Walking home the night of the attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market, I came to a pedestrian crossing where a man shouted from his car “Fuck terrorists!” as he passed by. A small befuddled crowd nearby muttered to each other: “Did he just say ‘fuck tourists’?” (More…)
Seven years of war have transformed Syrian monitoring groups into sophisticated investigation centers. But with few options to hold perpetrators of humanitarian law violations accountable, the number of Syrians supplying evidence of human rights violations is dwindling, along with their hope for justice. (More…)
The sociologist Rudolf Goldscheid once wrote, “The budget is the skeleton of the state stripped of all misleading ideologies.” His fellow Austrian, the noted economist Joseph Schumpeter, was so fond of repeating this line that many people thought it was his. (More…)
Jeremy Corbyn has played his cards well in challenging Theresa May to take part in the leaders’ debate. If May had accepted the challenge, the sheer dearth of political agility on display will put the incumbent at a huge disadvantage. Even Corbyn, the anti-charismatic politician, is faster on his feet. At last, the UK election looks interesting. (More…)
Two forensic social workers who visit Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh prison gained a rare insight through inmates into the activity of female ISIS supporters, whose roles go far beyond that of wives. (More…)
After the terrible events of Monday night, the British government has suspended the election and the country is left shaken. The army has been deployed to protect “key sites” as the UK goes on ‘critical alert’ fearing an imminent terror attack. (More…)
Law professor David Crane, who has a record of taking on the prosecution of war criminals, is keeping a detailed record of the events in Syria for future prosecution. His Syrian Accountability Project’s latest report takes a close look at Aleppo. (More…)
The big news these days is the firing of FBI director James Comey. The announcement last week took everyone (including Comey himself) by surprise. Cue the hot takes from every talking head across the media spectrum. (More…)
For the first time in my life time, there is a real choice at the ballot box. You can either vote for the destruction of public services, the death of the welfare state and the immiseration of the working class, or you can vote to put a stop to all of this. The right stands for misery and oppression. The left stands for hope and emancipation. (More…)
ERBIL – The U.S. decision to directly arm the Syrian Kurds fighting the so-called Islamic State is not a complete shift in the White House administration’s policy with the Kurds or Turkey, but it is a necessary step in securing the defeat of militants on the ground, U.S.-backed fighters said. (More…)
It’s been a while since Western liberals have been able to cheer a victory. Emmanuel Macron has given them what they needed. He has triumphed over Marine Le Pen with more than 66% of the vote behind him. After Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump, the liberals feared that France would fall next as if politics were just a series of trending hashtags. (More…)
Make no mistake about it. Theresa May called this election to reap the rewards of Brexit before the reality of the hits the country. The strategy is to put electoral advantage before the economy, the society, everything in the end. And in the end, we will all pay the price. (More…)