Middle East

By Chloe Benoist | Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — In October 2015 began what has been in turn called a wave of unrest, a Palestinian upheaval, or even the “Jerusalem Intifada.” Whatever the name, the past year has seen an intensification of deadly violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. […]

Featured

US breaks off Military Cooperation with Russia in Syria

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Arab press reacted to the announcement on Monday by the US government that it was ending its military cooperation with the Russian Federation in Syria. Masr al-Arabiya noted that the US underlined that that the step did not imply that all sorts of joint activity […]

Iraq

In Mosul, ISIL Extremists Wall in Residents, prepare for Armageddon

contributors

Special Correspondent | Mosul | (Niqash.org) | – – In Mosul, the Islamic State is preparing for a siege, building walls, tunnels and trenches and boasting that, like the Prophet Mohammed in the 7th century, they will be able to withstand any attacks. Locals doubt it. In Mosul, members of the extremist group that control […]

Arab World

The Challenge for the Arab World of tackling Gender-based Violence

contributors

By Lina Abirafeh | (The Conversation) | – – It should now be beyond dispute that gender-based violence is a critical human rights issue – possibly the most important human rights challenge of our time. There is a great deal of research and action on this issue, and also a great deal of terminology that […]

Development

Can Saudi Arabia Survive its Economic ‘Shock Therapy’?

contributors

By Nasser Saidi | (Project Syndicate) | – – BEIRUT – Saudi Arabia has long relied on oil to fuel its economic growth and development. Last year, oil accounted for about three-quarters of the Kingdom’s total export revenues and around 90% of government revenue. But the recent collapse in oil prices highlighted what should long […]

Bush

Iraq: Bush DoD paid PR Firm millions to Plant fake I.S. Videos, False Stories

contributors

By Crofton Black and Abigail Fielding-Smith | ( The Bureau of Investigative Journalism ) | – – The Pentagon gave a controversial UK PR firm over half a billion dollars to run a top secret propaganda programme in Iraq, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can reveal. Bell Pottinger’s output included short TV segments made in […]

Featured

Syria: Russia warns of Mideast Apocalypse if US attacks al-Assad’s military

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – ABC News reports that Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that a U.S. attack on the Syrian army “will lead to terrible, tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole.” She maintained that if the regime […]

Featured

Syria Quagmire: Has Russia Accomplished anything in a year of Bombing?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Alarabiya says that Russia has killed over 3,000 civilians in its bombing raids of the past year. BBC Monitoring translated an article by Mikhail Khodarenok at the Gazeta.ru site from 23 September that tries to explain why any decisive victory in Syria has eluded Russia during […]

Human Rights

Iran releases Canadian Academic it accused of ‘Feminism,’ but Crackdown on Women Activists Continues

contributors

By Mahsa Alimardani | ( Globalvoices.org) | – – Some good news reached Canada this week when Homa Hoodfar, an Iranian-Canadian anthropologist, was released after months of incarceration in Iran. Hoodfar is known for her research on women and Islam, especially women's participation in Iranian elections. Her arrest highlighted two particular areas of sensitivity for […]