Tehran Shoots, Obama Scorns

Staff / Truthdig Jul 9, 2008 Taking a move from the McCain playbook and latching on to the bogeyman that is Iran, Barack Obama responded to Tehran's long-range weapons tests Wednesday with calls for tougher economic sanctions against the country, whose missiles are now deemed capable of hitting American bases in the region. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mosaic: Egypt’s Bread War

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2008 Some Arab countries' economies are getting a boost from the rise in oil prices, but you wouldn't know it from the shortages of staples like bread -- a major cause for concern in Egypt, where long lines and soaring costs are sparking serious unrest. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush Endorses Palestinian State

Staff / Truthdig Jan 11, 2008 President Bush, commenting Thursday in Jerusalem, spoke out in favor of the creation of an independent Palestinian state. He followed that strong suggestion with another: financial compensation for Palestinian refugees forced to leave their homes in areas that are now part of Israel. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Saudi Court Punishes Rape Victim

Staff / Truthdig Nov 16, 2007 A Saudi woman has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail by an appeals court because she was riding in a car with a man when she was attacked and gang-raped by seven men. It is forbidden in Saudi Arabia for unmarried men and women to be together. She was 19 at the time of the attack. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Lebanese Strike a Blow at U.S.-Backed Government

Robert Fisk / Truthdig Aug 11, 2007 True, the US may be able to "spread democracy" to other nations throughout the world, but, as The Independent's Robert Fisk points out, that doesn't mean that the U can control how those nations exercise their democratic rights Take Lebanon, for example, where, Fisk wryly notes, "The Arabs have, once more, followed democracy and voted for the wrong man". Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Israeli Textbook Gives Arab View of the State’s Birth

Staff / Truthdig Jul 23, 2007 A top Israeli education official has authorized a textbook for exclusive use in Arab Israeli schools that tells a different side of the story of Israel's creation in 1948. For starters, the text acknowledges that Palestinians dubbed the historical event "al nakba" (the catastrophe). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel’s Primal Myth: A Barrier to Peace

Barry Lando / Truthdig Jul 21, 2007 Forget about Hamas, the wall, Gaza and the occupied territories. There can be no peace in the Middle East until Israel and the Palestinians deal with one key issue: the Palestinian demand that Israel recognize their right of return. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Egypt Bans Female Genital Mutilation

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2007 Female genital mutilation, known euphemistically as "female circumcision," has been banned completely in Egypt following the death of a girl. Although a soft ban has been in place for 10 years, some studies estimate that 90 percent of Egyptian women have had the procedure. Government and religious leaders have joined in condemning the practice. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel Warms to Peace Initiative

Staff / Truthdig Apr 3, 2007 Responding to a Saudi peace proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has invited all Arab heads of state to meet in Jerusalem for talks. Israel had rejected similar proposals, but Olmert now takes a different view, saying a multilateral meeting would be "worth the effort." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Historic Appointment for Israel

Staff / Truthdig Jan 29, 2007 For the first time in its history, the Israeli government has named an Arab Muslim to the Cabinet. Raleb Majadele said his promotion was the first step to giving Israel's 20 percent Arab minority a "feeling of belonging." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Arab War Supporters Unhappy With Outcome

Staff / Truthdig Jan 23, 2007 Many in the Arab media who supported the toppling of Saddam Hussein -- and sometimes braved death threats to do so -- now feel betrayed by the incompetent policy that followed: "It's a success story for al-Qaeda, a success story for autocratic Arab regimes that made democracy look ugly in their people's eyes." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Panel: Situation ‘Grave and Deteriorating’

Staff / Truthdig Dec 6, 2006 The US should pull nearly all combat troops out of Iraq by 2008 and push for a broad diplomatic and political solution -- or face a "slide toward chaos," according to the long-awaited Iraq Study Group's report A line from the report: "U forces seem to be caught in a mission that has no foreseeable end" Read the entire report here. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )