Month: June 2009

Friday: 1 US Soldier, 7 Iraqis Killed; 11 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:35 p.m. EDT, July 19, 2009 A massive war-funding bill, that includes money for operations in Iraq, has left the U.S. congress and is on its way to the White House. Back in Iraq, the country’s U.N. Ambassador, Hamid al-Bayati, said that the security handover from U.S. to Iraqi hands is going smoothly. Meanwhile, seven Iraqis were killed and 11 were wounded in violence across the country. Also, one U.S. soldier was killed in a non-combat incident.

The War Between Civilizations That Never Was

PARIS — An important change is evident in what since Samuel Huntington‘s time has been mistakenly identified and manipulated as a war between Muslim and Western civilizations. I say mistakenly for several reasons, one of them being that Professor Huntington himself actually foresaw a war in which an alliance of Muslim and Chinese civilizations attacked … Continue reading “The War Between Civilizations That Never Was”

Will ‘Changed’ Iran Complicate US Engagement?

As uncertainty persists about the results of the Iranian election last Friday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama remains quiet on just exactly what the next tack will be on engaging the Islamic Republic, which experts say is entering a new and unknown period in its history. Because incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who won … Continue reading “Will ‘Changed’ Iran Complicate US Engagement?”

Iran Electoral Chaos Energizes Neoconservative Hawks

As U.S. President Barack Obama attempts to navigate the treacherous currents of the ongoing political crisis in Iran, he faces a heated attack on his right flank from neoconservatives and other right-wing hawks, who are urging him both to offer unequivocal support to the protesters supporting moderate presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and to scuttle … Continue reading “Iran Electoral Chaos Energizes Neoconservative Hawks”

Thursday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 13 Wounded

Updated at 9:30 p.m. EDT, June 18, 2009 Last night, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is launched an investigation into widespread allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraqi jails. A positive resolution to the inquiry could lead to better relations between Sunnis and Shi’ites. Meanwhile, at least seven were killed and 13 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, Iraqi may press Israel for reparations in the 1981 destruction of a nuclear plant.

Israeli Army Beats and Tortures Children

The rights of Palestinian children are routinely violated by Israel’s security forces, according to a new report that says beatings and torture are common. In addition, hundreds of Palestinian minors are prosecuted by Israel each year without a proper trial and are denied family visits.   The findings by Defense for Children International (DCI) come … Continue reading “Israeli Army Beats and Tortures Children”

Parsing Netanyahu’s Palestinian State

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out his terms for peace in the Middle East. In a highly anticipated speech at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University last Sunday, Netanyahu said – for the first time – that he was willing to consider a "demilitarized" Palestinian state, existing side by side with Israel. In Washington, U.S. President … Continue reading “Parsing Netanyahu’s Palestinian State”