Middle East

Four years ago, I wrote this after a meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace: “The president of USIP Nancy Lindborg had an odd response when I suggested that inviting Senator Tom Cotton to come speak at USIP on the need for a longer war on Afghanistan was a problem. She… »

Co-Written by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J S Davies On Saturday, September 14th, two oil refineries and other oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia were hit and set ablaze by 18 drones and 7 cruise missiles, dramatically slashing Saudi Arabia’s oil production by half, from about ten million to five million… »

After the Central Elections Committee banned a civil society group from busing Bedouin voters to the polls, dozens of Israelis are stepping in to ensure all citizens have a chance to participate in the elections. By Oren Ziv |Published September 17, 2019 Between Netanyahu’s rabid anti-Arab incitement and credible rumors of… »

“Five years into the conflict, violations against Yemeni civilians continue unabated, with total disregard for the plight of the people and a lack of international action to hold parties to the conflict accountable.” By Jake Johnson, staff writer Common Dreams A comprehensive and damning United Nations report released Tuesday… »

Many recent developments signal an early implementation of the “deal of the century” despite Palestinian rejection. Yara Zarir for openDemocracy 25 August 2019 The “deal of the century” is the peace plan proposed by the Trump administration to end the disputes in the Middle East. The… »

With surging unemployment rates and high rents, Palestinian refugees who fled the Syrian war for Gaza are struggling to climb out of poverty. Like many Gazans, they hope to leave the strip in search of a better life. By Amjad Yaghi In mid-2012, Egyptian police arrested Omar Odeh for violating the conditions… »

On 25 and 26 June, a conference was held in Manama, Bahrain, at which the economic component of the “Deal of the Century”, entitled “Peace for Prosperity”, was officially presented as a proposal for a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict. The “Deal of the Century,” which the U.S. »

By Dr James M Dorsey Climate change, much like war, could prove to be a geopolitical and commercial gold mine. At least, that is the take of DP World, Dubai’s global port operator, and Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. DP World is partnering with the fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund… »

Following “with sadness” the Israeli authorities’ destruction of homes in the Palestinian community of Sur Bahir, three top United Nations officials issued a statement on Monday underscoring that the move was “not compatible” with Israel’s “obligations under international humanitarian law”. Israel’s Supreme Court has reportedly ruled that the houses were… »

We speak with a British whistleblower whose attempts to expose lies about the Iraq invasion was called “the most important and courageous leak” in history by acclaimed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Katharine Gun was a young specialist working for Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters when she exposed a highly confidential… »