -- "Israel has permanently banned Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert from entering Gaza. He told RT that he has become “a great problem for the Israeli government” because he documents the…
Saudi Arabia at the G20: Is it waging Econ War on Iran, Russia and N. Dakota?
By Juan Cole The G20 is a conference of the world's top 20 economies as measured by Gross Domestic Product. Some observers have slammed it as an unelected and arbitrary body that…
Peru: Descendants of Incans to get Rural Electrification via 500,000 Solar Panels
WochitGernalNews | -- "Peru's government said on Wednesday that it plans to nearly close its gap in electrical coverage in rural regions by the end of the decade with a recently-awarded $28.5…
UCLA Mideast Center fights Smears by off-campus Israel-Lobby Extremists
By James Gelvin | -- Response to criticisms of the G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies The G.E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies (hereafter CNES) of UCLA is…
Jon Stewart Talks Press Freedom at Rosewater Premiere
AJ+ | -- "Jon Stewart of The Daily Show's talks to AJ+'s Dena Takruri at the New York premiere of Rosewater." AJ+ "Jon Stewart Talks Press Freedom At Rosewater Premiere"
Iraq Shocker: Sunni Tribe invites Shiite Militias into al-Anbar to fend off ISIL Massacres
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | via Niqash.org -- Shiite militias are making inroads into the mainly Sunni province of Anbar. Previously Anbar's Sunni tribes have not allowed the controversial militia groups…
Daesh (ISIL) Loses Refinery City in Iraq to Iraqi Army, Shiite Militias
By Juan Cole | --- Iraqi army and police joined forces with Shiite militias and US close air support to expel Daesh (ISIL) from the city of Beiji, north of Baghdad beyond…
Gen Dempsey: US Considering Ground Troops in Iraq
VOA | -- "America’s top military leader says he is considering deploying a limited number of U.S soldiers to fight with Iraqi troops against Islamic State militants. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman…
Militant Buddhist Monks stir attacks on innocent Muslims in Myanmar
AJ+ "Buddhist monks were a symbol of hope and defiance during the dark years of Myanmar’s military dictatorship. But as the country opens up to the world, some have taken a radically…
Climate Change: Afghanistan on Front Line (& You Thought the Taliban were Bad)
By Joe Dyke (IRIN) MAZAR-I-SHARIF, November 2014 (IRIN) - In northern Afghanistan, the residents don't often use the phrase - most don't even know it. But as they describe how increasingly extreme…
The Real Jesus was Bill O’Reilly’s Worst Nightmare – Reza Aslan
Cenk Uygur (The Young Turks) “The Jesus of history was the exact opposite of everything Fox News host Bill O’Reilly thinks, according to religious scholar Reza Aslan. The professor made the remarks…
Daesh/ ISIL calls for Terror attacks on Saudi Arabia
By Juan Cole | -- Daesh, the brutal terrorist group the US calls ISIL or ISIS, is calling for attacks in Saudi Arabia. A voice recording has surfaced, attributed to Ibrahim al-Samarra'i,…
Stealth Drone Proliferation: Iranians Reverse engineer captured US Spy Drone
Press TV: | "Iran has released a video showing the test flight of an Iranian-made version of the captured US RQ-170 spy drone. The stealth drone was designed and made in less…
Starving Gazans of Protein: Israeli Navy destroys Palestinian Fishing Boat
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- | Israeli naval boats on Wednesday evening fired at and sank a Palestinian fishing boat in the sea off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.…
Tehran says it has responded to some letters sent by President Obama
Press TV | "A senior Iranian official says Tehran has responded to some of the letters sent by US President Barack Obama. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani…
Top 5 Disasters If GOP Senate derails Iran talks
By Juan Cole | The Republican Party is already conniving at ways to derail the US-Iran negotiations over Tehran's civilian nuclear enrichment program. When they take over the senate in January, the…
Rehab for Empire Addiction: Uncle Sam on the Couch
By Tom Engelhardt (Tomdispatch.com) [What follows is a transcript of a therapy session between the American Empire and a psychiatrist whose name we at TomDispatch have agreed not to disclose. Normally, even in an age in which…
20 Richest Countries Subsidize Oil & Gas Exploration as much as Whole World Subsidizes Green Energy
Analysis by Shelagh Whitley (IPS) LONDON, Nov 11 2014 (IPS) - Just a week after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave its starkest warning yet that the vast majority of…
Israel Econ. Minister’s West Bank annexation plan a wake up call for the West
By John V. Whitbeck (Ma'an News Agency) Naftali Bennett, Israel's Minister of the Economy and leader of the Jewish Home Party, a major component of the current Israeli government, is widely seen…
Mr. 2%: Tony Blair’s Secret Oil Contract with Saudis Revealed
TheLipTV: "Tony Blair’s secret contract with a Saudi oil company has been revealed as details have emerged that the ex-Prime Minister received £41,000 a month and two percent commission on any successful…
A Day Late & a Dollar Short: Obama & China agree on Languid Climate Goals
By Juan Cole The good news is that US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reached an agreement on limiting carbon emissions in their two countries. The US puts…
Congress has a Bill Ready to Curb NSA Snooping; if You care, Tell them to Pass it!
