Month: February 2011

Thursday: 21 Iraqis, 1 US Soldier Killed; 100 Iraqis, 10 Iranians Wounded

Updated at 5:44 p.m. EST, Feb. 17, 2011 Protests took place throughout the country again, while a major bombing took place in Muqdadiya. At least 21 Iraqis were killed in the new violence and protests. Another 100 Iraqis and 10 Iranians were wounded. One U.S. soldier also died, two days ago in a non-combat incident in Baghdad province.

As Talks Stall with Iran, US Steps Up Propaganda War

Egypt’s revolution appears to have stiffened the spine of the Barack Obama administration when it comes to Iran. In the wake of the mass protests that ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Washington has begun to "tweet" in Farsi as well as Arabic. President Obama – and to an even greater extent, Secretary of State Hillary … Continue reading “As Talks Stall with Iran, US Steps Up Propaganda War”

Palestinian Revolution by Default

RAMALLAH – The Egyptian revolution, and the threat to autocratic Arab regimes all over the region, have forced rapid changes on the Palestinian political scene – with major players Hamas and Fatah scrambling to catch up. "We’ve reached the point of no return. A Palestinian state is in the making," Samir Awad, from Birzeit University … Continue reading “Palestinian Revolution by Default”

Dead Peace Process Could be ‘National Suicide’ for Israel

The U.N. Security Council is poised to vote this week on a new resolution condemning Israeli expansion into the Occupied Palestinian Territories and calling for an immediate freeze on settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but the United States has already declared its intention to again deploy its veto power. Backed by 122 … Continue reading “Dead Peace Process Could be ‘National Suicide’ for Israel”

Wednesday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 59 Wounded

Updated at 8:23 p.m. EST, February 16, 2011 The mass protests against poor services and corruption continued today, including one that left a significant number of casualties in southern Iraq. At least six Iraqis were killed across the country in new violence or demonstrations while 59 more were wounded. In Europe, British and Swiss researchers studying Iraq’s war dead have discovered a disturbingly high proportion of civilians deaths from Coalition operations.

Egypt: Revolution or Coup?

Four days after the stunning departure of Hosni Mubarak from the presidential palace in Cairo, analysts are still trying to determine whether his ouster represents a revolution heralding the advent of democratic governance or a coup d’etat staged by the already dominant military. Despite the media euphoria, skepticism among Egypt specialists about the military’s intentions … Continue reading “Egypt: Revolution or Coup?”

Weapons of Mass Disruption

Here’s the truth of it: You don’t need an $80-billion-plus budget and a morass of 17 intelligence agencies to look at the world and draw a few intelligent conclusions. Nor do you need $80 billion-plus and that same set of agencies to be caught off-guard by developments on our sometimes amazing planet. Last Thursday, Leon … Continue reading “Weapons of Mass Disruption”