Group to use Section 301 process to highlight U.S.-Israel relations
A non-profit group focused on U.S.-Middle East policy plans for the second time to use the petition process under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to call into question Israel's status as a U.S. ally, the group's director said this week. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative this month rejected the first petition by the...
Acquittal no guarantee of freedom
July 18th, 20090 NEW YORK (IPS) — Lawmakers and human rights advocates are questioning the assertion by the administration of President Barack Obama that Guantanamo terror suspects could be imprisoned indefinitely even if they are found not guilty by a U.S. court. A Guantánamo detainee, center, is escorted by U.S. military personnel in this...U.S. aid convoy reaches Gaza
A humanitarian convoy organized by American activists successfully reached the besieged Gaza Strip this week. The Viva Palestina U.S. convoy was the second such land convoy to successfully enter Gaza via the Egyptian border. Activists hope that such missions will break down the Israel-Egyptian embargo on Gaza, which has made the strip...Arab students debate U.S. domestic issues
Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Okla. was the host site for the finals of a debate contest involving the brightest and best high school students from across America and the world Thursday. From left, Mohammed Albustani, Faisel Altunaiji, General Tommy Franks, Dana Alaskar and Jeris Abuhouran. Four representatives from...Al Jazeera English launches in first major U.S. cable market
HOUSTON – The English-language cousin of the Qatar based news channel Al Jazeera launched this week in the Washington D.C. area after signing its first major U.S. cable deal with non-commercial MHz Networks last week. The MHz deal means 2.3 million subscribers will now have access to the channel, adding to the 140 million...
Obama discredits “green light” for Israeli attack on Iran
July 10th, 20090 WASHINGTON — Seeking to end speculation about whether his administration had eased its opposition to an Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday insisted that Washington's position remained unchanged. Biden speaks to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. Lauren Victoria...Some see extended olive branch for Israel in Ross appointment to NSC
WASHINGTON — The promotion of Middle East adviser Dennis Ross to a senior White House position may open the door to a more positive tone by the United States toward the Israeli government, experts believe. Dennis Ross Ross, a veteran peace negotiator known for his strong ties with Israel and his past work with a...California imam killed in fire, Muslim group suspicious of hate crime
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Greater Los Angeles office (CAIR-LA) called for an FBI investigation into the death of a Yermo, Calif. imam as a potential hate crime after the Muslim religious leader's body was discovered inside a burned-down residence this past weekend. California imam Ali Mohammed Ali...
For black America, Jackson was an icon who transcended race
July 4th, 20090 LOS ANGELES — Sitting alone in a corner coffee shop in the heart of black L.A., Elisa Gomez Taylor explains why the black community is so endeared to Michael Jackson and why that endearment will probably never stop. A fan holds a tattered photo Michael Jackson outside a public memorial at the Apollo Theater in New York June...U.S. to name ambassador to Damascus after four years
WASHINGTON — After informing the Syrian embassy in Washington on Tuesday night, the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that President Barack Obama will be sending an ambassador to Damascus for the first time since 2005. U.S. President Barack Obama gestures while addressing a news conference in the Brady Press...
San Francisco Arab Americans allege police brutality
June 27th, 20090 SAN FRANCISCO — Arab American community groups are calling for accountability and cooperation from law enforcement after some activists suffered injuries during scuffles with police at an anti-war protest here in March. San Francisco activists scuffle with police during a March protest. PHOTOS: Ramsey El-Qare The Arab Resource...
Arab American shot to death by Miami police
June 19th, 20090 The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee called Tuesday for an investigation of the Miami Beach Police Department for the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Husein Shehada. Husein Shehada, killed by Miami Beach police Monday. According to the Washington Post, Shehada was killed Monday after being approached by police who were...Palestinian legislator speaks on the Hill
WASHINGTON — "President Barack Obama's Cairo speech generated excitement among Palestinians." That was part of the message Dr. Mustafa Barghouti expressed when he spoke on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC early last week. "Finally, we have a president that recognizes the right for Palestinian dignity and equal opportunity," he said....
Reuniting Families Act spurs hope
June 10th, 20090 Over 370,000 available family-preference visas went unused from 2004 to 2008, according to State Department figures. Approximately four million people are currently stuck in the visa entry backlog. Over 2.7 million of these are on a waiting list for visas from the family-preference category. Family-preference visas are used to...
Obama picks first Hispanic Supreme Court justice
May 30th, 20090 WASHINGTON — President Obama made history Tuesday by nominating the first Hispanic to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. U.S. Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor (L) steps up to speak after U.S. President Barack Obama announced her as his choice of......
Pelosi-CIA contretemps may spark wider probe
NEW YORK (IPS) — Congressional Democrats and many Washington journalists are predicting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's current dispute with the Central Intelligence Agency may ultimately hasten the push toward the last thing Republicans want — a comprehensive investigation of prisoner detention and interrogation during the...
Soldier rampage hints at stress of repeated deployments
May 16th, 20090 WASHINGTON — Military police on Tuesday charged Sgt. John Russell, a soldier on a 15-month tour to Iraq – his third deployment to the country – with murder in the shooting deaths of five soldiers at an American base. Sgt. John M. Russell, the Army sergeant accused of killing five fellow soldiers in Iraq, is seen in a......
Gibran Award recipients honored for promoting cross-cultural understanding
WASHINGTON — Since 1999, the Washington-based Arab American Institute Foundation has honored groups and individuals working to foster cross-cultural understanding with an award named for the poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran. The Lebanese-American is perhaps best known for his 1923 collection of poems titled "The Prophet." But he is...
Obama and “two states”: Seamless continuity from Bush time
May 9th, 20090 A false claim is wafting through the press: Obama is hanging tough with Benjamin Netanyahu, he's going to "twist Israel's arm" and at long last force the Jewish state into a two-state agreement, settling the Israel-Palestine question for good. There's even talk that Obama backs the Arab League's 2002 peace initiative, complete with its...Muslim group honors media stars
LOS ANGELES — The Muslim Public Affairs Council honored the makers of "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Simpsons" and journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! during the 18th Annual MPAC Media Awards gala dinner on Saturday, April 25. Democracy Now! co-founder and co-host, Amy Goodman. MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati...Senate report casts grim light on Bush era
NEW YORK — Pentagon interrogators continuously ramped up their abusive techniques against prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq and Afghanistan in a vain attempt to establish a link between the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. on Sep. 11, 2001. This is among the principal......
Medicare Part D: Going the extra mile for America’s seniors
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit for seniors, now offers an online service for beneficiaries. Called "Plan Finder," it allows seniors to find and compare prescription plans. This user-friendly online tool is just one of the ways Medicare Part D is helping seniors make informed decisions about their health care — and...
What you need to know about swine flu
May 2nd, 20090 The United States Government has declared a public health emergency in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency. CDC is......
Egyptian-born U.S. Muslim to advise White House
April 25th, 20090 The first Muslim woman appointed to a position in President Barack Obama's administration met with lawmakers this week and discussed her role on an interfaith advisory board the new administration hopes will broaden dialogue and understanding. Dalia MogahedDalia Mogahed's dimpled smile shone from under her hijab as she addressed...No warm welcome for American Muslim travelers
NEW YORK (IPS) — A Muslim legal advocacy group this week charged that federal agents routinely target American Muslim travelers — or simply those perceived to be Muslim — for "deeply intrusive, personal questions and searches about their politics, faith, finances, charitable giving and associations with lawful organizations, all......