Esfandiari charged with Serious Crime The Iranian government has now charged detained Iranian-American academic Haleh Esfandiari with trying to overthrow the current regime, according to the Washington Post’s Robin Wright. This AP article calls it a “soft revolution.” How was she going to do this? By academic interchanges and conferences! I think I speak for […]
Archives for May 2007
Lebanon Crisis Veteran Reporter
Lebanon Crisis Veteran reporter Nicholas Blanford explains what is happening in Lebanon. 1. Fath al-Islam is a splinter guerrilla group established last December that has links to the international Salafi Jihadi movement (which some call “al-Qaeda” as shorthand). Its leader has ties to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It is tiny, with at most 300 fighters, and […]
Incredible Vanishing Iraqi Political
The Incredible Vanishing Iraqi Political Leadership: Al-Hakim to Iran, Talabani to US Abdul Aziz al-Hakim has chosen to seek chemotherapy for his lung cancer in Iran rather than in the US. His condition was confirmed during a visit to a hospital in Houston this weekend. He is likely to be absent from Iraq in Iran […]
Al Qaeda As Anti Muslim Movement Al
Al-Qaeda as an Anti-Muslim Movement Still Dangerous to US Al-Qaeda, at least as a vague franchise, still exists, and remains a major threat to the US. That is, however, mostly because opportunistic forces on the American Right would use any further attacks on the US to abrogate more of our constitutional rights. At the moment, […]
Haleh Watch Dont Forget Imprisoned
Haleh Watch Don’t forget imprisoned scholar Haleh Esfandiari, in Iran. The link is to an article just out in the Chronicle of Higher Education. See also Andrew Sullivan. Amnesty International has a convenient form for sending protest emails to the Iranian government.
Beginning Of End Of Anglo American Iraq
The Beginning of the End of Anglo-American Iraq Incoming British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will remove all British troops from Iraq within two years (before the next election) as a way of gaining back the trust of Labour voters, according to The Scotsman. Since petroleum supply trucks come up from Kuwait and Basra to Baghdad […]
8 Us Gis Killed 16 Shiite Kurds
8 US GIs Killed 16 Shiite Kurds Massacred Suhail: Iraq has 3 million widows *8 US troops were announced killed in Iraq on Saturday. British forces on Saturday arrested Sheikh Aws al-Khafaji as he was trying to leave Iraq via Basra airport. He had been for some months the Sadrist Friday prayer leader in Basra, […]
Wright Boycott Threat Puts Pressure On
Wright: Boycott Threat Puts Pressure on Iran Robin Wright at the Washington Post has a piece online today on the growing pressure among US academics to boycott conferences and intellectual contact with Iran as long as Dr. Haleh Esfandiari is detained by Tehran. Wright quotes a statement from Noam Chomsky on Haleh’s imprisonment: ‘ “Now […]
Al Hakim In Us For Cancer Treatment
Al-Hakim in US for Cancer Treatment Sistani Aide: US not Serious on Terror Militia Rule in Basra Robin Wright reports that Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), is in the US for treatment for lung cancer. Apparently arranging for al-Hakim to see US military physicians was part of what […]