By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - The United States re-asserted its political and economic clout – and its ability to twist arms and perhaps metaphorically break kneecaps – when it successfully…
RT | -- "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed up to join International Criminal Court, paving the way for the investigation on Israel's possible war crimes in the West Bank. It's in…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The UN Security Council yesterday voted down an Arab League resolution on Palestine that would have called for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian…
By Simon Mabon and Lucia Ardovini | (The Conversation) -- It was a year of huge transition for Egypt. Gone was the Muslim Brotherhood, in both word and deed, while the military…
SANAA, December 2014 (IRIN) -- After a negotiated transfer of power agreed in early 2012, the annual death toll dropped to about 1,100 and nearly halved again in 2013 to fewer than…
Euronews | -- "Yazidi refugees from the Iraqi village of Hardan returned to their homes for the first time on Tuesday after being driven out by Islamic militants in August. They were…
In 2014, Iraq was said to lose 42% of its territory to Daesh (the Arabic acronym for what our press calls ISIS or ISIL). This statistic refers to the loss of the…
By Muhammad Moneib | (Your Middle East) -- "A lot of posts share tips and tricks about finding a legal way out of Egypt" Perfectly timing the theatrical run of Ridley Scott’s…
Agence France Presse | -- "Muntasser survived an Israeli strike on Gaza this summer which killed his young brother and three cousins. Five months later the Palestinian boy remains haunted by the…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The Middle East, from North Africa to Afghanistan, has seen an unusual number of governments collapse in recent years. Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have…
CCTV | -- "As budget shortfalls continue to plague UN relief agencies, the colder weather brings with it further challenges for the millions of Syrian refugees who have fled the war zones…
Human Rights Watch | -- (New York) – Egyptian authorities have referred hundreds of civilians to military courts based on an October 2014 decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. At least 820…
RT | -- "This is the renowned Teddy Fountain in central Jerusalem. Spectacular water shows go off every ten minutes - a sight enjoyed every evening by locals and tourists, but in…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- In 2014, Iran made news on a number of important fronts. 1. Although there was no decisive breakthrough in its relationship with the United States…
RT | -- "Israeli police have fired a rubber bullet at a five-year-old Palestinian boy’s face as he was getting out of a school bus on his way home, the child’s family…
DeutscheWelle English | -- "Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women from driving. Two women who did just that have been in custody for nearly a month…
By Ramzy Baroud | (Ma'an News Agency) -- In terms of losses in human lives, 2014 has been a horrific year for Palestinians, surpassing the horrors of both 2008 and 2009, when…
Shalaw Mohammed | Sulaymaniyah | (Niqash.org) Senior Iraqi Kurdish politician Mullah Bakhtiar discusses his party’s relationship with Iran and with Kurdish parties in Syria – and in particular, in Kobani and Rojava,…
Reuters | -- "A judge orders the arrest of a senior Pakistan cleric accused of refusing to condemn the school massacre in Peshawar. Paul Chapman reports." Reuters: "Arrest call for Pakistan cleric"
The Young Turks | --- "Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani weighed in on the Ferguson grand jury decision Tuesday night and said that if it were his case, he would prosecute…
Hanni Fakhoury and Jennifer Lynch (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Once again, a federal court will decide whether police can track your movements over an extended period of time without a search warrant. Federal…
By Juan Cole | --- The popular story about Thanksgiving is an environmental parable that we would do well to remember today. It was a harvest festival in 1621, participated in by…
By Andrea Germanos, staff writer (Commondreams.org) "Even very ambitious mitigation" can't change the fact that the world has already "locked in" mid-century warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, a new report from…
By Peter Bloom, The Open University (The Conversation) The decision not to charge police officer Darren Wilson with the unlawful shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown has reignited protests across the US.…
By Juan Cole | --- With regard to employment, African-Americans got hit harder by the Bush Depression than did whites, and jobs have not come back for them at nearly the same…
By Julian Hipkins III (Zinn Education Project) In light of the grand jury decision, we share this collection of teaching ideas and resources, originally published by Teaching for Change in August of…
By Andrew J. Bacevich (Tomdispatch.com) | -- “Iraq no longer exists.” My young friend M, sipping a cappuccino, is deadly serious. We are sitting in a scruffy restaurant across the street from…
Bill Moyers | --- Bill Moyers: "How Public Power Can Defeat Plutocrats" via BillMoyers.com "Government has become a clearinghouse for corporations and plutocrats with deep pockets to buy the politicians who grease…
Channel 4 News | --- "An unprecedented grab of personal data: this programme reveals that a communications firm not only handed over its own information to GCHQ, but also allowed access to…
RT | ---- "The Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota says that congressional approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline will be considered an act of war. If given the green light…
By Juan Cole 1. There has been a lot of reporting and angst over the possibility that India will turn to coal to electrify the country (many in India still lack electricity).…
