Syrians finally Won the Arab Spring; Can they avoid Pitfalls and Win Democracy?

Juan Cole Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Syrian Revolution of 2024 has succeeded in deposing the al-Assad dynasty, in power since 1970, throwing off the rule of the once mighty Syrian Socialist Baath Party, a feared and murderous one-party state. Rebel forces streamed into the capital, Damascus, Sunday morning, facing no significant resistance from government troops,… Read More Syrians finally Won the Arab Spring; Can they avoid Pitfalls and Win Democracy?

Why Iran can’t Stand up for the al-Assad Government and Russia isn’t Offering Air Support

By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The strategic situation in Syria is dire for the Baathist government of Bashar al-Assad. Typically in military history, if an invader takes the capital of the other country, it secures its victory. Damascus is the prize. Damascus has an Achilles heel. It is landlocked, deep… Read More Why Iran can’t Stand up for the al-Assad Government and Russia isn’t Offering Air Support

Adani bribery scandal: Modi govt’s failure to investigate sends wrong signal to corporate India

NB: Everyone has a finger in the pie.. even those who cry about corruption. What a bunch of crooks. DS Irrespective of what happens in the US courts, it is incumbent on the Indian government to investigate the impact of the indictment on Indian businesses and policy making within the country. Bharat Bhushan An independent… Read More Adani bribery scandal: Modi govt’s failure to investigate sends wrong signal to corporate India

Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide, Amnesty International report finds / Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing

Human rights group says Israel ‘brazenly, continuously and with total impunity … unleashed hell’ on strip’s 2.3m population A report from Amnesty International alleges that Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip constitutes the crime of genocide under international law, the first such determination by a major human rights organisation in the 14-month-old conflict. The 32-page… Read More Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide, Amnesty International report finds / Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing

Fury as US argues against climate obligations at top UN court

The current UN climate change regime “embodies the clearest, most specific, and the most current expression of states’ consent to be bound by international law in respect of climate change”, Margaret Taylor, legal adviser at the state department, told the ICJ judges on Wednesday. “Any other legal obligations relating to climate change mitigation identified by… Read More Fury as US argues against climate obligations at top UN court

Adani Bribery Scandal Originated in a Dubious Solar Power Auction That Modi Government Scripted

Convoluted auction rules, scuttled competition and friendly bidders lead to the mega solar power deal. The deal is now caught in allegations of corruption, bribery and fraud by the US authorities. Nitin Sethi & Shreegireesh Jalihal The Union government designed a solar power auction that discouraged competition and paved the way for Adani Group to… Read More Adani Bribery Scandal Originated in a Dubious Solar Power Auction That Modi Government Scripted

President of Refugees International Condemns Biden Admin for Role in Gaza

By Diego Ramos Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, an independent humanitarian organization, and former head of disaster assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development, penned a fierce essay criticizing the Biden administration’s year-plus-long failure to hold Israel accountable and enforce the very measures it imposed on the Netanyahu government. Beginning with the Biden administration’s most… Read More President of Refugees International Condemns Biden Admin for Role in Gaza