It’s the Oil and Gas Stupid

Widely covered in Asia and the Near-East, but not in he United States, was the inauguration of the Ceyhan-Tbilisi-Baku (BTC) oil pipeline, which links the Caspian Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean. This pipeline totally bypasses the territory of the Russian Federation by transiting through the western friendly, former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia.
But the [...]

Clinton disappoints but doesn’t surprise

Hillary Clinton attended the donor’s conference for Gaza, today, and announced the United States has pledged $900 million dollars, but warned none would go to Hamas, and only one third is earmarked for Gaza reconstruction. No word about where the other two thirds will be spent. In all, donors pledged $3 billion in aid.
Reuters reports [...]

Excellent explanation of the Israeli media spin

For those who don’t understand the true cost of media “spin”, here is a well-written explanation by Yonatan Mendel that even the most clueless could probably understand.
A small excerpt:
In most of the articles on the conflict two sides battle it out: the Israel Defence Forces, on the one hand, and the Palestinians, on the other. [...]

Why the Peace Process in Israel/Palestine has not progressed to peace

First are the Media Rules, courtesy of israelity bites:
Rule #1: In the Middle East, it is always the Palestinians that attack first, and it’s always Israel who defends itself. This is called “retaliation”.
Rule #2: The Palestinians are not allowed to kill Israelis. This is called “terrorism”.
Rule #3: Israel has the right to kill Palestinian civilians; [...]

Petition to investigate war crimes in Gaza

There is currently a petition online to appeal for an investigation into war crimes in the latest Israeli incursion into Gaza. There is mounting evidence that white phosphorous bombs were dropped on the civilian population centers, not to mention the destruction of the three UN facilities.
The petition is here. Sign it if you see fit.