Ramzy Baroud

Ramzy Baroud is editor of the Palestine Chronicle. His latest book is My Father was A Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story (Pluto Press).

Iraq War’s Lessons Lost on US

In a White House Statement on Oct. 21, U.S. President Barack Obama pledged that his country would finally withdraw forces from Iraq. "After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over," he said. Providing some context to Obama’s announcement, a CBSNews.com report published on the same day stated, "The war in Iraq has … Continue reading “Iraq War’s Lessons Lost on US”

Gaza and the World: Will Things Ever Change?

In times of crisis, most Arabs tune in to al-Jazeera television. Sometimes it’s comforting for the truth to be stated the way it is, with all of its gory and unsettling details, without blemishes and without censorship. When Israel carried out massive air strikes against Gaza on Saturday, December 27, terrorizing an already hostage and … Continue reading “Gaza and the World: Will Things Ever Change?”

Unscripted: Green Zone Theater and the Shoe Drama

The plot, so unexpectedly, thickened in Iraq on a Sunday like no other. The two main actors – US President George W. Bush, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki – took to the stage to perform another well-rehearsed press conference. The scripts were ever so predictable: Bush to tout the "progress" achieved in Iraq, while … Continue reading “Unscripted: Green Zone Theater and the Shoe Drama”

Somalia: What the Media
Failed to Report

The people of Somalia are enduring yet another round of suffering as Ethiopian forces wreak havoc in the capital, Mogadishu. Apparently in response to an attack on one of its units and the dragging of a soldier’s mutilated body through the city’s streets, an Ethiopian mortar reportedly exploded in Mogadishu’s Bakara market on Nov. 9, … Continue reading “Somalia: What the Media
Failed to Report”

The Real Terror Plot

And yet another menacing terror plot was thwarted August 10, with the arrest of 24 suspects, all British Muslims. It was an ominous conspiracy aimed at committing “mass murder” on an “unimaginable” scale, British authorities quickly concluded. US authorities hastily joined the action, too claiming a decisive victory over the plotters, thanks in part to … Continue reading “The Real Terror Plot”

Extraordinary Precision

A Sky News newscaster, interviewing British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett on Sunday July 30, demanded an answer to this paraphrased question: if indeed Israel had precise intelligence that a Hezbollah operative was present in the village of Qana, in southern Lebanon, how could it possibly fail to realize that the area was also crowded with … Continue reading “Extraordinary Precision”

Pentagon Misinformation the Only Sure Thing in This War

To their credit, top Pentagon officials cautioned journalists and the public, since the Iraq war’s early days, that the dissemination of misinformation would be a vital weapon in their war strategy. Needless to say, they have certainly held true to their word. But what the mainstream media – seemingly little alarmed by the administration’s clear … Continue reading “Pentagon Misinformation the Only Sure Thing in This War”

Redefining the Middle East

It may be convenient to perceive the Middle East as a politically charged, fractious region, rife with conflicts and disputes, void of many prospects, save those leading to even further uncertainty and turmoil. While history is indeed rich with instances that would effortlessly validate such a notion, only uninterested minds would fail to appreciate the … Continue reading “Redefining the Middle East”

Iran vs. US: Nuclear Standoff or Realpolitik?

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice couldn’t possibly have been more accurate when she accused Iran of “playing games” with the international community. Rice was specifically referring to an announcement made April 30, by deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency Muhammad Saeedi, that his country is willing to allow “snap inspections” by the … Continue reading “Iran vs. US: Nuclear Standoff or Realpolitik?”

Hamas Victory Has Changed Everything

There is a degree of surrealism in all of this. Hamas has presented its choice for prime minister to President Mahmoud Abbas, as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine says it has agreed in principle to join a Hamas-led government. In the Arab world, such political transformation (Islamists and Socialists working together to … Continue reading “Hamas Victory Has Changed Everything”