Middle East

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Israeli military and security forces have a problem. They are fairly obviously being ordered to commit summary executions of prisoners. The problem: This behavior is one of the more heinous of war crimes as defined in international law. At the very least it is a […]

Israel/ Palestine

Family of Assailant suing Israeli Army over summary execution of Son

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The family of Abd al-Fattah al-Sharif said they would file legal procedures against the Israeli army in front of an Israeli court, after an autopsy of the 21-year-old Palestinian’s body confirmed that he was still alive when an Israeli soldier fired a bullet at his head […]

Iraq

Occupied by ISIL, Besieged by Iraq & US: People of Fallujah lack Food, Firewood

contributors

By Kamal al-Ayash | (Niqash.org) | – – In Islamic State-run Fallujah, locals say they’re running out of everything, including food and medicine. They’re running out furniture too now, as most households are using it to fuel cooking fires. In the courtyard of her house, local woman Um Ahmad is preparing a fire pit. She’s […]

Displaced and Refugees

Dear GOP: Top Myths about Syrian Refugees, refuted by Actual Facts

contributors

By Jeffrey H. Cohen | (The Conversation) | – – Following the March 2016 bombings in Brussels, Donald Trump stated: We have to be smart … We’re taking in people without real documentation. We don’t know where they are coming from … they could be ISIS-related. Not to be outdone, Sen. Ted Cruz added: We […]

Israel/ Palestine

Autopsy confirms bullet fired by Israeli Soldier at point-blank range killed al-Sharif

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM- (Ma’an) – The autopsy conducted on the body Abd al-Fatah al-Sharif on Sunday confirmed that the 21-year-old Palestinian was still alive before a bullet fired at his head at point-blank range by an Israeli soldier killed him, according to a statement from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Palestinian doctor […]

Haredim

Israel’s “chained women” fight for right to divorce

contributors

By Michael Blum | ( Your Middle East | – – Israel’s “chained women” fight for right to divorce. She is one of Israel’s “chained women” — the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wives denied a divorce by their husbands and prevented from breaking free by the country’s use of Jewish law. The 30-year-old mother of […]

Arab World

After the Youth Revolts: Can the Arab Thug-ocracies ever be Reformed?

contributors

By Yezid Sayigh | (Project Syndicate) | – – WASHINGTON, DC – Experience across the Arab world demonstrates that when it comes to security-sector reform, technocratic approaches are inadequate. Simply put, a technocratic focus on upgrading skills and operational capability, in the absence of improved governance of the security services, can be easily subverted by […]

Featured

Syrian Ceasefire in Tatters as al-Qaeda & allies attack in South Aleppo

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The London pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reports that the rebel opposition allied with al-Qaeda broke the ceasefire Saturday morning, taking several villages and towns in the southern hinterlands of Aleppo. The attack was launched with suicide car-bombers who detonated their payload, targeting Syrian Arab Army troops and […]

Climate Change

3 Surprising reasons Saudi Arabia may be getting out of the Oil Business

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman announced Friday that Saudi Arabia would use its oil assets to back a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund. The move suggested to many observers that the kingdom is preparing for a likely end of the petroleum business and transitioning to […]