[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.]
Rasmea Odeh
Palestinian Activist Rasmea Odeh Found Guilty of Immigration Fraud, Julianne Hing
ColorLines covers the trial and conviction of Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh for falsifying information on an immigration application.
Rasmea Odeh: Guilty for Resistance, Rasmea Defense Committee
The recent conviction of Rasmea Odeh is a "travesty of justice" that hangs on a confession obtained through Israeli torture, writes the Rasmea Defense Committee in Jacobin.
Enforcing Apartheid, Jacobin Editors
Jacobin interview Michael Deutsch, one of Rasmea Odeh`s attorneys.
Islamic State
Iraqi Army "Reaches Center" of Oil City Beiji, Al Jazeera English
The Iraqi military has reached the northern city of Beiji, surrounding and halting the production of an oil refinery.
Islamic State Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Wounded, Dead or Missed Entirely by US Airstrikes, Terrence McCoy
The Washington Post covers conflicting reports regarding the fate of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi following a US air strike which he may have been near.
If You Thought the ISIS War Couldn`t Get Any Worse, Just Wait for More of the CIA, Trevor Timm
Timm questions why the CIA is providing Syrian rebels with weaponry despite internal reports criticizing the effectiveness of the practice.
Obama Calls Islamic State`s Killing of Peter Kassig "Pure Evil," Rukmini Callimachi
The New York Times reports on the Islamic State killing of Peter Kassig, an aid worker taken hostage by the group.
Peter Kassig Beheading: A New ISIS Video, but a Different Ending. What Could it Mean?, David Usborne
The Independent reports on the intelligence community`s response to discrepancies between the video showing the beheading of Peter Kassig and other execution videos released by Islamic State.
OHCHR Report Uses First-Hand Accounts to Describe ISIS "Rule of Terror" in Syria, Alex Ely
Lawfare reports on the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights release of a report on the conditions of civilians living under ISIS rule.
Sunni Awakening 2.0? Don`t Hold Your Breath, Kevin Drum
Drum writes that hopes of Sunni leaders in Iraq turning against Islamic State are ill-founded.
Palestine
Judge Hamas on the Measures it Takes for its People, Ahmed Yousef
Writing for The Guardian, Yousef argues that the international community has been "duped" by "Israeli hawks" in judging Hamas based on its charter rather than its actions.
This is Not Yet an Intifada, Palestinians Say, Philip Weiss
Weiss interviews Palestinians living in East Jerusalem on recent violent resistance to Israeli aggression.
Initial Thoughts on the ICC Prosecutor`s Mavi Marmara Report, Michael Kearney
Kearney responds to a report issued by the ICC`s Office of the Prosecutor on the Israeli army`s 2010 attack on a flotilla, the Mavi Marmara, writing that the report demonstrates a "crucial role in considering Israel’s policies and practices against Palestinians through the lens of criminal justice" the ICC can play.
Behind the Silent Reaction of the Palestinian Street, Amira Hass
Hass discusses the many Palestinian reactions to the attack which killed a number of Jewish Israelis in a synagogue, highlighting the presence of both unease among some Palestinians as well as an unwillingness to voice that unease given the ongoing attacks on Palestinian lives.
Law
Kuwait Bulk-Orders Comoros Citizenship for Stateless Bidoon, Peter Spiro
Spiro reports on a recent offer Kuwait has extended to its Bidoon citizens, offering the group citizenship in Comoros, and human rights group` s criticism of the move.
Secret Cash Pays for US Drone Mistakes, Cora Currier
The Intercept reports on US government cash transfers to civilian victims of drone strikes in Yemen.
Obama Administration Reverses Bush Policy, Says US Torture Ban Applies Abroad, Dan Froomkin
The State Department has declined to reaffirm a Bush Administration policy that the UN Convention Against Torture does not bar US torture outside its borders.
Iran
Iran and US Close in on Historic Nuclear Deal at Vienna Talks, Julian Borger
The Guardian reports marathon negotiations between Iran, and a six-nation group of Western powers over Iran`s nuclear program have produced compromises and a potential final deal, though the ultimate outcome remains in the balance.
Iranian-Built Copy of US Drone Takes First Flight, Reuters
Iran state news agency IRNA has reported that an Iranian copy of a US RQ-17 Sentinel reconnaissance drone captured in late 2011, has taken flight its first flight.
Syrian Civil War
The Hunger Game, Shane Bauer
Bauer writes for Mother Jones that amid reports of its use of chemical weapons, the Assad regime`s use of starvation as a weapon against the Syrian people has slipped under the radar.
Stealing Palestine, Sharmine Narwani
Narwani goes into the various Palestinian refugee camps and examines the residents’ attitudes towards the ongoing conflict in Syria as well as their views of both the government and the foreign and Syrian opposition which, she claims, brought the Palestinians into the war.