Middle East & North Africa Archives - Page 222 of 633

Iran’s Adventures in Latin America

by Richard Javad Heydarian | Nov 18, 2010

As the United States continues to isolate Iran over its nuclear program, the Islamic regime is engaging in a foreign policy counter-attack with profound strategic consequences. The theater of strategic warfare between the United States and Iran has expanded well beyond the Middle East.From sub-Saharan Africa to Latin America, Iran is selling arms, offering aid and investments, and otherwise establishing a new pattern in south-to-south relations as it battles what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls “Western arrogance.”

An Open Letter to President Obama, Or Change I believed in

by Mike Lally | Nov 12, 2010

Dear President Obama,

You’re not the man I thought you were.

Most progressives have no problem finding flaws with your first years as President to criticize you about, whether it’s the whittling down of the healthcare bill, decision to ramp up military operations in Afghanistan, failure to close Guantanamo, or deal effectively with Climate Change at Copenhagen.

For me however, it is the moments in which you have an opportunity to make a clear decision, with profound moral implications, and yet choose to act in a way that makes me ashamed to call you my President…

Review: Talking With Terrorists

by Conn Hallinan | Nov 11, 2010

Stories on Middle East terrorism fill the headlines. But if this Washington Post story is typical, read journalist Reese Erlich’s book to know where truth lies: “U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops, including the U.S. military’s clandestine Joint Special Operations Command, whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected terrorists.”

Who are these “suspected terrorists”?

Make 1325 Real for Women’s Peace and Security

by Christine Ahn, Gwyn Kirk | Nov 10, 2010

October 31 marked the tenth anniversary of the momentous UN resolution on women, peace and security—UNSCR 1325. This set a new international standard that requires all parties—the UN, states, and armed militias—to ensure that women participate fully in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction. If this really worked, it would transform our militarized world.

Yemenis More Sensitive to Disinformation Than Americans

by Russ Wellen | Nov 9, 2010

Many Yemenis believe that al Qaeda’s presence in their country is a bogeyman conjured up by their government for its own agenda.

Housing Demolition in East Jerusalem

by Judy Bankman | Nov 8, 2010

The most recent East Jerusalem protest ensued on October 25^th after the Israeli police gave 231demolition orders to Palestinian families all across East Jerusalem, including Silwan, an Arab neighborhood in close proximity to the Old City. According to Human Rights Watch, Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes peaked this year, reaching 141 in July. This is the largest number of demolitions per month since 2005. Meanwhile, the Israeli government subsidizes Jewish settlements all over the occupied territories and in East Jerusalem as well.

Though Israel places most its inexcusable violent measures under the banner of “security,” this particular form of destruction is purely discriminatory and does not fall into the category of Israeli defense. If Israel intends to continue the peace process, it must stop demolishing Palestinian homes and building Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.

Election Was Missed Opportunity to Convince Voters to Abandon Current Afghanistan Strategy

by Hannah Gurman | Nov 8, 2010

Americans forget that the $3 billion a week it spends on Afghanistan and Iraq makes the bank bailout and stimulus look like chump change.

Americans Still Turn Blind Eye to the Savagery We Unleashed in Iraq

by Russ Wellen | Nov 5, 2010

No matter how kind we are to our families, friends, and communities, ignoring what we did to Iraq leaves our ethical spreadsheets hopelessly unbalanced.

Method to the Madness of Iraqi Insurgents’ Mindless Violence

by Russ Wellen | Nov 4, 2010

You’d think that insurgents who strike out at both Shia and Sunni would alienate most Middle-Easterners, but they may know what they’re doing.

Israel’s Shrinking Minority Rights

by Audrey Farber | Nov 4, 2010

Palestinian Arab citizens are a sizable minority in Israel who make up 20 percent of the country’s population. They experience institutionalized discrimination in their daily lives much like the African-American community before and during the U.S. civil rights movement. But consistent, trustworthy information about the problems and specific concerns of this community is in short supply.