Reach out for Darfur
Dina Ezzat
Minni Arko Minnawi tells Al-Ahram Weekly that Egypt can be a prime mediator securing comprehensive peace in Sudan
Of the many Darfur figures who fought hard against the regime of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, it was Minni Arko Minnawi who signed a peace deal with the Khartoum regime in 2006. And it is Minnawi who now serves as assistant to the president of Sudan.
CIA destroyed almost 100 torture videos
A US attorney says the CIA has destroyed 92 controversial interrogation video tapes, far more than what the agency had previously said.
"Ninety-two videotapes were destroyed," Acting US Attorney Lev Dassin wrote in a Monday letter to New York Judge Alvin Hellerstein, AFP reported.
Sustaining global solidarity after Gaza
By Jamal Juma
The Israeli invasion of Gaza, which has now claimed more than 1,400 lives, generated serious popular backlash the world over. The overwhelmingly weak official positions and statements, especially in the Arab world, stood in stark contrast to the outpouring of rage that was witnessed in the streets of capitals, cities, and towns across the globe. However, this recent wave of protests has a particular quality that differentiates it from past mobilizations: the initial flare-up of energy is being channeled into effective grassroots political action, primarily in the form of an ongoing campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
The tangible victories and rise of BDS activism immediately following Gaza are a direct result of the many years of often little-acknowledged organizing, building and mobilizing that was undertaken following the 2005 call from Palestinian civil society. It is important to look at these last four years in order to make sure that we continue to build on these victories. We have moved beyond questioning the efficacy of BDS and must now work to incorporate the growing numbers of people who, while outraged at the36in Gaza, are not yet connected to the BDS movement. We also must expand the actors and struggles involved in BDS by linking the Palestinian cause to other similar fights for social, economic and political justice.
Obama pick quits over Israel lobby
The candidate for a leading US intelligence post has withdrawn his nomination after accusing the country’s Israel lobby of plumbing "the depths of dishonour and indecency" to assassinate his character.
Charles "Chas" Freeman, a former US ambassador who is now president of the Middle East Policy Council think-tank, had initially agreed to chair the US National Intelligence Council that produces assessments of security issues.
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