Middle East

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Wednesday called on both regular Iraqi army forces and the popular mobilization units (Shiite militias) to avoid killing innocent noncombatants as they close in on Fallujah. An hour west of Baghdad and largely peopled by the Sunni Arab Dulaym tribe, Fallujah […]

Israel/ Palestine

Time to end the ‘hasbara’: Palestinian media and the search for a common story

contributors

By: Ramzy Baroud | (Ma’an News Agency) | – – Merely being in the company of hundreds of Palestinian journalists and other media professionals from all over the world has been an uplifting experience. For many years, Palestinian media has been on the defensive, unable to articulate a coherent message, torn between factions and desperately […]

Featured

US-Backed Kurds begin Campaign against ISIL in Northern Syria

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The left-leaning Beirut daily al-Safir (The Ambassador) discusses the beginning of a new campaign by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in the northern half of al-Raqqa Province. The south of the province and its capital, also named al-Raqqa, are a base […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Why total Victory for Russia and Assad is a Pipedream: ISIL strikes in deep in Regime Territory

contributors

By Scott Lucas | (The Conversation) | – – Months after Russia spectacularly entered the Syrian conflict, [the so-called] Islamic State (IS) is still thumbing its nose at both Moscow and the Assad regime in murderous fashion. On May 23, the group detonated between seven and nine car and suicide bombs in the coastal cities […]

Alawites

ISIL hits Syrian Regime in Shiite northwest, killing 150

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The leftist Beirut daily al-Safir reports that security in Syria broke down dramatically on Monday, as seven bombs timed to go off simultaneously hit soft targets in the Syrian Mediterranean cities of Jebleh and Tartus, killing some 150 persons and wounding 225 , the vast majority […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel: Netanyahu reiterates opposition to French peace initiative

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday his rejection of a French initiative for an international peace conference to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating once again that he would only consider “direct negotiations” with Palestinian leadership without Palestinian preconditions. “Peace just does not get achieved […]

Kurds

As they Liberate Villages from ISIL, Kurds drawing Syrians into Feminist Democracy

contributors

By Rahila Gupta | ( OpenDemocracy | – – Rojava is a fast moving, dynamic place where things change by the minute. What are the material conditions which support this woman-centred revolution ? Part 5 of 50.50’s series Witnessing the revolution in Rojava, northern Syria. There is a real sense of a people responding to […]

Featured

US Centcom Commander in Syria to Coordinate Kurds, Arabs against ISIL

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Robert Burns of AP reported on the visit inside Syria of the head of the US Middle East Command (Centcm), Army Gen. Joseph Votel, to assess the progress in US training of the Syrian Democratic Forces division. It is said to comprise 25,000 Kurdish fighters of […]

Authoritarianism

New Turkish PM Firmly Behind Erdogan on Executive Presidency

contributors

TeleSur | – – Binali Yildirim was unanimously selected by members of Turkey’s ruling party to be the country’s next prime minister. Turkey’s incoming prime minister says his government’s top priority will be a new constitution to create an executive presidency, a move that would give President Tayyip Erdogan the broad powers he has long […]