Chris Toensing

Chris Toensing is editor of Middle East Report, published by the Middle East Research and Information Project.

Your Tax Dollars Are Enabling Police Brutality in Egypt

Ever since the Black Lives Matter movement exploded into the headlines, violence by American police officers has come under fire from activists and ordinary citizens alike. Less discussed, however, is how the U.S. government winks at the police brutality of its client states abroad. The military government in Egypt, for example, is cracking down hard … Continue reading “Your Tax Dollars Are Enabling Police Brutality in Egypt”

Yemen Is Starving, and We’re Partly To Blame

Twenty million people in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, are at risk of dying from hunger or thirst. That’s 80 percent of the country’s population, which according to UN agencies badly needs emergency supplies of food and water, along with fuel and medicine. This almost unimaginable crisis sounds like something out of … Continue reading “Yemen Is Starving, and We’re Partly To Blame”

Footing the Bill While Israel Thumbs Its Nose

It’s tax season again. How about a little accounting? Every year, Washington sends $3.1 billion of taxpayers’ hard-earned money to Israel. It’s only fair to ask what Americans are getting in return. That seems especially appropriate now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is busy badmouthing the tentative nuclear deal with Iran, a major diplomatic achievement … Continue reading “Footing the Bill While Israel Thumbs Its Nose”

Operation Lip Service

The popular uprising in Bahrain shows no signs of going away. The royal family tried crushing the revolt, importing shock troops from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. It tried jailing important figures in the opposition, such as human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who as of early May had been on hunger strike for 90 days. The … Continue reading “Operation Lip Service”

Harsh Rhetoric About Iran Isn’t Helping

Nothing is certain except for death and taxes. But in campaign season, it’s awfully predictable that Democratic politicians will do a little chest-thumping about foreign policy. As the 2012 presidential contest approaches, the Obama administration is ratcheting up its rhetoric against Iran, right on cue. First, the Justice Department lodged the allegation — based on … Continue reading “Harsh Rhetoric About Iran Isn’t Helping”

Washington’s Physics Problem in Iraq

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, says its chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, has a “physics problem.” According to a 2008 accord between the United States and Iraq, the U.S. military is to be evacuated from Mesopotamia — down to the last tank mechanic and dishwasher — by the close of the calendar year. Lately, there have … Continue reading “Washington’s Physics Problem in Iraq”

Rebranding the Iraq War

The war in Iraq is over. Or so the government and most media outlets will claim on Sept. 1, by which time thousands of U.S. troops will have departed the land of two rivers for other assignments. With this phase of the drawdown, says President Barack Obama, “America’s combat mission will end.” The Pentagon is … Continue reading “Rebranding the Iraq War”