Middle East

By Clemens Hoffmann and Can Cemgil | (The Conversation) | – – The Trump administration’s plans for the war against the so-called Islamic State (IS) are at last becoming clear. And it seems his still-young government has chosen which ally to put first: the Syrian Kurds. On February 24, the US’s top commander in the […]

Authoritarianism

Turkey’s Erdogan trolls Germany with “Fascist” Charge

contributors

By Joel Schalit | EURACTIV | – – Normally, the accusation is reversed. Erdogan undoubtedly knew that when he accused Germany on Sunday of “fascist actions” typical of the Nazi era, for cancelling rallies to drive support for an April referendum granting himself broad new powers. Yet, the significance of reversing the hackneyed War on […]

Featured

Syria: As 400 more Troops go in, What’s Trump’s Mission?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The US had about 500 troops embedded with the People’s Protection Units (Kurdish acronym YPG) until this week, when another 400 were deployed, along with heavy artillery. It is rumored in the Arabic press that yet more troops, perhaps as many as 2000, will soon be […]

Israel/ Palestine

Only the Israeli dead matter: Israel’s failure at investigating its bloody wars

contributors

By: Ramzy Baroud | (Ma’an News Agency) | – – At a glance, Israel appears a true democracy. Take a closer look, and that facade of democracy will soon dissipate, turning into something else entirely. Tuesday, Feb. 28 was one of those moments. The chain of events was as follows: An official Israeli State Comptroller […]

Donald Trump

Surging Trump’s America: What didn’t work in Baghdad won’t work in Washington

contributors

By Danny Sjursen | ( Tomdispatch.com | – – The other day, I found myself flipping through old photos from my time in Iraq. One in particular from October 2006 stood out. I see my 23-year-old self, along with my platoon. We’re still at Camp Buerhing in Kuwait, posing in front of our squadron logo […]

Israel/ Palestine

As Civil War heats up in S. Syria, Palestinian Refugees displaced Again

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency responsible for providing services to some five million Palestinian refugees, released a statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the escalation of violence in the city of Deraa in southern Syria. “Fighting among parties to the […]

Israel/ Palestine

Cornel West: Israel Anti-BDS Law Would Ban Einstein from Entry

contributors

TeleSur | – – The African-American intellectual is one of the BDS movement’s most prominent figures and therefore could be denied entry into Israel under the new law. The new Israeli law banning foreigners who call for a boycott against the country over its treatment of Palestinians and the occupation of their land suggests that […]

Donald Trump

What Syrian Refugees think of Trump’s Refugee Ban

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Reuters Arabic reports that a wave of anger swept the Syrian refugee camps of southern Lebanon Monday and Tuesday when they learned that Trump intends to ban Syrians and five other nationalities from coming to the US for at least 3 months and all refugee entries […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel Bans Entry to Anyone Calling for Country’s Boycott

contributors

TeleSur | – – BDS [Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions] has grown into an effective international movement as many companies and celebrities join efforts to hold Israel accountable for illegal actions against Palestinians. Israel’s parliament passed a law Monday barring foreigners who publicly support boycotts on Israel and its illegal Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian lands […]