"Orient XXI is neither a daily news website nor an academic organ reserved for specialists. We want it to be ‘in-between’, aimed at a large and varied public interested in the region for many different reasons – at students as much as people with relatives or friends on the other shore, at men and women involved on a daily basis in the countless economic, cultural, and interpersonal networks linking North and South."
Oh, the hypocrisy of it. The ignoble aims. The distraction. The outrageous lies and excuses. I’m not talking about America’s tweet-from-the-hip preside
A weekly review of world politics by one of the world’s sharpest and most outspoken political analysts. Tariq Ali is the author of numerous books, both ficti... Tariq Ali and Patrick Coburn talk about ISIS in Sept 2014; ca 30 min.
Robert Fisk, Independent 204.2016, according to the New York Times, the Saudis have even threatened to sell billions of dollars of their US assets if Congress passes a bill allowing the Saudi government to be held responsible in American courts for the crimes against humanity of 9/11.
Sami Ramadani, senior lecturer in sociology at London Metropolitan University and a political refugee from Saddam's regime: "A shift in Turkey's policy is very significant for the region. Turkey over the last few years built friendly relations with Iran, with Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement, and with the Syrian regime it developed very close links. They decided—Turkey decided to agree to installing the anti-ballistic missile umbrella in Turkey. Before that, they objected to such installation. This started souring relations with Iran. When it came to the demonstrations inside Syria, gradually Turkey took the side of those who want to militarize the conflict."
Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”. "Despite an open conspiracy to drown the region in sectarian strife, the US now poses as a stakeholder in Iraq’s stability. Having armed, funded, and assisted ISIS into existence and into northern Iraq itself, the idea of America “intervening” to stop ISIS is comparable to an arsonist extinguishing his fire with more gasoline."
Gen Wesley Clark, interviewd by Amy Goodman, March 2, 2007: "You see, essentially, you cannot win the war on terror by military force. It is first and foremost a battle of ideas. It is secondly a law enforcement effort and a cooperative effort among nations. And only as a last resort do you use military force."
"This, now, is the real War on Terror. But this time it will be led from inside the Middle East, gain universal support and change the regional political balance of power for generations to come." Sharmine Narwani is a commentary writer and political analyst covering the Middle East. You can follow Sharmine on twitter @snarwani.