GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Water Authority said on Thursday that the water distribution network in Gaza had suffered $34.4 million worth of damage as a result of the Israeli offensive over the last five weeks, including dozens of destroyed facilities. The immense scale of the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure has only become increasingly […]
Archives for August 2014
One Nation, under SWAT: The undemocratic Militarization of the Police
By Matthew Harwood via Tomdispatch.com Jason Westcott was afraid. One night last fall, he discovered via Facebook that a friend of a friend was planning with some co-conspirators to break in to his home. They were intent on stealing Wescott’s handgun and a couple of TV sets. According to the Facebook message, the suspect was […]
Top 10 Mistakes of former Iraq PM Nouri al-Maliki (That Ruined his Country)
By Juan Cole Now that Nouri al-Maliki has resigned as prime minister, it is worth looking at the way his two terms as prime minister (2006-2010, 2010-2014) shaped Iraq. Did his policies help create the country’s current impasse? 1. Al-Maliki was so partisan in 2006 when he first came to power that he denied that […]
Israeli official confirms US nixed arms sale; PM blamed for icy ties
WSJ report of frayed relations between Washington and Jerusalem, including combative Obama-Netanyahu phone call, sparks firestorm among Israeli politicians
Evacuating Miami Beach: Can South Florida Save itself from Sea Level Rise?
Two SJMC faculty, Kate MacMillin and Juliet Pinto, explore the narrative of a South Florida community under threat from sea level rise in this half-hour documentary. WPBT2: “South Florida’s Rising Seas – Sea Level Rise Documentary
Only Mideast Democracy? In Midst of War, Israel Clamps Down on Dissent
By Sarah Lazare As a tenuous ceasefire takes hold, the besieged Gaza strip must contend with the path of death and destruction left by Israel’s month-long military assault, including 1,939 Palestinian lives lost, 9,886 wounded, over 200,000 displaced, and more than 10,000 Palestinian housing units severely damaged or completely ruined. Israeli critics of the “Operation […]
Families of Afghan Civilians Killed by US/NATO Cannot get Justice
By Bruce Pannier via RFE/RL Amnesty International has released a report documenting the inability of the families of Afghan civilians killed in attacks by U.S. and other foreign forces to obtain justice. The report, titled “Left In The Dark,” calls on the Afghan government to ensure that accountability for unlawful civilian killings is guaranteed in […]
The Politics of Energy and the Destabilization of Palestine
By Tareq Ramadan The latest Israeli military campaign directed towards the 139-square mile, densely-populated Palestinian Gaza Strip has already led to the deaths of more than 1,900 Palestinians[i] (more than 80% are civilians including at least 440 children), the wounding of more than 9,500 which includes 2,800 children[ii], the homes of some 65,000 people destroyed[iii], […]
Do White Media use unflattering Photos of Black Victims of Police Violence? #Iftheygunnedmedown
AJ+: “From Michael Brown to Renisha McBride to Jordan Davis: how black people who are killed get portrayed in the media — and the courtroom — has often led to outrage. And after the deaths of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, the hashtags #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, #APHeadlines and #DangerousBlackKids are one way people have flipped […]