Kalash
Saberi’s Release & its Implications for US-Iran Relations
In case you haven’t heard, US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi is free after being locked up in an Iranian jail for a few months under questionable circumstances. Her sentence was reduced to a suspended two-year term and she was ordered released. She was also banned from practicing journalism in Iran for five years and is on [...]
A Glimmer of Hope or Something Temporary?
Although I’ve found myself repeatedly disappointed by Barack Obama when it comes to Palestine, one has to admit – there have been a couple marginally positive developments recently. It’s too early to start celebrating but we’ve heard some ‘tough’ talk from the administration, especially when it comes to settlements. For example, the AIPAC conference may have [...]
Alhurra… “Today”
It’s been a while since our last post on Alhurra, the US-funded television station seeking aimlessly to make an impact on Arab hearts and minds. More than five years after its launch, this media outlet has proven itself to be little more than an expensive joke. Regardless of how many talented journalists work there, less [...]
Pregnant Driver Causes Unborn Baby’s Death?
Dubai’s wacky legal system is in the news once again. On Sunday, a Lebanese woman was convicted of negligent homicide after allegedly causing an accident in which her unborn child was killed. In October of last year, just four days before a planned cesarian delivery, the defendant was driving around the notoriously dangerous streets of [...]
Lebanon-Syria… and the Tribunal
The recent release of four Lebanese generals held without charge for almost four years has drawn mixed reactions from the country’s leaders. The ruling coalition has grudgingly accepted the international court’s decision, and held it up as an example of objectivity and fairness. Members of the opposition welcomed the release of the generals, but many took it [...]
Pirates & Principles
Team America has decided to get tough on Somali pirates. Last week snipers gunned down three of them to rescue one of their own (nothing heroic about that). On Tuesday, a federal judge decided to try the lone survivor as an adult despite claims that he is as young as 15. Texas congressman Ron Paul has called [...]
Israeli Interests Stifle Academic Freedom… Once Again
I don’t pretend to have made any sort of breakthrough statement in the title of this post. Indeed, we know all too well the lengths to which Israel’s supporters have gone to stifle academic debate and discussion. Time and time again, those who dare to speak out against the state of Israel are labelled ‘anti-Semitic’ [...]
The Inherent Racism of Zionism
Following up on Fayyad’s most recent post… I don’t think too highly of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but every time he discusses Zionism and the question of Palestine, I find myself nodding in agreement. The speech he delivered in Geneva on Monday was no exception. While he probably went a little overboard with some of the economic [...]
A Suspicious Journalist and the Future of US-Iran Relations
On Saturday, an Iranian court announced that it had convicted Roxana Saberi of spying for the United States; she was sentenced to 8 years in prison. It all started with a bottle of wine… at least that’s what she told her father. There’s no reason to doubt the veracity of such a claim, but the [...]
The Wild East
The recent round of violence in Lebanon is a sign of the rampant lawlessness that prevails there. In some circles, it even provides a certain level of justification for US aid to the beleaguered country (although drones, Dodges, Fords and a couple tanks won’t be enough to provide stability). The type of aid Lebanese security [...]
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