International Politics and Economy

World Bank Across the Middle East and North Africa, countries are being forced to face up to a harsh reality—that, left as they are now, their economies won’t create anything like enough jobs for the hundreds of thousands of people entering their job markets each year. Popular discontent will continue alongside widespread economic inactivity. What […]

CIA

Burned: Valerie Plame Wilson’s new Roman a Clef on Dick Cheney’s Great Betrayal

contributors

Bloomberg “Valerie Plame Wilson, author and former CIA officer, discusses her new book entitled “Burned” and national security in the 21st century with Bloomberg’s Pimm Fox on “Taking Stock.” (Source: Bloomberg)” Channel 4: “Former CIA Agent Valerie Plame Embraces Being ‘Burned’ ”

Arab Spring

The Tunisian Achievement

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Fears that the historic vote on Sunday in Tunisia might be marred by violence committed by the country’s tiny lunatic fringe were not borne out. The interim government of Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa deployed 80,000 police and troops to protect polling stations. Contrary to the breathless reporting one hears in the mass […]

Israel

The Ultra Orthodox vs. The Israeli Army: Israel’s Other Religious War (VICE)

contributors

VICE News: “Since Israel’s inception, the Haredi — ultra-Orthodox adherents of Judaism —have been exempt from the country’s military conscription laws. But their growing population, coupled with their high unemployment rate and dependence on state benefits, sparked outrage within the country’s secular majority. After years of demanding that the Haredi share the responsibility of serving […]

al-Qaeda

Are US Drone Strikes in Pakistan War Crimes? Only 12% of those Killed are Known Militants

contributors

By Rozina Ali Drone Strikes: The numbers don’t lie, except when they do By: Rozina Ali At a time when President Barack Obama has likened his new military strategy in Iraq and Syria to his drone programs in Yemen and Pakistan, disturbing new information has surfaced that damn drone strikes as indiscriminate in their effect […]

Barack Obama

Double-Edged Sword: Can US overcome its Feelings of Exceptionalism?

contributors

By David Bromwich via Tomdispatch.com The origins of the phrase “American exceptionalism” are not especially obscure. The French sociologist Alexis de Tocqueville, observing this country in the 1830s, said that Americans seemed exceptional in valuing practical attainments almost to the exclusion of the arts and sciences. The Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, on hearing a report […]

Featured

Defying Turkey, US airdrops arms to Kobane Kurds

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole In a step that over-ruled America’s Turkish NATO ally, US jets dropped food, first aid and weaponry into the besieged Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane on Monday morning. Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan, in remarks made on Sunday, rejected the idea of arming the Syrian Kurdish fighters, equating them with terrorists. Al-Khaleej [The […]

Culture

Exclusive: Laura Poitras on the Edward Snowden documentary

contributors

Channel 4 News Channel 4 News: “Laura Poitras’ movie CITIZENFOUR captures the man at the centre of today’s Watergate moment – Edward Snowden – in a compelling story of whistleblowing and NSA snooping. ” Exclusive: Laura Poitras on the Edward Snowden documentary | Channel 4 News

Culture

Rosewater: Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari talk about their Film

contributors

BBC News “Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari talk to the BBC’s Andrew Marr about their film ‘Rosewater’. The film is based on Bahari’s memoir ‘Then They Came for Me’.” BBC News: “Jon Stewart & Maziar Bahari talk ‘Rosewater’ to Andrew Marr”