Middle East

Biden says he’s prioritizing Human Rights, but is welcoming an Israeli Prime Minister who boasts about War Crimes

( Otherwords.org ) – Biden can’t say he’s putting human rights first and then welcome a prime minister who boasts about war crimes to the White House. By Sahand Yazdanyar | August 25, 2021 In April 1996, Israeli artillery shells rained down on a United Nations compound where hundreds of civilians were taking refuge. As […]

China

Beijing in the Mideast: China’s Asian Infrastructure Plan and Turkey’s Black Sea Ambitions

Global Voices

By Emre Demir | – ( Globalvoices.org ) – Despite mounting opposition from political and civil society groups due to potential environmental and political issues, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is determined to proceed with the controversial Kanal Istanbul project, an artificial, 45-km long shipping canal that will connect the Sea of Marmara to the Black […]

Israel/ Palestine

Even love is forbidden under Israeli apartheid

Middle East Monitor

By Muhammad Hussein | – Israel’s apartheid system directed at the Palestinians is well documented. Within Israel’s officially-recognised borders — which the state has never actually declared — as well as across the occupied Palestinian territories, the people of occupied Palestine have long faced systematic discrimination which denies them the same rights afforded to Jewish […]

Afghanistan

The Endless Shadow of the War on Terror: Living With It Forever and a Day

Karen J. Greenberg

( Tomdispatch.com) – It ended in chaos and disaster. Kabul has fallen and Joe Biden is being blamed (by congressional Republicans in particular) for America’s now almost-20-year disaster in Afghanistan. But is the war on terror itself over? Apparently not. It seems like centuries ago, but do you remember when, in May 2003, President George […]

Israel/ Palestine

Why Palestinian children under Israeli occupation do not Enjoy a Safe and Secure Life

Middle East Monitor

By Motasem A Dalloul | – More than 1.2 million Palestinian children in the occupied territories returned to their schools for the new academic year on 15 August. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), most of them have been counting down the days and looking forward to schools […]

Afghanistan

Afghanistan only the latest US war to be driven by deceit and delusion

The Conversation

By Gordon Adams | – In Afghanistan, American hubris – the United States’ capacity for self-delusion and official lying – has struck once again, as it has repeatedly for the last 60 years. This weakness-masquerading-as-strength has repeatedly led the country into failed foreign interventions. The pattern first became clear to me when I learned on […]

Afghanistan

As Afghanistan falls, what does it mean for the Middle East?

The Conversation

By Tony Walker |- In the 19th century, the phrase “The Great Game” was used to describe competition for power and influence in Afghanistan, and neighbouring central and south Asia territories, between the British and Russian empires. Neither side prevailed in what became known as the “graveyard of empires”. Two centuries later, an American superpower […]

Afghanistan

Top 6 International Winners and Losers from Taliban Reassertion in Afghanistan

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the establishment of a Taliban government in the entirety of Afghanistan has dire implications for Afghans, especially women, urban people, Hazara Shiites, and generally non-fundamentalists. It also has implications outside the country. Here is a quick scorecard of the drawbacks and benefits […]

censorship

Iranians Fear Turning Into Another ‘North Korea’ If Draconian Internet Censorship Bill Passes

Golnaz Esfandiari

( RFE/RL ) – Iranians are warning of public anger and drawing parallels with the world’s most oppressive regimes as legislation makes its way through the country’s parliament that could intensify online censorship and further restrict Internet access. Iranian authorities already block tens of thousands of websites and regularly throttle or cut Internet connectivity during […]