November 2009

Why has the left in Israel vanished?

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

Why has the left in Israel vanished? By Yitzhak Laor, Haaretz, November 19, 2009 he threats uttered against a possible Palestinian declaration of independence by our leaders Benjamin Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman and Ehud Barak let the Israeli sanctimony (usually tedious and belabored) drop to the floor for a moment, like a woman’s slip. It exposed [...]

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From Gaza to Obama: An open letter

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

From Gaza to Obama: An open letter By Professor Haidar Eid, Ma’an, November 15, 2009 Mr President, The whole world celebrated your election as the first African-American president of the US. I did not. Neither did the inhabitants of the concentration camp where I live. Your sympathetic visit to Sderot—an Israeli town which was the [...]

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Is Iraq shifting to Iran?

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

Is Iraq shifting to Iran? By Gary Sick, The Daily Beast, November 16, 2009 Are we witnessing a historic shift in the balance of power in the Persian Gulf, with Iran assuming dominance over Iraq? A recent fact-finding trip to Baghdad and Najaf suggests that such fears are exaggerated. In 2003, the United States overturned [...]

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A death in Tehran

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

A death in Tehran Frontline, PBS, November 17, 2009 Share

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The Afghan speech Obama should give (but won’t)

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

‘This administration ended, rather than extended, two wars’… The Afghan speech Obama should give (but won’t) By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch, November 19, 2009 Sure, the quote in the over-title is only my fantasy. No one in Washington — no less President Obama — ever said, “This administration ended, rather than extended, two wars,” and right [...]

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Fine and inquiry possible for Blackwater successor

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

Fine and inquiry possible for Blackwater successor By Mark Mazzetti and James Risen, New York Times, November 19, 2009 The international security company formerly called Blackwater Worldwide is facing large government fines for unlicensed arms shipments to Iraq, as a key Congressional committee is asking for a separate investigation into whether the company bribed Iraqi [...]

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Hasan’s supervisor warned army in ’07

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

Hasan’s supervisor warned army in ’07 By Daniel Zwerdling, NPR, November 18, 2009 Two years ago, a top psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was so concerned about what he saw as Nidal Hasan’s incompetence and reckless behavior that he put those concerns in writing. NPR has obtained a copy of the memo, the [...]

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CIA secret ‘torture’ prison found at fancy horseback riding academy

by Paul Woodward 11.19.2009

CIA secret ‘torture’ prison found at fancy horseback riding academy By Brian Ross and Matthew Cole, ABC News, November 18, 2009 The CIA built one of its secret European prisons inside an exclusive riding academy outside Vilnius, Lithuania, a current Lithuanian government official and a former U.S. intelligence official told ABC News this week. Where [...]

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Dispatches: Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby

by Paul Woodward 11.18.2009

Dispatches: Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby Channel 4, November 16, 2009 (Click on the image above to watch this 48-minute documentary — it’s essential viewing.) Dispatches investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain, which is working in support of the interests of the State of Israel. Despite wielding great influence among [...]

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Who’s in charge of the language here?

by Paul Woodward 11.18.2009

“… who is in charge of the language here?” By Paul Woodward, War in Context, November 18, 2009 After Israeli officials flatly refused a US request to block the approval for the construction of 900 new housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, the Obama administration “lashed out” (CBS) with “anger” (New York Times) and “sharply [...]

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Imagine living in the West Bank…

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Imagine living in the West Bank… By Paul Woodward, War in Context, November 17, 2009 For most Israelis, the occupied West Bank — now mostly concealed behind a barrier far more imposing than the Berlin Wall — could be a million miles away. Even so, thousands really do know what it’s like. They have firsthand [...]

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Obama’s Afghan dilemma: missing security forces

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Obama’s Afghan dilemma: missing security forces By Tony Karon, Time, November 16, 2009 The simple answer to the Administration’s dilemma, in the minds of many in Washington, is to train and equip Afghans to do the job themselves. Obama reportedly rejected all four options offered by his national-security staff on Nov. 11 — ranging from [...]

