Uncategorized

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) — The major political parties do fairly sophisticated exit polling in Tunisian elections now, and secular, nationalist warhorse Beji Caid Essebsi claimed a victory of some 52 or 53% on Sunday evening. His opponent, human rights activist and incumbent interim president, Moncef Marzouki, however, declined to concede. Formal results […]

African-Americans

The Other Torture Report: What the USA looks like to the World

Rebecca Gordon

(special to Informed Comment) — At long last – despite the attempts at sabotage by, and over the protests of the CIA, and notwithstanding the dilatory efforts of the State Department – the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has finally issued the executive summary of its 6,300-page report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program. […]

Entertainment

Anthony Bourdain on Iran and Beirut (Bisley Interview)

contributors

By Alexander Bisley | (Special to Informed Comment) — “By the end of this hour I will be seen by many as a terrorist sympathizer, a Zionist tool, a self-hating Jew, an apologist for American imperialism, an orientalist, socialist, fascist, CIA agent, and worse,” the inimitable Anthony Bourdain introduced his vital Gaza/West Bank episode Bourdain’s […]

Israel

“Palestinian State Essential to a Democratic Israel” – Frmr Israeli President Shimon Peres

contributors

TeleSur | — “In France, former Israeli President Shimon Peres said that a Palestinian State is necessary in order to have a democratic Jewish state. This statement came the same day that the United States and Israel dismissed the Palestine peace plan that was submitted by Jordan to the UN. teleSUR TeleSur English: “Peres: Palestinian […]

Books

Blogging Colbert (In honor of the Finale of the Colbert Report)

Juan Cole

Reprint: So I was on the Colbert Report, hosted by Stephen Colbert at Comedy Central, on Wednesday night, to promote my new book, Engaging the Muslim World. The clip is up at the Colbert site now The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive Colbert has four Emmys for his […]

Displaced and Refugees

The Yezidi Minority, Daesh/ISIL, and Iraq’s Human Rights Catastrophe

contributors

by Patrick Ball Patrick Ball with Yezidi boys at an informal camp in Sharya, Iraq. Farhad (not his real name) got the call from ISIS on his personal cell phone just after lunch: we have your sister, and we will give her back if you pay us $6000, plus $1500 for the driver. Carrying little […]

Climate Change

The Koch Tax: Why are Floridians being denied Free, Clean Energy from the Sun?

contributors

WPBT2 | — “According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Florida ranks third for solar potential nationally, but ranked 18th when it comes to development of this clean energy option. Executive Director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy discusses the untapped clean energy potential in Florida and how climate change plays a role. Guest: […]

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 […]