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Archives: December 2014
Palestinians ready next Move as UNSC rejects end of Occupation
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The UN Security Council yesterday voted down an Arab League resolution on Palestine that would have called for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian…
We have so much to Learn from Cuba
By Robert F. Kennedy Jr In this column, Robert F. Kennedy – son of Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy – looks behind the U.S. embargo against…
Egypt’s 2014 Thermidor: The Counter-Revolution Wins Out
By Simon Mabon and Lucia Ardovini | (The Conversation) -- It was a year of huge transition for Egypt. Gone was the Muslim Brotherhood, in both word and deed, while the military…
Yemen in 2014: 1500 Killed as Extremist Shiites took over Gov’t, battled al-Qaeda: What Next?
SANAA, December 2014 (IRIN) -- After a negotiated transfer of power agreed in early 2012, the annual death toll dropped to about 1,100 and nearly halved again in 2013 to fewer than…
Iraq: Yezidis return home to find Mass Graves, Daesh/ISIL Massacres
Euronews | -- "Yazidi refugees from the Iraqi village of Hardan returned to their homes for the first time on Tuesday after being driven out by Islamic militants in August. They were…
The Year Iraq Ceased to Exist: Will it ever Again?
In 2014, Iraq was said to lose 42% of its territory to Daesh (the Arabic acronym for what our press calls ISIS or ISIL). This statistic refers to the loss of the…
“Even a 10 percent loss of Antarctica’s ice would cause catastrophic flooding of coastal cities”
NOVA | (PBS) -- "Almost three miles of ice buries most of Antarctica, cloaking a continent half again as large as the United States. But when an Antarctic ice shelf the size…
Gap between Wealthy and everyone else in USA is now Insane
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) --- ""The wealthy are getting wealthier. As for everyone else, no such luck. A report released on Wednesday by the Pew Research Center found that the…
Dissident Youth, Facing Military-Media Crackdown, begin new Exodus from Egypt
By Muhammad Moneib | (Your Middle East) -- "A lot of posts share tips and tricks about finding a legal way out of Egypt" Perfectly timing the theatrical run of Ridley Scott’s…
Gaza’s 6-yros Struggle with Nightmares of the 3 Israeli Wars they’ve Already Experienced
Agence France Presse | -- "Muntasser survived an Israeli strike on Gaza this summer which killed his young brother and three cousins. Five months later the Palestinian boy remains haunted by the…
Did Drought and Climate Change cause Middle Eastern States to Collapse in 2014?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The Middle East, from North Africa to Afghanistan, has seen an unusual number of governments collapse in recent years. Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have…
Syrian Refugees in Turkey struggle to Cope with Frigid Winter
CCTV | -- "As budget shortfalls continue to plague UN relief agencies, the colder weather brings with it further challenges for the millions of Syrian refugees who have fled the war zones…
Egypt Bans “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, saying Jewish Slaves did not build Pyramids
CNN | -- "CNN's Ian Lee reports that the reason why Egypt banned a Hollywood film -- not the ban itself -- has surprised many." CNN: "Egypt bans movie 'Exodus: Gods and…
NCIS Egypt-Style: 820 Civilians referred to Military Courts since October
Human Rights Watch | -- (New York) – Egyptian authorities have referred hundreds of civilians to military courts based on an October 2014 decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. At least 820…
Arab East Jerusalem a la Detroit: Being Starved of Water
RT | -- "This is the renowned Teddy Fountain in central Jerusalem. Spectacular water shows go off every ten minutes - a sight enjoyed every evening by locals and tourists, but in…
Did Iran win “2014”? Top 6 Iran Developments this Year
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- In 2014, Iran made news on a number of important fronts. 1. Although there was no decisive breakthrough in its relationship with the United States…
5-year-old Palestinian Boy shot in face by Israeli Police
RT | -- "Israeli police have fired a rubber bullet at a five-year-old Palestinian boy’s face as he was getting out of a school bus on his way home, the child’s family…
Germany Accepts 200,000 Asylum seekers in 2014; Thousands of Bigots Protest ‘Islamization’
BBC News | -- "A record 17,500 people turn out for the latest "anti-Islamisation" rally in the German city of Dresden, according to police estimates." BBC from Tuesday: "Anti-Islam 'Pegida' rally in…
Saudi Women who dared Drive to be tried in Terrorism Court
DeutscheWelle English | -- "Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women from driving. Two women who did just that have been in custody for nearly a month…
Top 5 Five reasons 2014 was a game-changer for Palestine
By Ramzy Baroud | (Ma'an News Agency) -- In terms of losses in human lives, 2014 has been a horrific year for Palestinians, surpassing the horrors of both 2008 and 2009, when…
GOP Figures used racist Ape imagery for Obama before North Korea did
