(Beirut) – The United States government has deported at least 30 of a planned 1,400 people originally from Iraq back to their country, in some cases threatening long imprisonment if they don’t consent, Human Rights Watch said today. In all cases that Human Rights Watch is aware of, the deportees lack valid identity documents, putting […]
Archives for December 2018
What Trump Ousting of SecDef Mattis Means for Russia, Syria & Afghanistan
By Scott Lucas | – The last adult in the Trump White House playground has gone – and the president is throwing his toys around. James Mattis, as defence secretary, was one of three retired generals in the Trump administration whose hope was to contain an ill-informed, temperamental, and unpredictable president. Now they’re all gone: […]
Germany Closes Last Coal Mine, Step toward Ending Era of Dirty Coal
Germany closed down its last active coal mine and bade farewell to a centuries-old industry which played an important role in the country’s economy. Germany bid farewell to coal as it closed its last mine Friday, thereby closing a chapter in the history of German industry. Coal was the main engine of growth for the […]
With Trump leaving, Syrian Kurds seeking Support of Damascus, Moscow against Turkey
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Secretary of Defense James Mattis resigned on Thursday in part because he felt his president was violating the code of the Marines, that no man should be left behind. In abruptly pulling out of Syria, Trump was abandoning the Syrian Kurds, the only allies the US could find in the […]
Supreme Court Slaps down Trump Automatic Denial of Asylum to Migrants
Washington, DC | AFP | – The Supreme Court dealt President Donald Trump’s attempt to crack down on illegal immigration a blow Friday when it rejected a White House bid to implement his asylum ban on Central Americans. The high court declined to overturn a block placed by the San Francisco federal appeals court on […]
As Trump adopts Likud Positions, Russia Offers to Mediate Israel-Palestine Conflict
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is offering to host meetings between chief Palestinian and Israeli officials in a bid to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries. “Given our special relations not only with Palestine but Israel as well, we want to help reach a solid agreement,” Lavrov said. The Russian minister […]
Tales of Displaced Yemenis: Two Camps, Same Tragedy
By Khaled Mohammed | – Khokha, Yemen | AFP | – More than two million Yemenis have been displaced by the conflict between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels For many families in Yemen, the war has not only stripped them of their livelihoods, homes and belongings but something far more valuable: their dignity. […]
Islamophobia and the Misuse of History: Iran, Alexander the Great and the Qur’an
As I mentioned earlier, an anonymous troll going by “Kirby” has attacked my new book Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires I have begun by addressing some of his substantive critiques ( here and here) – even though they may appear to be minor, because it is an opportunity to talk about […]
Putin: ISIL Defeated; “Right” for “unneeded” US Military to Depart Syria
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sarah Sanders, Trump’s spokesperson, alleged that the Russians are unhappy with Trump decision to get out of Syria. As usual, Ms. Sanders is building sandcastles in the sky with no foundation. BBC Monitoring reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at a news conference on Dec. 20 on Rossiya 1 […]
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