Armed Conflicts

Despite Possible Attacks, Gaza Plans Half-Billion-Dollar Desalination Plant

By Thalif Deen
Last May the European Commission reported that scores of infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip, financed mostly by the European Union, have been damaged or destroyed, wittingly or unwittingly, by Israeli military forces in the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

Kashmir’s Roads Turn Militant

By Athar Parvaiz
The violence that killed thousands in Kashmir during the turbulent 1990s has eased; now killer roads are taking their toll.

Knocking on an Uncertain Gateway to the World

By Eva Bartlett
“I waited from 10 am till 5 pm for my wife to cross from Egypt. She was among many hundreds who were coming into Gaza. Some waited since 6 am, some since the day before.”

Intervention in Eastern Congo a Rising Priority for Activists

By Carey L. Biron
As the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to deteriorate in the wake of an armed rebellion that began in April, some activists have strengthened calls for foreign military intervention.

Palestinian and Israeli Kids Play a Serious Game

By Justin Hyatt
On a sunny summer afternoon, kids start arriving with their parents at a park near Ein Rafa, a Palestinian village in the south of Jerusalem. The Arabic speaking kids stay in one cluster at first, and the Hebrew speaking kids chat among themselves. Soon a ball appears, and before long all the kids intermingle in a fast-paced game of Chinese football.

Colombia to Seek Its Own Oslo Accord

By Constanza Vieira
The Colombian government and FARC rebels will start formal peace talks in Oslo on Oct. 5, in an attempt to put an end to an armed conflict that has gone through different stages since 1946, with brief lulls.

Q&A: Rescuing Child Soldiers in CAR

By Kristin Palitza
The protection of children remains critical in the Central African Republic, where parents willingly give their children to armed groups in exchange for protection and services.

Could Water Strife Lead to ‘Mass Killings’ in the Future?

By Thalif Deen
As the world faces possible water scarcities in the next two to three decades, the U.S. intelligence community has already portrayed a grim scenario for the foreseeable future: ethnic conflicts, regional tensions, political instability and even mass killings.

Detention in Italy Better Than Home in Tunisia

By Ihsan Bouabid
A year ago Salim, a 23-year-old from the ancient Tunisian city Gafsa decided to leave his country using a smugglers’ network notorious for transporting desperate Tunisian citizens to Europe by boat.

There’s Bride at the End of the Tunnel

By Mohammed Omer
Mai Ahmed, a 26–year-old from the West Bank fell in love over the Internet with Mohammed Warda from Nussirat refugee camp in Gaza after they ‘met’ on the Internet. The Israeli government refused permission for her to travel to Gaza. Mai travelled to Jordan, flew from there to Egypt, drove across the Sinai, and then crossed through a tunnel into Gaza, where she now lives. “It’s a story I will tell my grandchildren,” she says.

Israeli Soldiers Show No Mercy to Palestinian Children

By Pierre Klochendler
In a hamlet of the occupied West Bank, the testimony goes, Israeli troops chase a Palestinian child. “He was about two metres away – the company commander cocked his weapon in his face...The kid fell on the ground, crying and begging for his life.”  

“Justice Fallen to the Wayside” in South Sudanese County

By Jared Ferrie
South Sudanese soldiers are allegedly beating and torturing civilians in the midst of a disarmament campaign in Jonglei state, and many have been unable to access justice because of a lack of prosecutors and judges, according to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch. 

Syrian Crisis Brings a Blessing for Kurds

By Karlos Zurutuza
The smuggler wants 200 dollars but Jewan negotiates him down to 100. That’s still a lot for this 26-year-old Syrian Kurd, but he can hardly wait to cross the border to Syria from Iraq. It’s been three years since he last saw his family.

In Israel, Opposition to Attacking Iran Gains Upper Hand

By Mitchell Plitnick
The ambitions of a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran, as harboured by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, have been defeated by internal opposition, a growing number of observers have come to believe in the wake of dramatic opposing statements by prominent Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres.

Washington’s War Drums Drown out Opportunities for Peace in Syria

By Samer Araabi
As violence in Syria spikes after a short lull, the prospect of international military intervention appears to be growing by the day. Earlier this week, almost exactly one year after President Barack Obama first called on Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad to step down, Obama warned of "enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons".

Palestinians Live on the Edge in New Libya

By Rebecca Murray
Just before the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime one year ago, Huda and her Palestinian family were forcefully evicted from their Tripoli home.
Emile Nakhleh, former CIA analyst. Credit: Security & Defense Agenda/ CC by 2.0

Q&A: U.S. Should Encourage NATO-Led Assistance to Syrian Opposition

By Jasmin Ramsey
Intervention in Syria was "only a matter of time", wrote Emile Nakhleh in February in the Financial Times. Seven months later, the fighting and divisions within Syria continue to worsen. Now, a diplomatic solution is no longer possible, Nakhleh, a retired CIA analyst, believes.
The late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi. Credit: Ragnhild H. Simenstad, Utenriksdepartementet/ CC by 2.0

Death of Ethiopian Leader Meles Brings ‘Opportunity for Peace’

By Carey L. Biron

Following Monday’s announcement of the death of long-time Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian civil society leaders and Western rights groups are characterising the turn of events as an opportunity to heal decades of increasingly stark sectarianism.

U.S. Passes New Rules Regulating Conflict Minerals

By Carey L. Biron
After a 16-month delay, a U.S. government regulator charged with investment oversight has voted on rules that will now govern U.S.-listed companies operating in the extractive industry as well as those that use minerals whose sale may fuel violence in other countries, particularly in central Africa.

Northern Iraq Instead of Syria: Turkish Army’s New Target?

By Jacques N. Couvas
With attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) multiplying and spreading to a larger number of Turkish provinces, Ankara is under increasing pressure by nationalistic parties to take tougher measures against Kurdish activism, including a full-blown land incursion by the Turkish armed forces into northern Iraq.

Donors Turn Their Backs on Taliban

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
For the past five years Sharifullah Shah, a local doctor from the conflict-ridden North Waziristan province in Pakistan, has handed over 500 dollars to the Taliban during the month of Ramadan. But this year, he is putting his money straight into the Edhi Welfare Centre, where he knows it will reach those in need.
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