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment)-- North Korea lashed out at President Barack Obama on Saturday, blaming him for the Sony film, "The Interview," and for the North Korean internet outage, adding…
Senior Kurdish Politician: Kirkuk is ours; if Arabs & Turkmen want it, let them fight ISIL for it as we do
Shalaw Mohammed | Sulaymaniyah | (Niqash.org) Senior Iraqi Kurdish politician Mullah Bakhtiar discusses his party’s relationship with Iran and with Kurdish parties in Syria – and in particular, in Kobani and Rojava,…
Pakistan: Judge orders arrest of cleric accused of refusing to condemn Taliban Massacre at School
Reuters | -- "A judge orders the arrest of a senior Pakistan cleric accused of refusing to condemn the school massacre in Peshawar. Paul Chapman reports." Reuters: "Arrest call for Pakistan cleric"
Schoolboy arrested for insulting Turkish president released
Euronews | -- "A Turkish teenager who was arrested at his school on Wednesday for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been released from police custody. The 16-year-old was met by…
Haniyeh: Hamas committed to ceasefire as long as Israel observes It Too
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Deputy head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh said on Friday that the group is committed to the ceasefire with Israel but called for international attention to…
Baathist Riposte: How the Regime Came back in the Syrian Civil War in 2014
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- In the course of 2014, two major trends, long since visible in the Syrian civil war, were strengthened. First, the Baath regime of Bashar al-Assad…
You’ll Never Guess where Santa Claus was really from
BBC News | -- "Although widely thought to hail from the North Pole, Santa Claus is in fact originally from Turkey. The BBC's Mark Lowen visited the southern Turkish town of Demre…
Illusions of Whiteness: Millions of Southern ‘Whites’ have African Ancestry
TheLipTV | -- "Six million White Americans have some African ancestry, according to a new study, which looked at the genetic records of 145,000 people, using the genetic testing service 23andMe.com, who…
Israeli Occupation military demolishes dairy factory in Hebron, Palestinian West Bank
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Thursday destroyed a dairy factory in the Hebron village of al-Burj, the owner told Ma'an. Yasser Muhammad Salim Masharqa said that Israeli forces and civil administration…
Iraq: Extremists of Daesh/ ISIL on the Move in Mosul in Response to Kurdish Advance
Khales Joumah | Mosul | (Niqash.org) Last week’s victory over the extremist Islamic State group in the Sinjar area has had a significant effect on the extremist-controlled city of Mosul. Foreign fighters…
Why Kim Jong-Un was Really afraid of “The Interview:” A Humiliation Romp, not an Assassination Flick
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- N.B.: Contains spoilers; if interested in the film, go see or stream it first and then read. There has been a lot of blaming the…
The Bureaucracy of Terror in Mosul: Todenhöfer’s Unprecedented Footage from Within
BBC News | -- "A German author given unprecedented access to territory controlled by the so-called Islamic State, has told the BBC that IS is stronger, more brutal and harder to confront…
Christmas in Gaza
Middle East Eye | -- "Christians in Gaza prepare to celebrate yet another Christmas under the Israeli imposed siege. Bishop Alexios of Gaza speaks to MEE about his hopes that the siege…
How Jesus’ Message of Peace & Non-Violence Got Lost
By Mairead Maguire | (Nobel Peace Laureate) BELFAST (IPS) - I recently visited Assisi, the home of St. Francis and St. Clare, two great spirits whose lives have inspired us and millions…
Threadbare Christmas for Iraqi Christian Refugees from Daesh/ISIL Mosul
Euronews | --- "Internally displaced Iraqi Christians who fled violence in Mosul celebrated Christmas in Baghdad on Wednesday." Euronews: "Some displaced Iraqi Christians are not in the Christmas spirit"
Have the Kurds cut the ISIL/Daesh State in Two, Blocking Supply Lines?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- Al-Mada newspaper in Baghdad had an interesting article in the aftermath of the fall of Shinjar to the Iraqi Kurdistan Peshmerga. The piece argued that…
Turkey again goes down Path of the One-Party State
By Erdağ Göknar (Istanbul) | (ISLAMiCommentary) -- Erdağ Göknar If we read the recent government-ordered police raids against opposition media in reverse, we can get a better sense of how last year’s…
Israeli forces suppress Christmas march in Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Tuesday suppressed a peaceful march calling for "Christmas without occupation" in Bethlehem. Demonstrators marched to the Israeli military checkpoint in northern Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas and…
Reality TV Iraq Style: Confronting your Terrorist
AJ+ | -- "It's reality TV like you've never seen it before: Iraqi terrorists being escorted around their crime scenes, meeting their victims and confessing on camera. Co-funded by the Iraqi justice…
Year 6 of the Climate Activism Revolution
By Rebecca Solnit | (Tomdispatch.com) It was the most thrilling bureaucratic document I’ve ever seen for just one reason: it was dated the 21st day of the month of Thermidor in the…
Is the NSA Responsible for N. Korea’s Hack of Sony Pictures?
