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Open Democracy

Corruption
Lebanon’s deadly blast: when corruption turned into carnage

Lebanon’s deadly blast: when corruption turned into carnage

Open Democracy

By Walid el Houri | – ( OpenDemocracy) – On 4 August 2020, at 6pm the explosion at the Beirut port sent a destructive shockwave across a radius of more than 7 kilometres. The explosion was heard as far away as Cyprus, but it was felt across the whole world. It is hard to measure […]

Israel/ Palestine
Only one way out: a unitary state with equal rights in Palestine-Israel

Only one way out: a unitary state with equal rights in Palestine-Israel

Open Democracy

By Ghada Karmi | – ( OpenDemocracy.net ) – Everyone who values democracy, justice and human decency should assist the Palestinians in achieving this goal. The Zionist project that established Israel in 1948 always had at its centre the aim of acquiring Palestine’s land without its native population. In the 72 years of Israel’s existence […]

Donald Trump
Iran? N. Korea?  If Trump needs a war to win in November, which enemy will he choose to wag the dog?

Iran? N. Korea? If Trump needs a war to win in November, which enemy will he choose to wag the dog?

Open Democracy

By Paul Rogers | – ( OpenDemocracy.net) – With the US presidential election less than four months away, Donald Trump trails Joe Biden in the polls by a substantial margin. His strategy as his ratings decline has been to concentrate on his core vote, which amounts to a little more than 30% of the population […]

Epidemics
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Palestinian Farmers Struggle against Annexation and the Pandemic

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Palestinian Farmers Struggle against Annexation and the Pandemic

Open Democracy

By Salena Fay Tramel | – ( Opendemocracy.net ) – It has not been an easy year for Palestinians, if there ever was such a thing. With the turn of a new decade in January, the U.S. administration unveiled the paradoxically branded “deal of the century” plan—calling for Israel to unilaterally annex about a third […]

Displaced and Refugees
Locked up with no escape: refugees and migrants in Libya face bombs,virus and everything in between

Locked up with no escape: refugees and migrants in Libya face bombs,virus and everything in between

Open Democracy

By Marwa Mohamed | – (openDemocracy.net) – Libya today is facing its greatest challenge to date. In spite of years of internal conflict, the country must gear up to fight a virus with a depleted healthcare system and a fractured state. While the situation is overall bleak, it remains exceptionally desperate for refugees and migrants […]

Pentagon
Assad and Putin have Waged Total Air War on Idlib's Civilians, Learning from US Bombing of Iraq

Assad and Putin have Waged Total Air War on Idlib’s Civilians, Learning from US Bombing of Iraq

Open Democracy

Paul Rogers | – ( OpenDemocracy.net) – The tactics of Syrian and Russian forces are unforgiveable – but scarcely different to what the US and its allies were doing just a few years ago. Around the world, people are watching the suffering of the people of Idlib with pity; their governments are alarmed at the […]

Saudi Arabia
Will Saudi Arabia ever End its Catastrophic War on Yemen?

Will Saudi Arabia ever End its Catastrophic War on Yemen?

Open Democracy

By Helen Lackner | – ( OpenDemocracy.net ) – While Saudi Arabia seeks an exit from the Yemen war, it is deepening its involvement in the South instead. Last year saw some significant changes in Saudi strategy in Yemen. Following on the UAE departure, the new Deputy Defence Minister, Khalid bin Salman, the crown prince’s […]

Democracy
Bush Falsely Promised a New Iraq, but now it is being Forged by Crowds in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square

Bush Falsely Promised a New Iraq, but now it is being Forged by Crowds in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square

Open Democracy

After the death of hundreds of people since the eruption of Iraq’s revolution in October, there is no return to the old system.

Afghanistan
Afghanistan War and 'War on terror' rage on because the West won’t learn from 20 yrs.  failure

Afghanistan War and ‘War on terror’ rage on because the West won’t learn from 20 yrs. failure

Open Democracy

By Paul Rogers | – Eighteen years ago the head of the UK’s military warned against relying on military solutions alone. But governments still aren’t listening. Things are not going as well in Afghanistan as the US government would have you believe. Not from a US point of view, anyway. This week The Washington Post […]

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