Middle East

By Jen Marlowe | (Tomdispatch.com) Rubble. That’s been the one constant for the Awajah family for as long as I’ve known them. Four months ago, their home was demolished by the Israeli military — and it wasn’t the first time that Kamal, Wafaa, and their children had been through this. For the last six years, […]

Featured

Over 100 ISIL/Daesh Fighters Killed in US Airstrikes in Iraq; Attack on Syria Base Repelled

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — The US war on Daesh (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria takes up less and less space in the MSM. The group and its issues haven’t gone away, however. A source in Iraqi security told AFP Arabic that US and allied air strikes had killed about 100 fighters near Mosul on […]

Apartheid

Israeli Squatters chop down 50 Olive Trees in Palestinian Village (800,000 since 1967)

contributors

NABLUS (Ma’an) — Settlers cut down over 50 olive trees in the Nablus village of Aqraba on Friday, Palestinian official Ghassan Daghlas said. Settlers from Elon Moreh, located east of Nablus, attacked Aqraba and cut down 50 olive trees from the Juhr al-Dik area of the village. The trees belonged to Said Bani Jame. Several […]

Iran

Iran: Rise In Youth just living together — Gov’t rails Against ‘White Marriage’

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari (RFL/RE) | — Raana and Hamed have been living together for four years. They eat together. They both contribute to the household and share a savings account. They fight “like husbands and wives in a registered marriage.” They even wear wedding rings and introduce themselves as a married couple. But they’re not. […]

Iraq

Iraq Fail: Shiite Gov’t asks Sunni tribe to fight ISIL, but Sentences Politician from Tribe to Death

contributors

By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) While members of the Sunni Muslim al-Bu Ulwan tribe were fighting extremists in the Anbar province, alongside the mostly Shiite Muslim military, judges in Baghdad sentenced a politician from the tribe to death. The tribe says it feels like Baghdad has stabbed it in the back. Other Anbar […]

Elections

Will the next Israeli Gov’t be even more Far Right & Colonial?

contributors

By Mitchell Plitnick (IPS) | — The Israeli government is headed for yet another round of elections. Although the official election date for the next Knesset is November 7, 2017, no one ever expected this government to last that long. The voting will likely take place in March of 2015. What do the new elections […]

Environment

Massive Oil spill from major pipeline threatens Israel nature reserve

contributors

AFP | — “A major pipeline leak has caused oil to gush into the Arava desert in southern Israel, threatening a protected nature reserve, officials said Thursday.” AFP: “Oil spill from major pipeline threatens Israel nature reserve”

Iraq

Threatened by ISIL/Daesh, Kurds Maneuver between Baghdad and Ankara

contributors

Iraqi Kurds Seek Greater Balance between Ankara and Baghdad By Mohammed A. Salih ERBIL, Dec 4 2014 (IPS) – After a period of frostiness, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey seem intent on mending ties, as each of the parties show signs of needing the other. But the Kurds appear more cautious this time […]

Featured

UN General Assembly Demands Israel Mothball its Nuclear Arsenal

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — The United Nations General Assembly (where all 193 countries in the world get a vote) has almost unanimously demanded that Israel give up its nuclear weapons and cooperate with making the Middle East a nuclear-free zone. The only dissenters were Israel and the United States, along with three small South […]