Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump said he talked to Syrian Democratic Forces leader Gen. Mazloum Abdi on Thursday. As usual, Trump’s report of the conversation is marred by outright lies and bizarre allegations. He said, I really enjoyed my conversation with General @MazloumAbdi. He appreciates what we have done, and I appreciate what the […]
Did Trump just reward Turkish Pres. Erdogan for Obeying Putin?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – I asked last week how it could be that Trump greenlighted the Turkish invasion of northern Syrian and the ethnic cleansing of Syrian Kurds along the Turkish border, but at the same time announced sanctions on Turkey for doing just that. On Wednesday, Trump announced that there wouldn’t be any […]
Unlike Trump, Putin faces down Turkey on Plans for Massive Syria Incursion
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – With Trump and his special operations troops out of Syria, it fell to Russia to deal with Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria to push back from its border the leftist Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Trump has not only become irrelevant, but the troops formerly stationed in Syria now seem […]
As Netanyahu Era Ends in Israel, Anti-Arab Racism Causes Political Deadlock
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Former Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the far right Likud Party, has failed to form a government. His rival, former general Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, will now get a chance. In the US, the two big parties make their coalitions before the election, […]
No, Trump isn’t Bringing Troops home: Not those in Syria, or any of the 60,000 in the Mideast
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Although Trump keeps talking about bringing the troops home from the Middle East, that isn’t what he is doing. There are some 60,000 US troops in and around the Middle East. There is no prospect of any significant number of them “coming home” any time soon. In fact, Trump just […]
Archeology and Early Islam: A Yemeni Inscription to “Wadd,” the love god Denounced in the Qur’an
In the Qur’an, the chapter of Noah (71) contains a denunciation of the worship of a set of gods, most of which are not attested in northern and western Arabian inscriptions and the worship of which probably lapsed long before the era of the Qur’an (610-632 A.D.). One of them is Wadd, the god of […]
Trump hands Oil & Gas to Syria & Russia as he claims “We’ve taken control of the oil in the Middle East”
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump claimed that “we’ve taken control of the oil in the Middle East” as a result of his greenlight to Turkey to invade Syria. As usual, no one could understand what he was talking about. Syria and Turkey are not oil states, though Syria was doing 400,000 barrels a day […]
No, Trump’s Withdrawal from Syria is not Like Obama Leaving Iraq
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Some observers are likening Trump’s abrupt departure from Syria and President Barack Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. The two events show no resemblance whatsoever, and the frequently-made charge that Obama could have stayed in Iraq is incorrect. Here’s the difference. 1. Obama did not betray America’s allies in Iraq, […]
Dem Leadership brands as “Shameful” Pence’s Agreement for Turkey “Pause” in Kurdish Areas
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Mariam Khan at ABC News reports that yesterday speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority Leader Chuck Schumer lambasted the pause in fighting by Turkey negotiated by vice president Mike Pence “sham ceasefire.” They added, “President Erdogan has given up nothing, and President Trump has given him everything,” […]
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