Bill Weinberg

Greater Middle East

Ramzi Shahadeh

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement saying he is "deeply concerned" about ongoing air-strikes on Douma in Syria's besieged Eastern Ghouta enclave, noting the "killing of civilians" and "destruction of civilian infrastructure," including hospitals and health facilities. The statement said he is "particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded that no evidence has been found of a chemical weapons attack in Douma. But the Syrian-American Medical Society, which has aid workers on the ground, said more than 500 people were brought to medical centers in Douma with symptoms "indicative of exposure to a chemical agent," including breathing difficulties, bluish skin, mouth foaming, corneal burns and "emission of chlorine-like odor." (Image: Syria Solidarity Campaign)

Mahmud Shahadeh

Mahmud Shahadeh, Palestinian village elder in the Galilee: “Even after we heard about the confiscation of land in the 1970s, it had no affect on us as we worked the land. We kept on farming, plowing, and planting, until the… Read moreMahmud Shahadeh

Iraq

Iraq’s Shi’ite majority: no new elections

In a major setback to US-backed national reconciliation efforts, Iraq’s presidential council rejected a plan for new provincial elections and sent the bill back to parliament Feb. 27. Many Sunnis boycotted the January 2005 elections for the 275-member parliament and… Read moreIraq’s Shi’ite majority: no new elections

Iraq

Baghdad: head of journalists union assassinated

Shihab al-Timimi, 74, chief of the Iraqi Journalists’ Union, died Feb. 27 of wounds suffered in an ambush outside the union headquarters in the Waziriya district of Baghdad five days earlier. His deputy at the journalists’ union, Mouayed al-Lami, said,… Read moreBaghdad: head of journalists union assassinated

Watching the Shadows

Pentagon names reporter for Canadian TV “enemy combatant”

Jawed Ahmad, an Afghan journalist for Canada’s CTV network held by the US military four months without charge, has been designated an unlawful enemy combatant, the Pentagon announced. Ahmad was allowed to make a statement before an enemy combatant review… Read morePentagon names reporter for Canadian TV “enemy combatant”

The Andes

FARC free four more hostages

Four hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were released Feb. 27, in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The four ex-members of Colombia’s congress are among some 40 high-profile hostages held for years by… Read moreFARC free four more hostages

Africa

African leaders, civil society reject Pentagon’s Africa Command

In his recent tour of African capitals, President Bush did his best to avoid any mention of the Pentagon’s new Africa Command (AfriCom), focusing instead on development projects and his new initiative against AIDS. But on Feb. 20 in Ghana,… Read moreAfrican leaders, civil society reject Pentagon’s Africa Command

Afghanistan

Taliban threaten cell phone companies

The Taliban, it seems, are a bunch of posers. If they were for real in their rejection of modernity, they would want cellular telephones banned on principle, and not merely to prevent the whereabouts of their apparently cellphone-addicted militants being… Read moreTaliban threaten cell phone companies

Europe

Albanian authorities have power to brutalize Serbs —but not control Kosova’s borders

Reading between the lines in the Kosova coverage can sure be depressing, especially for those of us who have been following the conflict there over the past 20 years. While 20 years ago, Albanian protesters were throwing rocks at Serbian… Read moreAlbanian authorities have power to brutalize Serbs —but not control Kosova’s borders

Iraq

Iraq: bloody Arbaeen —again

Four more Shi’ite pilgrims headed for Karbala for Arbaeen celebrations were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad Feb. 25—one day after a suicide bomber killed 48 pilgrims, detonating a vest filled with explosives at a rest stop in Iskandiriyah…. Read moreIraq: bloody Arbaeen —again

WHY WE FIGHT

From Newsday, Feb. 23: New MTBE spills found to threaten drinking water A study of Long Island groundwater pollution caused by the fuel additive MTBE uncovered 32 petroleum spills that had not been previously detected, including one in Ronkonkoma that… Read moreWHY WE FIGHT

Afghanistan

Obama rattles saber at Pakistan —again

Oops, he did it again. While it has gone largely unnoticed in US media coverage, press outlets on the subcontinent are noting (with trepidation or glee) alarmingly bellicose comments by Barack Obama at the Austin Democratic presidential debate Feb. 21… Read moreObama rattles saber at Pakistan —again