Middle East

David Speedie | (Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs) | – David Speedie of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs interviewed me in New York on Monday. Below is an excerpt of the transcript, but the whole thing is at their web site. Also below is the video of the interview. DAVID […]

Featured

Iraq: ISIL surrounds 300 Sunni families, Closes in on Ramadi

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – Al-Khaleej (The Gulf) reports that Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) has taken new territory in the western Al-Anbar Province of Iraq and may be on the verge of taking the provincial capital, Ramadi, a week after they were decisively defeated in Tikrit in the south of Salahuddin Province. They were […]

Barack Obama

As Congress takes on Iran Deal, it should Remember its Iraq Blunder

contributors

By David M. Faris | (Ethos) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Geneva I SALT gets in your eyes The last time Lausanne was in the news, it was for hosting the negotiations that finalized the post-WWI territorial settlement in the Middle East that appears to be […]

Israel

Palestinians: ISIL not Islamic; no to Yemen Bombing; Palestinian State out of Reach

contributors

By IMEMC News & Agencies | – A recent poll by the Arab World For Research And Development (AWRAD) gathered 1200 Palestinian respondents, in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, to reach a national opinion regarding the performance of governments, living conditions, rebuilding Gaza, popularity of political factions, elections, negotiations, third Intifada uprising, “ISIS” phenomenon […]

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Iran: Putin Explains to Israel’s Netanyahu: Air Defense System is, like, Defensive

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday with regard to the Russian Federation’s decision to go ahead with the sale to Iran of S-300 anti-aircraft batteries. Iran bought the batteries several years ago, but delivery was delayed by Moscow because of […]

Iraq

Iraq: ISIL was Chased from Tikrit, other Towns: But Gov’t still AWOL

contributors

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – A wave of victories against extremists should have seen civilian life slowly return to Iraq’s liberated cities. Instead there’s chaos and nobody knows who’s in charge. What kind of forward planning does the government have in mind? The cities from which Iraq’s pro-government forces have expelled the […]

Israel

UN Denounces Israel for imprisoning Palestinians without Charge, Trial Policy

contributors

By IMEMC | – Israeli practices of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which defines humanitarian protection for civilians, the United Nations has said. The comments made by a spokeswoman for the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) came just days after Khalida Jarrar, a Palestinian lawmaker, […]

Displaced and Refugees

With 311 Civilians dead in Yemen Strikes, Saudis & US must Investigate War Crimes

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – (Washington, DC) – Saudi Arabia, other coalition members, and the United States should ensure that coalition forces take necessary steps to minimize harm to civilians during military operations in Yemen, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing letters to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Sa`ud of Saudi Arabia and US Secretary of Defense […]

Featured

Water Delivery, Hospitals endangered as Yemen is plunged into Darkness

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – Yemen generates 800 megawatts of electricity under ordinary circumstances, which powers its hospitals, including emergency care units, and helps deliver water to households. Nearly half is generated by a power plant in Maarib in the south. On Tuesday, that plant went dark for reasons that are not entirely […]