By Saed Bannoura | IMEMC & Agencies – Several armored Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers carried out, on Wednesday morning, a limited invasion into an area east of the al-Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza, and bulldozed farmlands. Eyewitnesses said the vehicles, accompanied by four armored D9 bulldozers, stationed in the Kissufim military base across […]
Archives for March 2015
Dear Sweden: HR Dispute with Saudis makes this a good time to adopt Electric Cars
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) First, the new left wing government in Sweden cancelled an arms sale to Saudi Arabia, even though Prime Minister Stefan Lofven favored it. (He had been a union rep friendly to the Swedish arms industry). Foreign Minister Margot Wallström put her foot down, however, and won the argument. She […]
Ghosts of Saladin, Saddam & Khomeini: Tikrit Campaign’s Historical Meaning
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – The Iraqi forces (one-third army, two-thirds Shiite militias) that are surrounding Tikrit 80 miles north of Baghdad are not just Iraqi forces. They are mostly Shiite, though some Sunni irregulars have joined them. More important, the Tikrit campaign is being directed as to its strategy by Qasim Sulaimani, […]
Did GOP Leaders Betray Our Country By Writing Letter to Iran?
Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) – “”Cenk Uygur (http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur) host of The Young Turks discusses the continuing developments between the United States and its allies and Iran regarding their Nuclear program. Forty seven republicans in the Senate have sent a letter to the leaders of Iran without asking the permission of the officials in […]
On Int’l Women’s Day, Lebanese Anchor stands up to Sexist Sheikh
Elliott Hill and Mark Sovel | The Lip TV | – “Sexist Islamist scholar Hani Al-Seba’i told Lebanese television host Rima Karaki to shut up in an interview on Lebanon’s Al Jadeed where he was discussing reports of Christians joining ISIS. The sheikh went on to claim it was beneath him to be interviewed by […]
5 Things Official Washington won’t Tell you about Netanyahu’s Israel
Bill Van Esveld | (Human Rights Watch) – Amid the controversy around Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress, the Obama administration’s National Security Council (NSC) recently published “five key facts you need to know about the US-Israel relationship under President Obama.” Here are some relevant facts it neglected to mention: NSC: […]
Dems on Hill line up with Obama on Iran Deal after GOP Letter Stunt
By Luke Johnson | (RFE/RL) WASHINGTON — Democratic Party backers of a bipartisan bill requiring congressional review of a potential deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program are concerned that a Republican letter to Iran could hurt the measure. “I think it raises real questions about whether there remains a bipartisan commitment to supporting negotiations,” Senator […]
The Letter: Top 5 Similarities of GOP and Iran Hard Liners
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – 47 GOP senators sent a letter to Iran on Monday warning that country that any agreement only signed off on by President Obama might not last longer than his last day in office. This intervention of the senate in a foreign policy matter is not, as some observers […]
Oklahoma: SAE Fraternity has Troubled History of Race Vandalism, Hazing
KJRH-TV | (Tulsa) – An Oklahoma station reports that SAE fraternity members have been involved in anti-Semitic and anti-Native American acts of vandalism as well as the racist chant against African-Americans recorded on Sunday at the University of Oklahoma. Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, […]