Free Libya leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said Sunday that Muammar Qaddafi could remain in Libya in retirement if he gave up power. This offer is the first time the rebel forces in Benghazi have spoken this way. Presumably the deal is impelled in part by the International Criminal Court indictment of Qaddafi, his son, and […]
Syrians Protest in the Thousands, 24 Killed
Protesters came out in rural towns such as Amouda and Deraa again on Friday, calling for the ouster of the Baath regime of Bashar al-Asad. Some reports estimated that hundreds of thousands of people came out to rallies. Homs and Hama also bulked large in these protests, apparently, though it is hard to be sure […]
US Reaching out to Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
The Obama administration has decided to open direct contacts with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood long ago gave up violence and has been a responsible parliamentary actor for many years, though it largely promotes right-wing policies. People who believe in democracy should welcome the incorporation into the parliamentary process of all major political blocs, […]
US Public Backs Obama, Wants out of Afghanistan
79% of Americans agree with President Obama’s plan to take a third of US troops out of Afghanistan over the next two years, and 59% think he should withdraw more, and more quickly. These views do not accord with those of the generals in the Pentagon, who felt that Obama’s timetable is “more aggressive” than […]
Senate Committee Backs Obama on Libya as Rebels capture major Arms Depot
Muammar Qaddafi’s increasingly beleagured security forces were hit with three demoralizing developments on Monday and Tuesday. First, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted to authorize President Obama to pursue the Libya war for one year. Although members of the committee were critical of the president for not coming to them in the first […]
Qaddafi, son, indicted by International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court has issued indictments against Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and the head of the secret police. This move is a great good thing, and combines with an increasing conviction among close observers that the regime’s time in Libya is coming to a slow, inexorable close. Free Libya forces […]
Rudolph: US Inequality Quiz
Can You Pass The US Inequality Quiz? The American mainstream media regularly laments the incontrovertible reality of rising inequality yet rarely provides historical perspective or detailed analysis. Rather, the typical article provides statistical facts of inequality coupled with theoretical claims linking capitalism, incentives, economic growth and inequality. While few doubt that capitalism is the preferred […]
Notar: Syria and the Palestine Card
Paul Notar writes a guest column for Informed Comment: Palestine: Bashar Assad’s Ace in the Hole? by Paul Notar There has been much speculation in the media that the Assad regime in Syria will be the next to fall in what has been called the “Arab Spring”. Many analysts conclude that Sunni elements in the […]
The Audacity of the Gaza Flotilla
A new Gaza aid flotilla is set to take off from Greece on Sunday, including 600 persons representing 22 countries, on ten ships. Pulitzer-prize winning author Alice Walker is among them. (Swedish author Henning Mankell participated in the 2010 flotilla). Yonatan Shapira explains why he is taking part in the new flotilla: The US State […]
© 2025 All Rights Reserved