Middle East

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The past 12 months saw enormous political, economic and military changes in the Middle East, which have left its geopolitics changed for the foreseeable future. The US coverage of the area has focused on Syria, Iraq, Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), Turkey, Russia and Iran in a big […]

Israel/ Palestine

Why Americans Should Support Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions of Israeli Squatter Settlements

contributors

By Thomas Buonomo | (Informed Comment) | – – It is clear that the Israeli government under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of entering into serious negotiations with the Palestinians on a two-state solution to their decades-long conflict. Netanyahu has stated explicitly that Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of […]

Iraq

What It Takes To Defeat ISIL’s Ideology

contributors

By Charles Recknagel | RFE/RL Daniel Koehler is among a handful of people in the West who work with Islamist militants returning from Syria in an effort to reintegrate them into normal life. A native of Germany, he works with such former fighters and their families in countries across Europe and in North America and […]

Democracy

Rare victory for Freedom of speech in Turkey, as Pianist allowed to quote Omar Khayyam

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – In a rare victory for freedom of speech in Turkey, the country’s Supreme Court of Appeals has completely overturned a lower court ruling that sentenced world-famous pianist Fazil Say to a suspended sentence of 10 months in prison. Say’s crime? To tweet out passages from the […]

Israel/ Palestine

Palestine Tourism For True Rapprochement Between People

contributors

By Siraj Center | (IMEMC) | – – The Siraj Center makes up the Travel Department of The Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement between People (PCR). The Siraj Center is a nonprofit tour operator, and is licensed by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The goal is to bridge the gaps between Palestinians and people […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli PM: ‘Arab terror and Jewish terror’ are different

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — In lieu of a growing Israeli focus on Jewish extremism, Israel’s Prime Minister on Sunday said that comparing “Arab terror and Jewish terror” was impossible, Israeli media reported. During the weekly cabinet meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Here we condemn and they [the Palestinians] praise,” according to […]

Saudi Arabia

Yemen: US-Backed Saudi Coalition illegally bombing Residential Areas

contributors

By Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen carried out at least six apparently unlawful airstrikes in residential areas of the capital, Sanaa, in September and October 2015, killing 60 civilians. Coalition members and the United States, as a party to the conflict, are required under the […]

Iraq

Will Mosul rise against Daesh/ ISIL? If not, who can liberate it?

Juan Cole

By Nawzat Shamdeen | (Niqash.org) | – – “Everyone says zero hour is coming closer. Some of the politicians – including the Prime Minister – have said that operations to liberate Mosul have already started,” a Mosul man, who still lives in the extremist-occupied city, wrote in a message sent to NIQASH on social media. […]

Featured

Eyes on Mosul next, as Iraqi Army advances in Ramadi in face of Stiff ISIL/ Daesh Resistance

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi announced Friday that after the city of Ramadi was recovered from Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), the Iraqi army would go on to liberate Mosul (a city of some 2 million before Daesh took it), 420 km. north of Ramadi. On Friday, the […]