ISIS ISIL DAESH

Documentary: Frontline – Benghazi in Crisis And Yemen Under Siege

Benghazi in Crisis: journalist Feras Kilani joins Libyan fighters as they battle for a central point in the city, meets civilians displaced by the fighting, and sits down with General Khalifa Haftar – who is trying to bring all militias fighting ISIS in Benghazi under his command. Yemen Under Siege: from journalist Safa al Ahmad. She has been reporting on Yemen since 2010, from the rise of Al Qaeda, to the outbreak of civil war between government forces and Houthi rebels, to the Saudi-led military coalition that has intervened, to the current international efforts at a ceasefire and peace deal.

In an on-the-ground report from the war-torn Libyan city of Benghazi – the birthplace of Libya’s uprising, and where U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three colleagues died in an attack by Islamic extremists in 2012. In Yemen there used to be 20 hospitals in Taiz [continue reading].

Documentary: Frontline – The Secret History of ISIS

A Tale of Two Presidents’ Failures to Stop Terrorists. “Proceeding almost chronologically, the documentary details the transformation of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from thug into jihadi leader, determined to erect an Islamic caliphate. “From the mistake-ridden [continue reading].

Documentary: VICE – Flint Water Crisis And Libya On The Brink

What happened to the water supply in Flint? The state of Michigan switched Flint’s water supply in 2011 from Lake Huron to the notoriously filthy Flint River. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality failed to treat the corrosive water, and it ate into the [continue reading].

🍁 CDN: Harper’s Saudi Arms Deal Remains A Thorn In Canada’s Shoe

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird meets with Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The onerous price tag for cancelling might help explain the resistance of the Liberal government to growing calls by critics to cancel the $14.8-billion contract reached by the Tories. The government of Canada would be on the hook for a multi-billion-dollar cancellation penalty [continue reading].

Yemen: Words Versus Tweets – Spin Versus Truth

While reading The National’s article titled “After a year in Yemen, our resolve is firm”, I could not concentrate on the weak words, because the images of what the Yemen war and blockade looks like for the men, women, children and babies are far more powerful. [continue reading].

Iraq: The Origins Of ISIS – According To Forbes

Iraq was a goddamn mess. The Iran-Iraq war destroyed the economy, killed boatloads of people and left people impoverished. The first Gulf War resulted in mass destruction and worse oppression (and more poverty). The 1990’s and its sanctions regime was devastating, with a [continue reading].

(Graphic 18+) Documentary: Iraq – Only Dead See The End Of War

HBO describes Michael Ware’s film as “an illuminating window into the origins of a modern terrorist organization,” which is an apt characterization. Yet while watching it is no picnic due to the graphic nature of what’s on screen, “Only the Dead See the End of [continue reading].

Greece: Interview With Dooley on Migrant Kids In Crisis

I continued up north to Idomeni camp, near the Macedonian border where the situation was at breaking point. Macedonia had been tightening the border for days and today, no one was allowed through. The thousands of people waiting all believed the border was about to shut for good.

We’ve all seen news reports of the migrant crisis and of course you watch with interest and sympathise with the mother with her infant, evidently struggling. We say ‘God, this is awful’ and then go and make a cuppa. I started off in Lesbos. When I arrived, the situation [continue reading].

Part Two: Humanitarian Crises – Crimes Against ‘At-Risk’ Children

Two homeless brothers try to survive on the streets of India.

Part two of this report focuses on the growing crisis of missing, trafficked and abused children around the world. While every country has a deep concern for vulnerable children, and many end up heinously abused, trafficked or killed; nonetheless there are countries where [continue reading].

Iraq: Internally Displaced Iraqis Exceeds 3.4 Million People

Children gather together in a refugee camp in Iraq. (Photo: Amy McTighe).

The latest report on Iraq’s refugee crisis from International Organisation for Migrants (IOM) identified five-hundred and sixty-nine thousand, seven-hundred and twenty-two (569,722) families forced to flee their homes from January 1st 2014 to the 31st of March 2016; [continue reading].

Documentary: VICE – Afghan Women’s Rights, Aden’s Floating Armories

Part one: takes a look at Women’s Rights in Afghanistan, if any. When the United States invaded Afghanistan, the liberation of Afghan women was used as a rallying cry to garner public support. After nearly 15 years at war, and hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars [continue reading].

Egypt: Mohamed Fahmy Pardoned And Released From Prison

Freed journalist Mohamed Fahmy cannot wait to return to Canada to thank those whose advocacy he says helped him secure the pardon granted Wednesday by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. “I really… can’t wait to show my wife what Canada’s all [continue reading].