Middle East

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Thirteen years after the illegal US invasion of Iraq, it is worth considering its full impact on this country and on the region. Bush-Cheneyism had a number of key pillars, among which these were prominent: 1. Aggressive unilateral warfare, with the domestic advantage of making the […]

China

The New Interventionists: It isn’t just the Yanquis any more

contributors

Mark Leonard | ( Project Syndicate ) | – – In the 1990s, after genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans, Western countries developed a doctrine of so-called humanitarian intervention. “The Responsibility to Protect” (colloquially known as “R2P”) held countries accountable for their people’s welfare and compelled the international community to intervene when governments failed to […]

Israel/ Palestine

How Israel has trapped its Bedouins between a dump and red tape

contributors

By Jonah Mandel | ( Your Middle East ) | – – The almost unbearable stench of the dump fades for a moment when Musa Tarabin puts freshly ground coffee into a pot of water boiling over open coals. Tarabin lives in a tiny Bedouin village in Israel’s south located right next to a landfill, […]

Featured

Syria: Russia Targets Daesh in Palmyra despite Drawdown

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Despite the Russian announcement of a determination to withdraw the bulk of its air force from Syria, Moscow has underlined that some planes would remain and would continue to fly missions against groups the Russian Federation considers terrorists,including al-Qaeda (Jabhat al-Nusra) and Daesh (ISIL, ISIS). Thus, […]

Iran

Iranians Celebrate first Now Ruz (New Year’s) Since lifting of Int’l Sanctions

contributors

CCTV | (Video News Report) | – – “March 20 marks the Persian New Year, Nowruz, which translates as “New Day.” Millions of people across the Middle East and Central Asia are celebrating the holiday.” CCTV News: “Iranians mark New Year with Nowruz celebrations”

Authoritarianism

Turkey’s Erdogan: Democracy Has ‘Absolutely No Value Any Longer’ given war on PKK Terrorism

contributors

TeleSur | – – “Democracy Has ‘Absolutely No Value Any Longer’” The Turkish president made the comments in the context of the government’s fight against the Kurdish PKK resistance group. In the fight against the Kurdish insurgency in the country, there is no place left for democracy and freedom of speech in Turkey, President Recep […]

Israel/ Palestine

Netanyahu Targets for Prosecution Whistleblowers on Israeli Military abuses in Neighboring Palestine

contributors

IMEMC | – – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said rights group Breaking the Silence had “crossed a red line”, following allegations that the group collected classified information from members of the Israeli military. The PM launched the allegation shortly after Israel’s Channel 2 aired an investigative report based on video footage obtained by undercover […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli Gov’t violations of Palestinian Journalists’ Rights reached new Peak in 2015

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian press freedoms watchdog on Thursday said 2015 had seen an “unprecedented” increase in Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists across the occupied Palestinian territory. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms, known as MADA, recorded a total of 599 violations against media freedoms throughout […]

Featured

Putin: Russia can ramp back up in Syria “within hours”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat (Life) summarized Russian sources on Thursday’s speech by Russian president Vladimir Putin: Putin made several points: 1. Russia hopes that the ceasefire and Geneva peace negotiations can now go forward relatively smoothly toward a political settlement in Syria 2. Russia will continue […]