By Ann Jones | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – Here we go again! Years after most Americans forgot about the longest war this country ever fought, American soldiers are again being deployed to Afghanistan. For almost 16 years now, at the command of three presidents and a sadly forgettable succession of generals, they have gone […]
Iraq Supreme Court strikes down Kurdistan referendum, Clashes in Kirkuk
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Iraqi Supreme Court has ordered that the referendum on independence planned for September 25 be halted. The problem is that the Iraqi supreme Court’s decision will not be recognized or honored by the elites in the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Kurdish super-province. The Kurds say […]
Muslim Rohingya Refugees from Burma: “The Army… burned down my house.”
TeleSur | – – “The army came and burned down my house. I was inside the house at that time,” one survivor said. Rohingya refugees arriving at treatment centers in Bangladesh covered in burns have told of an increased wave of violence against Muslims by the government’s military offensive. “The army came and they burned […]
China to buy $300 mn. in Lab-Grown Meat from Israel
TeleSur | – – China currently imports approximately £10 billion worth of meat annually to help feed its 1.4 billion people. China has signed a multimillion-dollar deal to purchase lab-grown meat from Israel. The $300-million agreement has elicited positive feedback from environmental and animal rights groups because the meat — though grown using some animal […]
Hamas pledges to dissolve Gaza administration, hold elections
Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas, the de facto ruling party of the Gaza Strip, has pledged to dissolve its administrative committee that runs the besieged coastal enclave and expressed readiness to hold general elections, in a bid for reconciliation with the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA). A statement from Hamas movement […]
Trump as Stephen King’s ‘It’: Lashing out at Clinton, N. Korea
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Beltway Bandits who are always opining about Trump transitioning from campaign mode to presidential stature, and pronouncing after he does something petulant, “Today Donald Trump became president,” are domed to be wrong for at least 3.5 years. Trump’s politics are those of a pulp novel […]
Iraqi PM to Secessionist Kurds: “You’re Playing with Fire!”
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi threatened on Saturday to deploy military force against Iraqi Kurdistan if it goes through with the referendum on independence authorized Friday by its regional parliament. The Kurds, he said, are “playing with fire.” The referendum is set to be held on […]
Can Turkey’s Erdogan ride Rohingya Crisis to global Muslim Leadership?
By Simon P. Watmough | The Conversation | – – The emerging humanitarian crisis that has been rocking Myanmar – where an estimated 370,000 Rohingya have been forced out of the country – has prompted broad international condemnation. But so far it has translated into little concrete action. United Nations (UN) human rights chief Zeid […]
Floridians with Solar Inverters had Electricity after Irma & other Green energy success stories
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – After Hurricane Irma in Florida, millions have been without electricity. But those Floridians who had solar panels plus an inverter or a Tesla powerwall were able to recover electricity immediately. Likewise, cities used solar to power traffic lights and other essential services after the huge storm […]








