Ramzy Baroud

The Arab reform debacle is widening as Arab leaders fail to achieve either a unified or a comprehensible vision for their own countries. Under various guises and pretenses, the Arab Summit in Tunisia last May only deepened the impression that Arab leaders are incapable of devising their own reforms. My worst fear is now unfolding: … Continue reading “Reform as a Euphemism for Stagnation”

Rafah, Jenin, Khan Yunis, Zeitun: Foreign-sounding names of so distanced and disturbing a reality. All that we know of them is what the media have selectively determined to impart, if we are interested to hear the story. The Rafah refugee camp, a small strip of land at the southern edge of Gaza was the target … Continue reading “Celebrating Life in Rafah”

Khalid al-Zabin, a 59-year-old Palestinian journalist was ambushed outside his office in Gaza, on Tuesday, March 2. His body was riddled with bullets. All that is known about his executioners is that they wore masks. No faction has claimed responsibility for his murder and the Palestinian Authority has no suspects. The disturbing episode is likely … Continue reading “Gazans Must Spurn Internal Strife and Egyptian Rule”

One can hardly overlook the reverberation of triumph in the words of Ariel Sharon’s own chief spokesman, Ranaan Gissin on Thursday, January 29. When commenting on a suicide bombing that killed 10 Israelis and wounded others in Jerusalem, Gissin exhorted: “This terrorist attack is the best argument that we can use to defend the sacred … Continue reading “Beyond Wall and Propaganda:”

Palestinian resistance factions must stop targeting Israeli civilians, with or without an officially bargained cease-fire and regardless of what Israel and its reckless government do in response. This is imperative if the Palestinian struggle is to safeguard its historic values and maintain its morality. For some, such reasoning may seem inconsistent, one-sided even; after all, … Continue reading “Palestinian Resistance Must Spare Civilians”

The epochal Israeli bombing inside Syria on October 05 has practically rendered the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between the two countries irrelevant. By bombing the purportedly ‘militant training camp’, as portrayed by Israel, near Damascus, the latest act of antagonism flustered the already frantic world media, who were struck as much as the Syrians by the … Continue reading “The March on Damascus: A New Epoch Unfolds”

The British Empire, at the peak of its expansion, was credited for developing the "divide and conquer" military strategy. I wonder how history will remember the United States’ imperialist policies – "lie and conquer"? Perhaps. "September 11 has changed the world" we are constantly reminded. That was a lie. The truth was that a "new … Continue reading “Lie and Conquer”

In the case of an American war on Iraq, Palestinians will not be watching for a "smart bomb" heading their way, but for the Israeli army forcing them out of their homes. This possibility is of greater danger that one might think. It is seldom that the international community has stood in the face of … Continue reading “War on Iraq Double Disaster for Palestinians”

There were many good reasons for the successful "coalition" formed in 1990-91 to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. None of these reasons are present in today’s argument presented by the United States to attack Iraq. The US administration seems unable or unwilling to understand how different the Middle East has become in the last ten … Continue reading “Why the War on Iraq is Just Not Working Out”