International Politics and Economy

By Thalif Deen | – – UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – The nuclear agreement concluded last week between Iran and six big powers, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, is threatening to trigger a new Middle East military build-up – not with nuclear weapons but with conventional arms, including fighter planes, combat helicopters, […]

Islam

Jerusalem: Ultra-Right Israelis again invade Aqsa Mosque compound; UN condemns provocation

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Right-wing Israelis broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday for the second day in a row, as the UN expressed concern over “religious provocations” in and around holy sites in the Old City of East Jerusalem. Witnesses said that 70 right-wing Jews entered the compound […]

Featured

Turkey’s new “war on terror” mainly targeting Kurds

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – What was at first announced as a new Turkish turn toward attacks on Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) on Friday has quickly become largely a campaign against Kurds instead. It is being alleged that the Turkish Air Force launched dozens of strikes against bases of the Kurdistan Workers […]

Democratic Party

Is this how the Establishment takes down Outsiders like Bernie Sanders?

contributors

Thom Hartmann | (Video report) | – – “Thom Hartmann shares about media coverage of a new Quinnipiac poll, but the coverage leaves out some important information. Why? because Bernie is an outsider.” Thom Hartmann: “This Is How the Establishment Takes Down the Outsiders like Bernie Sanders…”

Arab Spring

Young Protesters Languish in Jail under Egypt’s Military Counter-Revolution

contributors

By Nelly Bassily | ( openDemocracy) | – – Yara Sallam is starting the second year of her sentence in Qanater Women’s prison outside Cairo. She says, “I do not feel any regret or self-defeat, the prison is not inside me.” Yara Sallam is starting her second year of detention in an Egyptian prison. No […]

Iran

Israel’s Netanyahu & Iran: Even former Intel Officials think he’s Unhinged

contributors

By Jeffrey Rudolph | (Detailed Political Quizzes) | Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot be taken seriously when he talks about Iran. While Netanyahu is a master at exploiting fear in a particularly fearful society, the following points demonstrate that thinking people can ignore his claims dealing with Iran. “Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders blasted […]

Apartheid

Israeli forces destroy 450 olive trees, Roman-era well in Hebron, Palestine

contributors

HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Wednesday destroyed 450 olive trees, leveled land, and demolished a Roman-era water well in the village of Beit Ula in northwestern Hebron, after claiming the Palestinian land [which is in the Occupied West Bank] belonged to Israel, locals said. h/t Ma’an Photos (File) Issa al-Imla, the coordinator of a […]

Elections

Trump Swiftboats McCain the Way W. Swiftboated John Kerry

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The chickens of 2004 have come home to roost in the Republican Party. The Republican strategists around George W. Bush in that year decided to rip John Kerry’s face off by attacking him, in accordance with Karl Rove’s dirty tactics, at his strength. Bush, who hid […]

Children

Wars targeting Children: 20 mn Homeless, 300K Conscripted & now Mass Abductions by ISIL

contributors

By Beatriz Ciordia | (Inter Press Service) | – – UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – Whether in Palestine, Ukraine or Somalia, wars result in millions of children threatened by the brutality of armed conflict. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 300,000 child soldiers are currently exploited in situations of armed conflict and six million children […]