Reinoud Leenders, Middle East Report, May 23: When the last Syrian soldier left Lebanese territory in April 2005, jubilant crowds gathered in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square to celebrate the coming of a new era. In Washington and Paris, the mood was also festive, as officials praised what they called Lebanon’s “Cedar Revolution” as the first in…
Showing all posts in June 2019
Stay on and fight
The UN paints a nation in chaos: Human rights in Iraq are being “severely undermined” by growing insecurity, violence and a “breakdown of law and order” caused by militias and criminal gangs, the U.N. mission here said Tuesday. The human rights update, issued every two months by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq, cited soaring…
Anti-war inspiration
Last night in Sydney was windy, rainy and cold, but an anti-war event featuring Cindy Sheehan and Dr Salam Ismael made one forget the wintry conditions outside (media coverage of the visit is here, here, here and here.) Around 500 people gathered to hear two impassioned speakers discuss the monumentally disastrous Iraq invasion and occupation…
Planting hate
Who started the Iranian badge story? The art of black propaganda appears to be alive and well.
The noble war
It’s encouraging to see the US supporting a government run by narco-warlords: American defence officials have secretly requested a “prodigious quantity” of ammunition from Russia to supply the Afghan army in case a Democrat president takes over in Washington and pulls out US troops. The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Pentagon chiefs have asked arms…
The storm over the Israel lobby
Michael Massing, New York Review of Books, June 8: The political landscape in Israel is rapidly changing, and along with it the challenges facing the Israel lobby. The rise of Kadima and the shift away from the Likud have reinvigorated the three main groups that represent America’s pro-Israel doves: Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek,…
Hello, goodbye and everything in between
Seymour Hersh examines the National Security Agency and its tendency to spy on American citizens: After the attacks of September 11, 2001, it was clear that the intelligence community needed to get more aggressive and improve its performance. The Administration, deciding on a quick fix, returned to the tactic that got intelligence agencies in trouble…
News bytes
– Is Oliver Stone set to make a film about the failed, US-led coup against Hugo Chavez? -… The Syrian government is cracking down on dissenters and critics and Middle East stability is in question. – The Financial Times examines the most influential media commentators. – Iran’s Jews discuss life in an autocracy. – Turkish/Iranian…