Middle East Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Middle East

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  • Ahmadinejad_iran_nuclear

    A Path to War? Assassination of Iran Nuclear Scientist, New Sanctions Strain U.S.-Iran Relations

    Iran says a nuclear scientist involved in its uranium enrichment program was killed by assassins in Tehran on Wednesday, becoming the latest Iranian scientist to die in a series of similar incidents. Earlier this week, Iran announced it had sentenced a U.S.-born man to death for allegedly spying for the CIA. Meanwhile, the United States is leading a global campaign to shut down Iranian oil exports in order to pressure the country to end its alleged...
    Jan 12, 2012 | Story
  • Syria-button

    Syrian Activist Speaks from Hiding: The Bloodshed is Continuing Despite International Criticism

    Street battles are raging at the gates of the Syrian capital of Damascus, and activists say at least 62 people were killed nationwide on Sunday. This comes as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Syrian leadership, particularly President Bashar al-Assad, to end the violence against the demonstrators immediately, and plans to take up a draft resolution this week calling on him to step down and transfer power. "They...
    Jan 30, 2012 | Story
  • Syria_showbutton

    A Struggle for Regional Supremacy: Syria Conflict Escalates as World Powers Debate Assad's Future

    Syria is seeing some of the worst violence of the 11-month uprising against Bashar al-Assad amid an ongoing international standoff over how to respond. Assad’s forces have launched what appears to be one of their fiercest assaults on the flashpoint city of Homs to date. Both the United States and Britain have closed their embassies in the Syrian capital of Damascus and withdrawn diplomatic personnel, citing safety fears. As the crisis escalates,...
    Feb 07, 2012 | Story
  • Obama_iran

    Debate: Attacking Iran, AIPAC, Israel-Palestine and Obama with Rashid Khalidi and Jonathan Tobin

    President Obama addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Sunday, assuring the pro-Israel lobbying group he will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and reiterating his unwavering support for Israel. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Obama at the White House today, we host a debate between Rashid Khalidi of Columbia University and Commentary magazine’s Jonathan Tobin. "It is true [Iran does...
    Mar 05, 2012 | Story
  • Houseofstone

    Read an Excerpt from Anthony Shadid's New Memoir, "House of Stone"

    Tomorrow we will interview New York Times reporter Nada Bakri, wife of recently deceased, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times foreign correspondent, Anthony Shadid. Before his tragic death last month, Shadid was set to release his new memoir, "House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East."
    Mar 07, 2012 | Web Exclusive
  • Nada and anthony

    Nada Bakri, Widow of Anthony Shadid, on Her Husband's Life and Posthumous Memoir, "House of Stone"

    We speak with Nada Bakri, the widow of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Anthony Shadid, about her husband’s passion for covering the Middle East and his posthumous memoir. "House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East" chronicles Shadid’s rebuilding of his family’s ancestral home in Lebanon. "He felt like [the Arab Spring] is a dream come true for every journalist covering the Middle East,"...
    Mar 08, 2012 | Story
  • Button-gaza

    Ceasefire Reached After Israeli Air Strikes Killed 26 Palestinians in Gaza

    As Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip reportedly agree to a ceasefire after four days of cross-border violence, we speak with Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the online publication, “The Electronic Intifada.” Earlier today, an Egyptian official said both sides have pledged to end current attacks and implement "a comprehensive and mutual calm." Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza killed at least 25 Palestinians. At least...
    Mar 13, 2012 | Story
  • Alkhawaja

    Bahraini Hunger Striker's Life in Peril as U.S.-Backed Forces Continue Anti-Democracy Crackdown

    The U.S.-backed monarchy in Bahrain continues the crackdown on protesters, with reports of many injuries and at least one death over the weekend. We speak to Zainab Alkhawaja, the daughter of jailed human rights leader Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, who is now on the 54th day of his hunger strike. Doctors say her father could go into a coma at any point, and she has called on President Obama to pressure the government Bahrain, its strategic ally in the...
    Apr 02, 2012 | Story
  • Trita_parsi-iran-israel

    From Military Threats to Crippling Sanctions, U.S.-Israel Posturing on Iran Stokes Fears of War

    As the drums of war beat louder in Israel for an attack on Iran, we’re joined by two guests: Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council and author of the book, "A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran"; and Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, author of several books, including "Understanding the U.S.-Iran Crisis: A Primer." Bennis says the Israeli push...
    Aug 15, 2012 | Story
  • Cairo-us-embassy

    Middle East Protests at U.S. Embassies Spread in Uproar over Anti-Muslim U.S. Film

    Protests are spreading in the Middle East over a movie made by a U.S. filmmaker considered blasphemous to Islam. Earlier today, hundreds of Yemeni demonstrators stormed the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, smashing windows and burning cars before breaking through the compound’s main gate. Protests have also occurred in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia and Bangladesh, as well as the occupied Gaza Strip. We get updates from journalists Iona Craig in Sana’a...
    Sep 13, 2012 | Story