Special Coverage: ForeignPolicy

Hamas Is Not Iran's Puppet

William O. Beeman, New America Media. January 6, 2009.
That the conflict between Israel and Hamas is a proxy war with Iran is a myth that has grown up during the Bush administration.

Unprecedented Numbers of Americans Question Israel's Actions in Gaza

Max Blumenthal, Huffington Post. January 6, 2009.
Could it be the rise of online progressive media telling the truth about Israel, or that the public rejects the same pundits who sold us Iraq?

The Long and Bloody Hypocrisy of U.S.-Israeli Acts of Terrorism

Robert Parry, Consortium News. January 5, 2009.
Without an extreme double standard on terrorism, it's hard to see how today's bloodbath in Gaza would be possible.

Tragedy in Gaza -- Desperately Seeking Leadership from Obama

Sunera Thobani, rabble.ca. January 5, 2009.
Unfortunately, Obama is missing in action and silent on this first foreign policy challenge to his presidency.

America's Hidden Role in Hamas's Rise to Power

Stephen Zunes, AlterNet. January 3, 2009.
No one in the mainstream media or government is willing to acknowledge America's sordid role interfering in Palestinian politics.

The Paradox of Israel: Regional Super Power and the Largest Jewish Ghetto Ever Created

Ira Chernus, AlterNet. January 2, 2009.
Israelis keep saying they only want security, while they go on electing leaders whose policies make them less secure.

9 Steps to Peace for Obama in the New Year

Deepak Chopra, AlterNet. January 1, 2009.
Steps the incoming president can take to build a peace-based economy.

Everything You Need to Know about Iran But the Mass Media, the Republicans and Hillary Clinton Wouldn't Tell You

Col. Ann Wright, TruthOut.org. January 1, 2009.
A conspiracy of myths about Iran has been pushed on us to make it seem scary. Want to hear some facts?

Killing Without Consequences in Gaza

Mustafa Qadri, Foreign Policy in Focus. January 1, 2009.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Israel’s latest attack on Gaza was a pre-meditated attempt to destabilize the Hamas regime.

Revealed: WaPo Editor Fred Hiatt's Bizarre Obsession with Demonizing Russia

Mark Ames, The Nation. January 1, 2009.
Deconstructing Russia coverage on the Washington Post editorial page.

Israel Is Foolishly Breeding the Next Generation of Islamic Militants in Gaza

Chris Hedges, Truthdig. December 31, 2008.
Israel is using hunger and terror to break a hostile population -- it will pay a huge price down the road.

Israeli Military Strikes: The Mideast Version of Bay of Pigs Fiasco

Jakob Rieken, AlterNet. December 30, 2008.
Israel is fundamentally mistaken in thinking that Hamas is a marginal organization that can simply be pushed out.

In Mexico, Gays Defend Their Right to be Catholic

Diego Cevallos, IPS News. December 30, 2008.
In Mexico, Gays proclaim a "right to be who we are, and demand to be respected and acknowledged as part of the Catholic community."

Gaza: Leaders Lie, Civilians Die and the Lessons of History Are Ignored

Robert Fisk, Independent UK. December 30, 2008.
Quite a lot of the dead this weekend appear to have been Hamas members, but what is it supposed to solve?

Israel's Bombs Are Only the Latest Variation in the Killing of Palestinians

Ali Abunimah, Comment Is Free. December 30, 2008.
Deprived of food and medicine by an Israeli blockade, the most vulnerable Palestinians die silent deaths every day.

Israel's Onslaught: One of Its Bloodiest Attacks on Palestinians in 60 Years

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. December 30, 2008.
Reports indicate that 350 people have been killed and 1,400 injured in the aerial strikes across the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning.

Israel's Four Real Objectives in the Gaza Attacks

Neve Gordon, CounterPunch. December 29, 2008.
Israel claims its assault on Gaza is a response to rocket attacks, but it's anything but.

Green Paper Gold: How to Pay for a Global 'New New Deal'

Jeremy Brecher, Tim Costello, Brendan Smith, Foreign Policy in Focus. December 27, 2008.
The paradox of our economic crunch is that the world's resources are "out of service" at the very time they're needed to fight global warming.

Mercenaries Playing Increasingly Prominent Role in Latin America

Gustavo Capdevila, IPS News. December 26, 2008.
Mercenaries hired by private military and security companies are playing an increasingly broad range of roles in Latin America.

Pentagon Tries to Lock Obama Into an Outrageously Bloated Budget

Mark Engler, In These Times. December 24, 2008.
The U.S. spends as much on the military in a single year as it did in the $700 billion financial bailout. Yet the Pentagon is now calling for more.

Israel Detaining the UN

Phyllis Bennis, Foreign Policy in Focus. December 24, 2008.
The decision to detain the UN's envoy fits a pattern of hiding the human consequences of the siege of Gaza from the world.

What We Can Learn from Social Struggle in South America

Benjamin Dangl, AlterNet. December 23, 2008.
South American social movements are potential blueprints for change in the U.S.

Obama's Most Hawkish Advisor

Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation. December 23, 2008.
It's hard to imagine a less likely choice to be Obama's go-to guy on foreign policy than James L. Jones.

Foreign Mercenaries Losing Their Immunity in Iraq

Willam Fisher, IPS News. December 18, 2008.
Under the agreement approved by the Iraqi government last week, U.S. contractors will be subject to Iraqi law for the first time.

Why Iranians Love and Loathe Ahmadinejad and Think Nuclear Technology's Their Right

Hooman Majd, AlterNet. December 18, 2008.
An Iranian-American author explains why their president elicits such passionate emotions from both supporters and opponents.

Obama Should Worry About Iraqi Shoes, Too

Ben Lando, AlterNet. December 18, 2008.
When Iraq's violence escalates, President Obama better not be caught on his heels when he's blamed for losing Bush's "win."

Liberals and Hardliners: Islam at War with Itself

Bramantyo Prijosusilo, New America Media. December 17, 2008.
Indonesia not only has the largest Muslim population in the world, it also has the liveliest debate on issues related to Islam.

Letter From Athens: Greek Riots and the News Media in the Age of Twitter

Andrew Lam, New America Media. December 17, 2008.
The protests and riots in Greece were organized by young people, who text-messaged each other and used social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Economy, Relations with West Are Key to Iran's 2009 Elections

Gareth Porter, IPS News. December 16, 2008.
Both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and whoever is chosen as his opponent are expected to try to pin responsibility for Western sanctions on each other.

Neocons, Thirsty for Blood, Look to Quash Iran Negotiations

Ali Gharib, IPS News. December 16, 2008.
Obama has spoken of meaningful engagement with Iran, but DC hawks still advocate tough sanctions or military strikes.

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Auditing Conventional Wisdom

In partnership with the MIT Center for International Studies, AlterNet is pleased to present these Audits of the Conventional Wisdom.

This ongoing series of essays tours the horizon of conventional wisdoms that animate U.S. foreign policy and puts them to the test of data and history.

By subjecting particularly well-accepted ideas to close scrutiny, the series aims to re-engage policy and opinion leaders on topics that are too easily passing such scrutiny.

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