By Juan Cole | -- In all the discussions of what is alleged to be North Korea's horrible cyber-vandalism against Sony Pictures, I haven't seen anyone bring up a key issue: The…
Victim of Apartheid Wall: Christmas in Isolated Bethlehem
DW | -- "Bethlehem - the traditional birthplace of Jesus is sacred for many believers. But it means big business for Palestinians who sell souvenirs there. Even with heightened tensions in the…
3000 Yezidi Girls still Missing at Hands of Daesh/ISIL: “It costs more for a girl with blue eyes”
BBC News | -- "Kurdish authorities say Pershmerga forces are making headway in the Northern Iraqi town of Sinjar and have taken control of a 'large area' from Islamic State militants. Iraqi…
Not the Onion: Pakistanis Demand arrest of Cleric for not Condemning “Jihadis”
AJ+ |-- "Pakistanis are calling for the arrest of a Muslim cleric, Abdul Aziz, who refused to condemn the recent Pakistan Attack that led to 148 deaths. Some feel the Taliban school…
The Yezidis: People of an Ancient Faith Battle Ethnic Cleansing
By Richard Foltz | (Special to Informed Comment) -- Among the many victims of the barbarous Daesh (what Arabs call ISIS or ISIL), none has suffered more severely than the Kurdish Yezidis.…
Tunisia: Nationalist Candidate’s claimed win in Presidential Poll Contested
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The major political parties do fairly sophisticated exit polling in Tunisian elections now, and secular, nationalist warhorse Beji Caid Essebsi claimed a victory of some…
Israel Turns Beersheba Mosque into Museum, while 10,000 have no place to Pray
BEERSHEBA (Ma'an) -- Authorities in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba have recently converted an historic mosque into an Islamic museum despite the fact that 10,000 local Muslims still have nowhere to…
The *Other* Torture Report: What the USA looks like to the World
By Rebecca Gordon | (special to Informed Comment) -- At long last – despite the attempts at sabotage by, and over the protests of the CIA, and notwithstanding the dilatory efforts of…
How the Iraq Wars began with the Invasion of Panama
By Greg Grandin | (Tomdispatch.com) -- As we end another year of endless war in Washington, it might be the perfect time to reflect on the War That Started All Wars --…
Anthony Bourdain on Iran and Beirut (Bisley Interview)
By Alexander Bisley | (Special to Informed Comment) -- “By the end of this hour I will be seen by many as a terrorist sympathizer, a Zionist tool, a self-hating Jew, an…
Kurds inflict first Major Defeat on Daesh/ ISIL, Rescue Yezidis of Sinjar
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The pan-Arab London daily, Al-Hayat [Life] reports that the Iraqi Kurdistan paramilitary, the Peshmerga, have taken Mt. Sinjar from Daesh (what Arabs call ISIL or…
GOP Denialism to Sink Capital: 150 Tidal Floods a Year for Washington DC by 2045
Link TV | -- "The eastern coast of the United States-- from the Gulf of Mexico to New England -- has one of the highest rates of sea level rise in the…
Leftist Jordanians protest expected gas deal with Israel
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Dozens of protesters marched in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Friday to denounce a gas deal with Israel that is expected to be passed by the end of…
Iran Honors Its Fallen Jewish Soldiers
By Frud Bezhan | (RFE/RL) | -- Iran is well-known for its stinging anti-Israeli rhetoric and refusal to recognize what it calls the "Zionist regime." So, it might have come as a…
Palestinians Under Threat In Jerusalem
AJ+ | -- "With tensions rising in Jerusalem, hate crimes against Palestinians have increased in recent months. Mohammed lost his cousin to one such incident a while ago, and now he is…
“Palestinian State Essential to a Democratic Israel” – Frmr Israeli President Shimon Peres
TeleSur | -- "In France, former Israeli President Shimon Peres said that a Palestinian State is necessary in order to have a democratic Jewish state. This statement came the same day that…
Israeli Squatter Fires on Palestinian Demonstrators near Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Palestinians on Friday held a march against the Israeli occupation and settlement policies in the West Bank in the village of al-Masara near Bethlehem. Organizers from the…
Daesh/ ISIL close to Taking al-Anbar Province as Tribal Levies lack Ammunition, Funding, Unity
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | -- Last week, fighters from tribes in Anbar were forced to give up their hold on the town of Wafaa to extremists from the…
5 Countries where Solar Power is making a Revolution
By Juan Cole | -- Developing countries of the global south don't have enough electricity. Sometimes rural populations are only just now getting electricity. Ironically, many of them can leapfrog conventional power…
Blogging Colbert (In honor of the Finale of the Colbert Report)
Reprint: So I was on the Colbert Report, hosted by Stephen Colbert at Comedy Central, on Wednesday night, to promote my new book, Engaging the Muslim World.The clip is up at the…
Top 7 Ways Assassination Fails USA as Policy
By Juan Cole Wikileaks has released a government assessment of drone strikes aimed at assassinating top leaders. The document urges such strikes, but is amazingly frank about the drawbacks. it says, "Potential…
Roots of Militancy among some Muslim Youth: What can be Done?
By Mustafa Gurbuz Gruesome ISIS beheadings, the Sydney siege, and now Taliban's slaughter of children in Pakistan have haunted the media, along with the Senate's report on CIA's use of torture against…
The Yezidi Minority, Daesh/ISIL, and Iraq’s Human Rights Catastrophe
by Patrick Ball Patrick Ball with Yezidi boys at an informal camp in Sharya, Iraq. Farhad (not his real name) got the call from ISIS on his personal cell phone just after…
The Israeli Hospital Admitting Syrian Fighters: The War Next Door
Vice News | -- "In August, al Nusra Front jihadists took control of Syria’s side of the border crossing with Israel and kidnapped over 40 United Nations peacekeepers — who have since…
Torture, Assassination and the Other Shoe: The Coming Great Senate Drone Report of 2019
By Tom Engelhardt | (Tomdispatch.com) | -- It was December 6, 2019, three years into a sagging Clinton presidency and a bitterly divided Congress. That day, the 500-page executive summary of the…
Cuba: Top 5 other Dictatorships with which US has Diplomatic Relations
By Juan Cole | -- The US sanctions on Cuba were justified by their supporters with reference to the Communist government's human rights record. That record, bad as it is, however, cannot…
Pope Francis Backs Obama’s Cuba Opening
By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Dec 18 2014 (IPS) - In perhaps his boldest foreign-policy move during his presidency, Barack Obama Wednesday announced that he intends to establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba.…
If Jeb Bush Is In, Who Will Win Wall Street’s Money?
Bloomberg Business | -- "Bloomberg's Stephanie Ruhle and John Heilemann talk cash and 2016 prospects. Bloomberg Politics leads Bloomberg's political coverage across all platforms: Web, mobile, television, digital video, radio, live events…
Europe Must follow Through on votes in Favor of Palestine Recognition
By John V Whitbeck European parliamentary resolutions urging their governments to recognise the State of Palestine must be followed by actual recognitions of the State of Palestine The European Parliament, after a…
No more Turning the Cheek: Assyrian Christians form Militia in Syria to fight al-Qaeda
Middle East Eye | -- "The Syriac Military Council (MFS) was established in January 2013 to protect the marginalised Assyrian Christian communities in Syria. They have fought to defend themselves from the…
3 Problems Pakistani Politics has to Resolve after Grisly School Attack
By Juan Cole | -- Pakistan politics has been mired in stagnation for some time now. In September of 2013, Pakistan undertook the first successful civilian hand-off of power in its entire…
Even Other Terrorists Denounce Taliban School Attacks In Pakistan
Cenk Uygur (The Young Turks) | -- ""In one of the worst terrorist attacks in Pakistan's history, militants belonging to the Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday launched a brazen attack on a military-run…
‘The Struggle for Pakistan’ (Ayesha Jalal)
By Joseph Richard Preville and Julie Poucher Harbin (ISLAMiCommentary) Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville| -- Pakistan is a nation with a strong will to survive. It has endured political…
China’s Pivot toward Europe may Cut USA out of Deal
By Pepe Escobar | (Tomdispatch.com) -- November 18, 2014: it’s a day that should live forever in history. On that day, in the city of Yiwu in China’s Zhejiang province, 300 kilometers…
Child Survivors Describe Horrors of Peshawar School Massacre
By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal | -- [Written by Michael Scollon, based on reporting from Peshawar by RFE/RL Radio Mashaal correspondent Zaland Yousufzai (RFE/RL) ] Islamist militants have killed more than 140 people…
Desperate Pakistani Taliban, on the ropes, attack Army School in Peshawar: Large scale Casualties
By Juan Cole | -- On Tuesday, six members of the Movement of Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan or TTP) invaded a school for children run by the Pakistani army in Peshawar…
Now that’s Cold: Sydney Siege selfies provoke outrage at ‘Terror Tourists’
RT | -- "While Sydney cafe siege continues, some people have decided to use the opportunity...to take some selfies. Pictures have emerged on social networks, with what are said to be tourists…
“President Authorized Torture Techniques”: Cheney and Rove throw Bush under the Bus
Cenk Uygur "The Young Turks" | -- ""Former President George W. Bush knew about and authorized the CIA’s use of harsh interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation and other controversial tactics,…
The Sad Fate of Planet Earth: Lima’s COP20 showed World’s Governments not Serious about fighting Climate Change
By Roberto Savio ROME (IPS) - It is now official: the current inter-governmental system is not able to act in the interest of humankind. The U.N. Climate Change Conference in Lima –…
Israeli forces thwart radical ‘suicide bombing’ planned by 5 suspects
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israel's army and Shin Bet agency on Monday said they had thwarted a suicide bombing planned by five Palestinian suspects from Tulkarem, a statement said. The five suspects allegedly…
The Banality of Terrorism: Sydney’s other Hostage Crisis, of 1984
By Juan Cole | -- IC doesn't usually cover hostage-taking, since it is an artificial and manipulative criminal act. Any two-bit thug can grab someone off the street and push them into…
Will Women bear the brunt of Climate Change and its Inequalities?
By Susan McDade | (IPS) -- UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - Among all the impacts of climate change, from rising sea levels to landslides and flooding, there is one that does not get…
Why Europe must stop blocking Palestinian membership of the Int’l Criminal Court
Human Rights Watch | -- Position paper from Amnesty International, Broederlijk Delen, Christian Aid, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Human Rights Watch, and Pax Christi Flanders Ongoing impunity for serious…
Palestine to present Resolution on ending Occupation to Security Council “By Monday”
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said Sunday that a resolution to end the Israeli occupation will be submitted to the UN Security Council "in the coming few hours, or…
3 Ways the Mainstream Media let the Gov’t off the Hook on Torture
By Rebecca Gordon | (Tomdispatch.com -- American Torture -- Past, Present, and… Future? Beyond the Senate Torture Report By Rebecca Gordon It’s the political story of the week in Washington. At long…
Enter the Dragon: China offers Iraq Aerial Strikes on ISIL/ Daesh
By Juan Cole | -- The list of powers eager to see Daesh (what Arabs call ISIS or ISIL) defeated grew larger this weekend with a report in the Financial Times that…
Green Continent? Will Solar Power allow Africa to Leapfrog Expensive Grid-Building?
By Wambi Michael LIMA, (IPS) - Africa is experiencing a revolution towards cleaner energy through renewable energy but the story has hardly been told to the world, says Achim Steiner, Executive Director…
Black Lives Matter: Massive Crowds Protest Racialized Police Brutality in Cities across US
By Lauren McCauley | (Commondreams.org) Thousands marching in New York and Washington D.C. against police brutality, racial profiling and American's broken criminal justice system Adding their voices to the growing call for…
Muslim Fundamentalist Militants on Israel’s Doorstep: The War Next Door
Vice News | -- "In August, al Nusra Front jihadists took control of Syria’s side of the border crossing with Israel and kidnapped over 40 United Nations peacekeepers — who have since…
Israeli sqatters in Palestinian Hebron stab, injure Palestinian 12-year-old
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- A mob of Israeli settlers stabbed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy in the Old City of Hebron Monday night, medical sources told Ma'an. Medics said Muath Nouh al-Rajabi, 12, was…
6 Reasons Lower Oil Prices won’t Stop Solar, Wind and Electric Cars
By Juan Cole | -- Some observers have alleged that lower oil prices will slow down the green energy revolution. This allegation is unlikely to be true even in the short term,…
The Koch Tax: Why are Floridians being denied Free, Clean Energy from the Sun?
WPBT2 | -- "According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Florida ranks third for solar potential nationally, but ranked 18th when it comes to development of this clean energy option. Executive Director…
How Uncle Sam’s Reputation became Icky (Political Cartoon)
By James MacLeod via Facebook
Daesh/ ISIL Twitter Propagandist unmasked as Bangalore Internet Executive
Channel 4 News | -- "Channel 4 News identifies the man who became one of the most-followed disseminators of pro-jihadi material on Twitter." Channel 4: "IS Twitter account Shami Witness unmasked |…
What Ferguson, Eric Garner, and CIA Torture Have in Common
By Shahid Buttar | (Daily Kos) | From black sites to #BlackLivesMatter, it's time to end impunity for criminals with badges. There’s no better way for Washington to commemorate Human Rights Day…
Top 5 Planks of 2016 GOP Platform? Torture, War, Bank Corruption, Paid-For Elections
By Juan Cole | -- This week, the release by the Senate of a report on torture as practiced in the zeroes by the CIA, along with Thursday night's dramatic vote on…
Israeli forces Injure 19 Palestinian Protesters at Funeral of Slain Cabinet Member
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Some 19 Palestinians were injured on Thursday during clashes with Israeli forces in al-Bireh following the funeral of Palestinian official Ziad Abu Ein, a Ma'an reporter said. Clashes broke…
Part-Time Work: Shiite Militias Defending Baghdad involved in Burglaries, Kidnappings?