By Mark Jaycox (EFF) Congress continues its path towards becoming the least productive Congress in modern history while on its second vacation in as many months. During their first vacation, we ranked…
Sea Rise not Distant: Americans on Coast could see 200 Floods a Year before Mortgage paid Off
Union of Concerned Scientists: "As sea level rises higher over the next 15 to 30 years, tidal flooding is expected to occur more often, cause more disruption, and even render some areas…
Has the Third Palestinian Uprising Begun?
AJ+ "Events in Jerusalem are continuing to escalate between Israelis and Palestinians. Stabbings, hit and runs, stone-throwing and more."
Women Targeted by Militarism in Strong States and Extremism in weak ones
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Nov 6 2014 (IPS) - Ongoing military conflicts in the strife-torn Middle East – specifically in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Palestine – have resulted in widespread civilian…
Internet Liberty at Stake in Obama World Wide Web Policy
By Juan Cole President Barack Obama on Monday called on the Federal Communications Commission to treat Internet Service Providers (ISP's) as common carriers, sort of like television networks such as NBC or…
Denmark to ban Coal in Favor of Wind Energy
Wochit General News "Denmark's climate minister said on Saturday that Denmark should ban coal use by 2025 to make the Nordic nation a leader in fighting global warming, adding to green measures…
Iraq War 3.0? What could possibly Go Wrong?
By Peter Van Buren (Tomdispatch.com) Karl von Clausewitz, the famed Prussian military thinker, is best known for his aphorism “War is the continuation of state policy by other means.” But what happens…
ISIL Grew out of Bush’s Destruction of Iraq’s Socialist Economy
By Noah Bassil via The Conversation To explain the disaster befalling Iraq, as well as the rise of Islamic State (IS), you have to go back a century – before modern Iraq…
In Creeping Annexaton, Israel Plots to Apply Israeli Law in Palestinian West Bank
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian official Nabil Shaath said Sunday that a proposed Knesset bill to apply Israeli laws to West Bank settlements was dangerous and aimed to eventually annex the territory. “The…
Ferguson & Israel? Netanyahu Calls for Stripping Palestinian-Israelis of Citizenship
By Juan Cole On Sunday Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he was looking into whether Israel could strip citizenship from those who speak out against the continued statelessness of the Palestinians.…
Israeli PM Netanyahu Is a National Security Risk—And Washington Knows It
An anonymous U.S. official caused a dustup when he called the Israeli prime minister "chickenshit." Others might have said worse. By Adil E. Shamoo and Peter Certo, November 6, 2014. Print (Photo:…
EU Foreign Affairs Head: A Palestinian State or Endless Conflict
Frederica Mogherini, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs in the Juncker Commission, is a former Foreign Minister of Italy and a member of the Italian Democratic Party and Progressive Alliance…
Palestinians Break open Illegal Apartheid Wall to Commemorate Fall of Berlin Wall
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian activists affiliated with local popular resistance committees in the villages northwest of Jerusalem on Saturday broke open a hole in the separation wall to commemorate the 25th anniversary…
Why it Isn’t that Important Whether ISIL Leader was Killed
By Juan Cole Revised 11/10 Rumors are swirling that ISIL leader Ibrahim al-Samarra'i (who goes by the nom de guerre of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) was severely wounded and that some of his…
O Little Town of Bethlehem – In Revolt against Israeli Aggression
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Clashes erupted in a number of villages across the Bethlehem region of the southern West Bank on Friday after Israeli forces attempted to quell marches in solidarity with occupied…
If Germany Drops Coal, can the Industry Survive?
By Jake Richardson Germany is looking into cutting its use of coal power, at the same time that it is cutting out nuclear. If it does, there could be a ripple effect…
Can Iraqi Christianity survive Exile at hands of ISIL?
Euronews: "The yard of Mar Eliya Church in the city of Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan has been converted into a camp for Christians, more than 200 families who escaped the extremist Islamic…
Critics Slam US Military’s ‘Disturbing’ Praise for Israel’s Gaza Offensive
By Commondreams Staff: "'It is very disturbing and shameful that U.S. military commanders believe that what Israel did in Gaza is something to be applauded,' says Ramah Kudaimi of US Campaign to…
When will US admit Boots on Ground in Iraq (3000 Troops)?
By Juan Cole President Obama's announcement that he will send 1500 more troops to Iraq was made on a Friday, a day usually reserved in Washington for the release of bad or…
Unlikely Cavalry: Iraq’s Sunni Tribes Split on ISIL, Pursue own Feuds
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | via Niqash.org. Some tribes in the north of Iraq pledge allegiance to the extremist group, IS. In the south, tribes are divided as to whether to…
Can Hizbullah save Lebanon from ISIL?
VICE: "As the Islamic State massacred its way throughout Iraq and Syria this summer, a separate battle took place in neighboring Lebanon. This summer, the Islamic State invaded the Lebanese border town…
Uncle Sam’s Making a List, Checking it Twice & You Might be on It
By Hina Shamsi and Matthew Harwood (Tomdispatch.com) It began with an unexpected rapping on the front door. When Wiley Gill opened up, no one was there. Suddenly, two police officers appeared, their…
Canada’s Reaction to War Memorial Attack: Can Multiculturalism Fight Terrorism?
By Allan Christelow On October 22, 2014 a lone gunman killed a guard at Canada’s War Memorial in Ottawa, then went on to attack the Canadian parliament where he was killed. His…
Why McCain & GOP are Slamming Obama for Writing Iran re: ISIL
By Juan Cole President Obama wrote a letter to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the possibility of US-Iran non-military cooperation in defeating ISIL, as a sidebar to the ongoing negotiations with Tehran…
Is the Qur’an Really Violent? Not if you Read the whole Book!
By Alexander Gaute (Your Middle East) "Analyses tend to misuse the references to the Qur’an, often only citing single verses" Following the advent of the murderous Islamic State (IS), the need to…
Will GOP Senate Hawks Deep-Six CIA Torture Report, push Ukraine Intervention?
By Luke Johnson (RFE/RL) WASHINGTON -- Republicans have captured control of the U.S. Senate for the first time in eight years, picking up at least seven seats in the November 4 Congressional elections.…
If Orwell had had a “Ministry of Science” it would look Like GOP Science Committees
Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks: ""The Republican Party is widely predicted to win control of the Senate as a result of today’s midterm elections. In broadstrokes, that outcome portends a green light…
Amid Jerusalem Clashes, Israeli Housing Minister Claims al-Aqsa Site, Declaring War on 1.5 bn Muslims
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Palestinians suffered tear-gas inhalation and several others were injured by stun grenades, shrapnel and rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound area on Wednesday,…
Top 5 Reasons Obama is Seeking Congressional Approval for War on ISIL
By Juan Cole President Obama said Wednesday that he would seek Congressional authorization for his war on ISIL or the "Islamic State" Group in Iraq and Syria. This statement comes after months…
How Secret Millionaire Donors Bought the Midterms with Dark Money Superpacs
by Theodoric Meyer, ProPublica In the final weeks before this year's elections, a super PAC called Key Questions, Key Answers started buying TV ads across Pennsylvania attacking Tom Wolf, the Democratic candidate…
The Pressure to Escalate: How Washington governs by Whipping up Paranoia
By Tom Engelhardt via Tomdispatch.com Sometimes it seemed that only two issues mattered in the midterm election campaigns just ended. No, I’m not talking about Obamacare, or the inequality gap, or the…
Is a Showdown between Radical Shiites and al-Qaeda Brewing in Yemen?
SANAA (IRIN) - Yahia Abu Talib, serious and stoic, is in no doubt about the importance of his role. "We protect homes and mosques," he says, referring to the so-called popular committees…
Iran Jails Woman for trying to Watch Men’s Volleyball Match
Channel 4 News "A court in Iran has sentenced a British-Iranian woman to a year in prison because she tried to go to a men's volleyball match. Iranian law bans women from…
How a Republican Congress could Entangle the US further in the Middle East
By Juan Cole The midterm elections in a president's second term have historically been a time when the president's party lost seats in both houses of Congress. Only a little over a…
Video: ISIL Pedophiles discuss Buying Minor Sex Slaves
via BReaking News "IS fighters talk about which female slaves to buy and sell 'A new video has emerged showing IS fighters negotiating prices for female slaves . Footage shows ISIS fighters…
Shocking things a GOP Senate might do to Women’s Economic Rights (Reich)
Moveon.org: "Robert Reich explains how a Republican-controlled Senate would attack women's rights in what adds up to an economic war on women -- the third in a series of election videos produced…
Iraq: Lawless Islamic State Group In Mosul Targets Attorneys, Judges
Special Correspondent | Mosul | via Niqash When Sunni Muslim extremists took over Mosul in early June, they closed local courts and set up their own quasi-religious system of justice. They also…
Can Big Oil “win ugly” in its “Endless War” on Climate Activists?
by Stephen Leahy (IPS) Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are higher than ever, and we’re seeing more and more extreme weather and climate events….We can’t prevent a large scale disaster if…
Incredible Expanding Cairo (Video)
NYU STERN URBANIZATION PROJECT "The expansion of built up urban land in Cairo, 1800 - 2000. Prepared for the NYU Stern Urbanization Project using data compiled by Shlomo Angel, Jason Parent, Daniel…
American Weapons, provided to Syrian rebels, fall into Hands of al-Qaeda
By Juan Cole The al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Succor Front) not only took the territory of the moderate Muslim Syria Revolutionaries Front this weekend, it also polished off the Movement of…
Can’t We all Get Along? Sunni-Shi’a Commonalities
By Tareq A. Ramadan As we enter the Islamic New Year (1436 AH) and therefore the month of Muharram (one of Islam’s sacred months), many Muslims see an increasingly fractured and segmented…
The Critical spirit of Islam against the mass insanity of ISIS
By Neslihan Çevik The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), having declared itself a caliphate, is now making a call to all Muslims (especially engineers and doctors) to emigrate to their…
Ebola’s not the First Racial Germ Panic: The Long History of Xenophobia and Scapegoating
By Dan Dinello The attempt by some GOP politicians to tie the ebola outbreak to immigration issues is nothing new in American or European history. Immigrants have often been despised, feared and…
Bernie Sanders on Breaking Big Money’s Grip on Elections (Moyers)
Bill Moyers: "Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s independent senator, is angry about what he sees as big money’s wholesale purchase of political power. It’s a grave threat, he believes, not only to our electoral…
Fierce Entanglements require Dialogue: Israeli-Palestinian conflict rooted in their different stories about the World
By Donald Ellis When I was in Israel for a year on a Fulbright conducting research I interviewed Israelis, Palestinians, and Israeli Arabs. I asked them to talk about their ideas with…
US Dilemma in Syria: Moderate Stronghold Falls to al-Qaeda, Fighters desert to Extremists
By Juan Cole In a big setback for the Obama administration's Syria policy, the al-Qaeda affiliate Succor Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) took the town of Deir Sunbul and its environs this weekend away…
Israel’s Exclusion of Palestinians from Area C Costs Pals. $2.2 bn a Year
World Bank "If businesses and farms were permitted to develop on Area C land, 61 percent of the West Bank, it would add as much as 35% to the Palestinian gross domestic…
Will growing gap between rich and poor influence midterm elections?
CCTV "In the United States, the gap between rich and poor is the highest it has been since 1928. This gap is painfully obvious in a state like Arkansas. CCTV America's Sean…
Was Sen. Lindsey Graham just Joking when he Supported White Men in Male Only Clubs?
The Young Turks: ""In a statement, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tried to play off a joke he made at a private, all-male dinner as totally un-serious and not-racist, that joke being: “If…
The Pentagon wants to Surrender to Climate Change, not Fight It
By Eric Bonds via Foreign Policy in Focus The Pentagon recently released a new report sounding the alarm on the national security threats posed by climate change. Like previous reports on the…
Iraq: US dismayed Shiite Gov’t hasn’t Armed Sunni Tribes fighting ISIL
By Juan Cole The pan-Arab London daily Hayat [Life] reports that members of the al-Anbar provincial council say they have met with American officials who are "disgusted" and the slowness of Baghdad…
Israeli Forces open fire on Palestinian Qalandia Demonstrators, Wounding 8
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Eight Palestinians were injured on Friday after Israeli forces opened fire on demonstrators during clashes following Friday prayers near the Qalandia checkpoint north of Jerusalem. Several Palestinians were also…
Is ISIL’s Ideology really Grounded in Saudi Textbooks?
By Emile Nakhleh WASHINGTON (IPS) - According to an article published Oct. 21 on Al-Monitor, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) has issued new regulations for the school systems under its control…
Why are Berkeley Students Protesting Bill Maher as Commencement Speaker?
AJ+ "Bill Maher is scheduled to be the guest speaker at UC Berkeley's fall graduation this December. But despite the university's reputation for free speech, some students say Maher is too offensive…
Surprise: Since Billionaires caused Crash of 2009, Their Numbers have Doubled
Oxfam: "The gap between the rich and poor is spiralling out of control. Just 85 individuals have the same wealth as half the people on our planet. Such extreme economic inequality is…