By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Regulars at Pulse Nightclub are saying that Omar Mateen, the alleged shooter in the early Sunday morning massacre there, was himself a regular! The Orlando Sentinel writes, “‘Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would […]
Al-Qaeda Speaks The Language Of Syrian Sectarianism
By Sam Heller | ( RFE/RL) | – – As the extremist group Islamic State (IS) and its rival Al-Qaeda have captured pieces of Iraq, Syria, and other countries in the region, they have had to balance their global aims with the specific local concerns of the communities under their control. Al-Qaeda’s latest attempt to […]
Is Greece about to recognize Palestine?
Ma’an News Agency | – – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Syriza, the ruling party in the Greek parliament, told Palestinian lawmakers Saturday that the government was set to officially recognize the state of Palestine, according to a statement by the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Ma’an News Photos A Greek delegation from the Syriza party reportedly met […]
Chomsky: Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, and the Prospects for Survival
By Noam Chomsky | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – [This essay is excerpted from Noam Chomsky’s new book, Who Rules the World? (Metropolitan Books).] In January 2015, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced its famous Doomsday Clock to three minutes before midnight, a threat level that had not been reached for 30 years. The […]
Thousands Protest Drone Wars at US Air Force Base in Germany
TeleSur | – – Protesters say the base is being used to coordinate U.S. drone strikes in several countries which they argue violates German constitution. Several thousand demonstrators formed a human chain along the perimeter of a U.S. Air Force Base in southwest Germany Saturday in protest against drone operations by the United States. The […]
The Taliban Threat to Northern Afghanistan
By Bruce Pannier | ( RFE/RL) The security problems in northwest Afghanistan continue despite several trips to the region by Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former general who comes from the region. Dostum has led at last four offensives against militants there since the summer of 2015, but when he leaves the militants […]
Abuses of Fallujah Sunnis Raise Question: Does Iraq Gov’t Control of Shiite Militias
Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – The announced investigation into allegations of abuse of civilians around Fallujah by Iraqi government forces is a test for the government’s ability to hold abusive forces accountable. Judicial officials should conduct this investigation transparently and impartially, assess command responsibility, and ensure protection for victims and witnesses. Ahead […]
‘Security Moms’: A Constituency for Hillary Clinton’s Hawkish Foreign Policy?
by Dinesh Sharma | (The Conversation) | – – Both conservatives and progressives have argued Hillary Rodham Clinton is more “hawkish” than President Obama. Robert Gates, the secretary of defense under both Presidents Bush and Obama, worked with her in the White House and called her “a tough lady.” Bruce Riedel, a South Asia expert […]
Under Israeli Blockade and Running out of Water, Gaza turns to Solar
AJ+ | (Video News Report) | – – “People are struggling to find clean drinking water in Gaza, but one resident has a solution. Fayez al-Hindi has built a solar power system to purify water. According to municipalities, it’s working.” AJ+: ” In Gaza, One Man Wields Solar Power To Purify Water”