Mosaic: Carter Shunned by Israel, Is a Hero to Hamas

Staff / Truthdig Apr 20, 2008 Is former President Jimmy Carter on a peace mission or a mission impossible? As this Mosaic Intelligence Report explains, Carter will try to mediate the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit as a goodwill gesture on the part of Hamas, which is reported to be seriously considering Carter's proposal. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mosaic: What Petraeus Didn’t Tell Us

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2008 The latest "Mosaic Intelligence Report" takes a look at the "massive humanitarian crisis" that Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker failed to address in their update meetings with Congress about the Iraq war. 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 )

Gaza Refugees Storm Egypt

Staff / Truthdig Jan 23, 2008 Tens of thousands of Palestinians flooded from a blockaded Gaza into Egypt on Wednesday after militants blew a gap in the border wall. Egyptian authorities stood by as the mob rushed to stock up on food and other supplies. Israel has raised concerns and appealed to Egypt to get control of the situation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

PBS Investigates Bush-Era ‘Extraordinary Rendition’

Staff / Truthdig Nov 8, 2007 Granted, the Bush administration didn't invent the practice of "extraordinary rendition," but, as PBS illustrates in an edition of "Frontline," the practice has become even more controversial and horrifying in the years since 9/11. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Outsourcing Torture

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Oct 15, 2007 The Bush administration has called for the respect of human rights in Burma, a pretty safe piece of posturing, but it remains silent as Egypt's dictator, Gen. Hosni Mubarak, unleashes the largest crackdown on public opposition in over a decade. Our moral indignation over the shooting of monks masks the incestuous and growing alliance we have built in the so-called war on terror with some of the world's most venal dictatorships. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Condi Pitches $20-Billion Mideast Arms Deal

Staff / Truthdig Jul 31, 2007 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday revealed details of an extensive arms package totaling $20 billion for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other nearby countries -- along with a $30-billion 10-year plan for Israel -- with the purported aim of shoring up Middle Eastern states against the potential regional threat posed by Iran. Dig deeper ( 1 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 )

‘Find of Century’ in Egypt

Staff / Truthdig Jun 27, 2007 Egyptologists have discovered what they believe to be the 3,000-year-old remains of Egypt's most powerful female ruler, Hatshepsut. The original wicked stepmother, Hatshepsut usurped the throne from her stepson, who probably retaliated after her reign by trying to obliterate any record of her. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hamas Holds the High Cards

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Jun 20, 2007 What a difference 40 years makes. Robert Scheer takes a look at current events in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank from a historical perspective, tracing the dramatic developments among regional and religious factions since the end of the Six-Day War. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Chaos in Gaza

Staff / Truthdig Jun 15, 2007 Factional clashes between Hamas and Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank escalated to the boiling point on Thursday, when Hamas gunmen captured various Fatah outposts and the ongoing violence caused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve his government and declare a state of emergency throughout the region. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rice Meets With Syrian Counterpart

Staff / Truthdig May 3, 2007 A senior State Department official has confirmed that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her Syrian counterpart at an ongoing conference in Egypt. The two were expected to discuss Iraq's security. Iran, too, has expressed interest in such a meeting, but when asked about that possibility earlier this week President Bush said simply that his top diplomat would not be rude to Iran's foreign minister. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )