Europe

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The British Parliament has the longest history of any parliament, since it was the first, so it has had time to make a lot of mistakes. On the other hand, it is generally far less an embarrassment than the U.S. Congress. This principle was demonstrated on Friday when the International […]

Drones

European Union funding for Israeli AI, Tech, raises Fresh Concerns about Complicity in Genocide

Middle East Monitor

By Melike Pala | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Israel’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) funded by European Union research programmes to target civilians is attracting a lot of criticism. Since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began on 7 October, 2023, the EU has provided over €238 million ($246m) to Israeli institutions for […]

Featured

Ireland to Int’l Court of Justice: Gaza War is no Excuse for Israel Genociding Palestinian Civilians

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Ireland has filed a declaration with the International Court of Justice of its intention to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel for its tactics in the war on Gaza. So reports Kerry O’Shea at IrishCentral. The Statute of the International Court of Justice, Article 63, provides for the […]

Israel/ Palestine

Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan: What is a War Crime?

The Conversation

By Hurst Hannum, Tufts University (The Conversation) – What are war crimes and when did they start? – Artie, 12, Queens, New York I imagine you’re asking about “war crimes” because you’ve heard that term mentioned lately in news about the conflicts underway in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. The idea may sound confusing, because war […]

Iran

Syria’s De Facto Leader Wants To Maintain ‘Respectful’ Ties With Iran, Russia

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

( RFE/RL ) – New Syrian de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel that he wants relations with Iran and Russia, but he insisted any ties must be based on mutual “respect.” Russia and Iran were major allies of Syria under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad until the totalitarian […]

Libya

Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

By Maja Zivanovic and Jean Fernand Koena ( RFE/RL ) – Russia is reducing its military footprint in Syria and shifting some of its assets from the Middle Eastern country to Africa, flight data and satellite imagery analyzed by RFE/RL appear to show. Moscow seems to have withdrawn a significant amount of military equipment from its […]

Featured

Irony is Dead: Netanyahu cannot Attend Auschwitz Ceremony for Fear of Arrest on ICC Warrant for War Crimes

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be able to travel to Poland for the 80th annual commemoration of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp because he fears being arrested on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court at the […]

Featured

Closing Israeli Embassy does not Deter Ireland from Recognizing Palestine, Joining Genocide Case against Netanyahu Gov’t

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The current Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, is likely a war criminal by virtue of serving in the cabinet of a government pursuing a genocide. He nevertheless had the gall to accuse the Prime Minister of Ireland of being a bigot, closing the Israeli embassy in Dublin on the grounds […]

Bashar al-Assad

What the Fall of Assad says about Putin’s Ambitions for Russia’s Great-Power Status

The Conversation

By Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham (The Conversation) – The lightning-fast collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has sent shock waves across the Middle East. The disposal of the dictator whose family had ruled the country with an iron fist for more than half a century has triggered a potentially seismic shift in the […]