[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Occupation, Intervention, and Law and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the O.I.L. Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each biweekly roundup to OIL@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every other week]
News
"Kuwait Lengthens Sentence of Man Who "Insulted" Emir", Swiss Info.ch
A court in Kuwait has raised the sentence of a man previously sentenced to two years for insulting the Emir over twitter to five years, according to his lawyer Jasser al-Jidei.
"Israeli Police Dismantle Palestinian Protest Village", Maher Abukhater
The Los Angeles Times reports Israeli police have dismantled the Bab al Shams protest village in the Jerusalem periphery, along with physically removing 50 Palestinian activists from the area.
"Khamenei Not Against Nuclear Talks with US", Al-Jazeera English
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei indicated in a recent address his openness to bilateral nuclear talks with the United States, but only if Washington agreed to end the imposition of sanctions, though he also expressed pessimism with regards to the likelihood of such talks occurring.
"Number of Hunger Strikers Surges at Guantánamo", Charlie Savage
The New York Times reports on a recent uptick in number of Guantanamo detainees refusing meals, in response to frustration at being held for years without trial and individual qualms over treatment.
"Obama Skips West Bank`s Daily Grind on Middle East Trip", Harriet Sherwood
Sherwood, writing for The Guardian, reports on President Obama`s trip from West Jerusalem to Ramallah, noting that the trip skipped both the Qalandiya checkpoint and other aspects of Palestinian life beyond the "Ramallah Bubble" in the West Bank`s villages and rural communitites.
Blogs
"Iraq War Motives, Ten Years Later", Daniel Luban
Writing in the wake of the tenth anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Luban harshly criticizes the pro-invsasion argument that the war promoted democracy and worries the "primary" motivation for the war may have been as primal as a psychologized display of military dominance over the Middle East.
"The PLO Has Failed Palestinians; Let`s Start Again From Scratch", Osamah Khalil
Writing for The Electronic Intifada, Khalil lays the blame for the PLO`s past failures on aspects of the organization he describes as undemocratic and unrepresentative of the Palestinian people`s desires; the future, he writes, requires that Palestinians make "the previous body and its leaders…obsolete and irrelevant"
"Some Observations on the Turkel Report and the Investigation of Wrongdoing by the Armed Forces", Alon Margalit
Writing for EJILTalk!, Margalit summarizes the Turkel Commission`s findings and recommendations at length while criticizing a number of recommendations as unlikely to result in less offenses of human rights and potentially applying Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) where it may not apply.
"Fresh Allegations of Torture in Bahrain", Jim White
White, writing for EmptyWheel, summarizes recent allegations of torture for suspects arrested for a series of November 2012 bombings, and criticizes both the Bahraini government`s denial of and the State Department`s cool response to the torture allegations.
"Is the CIA in the Drone Kill Chain? (Answer: LIkely.)", Kevin Jon Heller
Heller responds to a recent The Week report asserting the CIA does not "fly" drones or launch the weapons they wield, writing that even if the article is correct, the CIA may yet still have a role in the process of selecting the targets and when to attack--a role that may violate the foreign-murder statute.
"What Obama Missed: Protests of Settler Highway that Will Cut Jerusalem Neighborhood in Two", Alex Kane
Kane reports on a recent protest by residents of Palestinian village Beit Safafa of an Israeli highway set to expand through their village and speculates on Israel`s geopolitical motive in expanding roads from Jerusalem to settlements outside city limits.
Commentary
"David Frum, the Iraq War and Oil", Glenn Greenwald
Greenwald responds to writings of former Bush speechwriter David Frum that assert the administration held a deep interest in Iraqi oil prior to the 2003 invasion. Greenwald argues that Frum`s writings vindicate an often-stigmatized argument of anti-invasion critics that oil was a large factor motivating the invasion.
"Rethinking Israel-Palestine: Beyond Bantustans, Beyond Reservations", Noura Erakat
OIL`s own Noura Erakat argues in The Nation that a just resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, be it a one or two state solution, requires the abolition of institutions privileging any ethnic or religious groups in the region.
"President`s Visit Shouldn`t Ignore Refugees in Peril", Bill Frelick and Meera Shah
Frelick and Shah discuss Palestinian refugees from Syria forced back to Syria by Jordan, arguing the policy is inhumane and that Obama should avoid "giving Jordan a free pass" with regards to it during his visit to Jordan.
"Watch: IDF Does Not Want You to See What Occupation Looks Like", Mairav Zonszein
Zonszein reports on and speculates regarding the motives of a recent observed increase in incidents where the Israeli Defense Forces attempt to prevent activists from filming activities, despite Israeli military law preventing them from doing so.
Conferences
"Creation of International Law: Exploring the International Law Components of Peace"; 4-5 April 2014; University of Wisconsin Law School; Respond to call for papers here (email).
On Jadaliyya
"Noura Erakat and Rashid Khalidi on US-Israeli Relations: Interview with MSNBC`s Chris Hayes", Jadaliyya Reports
"Colonizer as Lender: A Statement on Palestine from Members of Occupy Wall Street and Strike Debt", Jadaliyya Reports
"Beyond the State: The Refugee Camp as a Site of Political Invention", Alessandro Petti
"Reconciling Return and Rights: Palestinian Refugees and the Emergence of a "Political Society"", Ruba Salih
"Sinan Antoon on Iraq Ten Years After US Invasion: Panel Interview on DW", Jadaliyya Interview
"Joint PHROC Statement: UN Resolution on Settlements--Another Missed Opportunity", Jadaliyya Reports
"Zainab Al-Khawaja: Letter From A Bahraini Prison", Zainab Al-Khawaja
"When I Saw You", Dale Hudson
"Open Letter from Members of the Protection Committee for Bedouin Communities in the Jerusalem Periphery to President Obama", Jadaliyya Reports
"Not Enough Water in the West Bank?", Visualizing Palestine and EWASH
"Press Release: As Obama Lands, Palestinians Erect New Bab al Shams Neighborhood", Jadaliyya Reports
"القنصل البريطاني وزيارة جامعة بيرزيت", Samer Jaber
"UNICEF Report: Children in Israeli Military Detention", Jadaliyya Reports
"Mainstream Taboo on Criticizing Israel Suffers Visible Cracks (Video)", Omar Baddar
"Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying and Its Impact on American Muslims", Jadaliyya Reports