By Michael G. Roskin | (Informed Comment) | – – Russian use of an Iranian airbase led some to see a Russia-Iran axis. They jumped the gun and surmised too much. In less than a week, Tehran, perhaps remembering that the constitution of the Islamic Republic prohibits foreign bases on Iranian soil, pulled Iranian permission. […]
Ex-president Saleh offers ‘all Yemen’s facilities’ to Russia
By Brian Whitaker | ( al-Bab.com) | – – In a TV interview today, Yemen’s ex-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, appeared to invite Russian military intervention in the country’s conflict. He talked of reactivating old Yemeni agreements with the Soviet Union and offfered “all the facilities” of Yemen’s bases, ports and airports to Russia. Saleh seemed […]
Israel planning new Squatter settlement near Bethlehem to ‘cut Palestine’s West Bank in two’
Ma’an News Agency | – – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities have been conducting a land survey in the southern occupied West Bank near Bethlehem in order to declare state lands to build a new settlement, a move which Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah called “another step towards cutting the West Bank in two” on […]
The Republicans who fear that Trump isn’t Belligerent Enough
By Rebecca Gordon | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | – – What Does It Mean When War Hawks Say, “Never Trump”? The Enemies of My Enemy May Be War Criminals By Rebecca Gordon It’s not every day that Republicans publish an open letter announcing that their presidential candidate is unfit for office. But lately this sort […]
Five truths about the Hijab (Muslim Veil) that need to be told
By Peter Hopkins | (The Conversation) | – – Rio 2016 is proving not just to be a platform for sporting prowess, it is also helping to shake up some traditionally-held cultural misconceptions too. In the West, many regard traditional Muslim dress like the hijab as a sign of oppression, with women forced to wear […]
Gaza power plant runs out of fuel amid longstanding electricity crisis
Ma’an News Agency | – – GAZA (Ma’an)– The besieged Gaza Strip’s only power plant announced on Thursday that it was unable to operate on more than one generator after exhausting its fuel reserves. In a statement, the electricity supplier noted that efforts were being made to obtain fuel in the coming week. Even at […]
The Haunting Image of a Syrian Boy Who’s Only Known War
TeleSur | – – The image is haunting: A boy sits silent and stone-still in an ambulance, hands resting in his lap, his feet dangling from the chair as though suspended in mid-air, staring straight ahead, dust and dried blood covering his face like a mask. With a shock of thick, brown hair dissecting his […]
Sanders: Aetna’s Obamacare threat shows what Corporate Control Looks Like
By Nika Knight, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | – – Aetna threatened federal government with withdrawal from Affordable Care Act if controversial merger didn’t go through, new reporting reveals Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini bluntly told the Justice Department in July that the healthcare behemoth would drop out of the Affordable Care Act exchanges if its […]
Economic Damage from Civil War Costs poverty-stricken Yemen $14 Billion
TeleSur | – – The civil war in Yemen has caused a humanitarian disaster. The cost from damage to infrastructure and economic losses in Yemen’s civil war is more than $14 billion so far, according to a confidential report obtained by Reuters that highlights the effort needed to rebuild the country, where more than half […]