What Will Become of Gaza Settlers’ Homes?

JERUSALEM – It might have been expected that Israel, not wanting to have pictures broadcast of Palestinians triumphantly entering the evacuated homes of settlers in the Gaza Strip, would want to demolish those homes. It might equally have been expected that the Palestinians, wanting to be seen marching into the homes of their retreating occupiers, … Continue reading “What Will Become of Gaza Settlers’ Homes?”

Aoun Becoming Kingmaker, Maybe President

BEIRUT – Lebanon’s formerly anti-Syrian General Michel Aoun is on the verge of outmaneuvering the country’s main anti-Syrian opposition alliance. All eyes are now on the last round of Lebanon’s four-stage parliamentary elections, next Sunday in the north. A spokesman for Aoun conceded that the "general," as his followers still call him, now has a … Continue reading “Aoun Becoming Kingmaker, Maybe President”

Behind the Downing Street Memos

Everyone is talking about the Downing Street memos, and they are important – although not for the reasons generally assumed. Naturally, we covered these on Antiwar.com when they were first published, but now that the "mainstream" media is finally paying attention it behooves us to go over them with a fine-tooth comb, in an attempt … Continue reading “Behind the Downing Street Memos”

Haiti: Another Regime Change in Trouble

While the violence in Iraq continues unabated, the situation in Haiti, where the George W. Bush administration also played a key role in engineering regime change, is going from bad to desperate, according to increasingly worried analysts here. The UN Security Council, which will decide the terms for extending its peacekeeping operation (MINUSTAH) in the … Continue reading “Haiti: Another Regime Change in Trouble”

Snuff Reality

Killers of People and Truth Almost two weeks since the airing of the controversial atrocity video, whose purveyors claim it represents proof of Serbian war crimes against the Muslims of Srebrenica, many questions about the horrifying film still remain open. That has not stopped the vast majority of the mainstream media from declaring the video … Continue reading “Snuff Reality”

Iran’s Theocrats and America’s Neocons Need Each Other

Iran’s most repressive clerics and the USA’s most militaristic neocons share a common interest: They’re very eager to see the failure of Iranian activism for democracy and human rights. On the surface, no outlook could be further from Washington’s reigning mentality than the ayatollah-led chant of “Death to America” that I heard at a big … Continue reading “Iran’s Theocrats and America’s Neocons Need Each Other”

Shi’ites: Game; Kurds: Set; Sunnis: Match; US: Loss

There is something pathetic in the recent efforts by the Bush administration (reported by the New York Times this week) to try to enlist Europe, the Arab world, and the United Nations to pressure the ruling Shi’ite-Kurdish coalition in Baghdad led by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to include members of the Sunni minority in the … Continue reading “Shi’ites: Game; Kurds: Set; Sunnis: Match; US: Loss”

Iran’s Cynical Voters Look at Presidential Race

TEHRAN – "This election is absolutely unprecedented in terms of numbers of candidates and their supporters. [But] it seems the people and the eight hopefuls are from different planets," says Ali Hasani, 56, a self-employed businessman commuting between Dubai and Tehran. "I have been carrying this big luggage [pointing to a trunk next to him] … Continue reading “Iran’s Cynical Voters Look at Presidential Race”

‘Heathens’ Not Welcome at Air Force Academy

In late April, the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a longtime religious watchdog group, called the nation’s attention to numerous incidents of religious bias and the official promotion of fundamentalist Christianity at the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based United States Air Force Academy – a problem that apparently has been brewing for quite … Continue reading “‘Heathens’ Not Welcome at Air Force Academy”

Lebanon’s Aoun Makes Dramatic Comeback

BEIRUT – Former exiled general Michel Aoun made a dramatic comeback in the penultimate round of Lebanon’s legislative elections, sweeping 21 seats out of the 58 contested. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader’s unexpected victory represents a major upset to Lebanon’s political landscape, setting back the anti-Syrian opposition bloc in its drive to win a … Continue reading “Lebanon’s Aoun Makes Dramatic Comeback”