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 […]
Archives for December 2014
The Israeli Hospital Admitting Syrian Fighters: The War Next Door
Vice News | — “In August, al Nusra Front jihadists took control of Syria’s side of the border crossing with Israel and kidnapped over 40 United Nations peacekeepers — who have since been released. But al Nusra Front, an al Qaeda-affiliate, isn’t Israel’s only threat from Syria. President Bashar al-Assad’s military, in a possible effort […]
Torture, Assassination and the Other Shoe: The Coming Great Senate Drone Report of 2019
By Tom Engelhardt | (Tomdispatch.com) | — It was December 6, 2019, three years into a sagging Clinton presidency and a bitterly divided Congress. That day, the 500-page executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s long fought-over, much-delayed, heavily redacted report on the secret CIA drone wars and other American air campaigns in the 18-year-long […]
Cuba: Top 5 other Dictatorships with which US has Diplomatic Relations
By Juan Cole | — The US sanctions on Cuba were justified by their supporters with reference to the Communist government’s human rights record. That record, bad as it is, however, cannot explain the sanctions. They are rather pique that Cuba defied American hegemony and corporate domination. The sanctions have not overthrown the government of […]
Pope Francis Backs Obama’s Cuba Opening
By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Dec 18 2014 (IPS) – In perhaps his boldest foreign-policy move during his presidency, Barack Obama Wednesday announced that he intends to establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba. While the president noted that he lacked the authority to lift the 54-year-old trade embargo against Havana, he issued directives that will permit […]
If Jeb Bush Is In, Who Will Win Wall Street’s Money?
Bloomberg Business | — “Bloomberg’s Stephanie Ruhle and John Heilemann talk cash and 2016 prospects. Bloomberg Politics leads Bloomberg’s political coverage across all platforms: Web, mobile, television, digital video, radio, live events and more. “With All Due Respect” is hosted by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann airs at 5p ET/PT on Bloomberg Television and BloombergPolitics.com. […]
Europe Must follow Through on votes in Favor of Palestine Recognition
By John V Whitbeck European parliamentary resolutions urging their governments to recognise the State of Palestine must be followed by actual recognitions of the State of Palestine The European Parliament, after a late compromise in pursuit of consensus, has now passed, by a vote of 498 to 88 with 111 abstentions, a resolution stating that […]
No more Turning the Cheek: Assyrian Christians form Militia in Syria to fight al-Qaeda
Middle East Eye | — “The Syriac Military Council (MFS) was established in January 2013 to protect the marginalised Assyrian Christian communities in Syria. They have fought to defend themselves from the Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham and frequently work in tandem with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). As sectarian violence swamps […]
3 Problems Pakistani Politics has to Resolve after Grisly School Attack
By Juan Cole | — Pakistan politics has been mired in stagnation for some time now. In September of 2013, Pakistan undertook the first successful civilian hand-off of power in its entire history. Then-president Asaf Ali Zardari was succeeded by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Despite this milestone, Pakistan’s politics have been full […]
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