It’s a macabre charade,
one night in the secret
theater of Abu Ghraib.
The anklets are shackles.
In another, a leashed
dog — loud, black,
and snarling — takes
center stage.
Human Rights
Assad-Erdogan Bromance on the Rocks?
Syrian President Assad’s brutality, which has driven refugees into Turkey, has ruined his relationship with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
If She is Still There
One of the chief reasons for Western audiences to watch Up the Yangtze is its intimate portrayal of the aspirations and anguish of the Chinese citizens depicted in the film. With so much glib reductionism on offer by Western commentators, it is refreshing to hear Chinese voices expressing their own hopes and frustrations.
Refugee Crisis Deepens in Mexico
“It is undeniable that Mexico is going through a situation of violence in which groups of armed civilians (organized crime) sow terror and death, provoking the displacement of entire families so they are not murdered,” read a statement from three human rights groups.
Will Flotilla 13 Attack Freedom Flotilla 2?
Israel’s use of an elite branch of the Israeli Navy to interdict the Gaza flotilla was as if Washington had sent Green Berets to halt the Freedom Rides in the Deep South in 1961.
Bahrain: Beyond the U.S.-Iran Rivalry
The popular uprising in Bahrain has put U.S. foreign policymakers in an awkward position. The U.S. government has largely lent its diplomatic weight to the Saudi regime in stifling popular uprising in Bahrain for fear that any democratic transformation in that country would work to Iran’s advantage, thus undermining U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf region.
Syria: Washington Just Watches
After a decade of policies aimed at marginalizing and ignoring the Syrian regime, U.S. policymakers have come to realize that they have very little leverage to pressure President Bashar Al-Assad. As the violence continues, Washington appears to be out of both carrots and sticks.
Breaching the Wall through Art
The wall that divides Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories is ugly and oppressive. It is far from a work of art. But now it is the subject of art. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery’s new exhibition “Breaching the Wall” displays works of 11 different artists that reflect their feelings and artistic reactions to this eight-meter-high concrete wall that runs for 520 kilometers (64 percent of the planned length).
Israel’s Atonal September Song
If the United Nations grants Palestine’s request for statehood, Israel may take it out on Iran.
Alberto Fujimori’s Future Inextricably Linked With That of Peru’s Democracy
Overturning former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori’s conviction on a technicality could put Peru’s fragile democracy at risk.