Middle East

By James L. Gelvin, University of California, Los Angeles The most serious attempt to bring the Syrian regime and representatives of the opposition together around a negotiating table together took place at the 2014 Geneva II peace talks. The talks were based on the Geneva Communiqué which had been signed in 2012 at a meeting […]

Arab Spring

Cole at the Nation: Egyptian Left Plans Mock Trial of Mubarak

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — My blog entry at The Nation is out: “After Acquittal, Egypt’s New Left Vows Mock Trial of Mubarak” Excerpt: “A youth “New Left” is still a significant current in Egypt, and many young people want more accountability in government. They were the ones who gathered just outside the now-closed Tahrir […]

Featured

Iran-Iraq War 2.0? Iran Flies bombing Raids on Extremists in Iraq

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — The US Pentagon is confirming that Iranian F-4 fighter jets have flown bombing missions against Daesh or the so-called ‘Islamic State Group’ in Iraq. They helped Iraqi Shiites take the town of Saadiya back from Daesh late last week. That town is in the ethnically and religiously mixed province of […]

European Union

In Rebuke to Israel, French Parliament votes Resolution to Recognize Palestine

Juan Cole

Euronews / France24 | — VIDEO 1 (Euronews): “French MPs vote to recognise Palestinian state The French parliament has voted in favour of recognising the state of Palestine by a large majority. MPs voted 339 in favour and 151 against. Israel had earlier urged the French parliament to vote against the resolution. It is a […]

Colonialism

ISIL, Coins, and the Caliphate: Banking on Idealism

contributors

By Tareq A. Ramadan It has been recently reported by Daesh (what most Arabs call the self-styled “Islamic State Group” or IS) that it will be producing and circulating its own coinage in an attempt to purportedly offset the popularity and usage of secular, Western currencies which they dub the “oppressor’s money” [1]. For Daesh, […]

Iraq

Iraqi Kurdistan: Can a Bastion of Tolerance and Democracy survive in the Middle East?

contributors

By Richard Foltz | — Having committed ourselves to military involvement in Iraq, we in North America should be asking ourselves exactly what goals we hope to achieve. Personally, after recently spending three weeks in the region, I am not convinced that “preserving the territorial integrity” of the present Iraqi state should be one of […]

Israel

Jewish Terrorists set Fire to joint Arab-Jewish School in Jerusalem

contributors

Euronews | — “An integrated Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem has been vandalised by suspected Jewish extremists who set fire to a classroom. It happened late on Saturday at the Hand-in-Hand school where Palestinian and Israeli children study together in Arabic and Hebrew. “Death to Arabs” read part of the graffiti scrawled on walls. “Whoever hurts […]

Apartheid

It is Time for the PLO to go to the UN, Int’l Criminal Court for Palestinian Independence

contributors

By Nadia Hijab and Diana Buttu (Ma’an) | — Al-Shabaka is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law. This policy brief is authored by Nadia Hijab, Executive Director of Al-Shabaka, and Diana Buttu, a lawyer who previously […]

Iran

In Slam at Hard Liners, Iran Leader Khamenei’s Aide Calls For End To Criticism Of Nuclear Talks

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari (RFE/RL) A top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for an end to domestic criticism of Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with major world powers. Former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Khamenei on international affairs, said on November 30 that since the supreme leader has endorsed an extension […]