The Arab American News
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Veils of secrecy lifting in Washington
March 28th, 20090 NEW YORK (IPS) — As President Barack Obama's Justice Department issued sweeping new guidelines to reverse the secrecy policies of former president George W. Bush, a federal judge ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to produce unedited summaries of some 3,000 documents related to its admitted destruction of 92 videotapes of...U.S. Jews open to Palestinian unity government
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Contrary to the views of the likely incoming right-wing government of Israel, most U.S. Jews favor peace negotiations with a Palestinian unity government that would include Hamas, according to a new poll released here Tuesday by the year-old, pro-peace Jewish lobby group, J Street. The poll of 800 self-identified...
Murders at Mieh Meih Palestinian refugee camp
March 28th, 20090 Mieh Mieh Palestinian Camp, Sidon — Kamal Medhat, 58, known in Lebanon's Palestinian camps affectionately as "Kamal Naji," a senior member of the Palestinian Fatah movement, was killed exiting Mieh Meih Camp by a 25-30 kilogram bomb on Monday. The bomb was hidden in a small roadside shed between two checkpoints, one manned by the...Pyramids may rise above the recession
CAIRO (IPS) — When tourism officials met at the start of the year to discuss the impact of the global financial crisis on Egypt's tourism industry, the prognosis looked bleak. But now, three months into 2009, a better picture is emerging — and some experts believe the battened-down sector can weather the storm. "Everyone has...World Briefs: Lebanon’s economy defies global downturn
BEIRUT — Lebanon's economic growth in the first two months of this year slipped to 4 percent, but the tiny Mediterranean nation should escape largely unscathed from the effects of the global economic meltdown if the security and political situation remains stable, the Central Bank governor said Monday. Riad Salameh But...
Intifada: A third chapter?
March 28th, 20090 Israeli border police officers detain a Palestinian woman in east Jerusalem March 23, 2009, during an event marking Jerusalem's tenure as the Arab League's "capital of Arab culture" for 2009. According to an Israeli police spokesperson, several activists were detained as the police dispersed an illegal gathering. REUTERS/Ammar...Obama’s stance toward Iran is the same as Bush’s
President Bush leaves the White House for the last time as president with Barack Obama on the way to the swearing in of the 44th president on Jan. 20. By brushing aside the official government of Iran last week, President Obama...The Middle East’s first theme park opens in Kuwait
JAHRA, KUWAIT — More than 700 guests were invited to enjoy the grand opening of THE 99 Village theme park conducted under sunny skies and moderate temperatures that seemed designed to welcome Kuwait's newest family entertainment venue. Ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of The 99 Village theme park. In addition...Michigan professor tours book on U.S.-Muslim relations
WASHINGTON — Perhaps the United States government should do more listening than bombing. A new book by University of Michigan professor Juan Cole, suggests just that. Driven by a deep anxiety about Islam, Americans have not come to really understand Muslim concerns. Taking into account the perspectives of those most affected by the...
Imperial domination for resources
March 28th, 20090 "American Raj: Liberation or Domination? – Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World" Eric S. Margolis Key Porter Books, Toronto, 2008. In a wide-ranging and thorough overview of essentially the Middle East, but also the rest of the Muslim world, Eric Margolis' recent work "American Raj" should become a...
Finkelstein doesn’t mince words at Arab student banquet
March 28th, 20090 Norman Finkelstein addresses the crowd at the annual dinner of the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Arab Student Union (ASU). PHOTO: Khalil AlHajal/TAAN DEARBORN — Political science scholar Norman Finkelstein pulled no punches in a...
Rothchild tours country, talks about Palestine
March 28th, 20090 DEARBORN — American Jewish doctor and peace activist Alice Rothchild has been touring the country telling about her experiences in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. She'll be in Troy on Sunday for a book signing and in Detroit on Monday to interview survivors of "AlNakba," or "the catastrophe" — the displacement of hundreds of...
Arab American among state’s top high school wrestlers
March 28th, 20090 DEARBORN — The journey to the State Finals is so difficult that many wrestlers only make it there once in their entire high school careers. Khodor Hoballah, third from right, of Dearborn High School, took third place in the 160-pound division of the state wrestling championship finals. Photos courtesy of Radwan Hoballah On top...
Community briefs: Asian American group reports voting rights violations
March 28th, 20090 A report released by the Asian American Legal Defense Education Fund found that Asian Americans face many barriers preventing them from exercising their right to vote. AALDEF volunteers monitored polling stations in Detroit-area precincts with Arab American populations during the November election as part of the study. The report,...Moroccan born soccer coach realizes dreams in the United States
When Abdelali Alaoui left Casablanca, Morocco aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight headed to New York in the spring of 1995, he was a young man full of big dreams and solid ambition. He set his sights on becoming a Major League Soccer player in the United States. Abdelali Alaoui With a few dollars in his pocket and a smattering......
Freeman affair puts Israel lobby in spotlight
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Although the successful campaign to keep Amb. Charles "Chas" Freeman out of a top intelligence post marked a surface victory for the pro-Israel hardliners who opposed him, the long-term political implications of the Freeman affair appear far more ambiguous. Charles "Chas" Freeman Freeman's withdrawal...
Israeli soldiers expose atrocities in Gaza
March 21st, 20090 JERUSALEM (IPS) — Based on testimony from Israeli soldiers who took part in the recent war in Gaza, Israel is being confronted directly with the serious charge that permitted rules of engagement allowed for the killing of Palestinian civilians and widespread destruction of Palestinian property. A Palestinian boy stands in...
Immigrants face detentions, few rights
March 21st, 20090 America's detention system for immigrants has mushroomed in the last decade, a costly building boom that was supposed to sweep up criminals and ensure that undocumented immigrants were quickly shown the door. Instead, an Associated Press computer analysis of every person being held on a recent Sunday night shows that most did not...U.S. Muslim coalition considers suspending relations with FBI
WASHINGTON — A coalition of major national Muslim organizations this week announced that it is considering suspending outreach relations with the FBI, citing recent incidents in which American mosques and Muslim groups have been targeted. In a statement, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT),......
Israelis using ‘excessive’ force against protesters
RAMALLAH (IPS) — The critical wounding of a U.S. activist has highlighted the excessive use of force by Israeli forces. The activist, Tristan Anderson, 38, was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the Palestinian West Bank last week. He remains in intensive care in Tel...World Briefs: Rival Palestinian factions agree on elections
CAIRO — Reconciliation talks between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in Cairo this week yielded an agreement to hold national elections early next year. The two sides, however, remain deadlocked over the proposed terms of a national unity government. "Talks are at a standstill on the issue of the government," a member of......
America must find courage to stand up to Israel, injustice
During a recent visit to Washington, I met with several members of Congress to discuss the prospects for Palestinian and Israeli peace. This included a marvelous, unexpected introduction to Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the courageous civil rights advocate. The Palestinian National Initiative, which I head, works to emulate the nonviolent...Obama rides the same old policies in Palestine
President Obama has ridden in on the winds of change, promising diplomacy rather than belligerence as U.S. foreign policy; but he has yet to speak clearly against the policy of underdevelopment and "removal" Israel deploys against Palestinians living under occupation. Unfortunately, Obama's voice overseas, Secretary of State Hillary......
