A leading human rights group released a report Monday documenting the proliferation of human rights abuses in Iraq since the United States invasion in 2003. Among the most egregious cases, the 102-page report by Human Rights Watch identifies women, journalists, detainees, and marginalized groups, including internally displaced persons and religious minorities, as the most vulnerable …
Continue reading “Eight Years of Abuses and Impunity in Iraq”
Over the past three weeks the Israeli media has been extremely interested in Egypt. During the climatic days of the unprecedented demonstrations, television news programs spent most of their airtime covering the protests, while the daily papers dedicated half the news and opinion pages to the unfolding events. Rather than excitement at watching history in …
Continue reading “Israeli Media ‘Fears’ the New Egypt”
At least 17 Iraqis and an Egyptian resident were killed in the latest attacks, while 33 more were wounded. Although no new demonstrations reported today, last night Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani gave his support to protesters in a strongly worded statement castigating the government for negligence. Also, Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi reports that two investigative committees are being formed to track down almost $40 billion that has disappeared from the Development Fund for Iraq.
So the Five Eyes‘ daisy chain is alive and well. I encountered this at first hand with my own application under Canada’s Access to Information Act (ATIA), submitted in December 2006 and documented elsewhere. In summary, after a hideous delay not countenanced by the framers of the Act, I got 73 pages of redacted rubbish. …
Continue reading “The Five Eyes’ Daisy Chain”
The revolutionary wave sweeping through the Middle East promises to topple sclerotic Arab regimes throughout the region, but there is a marked difference between, say, Egypt and Iran – and the difference is the nationalist factor. In Egypt, the people rose up against a US-supported dictatorship which had ridden on their backs for 30 years. …
Continue reading “Nationalism, Democracy, and the Arab Awakening”
This is a story right out of 1,001 Nights. The genie escaped from the bottle, and no power on earth can put it back. When it happened in Tunisia, it could have been said: OK, an Arab country, but a minor one. It was always a bit more progressive than the others. Just an isolated …
Continue reading “The Genie Is Out of the Bottle”
“Bahrain has one of the most advanced medical systems in the Middle East, the best ICT sector in the region, and the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. “But despite all these accomplishments, the country seems to be missing just one little thing: a doctor who can identify signs of torture.” – Benjamin Joffe-Walt, …
Continue reading “Bahrain: Days of Rage, Decades of Oppression”
At least nine Iraqis were killed and 56 more were wounded in new and old violence. Some of the dead were wounded in Thursday’s deadly protests in Suleimanya, while the lion’s share of today’s wounded were injured in protests re-ignited by an attack on an independent television station in the same city last night.
At least five Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in the latest violence. Demonstrations continue in Baghdad, Basra, and other locations, but today’s hotspot is again Suleimaniya, where demonstrations turned deadly on Thursday. Turmoil throughout the Arab region could halt plans for an Arab League summit scheduled for March. Iraq is looking forward to hosting the summit as evidence of improving conditions there.
CAIRO – The movement for change sweeping across the Middle East has now rocked Libya. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across many cities to demand an end to the 41-year autocratic rule of maverick leader Muammar Al- Gadhafi. International human rights organizations say at least 24 people have died since the protests …
Continue reading “Libyan Fury Challenges Gadhafi” 
