By Erin Evers, HRW Shia militias, still operating under the control of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, are laying siege to Latifiyya, especially the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq militia. Failure to address the broader effects of international assistance in Iraq’s fight promises to further polarize Iraq’s communities. The spectacular conquests by the Islamic State have held […]
Archives for September 2014
Tony Blair obsessed with Religious “Crusade” against Iraq, like Bush: Former British Dep’ty PM
Channel 4 News: “Former deputy prime minister John Prescott calls his ex boss Tony Blair a ‘crusader’ because of Blair’s recent calls to send troops back into the Iraq.” ‘Tony Blair is a crusader’ says John Prescott | Channel 4 News
Pretext for US Syria Bombings?: No sign that Dread “Khorasan” Group even Exists
AJ+ Imran Khan “The Khorasan Group: The U.S. government insists it’s one of the biggest threats facing the country. But until a couple of weeks ago most people had never heard of it. We talk to Imran Khan, the Al Jazeera English correspondent in Baghdad, who has a theory about what is going on.” “> […]
Top 5 Differences between Hamas and ISIL (Pace Netanyahu)
By Juan Cole Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a speech at the UN to a half-empty hall in which he tried to exemplify the most logical fallacies in a short period of time. Netanyahu’s message is that all political Islam is equivalent. Thus, if ISIL is a danger to the west, then the Hamas […]
13 Misconceptions About Global Warming
Veritasium: 13 Misconceptions About Global Warming
Palestine Pres. Abbas will urge Int’l Boycott of Israel if US vetoes UN Resolution
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will wage “political war” on Israel if there is a negative response to Palestinian steps at the UN to end the occupation, Fatah leader Nabil Shaath told Ma’an Saturday. “This is the last chance for the world to accept the resolution that is currently being prepared for at the […]
Where Books Are Banned, The Internet Can Be a Lifesaver
By Jillian York via EFF The censorship or banning of books is a phenomenon that occurs in countries around the world. Books that are considered “scandalous” or inciteful in some way are often targets of censorship by governments, schools, libraries and other entities. In the United States, as NPR explains, books have historically been banned […]
Why Obama underestimated ISIL in Syria and Iraq
By Juan Cole President Obama admitted on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday that the US had underestimated the military potential of ISIL. Obama understands that a generational struggle is going on in the Middle East, but some of his comments in the interview seemed to me to show insufficient appreciation for the true nature of […]
Iraq’s Humpty-Dumpty Factor: Even if ISIL is Defeated, Can it ever be put Together Again?
Nawzat Shamdeen | Berlin | via Niqash.org As local forces appear to be preparing to take on Sunni Muslim extremists in charge of their hometowns, discussion has already started about what happens next. In the northern province of Ninawa, the governor is putting his faith in a new military force while others argue about how […]