Middle East

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 […]

al-Qaeda

US, UK suspend Aid to Syrian “Moderates” as Fundamentalists Grab Western Supplies

Juan Cole

(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 […]

Arab World

Five Women Human Rights Activists who are Changing the Middle East

Juan Cole

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 […]

European Union

Has a European Boycott of Israeli Colonies in the Palestinian West Bank Begun?

Juan Cole

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 […]

Energy

Video of the Day: Turkish Economy Flourishing but needs to go Green

Juan Cole

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 […]

Africa

Can Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Heal the Middle East?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Every transition from an authoritarian government to democracy is different. Some go relatively smoothly (Poland, South Korea). Others are rocky (Taiwan, Bosnia, Tunisia). In some instances, authoritarianism reasserts itself to a lesser (Russia) or greater (Ukraine, Egypt) extent. In some cases, the country falls into chaos (Iraq, Yugoslavia). What to do with […]

Israel

Young Israelis Emigrating Abroad Roils Politics in Tel Aviv

Juan Cole

Uri Avnery discusses the issue of young Jewish Israelis leaving Israel for other countries, including Germany. Israel’s out-emigration rate was similar to other industrial countries a decade ago, but it is possible that it has increased because of the rise in rents and property values and the increased divide between poor and rich. Many young […]

Featured

Top 10 errors in Netanyahu’s Speech Demanding Iran give up ‘Genocidal’ Policies

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu demanded on Sunday that the world community constrain Iran to change its “genocidal policy” toward Israel, in the course of a speech in which he attacked President Obama’s current round of negotiations with Iran over its civilian nuclear enrichment program. The rhetoric Netanyahu uses is not just […]

Dissent

Egypt: Harsh Sentences Commuted but Case a Dangerous Message for Protesters

csstester

By Human Rights Watch Update: December 7, 2013 The Sidi Gaber Minor Offenses Court on December 7 commuted the sentences for the 21 female Brotherhood protestors. The 14 young women received a 1 year suspended sentence, while the 7 girls were ordered to be released subject to the three months of probation. (New York) – […]