ISRAEL-PALESTINE A potentially significant development on this front took place today: Hamas has unveiled a new political programme softening its stance on Israel by accepting the idea of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the six-day war of 1967. The new document states that the Islamist movement it is not seeking war … Continue reading Conflict update: May 1 2017
Author: DWD
writer, blogger, lover, fighter
Today in European history: the Taksim Square massacre (1977)
You probably don’t need me to tell you that today is May Day, since I’m betting your ability to keep track of which day it is exceeds mine. May Day’s origins go back to pre-Christian European cultures, but nowadays for much of the world it’s also International Workers’ Day and, in some countries, Labor Day. Ironically, for … Continue reading Today in European history: the Taksim Square massacre (1977)
Happy Mission Accomplished Day!
It's been 14 years since George W. Bush declared victory in Iraq. Time flies. So far this year, IraqBodyCount.org says that 5778 Iraqi civilians have been killed as a direct result of the chain of events set off by Bush's Iraq invasion (we'll leave aside the ancillary effects of the invasion in, for example, Syria). … Continue reading Happy Mission Accomplished Day!
Conflict update: April 29-30 2017
COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS The Trump administration's commitment to human rights is so vast, so resolute, that its UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, strong-armed the UN Security Council into holding a special session on the topic just a couple of weeks ago. How is America championing human rights today? Let's check: When President Trump called President Rodrigo Duterte … Continue reading Conflict update: April 29-30 2017
Conflict update: April 28 2017
NORTH KOREA This is kind of late-breaking so I don't have much detail, but North Korea tested a ballistic missile of some kind early Saturday morning (local time). The test appears to have failed, but failure is just another step toward success, or something. This is definitely a new provocative step by Pyongyang, but as provocations … Continue reading Conflict update: April 28 2017
Conflict update: April 27 2017
SYRIA The cause of the explosion that happened at Damascus International Airport this morning has (more or less) been revealed: An Israeli minister has appeared to confirm that Israel struck a Hezbollah arms supply hub in Syria on Thursday close to the airport in Damascus where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and … Continue reading Conflict update: April 27 2017
How to Craft a Narrative
There's no Soviet Union anymore, but the principle is the same (from oldenburger.us, via hyperallergenic.com) If you've ever wondered how to go about creating a narrative to drive public perception about a story, I'm here to help. I'd like to start, if I may, with a couple of examples. Back in January, NATO began major … Continue reading How to Craft a Narrative
Conflict update, April 26 2017
SYRIA UPDATE: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is reporting that there's been an explosion and fire at Damascus International Airport. No cause has been suggested. As promised, the French government has produced proof that Bashar al-Assad's government was behind the April 4 chemical weapons attack in Khan Shaykhun--and as expected, it's somewhat less than meets … Continue reading Conflict update, April 26 2017
Conflict update: April 25 2017
SYRIA This morning, Turkish aircraft struck Kurdish targets in Iraq's Sinjar region and around the town of Derika (also known as Dayrik and al-Malikiyah) in northeastern Syria. The Syrian YPG militia says that 20 of its fighters were killed in the strikes, while Turkey claims that it killed 70 "militants" across both targets. The Iraqi … Continue reading Conflict update: April 25 2017
Conflict update: April 24 2017
SYRIA Bashar al-Assad's next big target in Syria is retaking Idlib province, into which he and Moscow have cleverly funneled most of the northern rebel forces and a disturbing number of displaced civilians. The Century Foundation's Sam Heller makes a reasonable suggestion as to what role the West should play when the Idlib fight begins … Continue reading Conflict update: April 24 2017
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 