By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – At the GOP debate Tuesday night, Ted Cruz came out swinging wildly. Blitzer: Senator Cruz, you have said you would, quote, “carpet bomb ISIS into oblivion,” testing whether, quote, “sand can glow in the dark.” Does that mean leveling the ISIS capital of Raqqa in Syria […]
If the Dead could Speak: The Real People Syrian Regime Tortured to Death
By Human Rights Watch | – – "If the Dead Could Speak" reveals some of the human stories behind the more than 28,000 photos of deaths in government custody that were smuggled out of Syria and first came to public attention in January 2014. “Just about every detainee in these photographs was someone’s beloved child, […]
Top 5 Ways Saudi Arabia really could fight Terrorism, & not by a Vague Coalition
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Over the past three days, Saudi Arabia has abruptly put together a 35-nation Muslim coalition to fight terrorism. Saudi interest in this fight is not new, and the kingdom itself has suffered from armed non-governmental groups targeting innocent non-combatants. In 2003-2006, al-Qaeda and other extremist cells […]
With Oil at $36/barrel, Have Democrats just Won the Presidency?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The price of petroleum fell Monday to levels not seen since the crash of 2008, at one point hitting $35 a barrel in New York. There is every reason to expect prices to remain low for a few years, and they could easily go lower as […]
No, Donald Trump, Real Muslims haven’t applauded your Fascist Plan to Ban them
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Arabic press reported with a straight face GOP presidential contender Donald Trump’s allegations that he has lots of Muslim friends and that they are calling them to say how pleased they are that he wants to exclude them from coming to the United States, and […]
Is Corporate Media a danger to Society? Coverage of Trump v. Sanders
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – ABC World News has given one minute to Bernie Sanders this year (actually, it is just 20 seconds). It has given 81 minutes to Donald Trump. Bernie is taking on corporations, and it is the corporations that are reporting on him, or rather blacking him out. […]
After the COP21 Paris Climate Accord, what we need is an Int’l Climate Court
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The climate pact forged at Paris lacks real teeth and so in and of itself will not solve our carbon dioxide and methane problem. But it is still important, as a clear signal of a sea change in world public opinion. You can’t address a problem […]
Should an al-Qaeda Ally have a seat at the Syrian Table? Al-Assad rejects talks w/ any armed Group
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Riyadh conference of the Syrian opposition this week included political groups but also nine armed bands. One of the nine, the Free Men of Syria or Ahrar al-Sham, has a formal alliance with al-Qaeda in Syria, the Nusra Front. I don’t think the US and […]
Top 10 Signs the US is the Most Corrupt Country in the World
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Revised Those ratings that castigate Afghanistan and some other poor countries as hopelessly “corrupt” always imply that the United States is not corrupt. VOA reports : While it is true that you don’t typically have to bribe your postman to deliver the mail in the US, […]
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