Why the U.S. Owns the Rise of Islamic State and the Syria Disaster

By Gareth Porter Oct 8, 2015 Over the past three decades, U.S. covert operations and wars have entered repeatedly and powerfully into the chain of causality leading to Islamic State’s present power. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

‘The Gulf’: Shedding Light on Dark Doings in the United Arab Emirates

BLANK Aug 14, 2015 A coalition of artists and writers has been instrumental in raising awareness of the mind-boggling exploitation of laborers who support some of the richest people on the planet. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Are Arab Oil Monarchies Divided Over the Iran Deal? (Video)

Juan Cole / Truthdig Jul 23, 2015 There is reason to think that the fabulously wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprised of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, is deeply divided over the U.N. Security Council deal with Iran. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Terrorizing a Family of Human Rights Champions

Lawrence Weschler / Truthdig Sep 11, 2014 Bahrain, a key U.S. ally in the Mideast, is building a symbolic wall against freedom. Part of that odious effort is the longtime persecution of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and two of his daughters. Dig deeper ( 13 Min. Read )

A New Arab Cold War: Saudi Arabia Pressures Qatar on Muslim Brotherhood, American Think Tanks

Juan Cole / Truthdig Mar 10, 2014 Saudi Arabia’s listing of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and the withdrawal of the Saudi, Kuwaiti and Bahrain ambassadors from Qatar signal a big geopolitical realignment in the Middle East. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Terror Rules at Bahrain’s Hospitals

Staff / Truthdig May 22, 2012 Bahrain’s hospitals are becoming centers of terror and distrust as government officials use them to identify, torture and arrest protesters, doctors and nurses for their involvement in the ongoing uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

American Head-Basher Lands a Job in Bahrain

Staff / Truthdig Dec 3, 2011 The U.S. has long exported money, weapons and propaganda know-how to foreign governments looking to contain their populations. Now the ruling Al-Khalifas of Bahrain have hired former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney, notorious for employing brutal tactics against American protesters, to assist in a crackdown against pro-democracy activists on their soil. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

A Tale of Two Hospitals: Kuwait 1991, Bahrain 2011

Barry Lando / Truthdig Apr 25, 2011 Scene: The Human Rights Caucus of the U.S. Congress hears the testimony of a 15-year-old girl, introduced by only her first name, Nayira, in order, the audience is told, to protect the safety of her family. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

U.S.-Backed Bloodshed Stains Bahrain’s Arab Spring

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Apr 13, 2011 One month into Bahrain's uprising, Saudi Arabia sent military and police forces over the 16-mile causeway that connects the Saudi mainland to Bahrain, an island. Since then, the protesters, the press and human-rights organizations have suffered increasingly violent repression. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Saudis Play Into Radical islam’s Hands

Barry Lando / Truthdig Apr 8, 2011 When the secret history of the current “Arab Spring” is written, we may learn that one of the many unintended consequences of U.S. attempts to keep up with -- and influence -- the historic events was to provide a flood of new recruits to radical Islam. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Filling in the Blanks

Ruth Marcus / Truthdig Mar 30, 2011 In his speech Monday night to a public thoroughly, and understandably, befuddled about U.S. policy in Libya, President Obama began to fill in some important blanks. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Sleeping Giants of Tiny Bahrain

Juan Cole / Truthdig Mar 29, 2011 Washington’s tendency to handle the Bahraini monarchy with kid gloves and to defer to the Saudis is ill serving the stability of the Persian Gulf. Risking the radicalization of Bahrain’s Shiite community may be a very bad idea.Risking the radicalization of Bahrain’s Shiite community may be a very bad idea. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )