26 Gun murders (equiv. 130) in England vs. *11,004* in US Annually
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Revised There have been 1,516 mass shootings…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Revised There have been 1,516 mass shootings…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump dedicated a golf trophy to Puerto…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump's petulant tweet storm on Saturday accused…
Foreign Policy
Giraldi Controversy: No, US wars in Mideast are not for Israel Lobby
By Ian Berman | (Informed Comment) | - - CIA Veteran Philip Giraldi kicked off a firestorm with his article, “America's Jews are Driving America's Wars.” Giraldi is an important voice on…Israel to close off Palestinian West Bank, Gaza for 11-day Jewish holiday
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities will completely seal off the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip for 11 consecutive days over the Jewish holiday of…Too Little, Too Late: Trump dedicates Golf Trophy to Puerto Rico as he readies to Fly there
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump dedicated a golf trophy to Puerto Rico Sunday, as he prepared to fly to the island on a propaganda tour. Retired Lt.…Austria Bans Burqa, Demands Muslim ‘Integration’ before Elections
TeleSur | - - The move comes ahead of the Oct.15 elections that critics worry might favor anti-immigration parties. Austria has decided to ban the full Islamic veil or Burqa and other…Rohingya Genocide: Why isn’t the World Community Doing Something?
By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) | - - The Rohingya of Myanmar are probably passing through the darkest time in their history, with the international community standing almost idle. While the…Trump’s Billionaire Cronies feed at Public Trough as he disses Puerto Rico
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump's petulant tweet storm on Saturday accused Puerto Ricans of wanting everything done for them. He expressed these sentiments as his secretary of…Last Flight Departs as Iraq punishes Kurds’ Secession Vote
TeleSur | - - Domestic flights are still allowed, so travelers are expected to travel to Kurdistan mostly via Baghdad's airport. The last international flight left Erbil airport on Friday as the…EV Game-Changer: China dumping Gasoline Cars even Sooner
By Zoran Radosavljevic | EURACTIV.com China announced on Thursday (28 September) it would start phasing out fossil fuel cars and set a 10% minimum quota of “new energy vehicles” in 2019, in…Iraq: Kurds, United, Confident in Negotiated Settlement
Histyar Qader | Erbil | (Niqash.org) | - - In the end, the Kurdish people and politicians united around the independence referendum. But what happens next? Some senior politicians believe negotiations with…Iraqi Kurdistan defiant in face of Baghdad sanctions, threats
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The Kurdistan Regional Government on Thursday rejected the decisions of the Iraqi parliament and government. It nevertheless expressed a willingness to conduct a…Saudi decree allowing women to drive cars is about politics, not religion
By Haifaa Jawad | (The Conversation) | - - In an unexpected move that surprised everyone, including his own people, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia has suddenly passed a…What it means to raise the Palestinian flag in today’s America
Tom Brocket | (The Conversation) | - - It is a wet and dreary February afternoon in Union City, the compact and densely populated township sitting on the New Jersey bank of…Iraq strikes Back: Kurds under air travel ban, Turkey blocks Oil
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The Iraqi parliament on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding that the Iraqi army take control of the province of Kirkuk and reclaim the…Taliban target SecDef Mattis Helicopter in Kabul, hit Airport
TeleSur | - - U.S. forces responded with an airstrike but one of the missiles went off course in a “malfunction,” causing several casualties. Kabul's airport has been attacked by militants during…The Biggest Impediment to Saudi Women Was Never the Driving Ban
By Medea Benjamin | (Foreign Policy in Focus) | - - No matter their age, Saudi women are treated like minors — to the point that many require permission from their sons…Saudi King seeks Recognition for letting Women Drive, a basic right
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued a decree on Tuesday permitting women to drive as of June of next year. Saudi Arabia was the…Is Trump setting US course toward War with China?
By Alfred W. McCoy | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - [This piece has been adapted and expanded from Alfred W. McCoy’s new book, In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise…Saudi Arabia: Official Hate Speech Targets Minorities
Human Rights Watch | - - Incitement Leads to Discrimination Against Shia, Other Groups (Beirut) – Some Saudi state clerics and institutions incite hatred and discrimination against religious minorities, including the country’s…Iraq: Kurdish Independence Vote Spurs Mideast Tension
TeleSur | - - The referendum has provoked large-scale military movements along the Iraqi Kurdish region's borders. Some 8.4 million Iraqi Kurds have voted in a referendum on whether to secede from…Germany: Will strong Neo-Fascist showing push Merkel to the Right?
By Patricia Hogwood | (The Conversation) | - - Angela Merkel will continue as chancellor of Germany. But following an election that saw the rise of smaller parties – most notably the…