by John Feffer Five hundred years ago, a popular test to flush out witches was called “ordeal by water.” Dunk an alleged witch into a lake. If she sinks, she’s innocent. If she floats, her guilt is plain for all… Continue Reading
by Paul R. Pillar One of the more intriguing news reports about the rapid rise to power of the 32-year-old Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), concerns how he isolated his mother, placing her under house arrest for a… Continue Reading
by Mitchell Plitnick No one has ever complained that the United States doesn’t pay enough attention to the Middle East. In recent years, however, one country that hasn’t gotten much attention in Washington is Lebanon. But on Tuesday, the Senate… Continue Reading
by Emile Nakhleh Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s departure and his replacement—current CIA director Mike Pompeo—will not move the Middle East to a better place. Nor will the possible elevation of the current deputy director of the CIA Gina Haspel… Continue Reading
by Edward Hunt Last week, war crimes investigators at the United Nations charged a U.S.-led coalition with violating international humanitarian law last year when it launched airstrikes on a school in Syria that killed at least 150 civilians. The war… Continue Reading