In Apocalyptic Vandalism, ISIL blows up 800-year-old Nuri Mosque in Mosul
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - al-Hayat (Life) reports that on Wednesday evening…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - al-Hayat (Life) reports that on Wednesday evening…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The epic battle in the Trump White…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Yara Bayoumi at Reuters reports on the…
Foreign Policy
Is China Now the Adult in the Room? Xi and Macron Consult
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Donald Trump preferred the Neofascist Marine Le Pen as president of France, who wanted to pull out of NATO and the European Union.…Why the Weaponization of Health Care in the Syrian War threatens Us All
By Xavier Symons | (The Conversation) | - - Few events in Syria have attracted as much attention as the alleged chemical weapon attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun. The callous…After Mosul: The Coming ISIL Apocalypse in al-Anbar Desert
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | - - While fighting against the Islamic State group drags on in Mosul, tribal and military forces in Anbar are preparing for what will…Russians Troll Trump, release Photos of Meeting
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - CNN says White House officials were furious on Wednesday when the Russian press (the only journalists invited to the meeting of Trump with…How America’s Myth of the Infallible Generals gets us in Trouble
By Danny Sjursen | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - More, more, more. I was guilty of it myself. Commanding a small cavalry troop of about 85 soldiers in southwest Kandahar Province back…Is Trump Palestine’s New Hope?
Daoud Kuttab. | (Project Syndicate) | - - RAMALLAH – On his recent visit to Washington, DC, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas surprised many by heaping praise on US President Donald Trump. Speaking…Are Feminism and Islam Mutually Exclusive? Fighting Hislam
By Susan Carland | (The Conversation) | - - Islam is not unique in having theological interpretations that centre on men. Christian, Jewish and Buddhist women (and men) have grappled with the…Which Middle East Authoritarian Leader is Trump most Like?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump's abrupt and virtually unprecedented firing of FBI director Jim Comey raises the question of whether he and his far right wing circle…Iran Election: Rouhani charges Rivals are ‘Executioners & Jailers’ in Risky Move
By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL ) | - - Less than two weeks before voting in Iran's presidential election, incumbent Hassan Rohani has risked crossing the political establishment's "red lines" in…China’s covering a Football field with Solar Panels Every Hour in Quest to End Coal
By Janet Xuanli Liao | (The Conversation) | - - China’s remarkable growth over the past three decades has elevated it to global superpower status. But its economic miracle has also attracted…How Many Defeats have Americans bought with $5 Trillion in War Costs?
By William D. Hartung | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - When Donald Trump wanted to “do something” about the use of chemical weapons on civilians in Syria, he had the U.S. Navy…Pope Francis, Islam and Peace-Building
Interview by Jayson Casper | (Informed Comment) | - - Dr. Kamal Boraiqa is a lecturer at al-Azhar University and a member of al-Azhar Center for Dialogue, the al-Azhar Observer for Combating…Iran: Will Voters’ Economic Gloom Doom Rouhani’s Reelection Bid?
By Nader Habibi | (The Conversation) | - - Markets breathed a collective sigh of relief after Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency. But there’s another vote this month that’s just as…What will new French President Macron do about Syria & ISIL?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Now that Emmanuel Macron is president of France, it is worthwhile asking what sort of foreign policy he would be likely to pursue.…Israel to vote on Bill making it a “Jewish State,” demoting Arabic
Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- An Israeli cabinet committee approved a contested bill on Sunday seeking to enshrine Israel’s status as a Jewish state into the country’s central…It was ISIL, not Hackers, who Hijacked French Election
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - That hackers, most likely Russia-linked, were trying to throw the French election to Marine Le Pen this weekend by releasing thousands of emails…As Russians Hack, France decides if it Hates Foreigners
Richard Fogarty | (The Conversation) | - - On April 24, the day after her second-place finish in the first round of the French presidential elections, Marine Le Pen thundered against her…Can Iraq’s Sunni Politicians agree on post-ISIL Future?
Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | - - "Iraq’s Sunni Muslims desperately need their politicians to present a united front and act in their interests. But the politicians cannot agree on…Paying for Facebook? Will Egyptian Social Media Users have to Register With Gov’t?
By Afef Abrougu. | ( Global Voices ) | - - Sixty Egyptian members of parliament recently approved a draft law on “the regulations of using and exploiting social media networks.” If…Syria: Rebels denounce De-escalation Zones ok’d by Russia, Iran, Turkey
TeleSur | - - Signatories to the agreement say that there should be a cessation of hostilities in safe zones designated by the three powers by Friday. Russia, Turkey and Iran on…