Month: July 2016

Kadhimiya was the target for a large blast that left dozens dead or wounded.

Bombers struck in Baghdad and Shirqat.

“Today, the danger of some sort of a nuclear catastrophe is greater than it was during the Cold War,” warns William Perry, “and most people are blissfully unaware of this danger.” A former U.S. defense secretary from 1994 to 1997, Perry has been an inside player in the business of nuclear weapons for over 60 … Continue reading “We May Be at a Greater Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe Than During the Cold War”

Since ISIS’s losses of 45% of its Iraqi territory over the past two years, we may be approaching the end of the war on ISIS. The conflict’s progression nevertheless raises hard questions on the potential resurgence of Sunni insurgencies like ISIS as American and Iraqi governments have failed to rein in destabilizing groups operating in … Continue reading “Murder and Militias – Iraq’s Sunni-Shiite Plan After ISIS”

Sadr ordered his militia north to prepare to fight in Mosul.

This election season is so much fun because Donald Trump keeps enraging all the right people – and his timing is perfect. Just as the Republican convention was at its height, with his running mate up there on the podium perorating about the alleged threat of Vladimir Putin, along comes Donald with an interview in … Continue reading “Trump Enrages the War Party”

I visited Iraq in 1999. At the time, there were no so-called “jihadis” espousing the principles of “jihadism”, whatever the interpretation may be. On the outskirts of Baghdad was a military training camp, not for “al-Qaeda”, but for “Mojahedin-e-Khalq”, an Iranian militant exile group that worked, with foreign funding and arms, to overthrow the Iranian … Continue reading “From Nice to the Middle East: The Only Way To Challenge ISIS”

Military coups – successful or otherwise – follow a predictable pattern in Turkey. Political groups – typically Islamists – deemed by soldiers to be antagonistic to Kemal Atatürk’s vision of a secular Turkey gain increasing power. Tensions rise, often accompanied by violence on the streets. Then the military steps in, exercising what the soldiers claim … Continue reading “Turkey’s Baffling Coup”

On the eve or liberation, refugees from Shirqat are dying from extreme heat.

The grubby underside of US electoral politics is on show once again as the Democratic and Republican candidates prepare to fight it out for the presidency. And it doesn’t get seamier than the battle to prove how loyal each candidate is to Israel. New depths are likely to be plumbed this week at the Republican … Continue reading “In the US, Money Talks When It Comes to Israel”