Ramzy Baroud

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”

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”

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?”

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”

The mainstream media’s lionizing and exalting of the fatally ill Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could only be compared to that of great men and women of past years. The hundreds of endearing commentaries, venerating news reports and glorifying television programs – massively sprung in the wake of his unexpected stroke on Wednesday, January 4 … Continue reading “Exalting Sharon: A Dire Case of Collective Amnesia”

Many lessons can be drawn from the observation of Israeli dominion over the Palestinians in the past fifty-five years, most notably the audacious mandate of institutionalized violence. Even more alarming than the crimes themselves is the fact that even after blatantly violating international law, Israel manages to remain in the safety of the fold of … Continue reading “Israel’s Successful Use of the Art of Realpolitik”

The BBC’s striking revelations regarding the secretive and disconcerting British role in making an Israeli nuclear bomb possible, deserves more than a quick pause and a few dozen news reports. It obliges a thorough investigation coupled with a complete reversal in the double standard that views Israel’s fully-fledged nuclear capabilities as a trivial concern. The … Continue reading “Israel’s Nuclear Puzzle Resolved: But To What End?”

The deadly terror attacks in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheik Red Sea resort in July and the earlier October 2004 bombings at two other Red Sea resorts seem to have disrupted the consistency of the rationale that links the current terrorism upsurge in the Middle East to the US war effort in Iraq. The Christian Science Monitor … Continue reading “Blaming the Mosques for the Sins of Governments”

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s highly publicized tour in the Middle East, Asia and Europe carried with it little or no surprises. But even then, one must not altogether write off the possibility of some lessons to be learned, even if indirectly. The Middle East leg of her journey, which lasted from June 17-20, … Continue reading “Managed Democracy: Washington’s Prospective Policy in the Middle East”

"Ramzy, I must admit it, it’s so hard being a Palestinian these days.” That’s how a friend of mine, a dedicated individual who is spending her days and years advocating justice for the Palestinian people, ended a distressing message to me a few months back. I recall her words often, and as often I recall … Continue reading “Grandpa’s Battered Radio”