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) -- Kidnappers in Baghdad are disgusing themselves in Iraqi army uniforms. There’s been a rise in crime and kidnapping in Baghdad and it seems that…
When 1% hog the Wealth, it hurts National Growth for Everyone
DW | -- "OECD says inequality hits national growth and says education the key to fighting this. DW: "OECD finds growing inequality lowers growth | Journal"
The Nukes are Back, and Obama’s Pentagon is the Cause
By James Carroll | (Tomdispatch.com) -- Mark these days. A long-dreaded transformation from hope to doom is taking place as the United States of America ushers the world onto the no-turning-back road…
The Trial of Richard Bruce Cheney
By Juan Cole | -- Satire alert : The hall at the International Criminal Court in the Hague was packed today as the trial began of former US Vice President Richard Bruce…
Small Rustbelt Ohio Town becomes Wind Powerhouse; Goosebumps
Ohio Environmental Council | -- "Learn how wind energy is transforming a small community in rural north western Ohio. 2:07 will give you goosebumps." Ohio Environmental Council: "Harnessing the Wind"
Not the Onion: American alleged Terrorist Indicted by Israel for Planning Attacks on Muslims
TheLipTV | -- "A U.S. citizen has been indicted by the state of Israel for planning terror attacks on Muslim holy sites. The man, 30-year-old Texas native Adam Everett Livvix, was arrested…
UN Condemns USA for undermining Torture Convention, Calls for Prosecutions
By Thalif Deen | -- UNITED NATIONS, Dec 11 2014 (IPS) - The timing was inadvertently impeccable as two stinging reports on harsh interrogation techniques – by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)…
Ferguson on the Jordan: Israeli Soldier Beats Palestinian Cabinet Minister to Death at Tree Planting Ceremony
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The head of the Palestinian Authority committee against the separation wall and settlements died Wednesday after Israeli soldiers assaulted him in a village near Ramallah, committee sources said. Ziad…
Israel, Egypt Implicated in Torture: Middle East Reactions to Senate Report lament own Involvement
By Juan Cole | -- That the release in Washington of a dense 450 page report on CIA torture conducted a decade ago would provoke massive demonstrations in the Middle East all…
West Only has Money for Bombs? 60,000 Child Laborers in Jordan as Syrian Refugees struggle to Survive
AMMAN | (IRIN) | - Jordan is straining under the weight of its over 600,000 Syrian refugees, with government officials and aid agencies warning of dwindling resources and capacity to respond to the…
Psychologists, who Took $81 mn. to Advise, Practice Torture, betrayed the Profession
By Laurence Alison, University of Liverpool During the War on Terror, the CIA’s operations subjected hundreds of suspected terrorists to harsh interrogation techniques, which were often criticised as constituting torture. Now, the…
McCain on Torture: A Stain on our National Honor, Produces Misleading Info
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) | -- Candidate for the best American speech of this decade: "As the Senate Intelligence Committee’s CIA torture report roiled Capitol Hill Tuesday, Sen. John McCain framed the…
In Record, Scientists double Solar Panel Efficiency to 40%
Via UNSW Newsroom | -- UNSW's solar researchers have converted over 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar system into electricity, the highest efficiency ever reported. The world-beating efficiency was achieved in…
Why the Founding Fathers thought banning Torture Foundational to the US Constitution
By Juan Cole | --- I have argued on many occasions that the language of patriotism and appeal to the Founding Fathers and the constitution must not be allowed to be appropriated…
Climate Change and Yemen’s Agony
By Juan Cole | (The Nation) -- From "Why Is Yemen So Violent? Because It Is So Poor and Thirsty" . Answer: "Yemen’s troubles are only beginning, and one worries that much…
Iran eager to take leading role against extremism (Iraq, Syria FMs in Tehran)
By Maysam Bizar | (Your Middle East) -- As the US-led campaign against the extremist ISIL militants in Iraq and Syria goes on, Iran, which has not taken part in the coalition,…
Silent Mosul: Surprising Reasons Daesh/ ISIL cut Cellphone Services
By Nawzat Shamdeen | Mosul | (Niqash.org) Mobile phones are no use in Mosul any more. The extremist group controlling Mosul in northern Iraq has decided to shut down most mobile telecommunications…
Real Independence: In 2014, Scotland used more Renewable Energy than Nuclear, Coal or Gas
By Juan Cole Edie.net reports that in November, wind energy alone produced more than enough electricity for every home in Scotland. Over all in 2013, Scotland produced 46.6% equivalent of its gross…
GOP Squirms at Release of CIA Torture Report, warns of “Violence” (So why did they Torture?)