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Renouncing Islamism: To the brink and back again

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Renouncing Islamism: To the brink and back again By Johann Hari, The Independent, November 16, 2009 As the summer arrives and London begins to swelter, I sit with most of the “out” ex-jihadis in a slew of Starbucks across the city. We sip iced lattes and discuss how, not long ago, they tried to destroy [...]

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Officials: Major Hasan sought ‘war crimes’ prosecution of U.S. soldiers

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Officials: Major Hasan sought ‘war crimes’ prosecution of U.S. soldiers By Joseph Rhee, Mary-Rose Abraham, Anna Schecter and Brian Ross, ABC News, November 16, 2009 Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s military superiors repeatedly ignored or rebuffed his efforts to open criminal prosecutions of soldiers he claimed had confessed to “war crimes” during psychiatric counseling, according to [...]

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Nuclear agency warns of more Iran plants

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Nuclear agency warns of more Iran plants By Jay Solomon and David Crawford, Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2009 The United Nations atomic watchdog said Iran could be constructing a number of covert nuclear installations in addition to a secret uranium-enrichment facility the Obama administration disclosed in late September. The International Atomic Energy Agency also [...]

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Palestinians call for EU to back independence

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Palestinians call for EU to back independence By Ian Black, The Guardian, November 16, 2009 Palestinians have formally asked the European Union to urge the UN security council to recognise a fully independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in response to the current impasse in peace negotiations with Israel. Saeb Erakat, the [...]

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Was the Iraq war worth it? A divided city tries to answer

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Was the Iraq war worth it? A divided city tries to answer By Ernesto Londoño, Washington Post, November 15, 2009 The Shiite pilgrims arrive in crowded buses and are dropped off just outside the shrine’s gate. They walk down a narrow path patrolled by security guards and lined with tall cement walls to pray at [...]

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Manhattan transfer

by Paul Woodward 11.17.2009

Manhattan transfer By Dahlia Lithwick, Slate, November 16, 2009 Opposition to the Obama administration’s plan to try alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his confederates in a federal court in New York City is hardening into two camps. One is concerned that we may be unwittingly playing into the terrorists’ hands. The other is [...]

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From Bradford to Gaza

by Paul Woodward 11.16.2009

The brothers from Bradford are ready for Gaza By Paul Woodward, War in Context, November 16, 2009 On March 9, I wrote: “In Sharm el-Sheikh a week ago, world leaders delivered empty promises. Today, Viva Palestina delivered the goods!” The first Viva Palestina convoy had just completed its arduous drive through Europe and across North [...]

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The Jihadi Code

by Paul Woodward 11.15.2009

The Jihadi Code CNN, November 15, 2009 New jihad code threatens al Qaeda By Nic Robertson and Paul Cruickshank, CNN, November 10, 2009 From within Libya’s most secure jail a new challenge to al Qaeda is emerging. Leaders of one of the world’s most effective jihadist organizations, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), have written [...]

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Palestinians to seek UN endorsement of statehood

by Paul Woodward 11.15.2009

Palestinians to seek UN endorsement of statehood AP, November 15, 2009 Palestinian officials said Sunday they are preparing to ask the United Nations to endorse an independent state without Israel’s consent because they are losing faith in the peace talks. The idea appeared to be largely symbolic. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, would likely veto [...]

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High costs weigh on troop debate for Afghan war

by Paul Woodward 11.15.2009

High costs weigh on troop debate for Afghan war By Christopher Drew, New York Times, November 15, 2009 While President Obama’s decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say. The latest internal government [...]

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Detainees to get the “state-always-wins” system of “justice”

by Paul Woodward 11.15.2009

Detainees to get the “state-always-wins” system of “justice” By Glenn Greenwald, Salon, November 13, 2009 … what we have here is not an announcement that all terrorism suspects are entitled to real trials in a real American court. Instead, what we have is a multi-tiered justice system, where only certain individuals are entitled to real [...]

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The Israel lobby and the Jewish kings

by Paul Woodward 11.14.2009

The Israel lobby and the Jewish kings By Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss, November 14, 2009 When people ask why Obama has capitulated to the prime minister of a tiny state– Bibi Netanyahu– various theories are offered about Health care first, or the economy, or Afghanistan, or oil. Few say directly: Netanyahu feels invulnerable because of the [...]

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