Middle East

The health minister in the Gaza Strip has warned that the territory is on the verge of a major health catastrophe. Children are risking cholera and worse because they have to walk through raw sewage to get to school. The sewage has flooded the streets in Gaza City because the sewage treatment plant has no […]

Libya

State of Emergency in Libyan Capital as More Militia Clashes Break Out

Juan Cole

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan declared a 48-hour state of emergency in the capital of Tripoli on Saturday as fresh fighting broke out at Tajoura to the east of the capital. On Friday, unarmed civilian protesters had been attacked with heavy military weapons by Misrata militiamen, leaving 43 dead and some 500 wounded. At Tajoura, […]

Bush

US tries to Censor British Report on Secret Bush-Blair Push for Iraq War (Lazare)

Juan Cole

Sarah Lazare writes at Commondreams.org If the U.S. gets its way, the world will never know the details of top-level discussions between George W. Bush and Tony Blair that paved the way for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. An exclusive report released Thursday by The Independent reveals that the White House and U.S. State […]

Libya

43 Dead, 500 Wounded in Tripoli attack by militia on peaceful Protesters

Juan Cole

Update: There was further fighting at Tajoura just east of Tripoli on Friday night into Saturday, with the death toll rising to 41 with 500 injured. The fighting seems to be in part over local people in Tripoli not wanting continued HQs in the capital of the various regional or city-based militias from outside the […]

al-Qaeda

Our Gasoline thirst fuels Mideast Fundamentalism, Violence – EVs are the Answer

Juan Cole

The Greater Middle East has much of the proven oil and natural gas reserves in the world, and it is those hydrocarbon resources that give the region its central position in US policy. But the dependence by the US and its allies on petroleum is promoting a disturbing religious fanaticism and authoritarianism in the Muslim […]

Iran

Take that, France: Iran has Halted Expansion of Nuclear Facilities: IAEA

Juan Cole

Iran has actually done some of the things that French Foriegn Minister Laurent Fabius was demanding when he derailed the agreement on confidence-building at the Geneva conference last weekend, according to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA head Yukiya Amano was in Tehran on Monday for discussions, which from all accounts went well. […]

Iran

Is the White House Right that More Iran Sanctions put US on “Path to War?”

Juan Cole

White House spokesman Jay Carney on Tuesday warned the US Congress that imposing further sanctions on Iran at this juncture, just when negotiations have begun with Tehran, would be tantamount to a “march to war.” Carney’s reasoning is that further sanctions now would strengthen the hard liners in the Revolutionary Guards and around Supreme Leader […]

Israel/ Palestine

Will Avigdor Lieberman’s return as Israeli Foreign Minister scupper Talks with Palestinians?

Juan Cole

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the far, far right nationalist Yisrael Beitenu Party in Israel (which is currently merged with the equally right wing Likud Party), was acquitted of corruption charges and then quickly sworn in as Foreign Minister on Monday. Lieberman is dedicated to annexing the Palestinian West Bank and dismisses Palestine leader Mahmoud Abbas […]

European Union

France Crashes the Geneva Party, Scuttles Iran Deal

Juan Cole

The Iranian newspaper Tabnak printed a minute-by-minute account of Saturday’s dramatic on-again off-again push toward a diplomatic agreement on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. It contains little editorializing but by the key placement of news items, it tells a story about French and Israeli bad faith. Catherine Ashton of the European Union and Secretary of State […]