middle east issues

Dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has disappeared after going into the Saudi embassy in Istanbul to complete some paperwork regarding his impending marriage. The Turkish authorities are accusing the Saudis of murdering him and disposing of his body...

Ever since the so-called Islamic State (aka ISIL, ISIS, Da'esh) took over Mosul and declared a caliphate in Raqqa, with Baghdadi as its leader, in 2014, Iraqi forces, backed up by 400 US Army personnel with a further 1,000 reservists due to be deployed by the USA, have now taken back large parts...

Barghouti: 'The Third Intifada has already begun' Exactly what the Middle East needs right now. Will "the West"'s favorite apartheid state be able to use the opportunity of everybody being distracted by the events in Syria for a little "mowing", like they did last year when they started their...

I don't need to detail this much: it has been openly in the news that the US is critical of Russian support for Assad and is actively trying to thwart military aid to Assad, as well as passively by letting stooges within EU governments act on its behalf: Google: "France attempts to block...

ROME — European leaders were confronted on Monday with a humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, as estimates that as many as 900 migrants may have died off the Libyan coast this weekend prompted calls for a new approach to the surging number of refugees crossing from Africa and the Middle...

But on which side? According to the UN it's the rebels who may have been using poison gas. Fancy that. So, since they crossed the red line we should pile in on Assad's side, right? The US is having none of it: 'Highly likely' huh? Well, how would they know? They didn't know...

Hosni Mubarak sentenced to life

Why do they hate us?: The article is describes numerous instances where women have been assaulted without consequence: - Women endure genital mutilation to reduce their sexual desires. - Its legal for men to beat women so long as they do so with "good intentions". - A gang-rape survivor was...

In the Iranian nuke discussions some posters insinuate that Israel is to blame for hostilities between the two countries. A straight answer is never given for how these hostilities began. (As Orwell noted, liars rarely speak straight). Here's your opportunity: When did conflict between...

I'm on the fence, and it's starting to give me haemorrhoids, so I wanted one of you to convincingly push me off onto one side. The question I've been asking myself is thus: If Iran gains a nuclear weapon, is it at all likely that they would 'wipe Israel off the map', ensuring their own...

This was sent to me by an advisory service: Which needless to say is rather scary. There also seems to have been an escalation of rhetoric in the news - accusations of murder plots, etc etc. So what do you think, will the US/Britain et al be at war with Iran this time next year?

"Egypt Debt Buoyed by Obama Guarantee for $1 Billion Eurobonds: Arab Credit" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-13/egypt-debt-buoyed-by-obama-guarantee-for-1-billion-eurobonds-arab-credit.html I object. This is not a good idea, given America's financial state of affairs, for America or...

I haven't read or heard his speech yet, but I woke up this morning and opened Google News, and here's some of the headlines: Obama Speech Backlash on Call to Reinstate 1967 Mideast Borders Bridge to nowhere ZOA to AIPAC: Withdraw Obama invite My first thought is, my god, what has he done? What...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110123/ap_on_re_us/tunisia_spreading_protests first Tunisia and now possibly Yemen. any chance that Saudi Arabia could follow? I support any and all attempts to bring down dictatorships, but only if there is a democratic and secular movement waiting in the...

Once upon a time the staple piece of clothing was the blue shirt of the Labor Movement, and songwriter Mordechai Zeira sang about it: "And it's much better than all jewels." A new generation has arrived, and its shirt is darker. Today it's black and bears the legend: We are all the victims of...

'... Israel has said it will not meet a delegation of European foreign ministers, including William Hague, this week as diplomatic pressure mounts on its government to extend a 10-month settlement freeze that ends next week. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday told Tony Blair, the...

In recent weeks the head of Hizbullah, Hasan Nassaralla give several speeches in which the subject of the UN tribunal investigating the murder of Rafik Hariri was brought up. In one he accused the tribunal of being a part of an Israeli plot. In another, he said that it is possible that some...

The Iranians canceled their ship to Gaza and the Libyans docked in Egypt instead of Gaza. Neither is the Lebanese Hizbullah ship to be seen. Nor is Cyprus willing to cooperate with a Lebanese ship to Gaza, an idea which seems to have fallen by the wayside. As usual, hysterics about the "evil...

Tax-Exempt Funds Aid Settlements in West Bank This is ridiculous.

'Everyone hates Jews,' declares Islamic cleric On TV program cites Muhammad: 'The Muslims will kill the Jews. Be patient' ________________________________________ Posted: November 02, 2009 9:38 pm Eastern By Aaron Klein © 2009 WorldNetDaily JERUSALEM – Trees, animals and non-Jewish athletes...

Howe much longer will Israel exist? I predict that if they do not change their ways, and abandon state-sanctioned racism against Arabs and leave the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, Israel will cease to exist as a Jewish state. I give them.....50 years.

Sorry if I missed a thread, but I couldn't find one. Obama is naming George Mitchell as special envoy to the middle east. Brilliant move, IMHO. He has credibility, having demonstrated the ability to reach a peace deal in Northern Ireland, one of the other "insolvable" conflicts, he is an ally...

Sid Ryan, President of the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, has proposed a ban on Israeli professors from teaching unless they "explicitly condemn the university bombing and the assault on Gaza in general". What a great day when a union leader makes a move to limit...

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1452152.php/German_peacekeepers_suggested_for_Gaza__Roundup__

A few weeks from now, a major international Summit Meeting is due to take place in the capital city of Maryland, with the goal of kick-starting a moribund peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. The basis for this US-sponsored conference is the "2002 Saudi Initiative" which places...

For are Islam apologist I thought I would mention a new study that was just completed. NEW SURVEY ASSESSES WOMEN'S FREEDOM IN THE MIDDLE EAST The Complete Report Tables and Graphs

I read this article some time ago and it resonated. Read here how Moslem leaders handle their Faluja's: http://www.mafhoum.com/press2/63P58.htm Read the whole thing, it is instructive. The difficulty that we have over there is that we are attempting to bring effete western approaches to...

Every time some despot falls in the middle east--an all-too-infrequent occurence, unfortunately--we hear from the left that this is wrong, because it "humiliates the Arabs" (or the Muslims), with their presumably ultra-sensitive national pride. (Of course, the same sort of pride--in a much...

Right, lets get this point dealt with. Too much meandering and tooing and froing in the all the other threads. I would contend that every imperialistic acquisition of land in history has been met with an armed response. (Usually unsucessful). The Arabs have been maligned for resisting...

A new survey by the University of Michigan reveals that the Arab population favors peace with Israel and considers democracy the best form of government. The new study reinforces the results found by earlier studies. I won't have the time to participate in lengthy debates (I put in a 63-hour...