Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – When Iran and Iraq were fighting each other in the 1980s, with neither regime being much liked in Washington, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is said to have remarked, “The tragedy is that both sides can’t lose.” Actually, of course, in most wars both sides lose, and certainly the […]
Archives for November 2024
Protesting Criticism of Approved Gaza Course Proposal by Cornell University President
Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | – Michael I. Kotlikoff Interim President, Cornell University mik7@cornell.edu Dear Interim President Kotlikoff: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our concern about the negative comments that you recently […]
We Can’t Let Ourselves be overwhelmed: Countering Trump’s Falsehoods Is More Urgent Than Ever
( Tomdispatch.com ) – During this year’s presidential election campaign, I was puzzled and increasingly troubled that the issue of truth-telling — and the spectacular lack of it from one candidate — wasn’t getting the sort of focus or emphasis in the news coverage it should have received. We heard or read about Donald Trump’s […]
Israeli total War Continues, with “No end in sight” for Palestinians in Gaza — Cold, Drenched, Homeless and Hungry
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Muhannad Hadi, the special UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, addressed the ambassadors of the UN Security Council states on Monday, Nov. 25, on the “ongoing devastation in Gaza,” which, he said, “persists relentlessly, with no resolution in sight” as winter approaches with its drenching rains and chilly […]
A Third Woman Died Under Texas’ Abortion Ban. Doctors Are Avoiding D&Cs and Reaching for Riskier Miscarriage Treatments
By Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana Thirty-five-year-old Porsha Ngumezi’s case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages. ( ProPublica ) – Wrapping his wife in a blanket as she mourned the loss of her pregnancy at 11 weeks, Hope Ngumezi wondered why no obstetrician was […]
Why the EU’s Stance on Israel is starting to Change
Catherine Gegout, University of Nottingham (The Conversation) – The EU has stood in solidarity with Israel since the start of the war with Hamas, and has been consistent in saying the country has the right to defend itself. But the EU has always said that this has to be done in line with international law, […]
A critical Look at the FBI and its Domestic Surveillance Approach — Then and Now
Crestview, Fl. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long been regarded as the preeminent domestic law enforcement agency in the United States, entrusted with “protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution”. Over the course of my 25-year FBI career, I have seen a shift in the bureau’s […]
France says it will Arrest Israel’s Netanyahu on Int’l Criminal Court Warrant if he Comes to France
( Middle East Monitor ) – French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday said France would implement international law in relation to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Anadolu Agency reports. “France is committed to international justice and its independence,” Barrot said in an interview for France 3 […]
Lifting from the Bottom: How to Survive Donald Trump’s America
By Liz Theoharis and Shailly Gupta Barnes ( Tomdispatch.com ) – “If they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:31) Before November 5th, millions of us were already struggling with poverty, extreme storms, immigration nightmares, anti-trans bills, criminalized reproductive health, the demolition of homeless encampments, […]