Euronews | -- "Former wetlands in north-west China (Gansu province) have been sucked dry as the climate has changed. It is a stark warning that we can expect other ecological disaster areas…
By Juan Cole | --- The 2016 presidential election will be very different from the 2014 congressional midterms just held. In the off years, turnout is low (this time it was less…
NASA Goddard | --- "An ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere travels around the globe. Plumes of carbon dioxide in…
DW | -- "We are joined by Martin Cames who heads the Energy and Climate Division at the Institute for Applied Ecology in Berlin. He talks about the new synthesis report released…
By Michael T. Klare (Tomdispatch.com) Pop the champagne corks in Washington! It’s party time for Big Energy. In the wake of the midterm elections, Republican energy hawks are ascendant, having taken the…
Foreign Policy
U.S. Twists Arms to Help Defeat Resolution on Palestine
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - The United States re-asserted its political and economic clout – and its ability to twist arms and perhaps metaphorically break kneecaps – when it successfully…Israel War Crimes Trial in 2015? Palestinians sign up to join International Criminal Court
RT | -- "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed up to join International Criminal Court, paving the way for the investigation on Israel's possible war crimes in the West Bank. It's in…2015 New Year Fireworks: Burj Khalifa, Dubai
2015 Fireworks: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (New Year Fireworks)Palestinians ready next Move as UNSC rejects end of Occupation
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The UN Security Council yesterday voted down an Arab League resolution on Palestine that would have called for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian…Egypt’s 2014 Thermidor: The Counter-Revolution Wins Out
By Simon Mabon and Lucia Ardovini | (The Conversation) -- It was a year of huge transition for Egypt. Gone was the Muslim Brotherhood, in both word and deed, while the military…Yemen in 2014: 1500 Killed as Extremist Shiites took over Gov’t, battled al-Qaeda: What Next?
SANAA, December 2014 (IRIN) -- After a negotiated transfer of power agreed in early 2012, the annual death toll dropped to about 1,100 and nearly halved again in 2013 to fewer than…Iraq: Yezidis return home to find Mass Graves, Daesh/ISIL Massacres
Euronews | -- "Yazidi refugees from the Iraqi village of Hardan returned to their homes for the first time on Tuesday after being driven out by Islamic militants in August. They were…The Year Iraq Ceased to Exist: Will it ever Again?
In 2014, Iraq was said to lose 42% of its territory to Daesh (the Arabic acronym for what our press calls ISIS or ISIL). This statistic refers to the loss of the…Dissident Youth, Facing Military-Media Crackdown, begin new Exodus from Egypt
By Muhammad Moneib | (Your Middle East) -- "A lot of posts share tips and tricks about finding a legal way out of Egypt" Perfectly timing the theatrical run of Ridley Scott’s…Gaza’s 6-yros Struggle with Nightmares of the 3 Israeli Wars they’ve Already Experienced
Agence France Presse | -- "Muntasser survived an Israeli strike on Gaza this summer which killed his young brother and three cousins. Five months later the Palestinian boy remains haunted by the…Did Drought and Climate Change cause Middle Eastern States to Collapse in 2014?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- The Middle East, from North Africa to Afghanistan, has seen an unusual number of governments collapse in recent years. Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have…Syrian Refugees in Turkey struggle to Cope with Frigid Winter
CCTV | -- "As budget shortfalls continue to plague UN relief agencies, the colder weather brings with it further challenges for the millions of Syrian refugees who have fled the war zones…NCIS Egypt-Style: 820 Civilians referred to Military Courts since October
Human Rights Watch | -- (New York) – Egyptian authorities have referred hundreds of civilians to military courts based on an October 2014 decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. At least 820…Arab East Jerusalem a la Detroit: Being Starved of Water
RT | -- "This is the renowned Teddy Fountain in central Jerusalem. Spectacular water shows go off every ten minutes - a sight enjoyed every evening by locals and tourists, but in…Did Iran win “2014”? Top 6 Iran Developments this Year
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) -- In 2014, Iran made news on a number of important fronts. 1. Although there was no decisive breakthrough in its relationship with the United States…5-year-old Palestinian Boy shot in face by Israeli Police
RT | -- "Israeli police have fired a rubber bullet at a five-year-old Palestinian boy’s face as he was getting out of a school bus on his way home, the child’s family…Saudi Women who dared Drive to be tried in Terrorism Court
DeutscheWelle English | -- "Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women from driving. Two women who did just that have been in custody for nearly a month…Top 5 Five reasons 2014 was a game-changer for Palestine
By Ramzy Baroud | (Ma'an News Agency) -- In terms of losses in human lives, 2014 has been a horrific year for Palestinians, surpassing the horrors of both 2008 and 2009, when…Senior Kurdish Politician: Kirkuk is ours; if Arabs & Turkmen want it, let them fight ISIL for it as we do
Shalaw Mohammed | Sulaymaniyah | (Niqash.org) Senior Iraqi Kurdish politician Mullah Bakhtiar discusses his party’s relationship with Iran and with Kurdish parties in Syria – and in particular, in Kobani and Rojava,…Pakistan: Judge orders arrest of cleric accused of refusing to condemn Taliban Massacre at School
Reuters | -- "A judge orders the arrest of a senior Pakistan cleric accused of refusing to condemn the school massacre in Peshawar. Paul Chapman reports." Reuters: "Arrest call for Pakistan cleric"