CIA operators of US drones in Yemen mistook a wedding convoy for al-Qaeda on Friday, killing 15 persons and wounding many others. Some 10 were killed immediately and 5 more died from their wounds. Al-Quds al-`Arabi, a London-based daily, talked to a member of the wedding party, who said that it is impossible that the […]
Photo of the Day: Was St. Nicholas “White”?
(By Juan Cole) Fox News’s Megyn Kelly maintained this week that Santa Claus and Jesus are “white.” Russian icon of St. Nicholas of Myra on whom the figure of Santa Claus is based. Santa Claus is a Dutch corruption of Saint Nikolaos, a fourth-century saint from the Mediterranean coast of Anatolia in what is now […]
US, UK suspend Aid to Syrian “Moderates” as Fundamentalists Grab Western Supplies
(By Juan Cole) The United States and the United Kingdom have suspended aid to the Syrian National Council and its Free Syrian Army, headed by Gen. Salim Idriss, after FSA warehouses of arms were raided by the Islamic Front. It also captured a key border crossing with Turkey. The Islamic Front, a coalition of fundamentalist […]
Five Women Human Rights Activists who are Changing the Middle East
By Tasnim Nazeer Despite setbacks in the wake of the “Arab Spring”, the region’s female activists gained strength following the uprisings and have no plans to stop fighting for better and fairer societies. Here is a rundown of five of the most prominent female human rights activists in MENA. 1. Tawakkol Karman The first Yemeni […]
Sec. Hagel threatens to cut $1.6 bn Pakistan aid b/c Drone Protests Blocking NATO Convoys
by Sarah Lazare U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel threatened Pakistani [leaders] on Monday with cutting off up to $1.6 billion in aid if the country's mass protests against U.S. drone strikes continue, Pentagon officials said, according to The New York Times. The warning came after nonviolent blockades in protest of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan […]
Has a European Boycott of Israeli Colonies in the Palestinian West Bank Begun?
By Juan Cole First, the European Union decided last summer to exclude Israeli Occupation institutions from Israel-EU cooperation initiatives. That is, Israeli institutions are routinely invited to European scientific conferences and projects as though they were members of the EU, but those based in the Palestinian West Bank are no longer welcome. Nor will the […]
Jon Stewart: NSA Totally Doing all those Things Obama Admin denied they were Doing
Jon Stewart reviews the false statements by President Obama and administration officials about the nature and scope of National Security Agency electronic surveillance of Americans. It is in fact scooping up emails and telephone calls. They’re even in ‘Worlds of Warcraft.’ They’re monitoring the locations of 5 billion smartphones every day. They “want it all.” […]
Video of the Day: Turkish Economy Flourishing but needs to go Green
Euronews reports, “Turkey’s economy continues to boom” Euronews notes that the Turkish economy had a growth spurt in the third quarter, and it is certainly doing better than other non-oil states in the region or than most in Europe. One drag on the economy, though, is an increase in Turkish petroleum imports. This problem is […]
Dear Pres. Obama: Dissent isn’t Possible in a Surveillance State
By Juan Cole In his stirring eulogy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first president to be legitimately elected, by the entire South Africa people, President Barack Obama said, “There are too many of us who happily embrace Madiba’s legacy of racial reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and growing […]
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