(By AFP) Giant Antarctic glacier beyond point of no return (via AFP) Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier, one of the biggest single contributors to world sea-level rise, is melting irreversibly and could add as much as a centimetre (0.4 inches) to ocean levels in 20 years, a study said Sunday. The glacier “has started a… […]
Top Ten Things wrong with NSA Surveillance of Americans
(By Peter Van Buren) The debate Edward Snowden envisioned when he revealed the extent of National Security Agency (NSA) spying on Americans has taken a bad turn. Instead of a careful examination of what the NSA does, the legality of its actions, what risks it takes for what gains, and how effective the agency has […]
Ariel Sharon should have been Tried for War Crimes: Human Rights Watch
(By Human Rights Watch) (Jerusalem) – Ariel Sharon died without facing justice for his role in the massacres of hundreds and perhaps thousands of civilians by Lebanese militias in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982. The killings constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sharon also escaped accountability for other alleged […]
Iran Negotiations Breakthrough: Reduction of 19.25% Enriched Uranium Stock begins Jan. 20
(By AFP) White House confirms Iran nuclear deal to take effect Jan 20 (via AFP) The White House confirmed Sunday that a nuclear agreement with Iran will take effect from January 20, but US President Barack Obama said he was under “no illusions” how hard it would be reach a comprehensive resolution. “Beginning January 20th, […]
New Congressional Sanctions on Iran Will Backfire . . . on Congress
(By Farhang Jahanpour) Despite strong opposition by the White House and the States Department and despite the pleadings of some of the most prominent bipartisan US foreign policy luminaries who have warned that additional sanctions would jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts, many US senators are pushing forward with a new resolution that is supported by the […]
Pakistani Boy who Tackled, Thwarted School Bomber Honored
(By AFP) Pakistan honours teenage bomb hero with bravery award (via AFP) A Pakistani teenager who sacrificed his life to stop a suicide bomber, saving the lives of hundreds of students, has been honoured with the country’s highest award for bravery. Aitzaz Hassan, 15, a student in Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province… ——– […]
Ariel Sharon’s Legacy for Israel and the Middle East
(By Yoav Peled) Ariel Sharon, who died on Saturday, had been known as a brilliant tactician and lousy strategist. But when he took office as Israel’s Prime Minister, in February 2001, he had a clear strategic vision for the country, which he pursued doggedly and successfully. Sharon’s vision consisted of two elements, both having to […]
Iran: Israeli PM Netanyahu’s Allies in US Senate Seek Vote to Scuttle President Obama’s Talks
(By AFP) White House won’t predict Iran sanctions vote (via AFP) The White House declined Friday to renew its previous prediction that a Senate bill slapping new sanctions on Iran, which it fears could scupper nuclear talks, would not pass the Senate. President Barack Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney did deliver a new… —– Related […]
Tunisia’s Political Compromise & the Legacy of Mohammed Bouazizi
(By Silvia Colombo) The agreement on the new prime minister that will have the arduous task of lifting Tunisia out of the current impasse came almost exactly three years after the symbolic and at the same time concrete gesture of Mohammed Bouazizi, the street vendor who set himself on fire and by doing so ignited […]