Middle East

The Shifting Balance of Power

William Pfaff / Truthdig Oct 27, 2010 An epoch of Western world political domination is coming to an end. This is not simply an end to imperialism (new or old), but quite possibly the beginning of a probably long decline in the West's primacy in industry, technology and scientific innovation. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Beyond Kingmaker: Moqtada al-Sadr and the Future of Iraq

Scott Ritter / Truthdig Oct 25, 2010 Moqtada al-Sadr's ability to influence Iraq's political affairs has earned him the title "kingmaker," but his true aspiration is to be king He stands a reasonable chance of succeeding. Dig deeper ( 19 Min. Read )

The Tears of Gaza Must Be Our Tears

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Aug 9, 2010 Muslim, Christian or Jew, we ignore this suffering at the peril of our own humanity. As Rachel Corrie wrote in her last letter to her parents, "I could live a comfortable life and possibly, with no effort at all, exist in complete unawareness of my participation in genocide."Muslim, Christian or Jew, we ignore this suffering at the peril of our own humanity. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Netanyahu Comes to Israel’s Defense at AIPAC Conference

Staff / Truthdig Mar 23, 2010 In this clip from Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to members of AIPAC on Tuesday, the Israeli prime minister leads the audience through a thought exercise comparing Israel to New Jersey in an effort to sketch out how he views Israel's security issues. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Axe Has Choice Words for Israel

Staff / Truthdig Mar 15, 2010 How would David Axelrod of White House fame describe Israel's poorly timed announcement of housing expansion in East Jerusalem? "Destructive," "needlessly provocative," "an insult and an affront" and "inappropriate." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Daily Show’: Hannity’s Apocalyptic Apology

Staff / Truthdig Nov 14, 2009 Having caught wind that Fox Newser Sean Hannity was going to take a moment on his show to issue an apology to Jon Stewart for using older tea-party rally footage in a recent story, the host of "The Daily Show" was looking forward to hearing an admission of how the Fox folks subscribe to the network's methodology, aka "the subtle altering of reality to sell a preconceived narrative." That didn't quite happen. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel-Turkey: No TV Drama

Staff / Truthdig Oct 17, 2009 Relations were already strained between Israel and Turkey, owing in large part to the Israeli-Palestinian clash in Gaza last winter, and then came this week's diplomatic drama caused by a Turkish TV show that depicted Israeli soldiers shooting children in Gaza. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iran Aiming to Provoke With Missile Tests?

Staff / Truthdig Sep 29, 2009 Is the Iranian regime taking a page from North Korea with its recent, potentially provocative displays of missile-launching power? Or are those preplanned exercises (nothing to see here, move along, folks)? Or, as White House press wrangler Robert Gibbs suggests, a little bit of both? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Letterman Heckles Obama’s Heckler

Staff / Truthdig Sep 11, 2009 Two can play this game, Joe Wilson. While the South Carolina congressman's heckle heard ’round the country triggered dismay from his opponents and enthusiasm from his supporters, Rep. Wilson's "You lie!" war cry to Obama provided humor fodder for David Letterman's Thursday night show. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Second Insurgency

Anna Badkhen / Truthdig Aug 19, 2008 Many Iraqis struggle every day to find work, but a shortage of jobs, superimposed on a tradition of using personal connections to do business, has led to what Iraqis complain is an explosion in corruption and graft among their nation's officials. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Baghdad Behind Walls

Anna Badkhen / Truthdig Aug 14, 2008 Walls have become ubiquitous in Baghdad, a place where barricades keep militias from one another and hungry shoppers from the nearest kebab. As Iraqis struggle with sovereignty, the barriers are a constant reminder of the American military occupation. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Unsung Victims of the Emerald City

Sarah Stillman / Truthdig May 29, 2008 There's a group of contractors working in Baghdad's Green Zone that we don't often hear about: The cleaners, cooks and construction workers from places like Uganda who toil and die in obscurity. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )