Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – AFP reports that President Trump is cautioning the Syrian regime against launching an all-out assault on the last remaining rebel stronghold of Idlib Province. He also said that Russia and Iran would be making “a grave humanitarian mistake” to take part. It is hard to take the humanitarian part too […]
Archives for September 2018
Turkey calls US ‘Wild Wolves,’ vows to Dump Dollar for Russia, Iran Trade
Erdogan’s visit to Kyrgyzstan seeks more Trade, Boycott of Gulen Movement
Iran FM in Syria for Talks ahead of Regime Offensive on rebel-held Idlib Province
Damascus (AFP) – Iran’s foreign minister met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday in a surprise visit to Damascus ahead of a looming regime offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold. Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip to war-ravaged Syria also comes just days before a top-level tripartite meeting in Tehran to discuss the Syrian conflict, […]
Corrupt Gov’t Kept slashing Nat’l Museum, Now Brazilian History up in Smoke
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazilian officials on Monday blamed years of government cutbacks for an inferno that gutted the treasured National Museum, described by President Michel Temer as a “tragic” loss of knowledge and heritage. Even before the embers had begun to cool Monday, grief over the huge cultural loss gave way to anger […]
Pakistan sides with Iran, as Trump cuts $300 mn in Aid
(TeleSur) – Pakistan and Iran started cooperating on border security last year and during this latest meeting, the officials discussed military and security cooperation. Pakistan newly elected Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in a conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that the two countries were connected by inseparable bonds of history, religion […]
On Labor Day, American Workers are Poor because they Aren’t Socialists
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The emergence of the Democratic Socialists of America caucus in the Democratic Party and its stars such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York City and Rashida Tlaib in Detroit is a signal of profound disappointment among working Americans with the current social deal they are being offered by management. The […]
Israel must Act Unilaterally to Impose Reality on Palestianians: Defense Minister Lieberman
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s defence minister said Monday that negotiations with Palestinians on the situation in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank were pointless and that the country should act unilaterally. Avigdor Lieberman’s remarks came as Egypt and the United Nations were working to forge a lasting ceasefire between Gaza rulers Hamas and Israel […]
Israeli Director Gitai Blasts Netanyahu for “Cozying up to anti-Semites”
Venice (AFP) – Israeli director Amos Gitai lashed his country’s government Monday for trying to “turn culture into propaganda” and cosying up to the “worst anti-Semites in Europe”. He warned that Israel’s “open society” has been put at risk by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government as he premiered two new documentaries at the Venice film festival. […]
McCain Funeral: TV makes it all about Personalities, elides Oil Drilling, War, Tax Cuts
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Cable television news shows and perhaps social media as well are misleading us by concentrating on personalities instead of issues, and the funeral of Sen. John McCain was more of the same. I was once in the same room with John McCain at a DC think tank meeting, and on […]