By Juan Cole | --- Outgoing House Intelligence Committee head Mike Rogers (R-MI) was on Candy Crowley's "State of the Union" on Sunday, speaking against releasing any details concerning CIA use of…
Climate Change: The last Time California had a Drought this bad Charlemagne Ruled Europe
By Nadia Prupis | (Commondreams.org) Scientists warn that prolonged, historic droughts may recur in the future The California drought is the worst its been in 1,200 years—and it's not getting better, a…
Israeli Forces arrest 8-year-old Palestinian in East Jerusalem (They arrest 2 Children a day on Average)
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli special forces last Wednesday detained an eight-year-old Palestinian in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, a local information center said. Majdi Abbasi of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center…
Russell Brand v. Press Lord Rupert Murdoch: Who won?
AJ+ | -- "The British twitterati is in a tizzy over a brawl between Russell Brand and Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun. The "manarchist" comedian has been accused of hypocrisy for championing housing…
Nowhere to Run: Broken Homes and Broken Lives in Gaza
By Jen Marlowe | (Tomdispatch.com) Rubble. That’s been the one constant for the Awajah family for as long as I’ve known them. Four months ago, their home was demolished by the Israeli…
Over 100 ISIL/Daesh Fighters Killed in US Airstrikes in Iraq; Attack on Syria Base Repelled
By Juan Cole | -- The US war on Daesh (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria takes up less and less space in the MSM. The group and its issues haven't gone away,…
Pundits Blame Eric Garner For His Own Death (TYT Medley of Shame)
Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks | --- "The death of Staten Island man Eric Garner after New York police Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a banned choke hold horrified civil rights…
Israeli Squatters chop down 50 Olive Trees in Palestinian Village (800,000 since 1967)
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Settlers cut down over 50 olive trees in the Nablus village of Aqraba on Friday, Palestinian official Ghassan Daghlas said. Settlers from Elon Moreh, located east of Nablus, attacked…
Climate change threatens Peru’s glaciers as 195 Countries Meet in Lima
DW | -- "Delegates from 195 countries are meeting in Lima, Peru for the UN’s 20th climate change conference. The mountains of Peru offer a sobering reminder of how urgent the negotiations…
Iran: Rise In Youth just living together — Gov’t rails Against ‘White Marriage’
By Golnaz Esfandiari (RFL/RE) | -- Raana and Hamed have been living together for four years. They eat together. They both contribute to the household and share a savings account. They fight…
Solar Power in US doubles in 2014, Wind now 4% of Energy Mix
By Juan Cole | --- Compared to Germany and Spain, the United States is woefully backward in its development of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy for electricity generation. But…
Police Accountability more important than Bodycams
By Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno, Human Rights Watch Yesterday’s grand jury decision in the Eric Garner case in New York City – the second in just over two weeks in which a grand…
Iraq Fail: Shiite Gov’t asks Sunni tribe to fight ISIL, but Sentences Politician from Tribe to Death
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) While members of the Sunni Muslim al-Bu Ulwan tribe were fighting extremists in the Anbar province, alongside the mostly Shiite Muslim military, judges in Baghdad…
Will the next Israeli Gov’t be even more Far Right & Colonial?
By Mitchell Plitnick (IPS) | -- The Israeli government is headed for yet another round of elections. Although the official election date for the next Knesset is November 7, 2017, no one…
Top 5 ways US treatment of African-Americans resembles Apartheid South Africa
By Juan Cole | --- From 1949 though the early 1990s, South Africa was ruled by an Afrikaner Apartheid regime that made race the basis for law and politics, and which systematically…
Massive Oil spill from major pipeline threatens Israel nature reserve
AFP | --- "A major pipeline leak has caused oil to gush into the Arava desert in southern Israel, threatening a protected nature reserve, officials said Thursday." AFP: "Oil spill from major…
Threatened by ISIL/Daesh, Kurds Maneuver between Baghdad and Ankara
Iraqi Kurds Seek Greater Balance between Ankara and Baghdad By Mohammed A. Salih ERBIL, Dec 4 2014 (IPS) - After a period of frostiness, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey seem…
Why SecDef Hagel is Really Out: As usual, the War Party Won
By Tom Engelhardt (Tomdispatch.com) It was the end of the road for Chuck Hagel last week and the Washington press corps couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about writing his obituary. In terms…
Watchdog Says World Internet Freedom In Decline
By RFE/RL | --- A U.S.-based rights watchdog says Internet freedom around the world has deteriorated for the fourth consecutive year, with the steepest declines in Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. In its…
UN General Assembly Demands Israel Mothball its Nuclear Arsenal
By Juan Cole | --- The United Nations General Assembly (where all 193 countries in the world get a vote) has almost unanimously demanded that Israel give up its nuclear weapons and…
Chokehold Victim Eric Garner’s Mother: “Justice System Failed Us”
AJ+ | --- "Dec. 3, 2014, New York City: The widow of Eric Garner, the unarmed black man who died after an NYPD officer killed him by chokehold, says she doesn't accept…
Could Years more of Syrian Civil War be Avoided by Comprehensive Talks with Iran?
By James L. Gelvin, University of California, Los Angeles The most serious attempt to bring the Syrian regime and representatives of the opposition together around a negotiating table together took place at…
Court allows Glenn Beck to be Sued For Defamation By Saudi He Constantly Defamed
By Cenk Uygur (The Young Turks) | --- ""The conservative commentator Glenn Beck failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit by a Saudi Arabian student who Beck repeatedly…
The Beltway Beast: How two Tribes in D.C. are Destroying the Middle Class
By Munir Moon The area inside the Beltway consists of Washington, D.C., and surrounding counties, and what I call the Beast includes defense contractors, lobbyists, Wall Street, think tanks, advocacy groups, journalists,…
Cole at the Nation: Egyptian Left Plans Mock Trial of Mubarak
By Juan Cole | --- My blog entry at The Nation is out: "After Acquittal, Egypt’s New Left Vows Mock Trial of Mubarak" Excerpt: "A youth “New Left” is still a significant…
Iran-Iraq War 2.0? Iran Flies bombing Raids on Extremists in Iraq
By Juan Cole | --- The US Pentagon is confirming that Iranian F-4 fighter jets have flown bombing missions against Daesh or the so-called 'Islamic State Group' in Iraq. They helped Iraqi…
In Rebuke to Israel, French Parliament votes Resolution to Recognize Palestine
Euronews / France24 | --- VIDEO 1 (Euronews): "French MPs vote to recognise Palestinian state The French parliament has voted in favour of recognising the state of Palestine by a large majority.…
ISIL, Coins, and the Caliphate: Banking on Idealism
By Tareq A. Ramadan It has been recently reported by Daesh (what most Arabs call the self-styled "Islamic State Group" or IS) that it will be producing and circulating its own coinage…
Iraqi Kurdistan: Can a Bastion of Tolerance and Democracy survive in the Middle East?
By Richard Foltz | --- Having committed ourselves to military involvement in Iraq, we in North America should be asking ourselves exactly what goals we hope to achieve. Personally, after recently spending…
Antarctica Glaciers Melting 3 Times Faster than 10 Years Ago
American Geophysical Union | -- West Antarctic melt rate has tripled "Joint Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – A comprehensive, 21-year analysis of the fastest-melting region of Antarctica has found that the melt…
Jewish Terrorists set Fire to joint Arab-Jewish School in Jerusalem
Euronews | -- "An integrated Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem has been vandalised by suspected Jewish extremists who set fire to a classroom. It happened late on Saturday at the Hand-in-Hand school where…
World’s Poor to be hit Hardest by Global Warming: World Bank
The World Bank | -- "Some regions will have too much water and others will have too little, according to a comprehensive new study on climate change by the World Bank Group.…
It is Time for the PLO to go to the UN, Int’l Criminal Court for Palestinian Independence
By Nadia Hijab and Diana Buttu (Ma'an) | --- Al-Shabaka is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the…
In Slam at Hard Liners, Iran Leader Khamenei’s Aide Calls For End To Criticism Of Nuclear Talks
By Golnaz Esfandiari (RFE/RL) A top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for an end to domestic criticism of Tehran's nuclear negotiations with major world powers. Former Foreign…
Putin, Blocked by Europe, turns to Turkey for Gas Pipeline
By Juan Cole | --- The Russian annexation of Crimea and heavy interference in the Ukraine has had a significant consequence for its hydrocarbon industry. President Vladimir Putin has been forced to…
Why it makes Economic Sense for Universities to Divest from Fossil Fuels
By John Quiggin, The University of Queensland The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important…
In Hebron, Palestinian women face down daily settler home invasions
By Alex Shams and Salam Muharam (Ma'an News Agency) The alleyways of the Old City of Hebron leading away from the famed Ibrahimi mosque -- where the biblical patriarch Abraham and his…
Is Turkey letting Daesh/ISIL Weapons & Fighters Cross Freely to Syria?
DeutscheWelle [DW] | -- "Supplies of weapons and fighters bound for Islamic State militants are crossing over the border from Turkey into Syria, mostly unhindered." DW: "Goods crossing Turkish border bound for…
Americans’ Personal Freedom falls to 21 in World
The Young Turks | --- ""Americans' assessments of their personal freedom have significantly declined under President Obama, according to a new study from the Legatum Institute in London, and the United States…
Annual Informed Comment Fundraiser
By Juan Cole | --- What an incredible year this has been! Informed Comment has gone from strength to strength. We expect 2015 to be as dramatic, and will continue to expand…