Topic: Middle East
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Hugo Chavez: 10 outrageous things he said about the US
Hugo Chavez, whose death was announced Tuesday, will be remembered worldwide as much for what he said as for what he did during his 14-year rule of Venezuela. From the vitriolic to bizarre, here is a list of 10 outrageous comments he made about the “Yankee empire” and its leaders.
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2013 Oscar-inspired dishes
The Academy Awards are right around the corner! What better way to cheer on the Best Picture nominees than by cooking a dish inspired by your favorite film?
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Iran fires at US drone: the top 3 pressing questions
Iranian military forces fired at a US Predator drone for the first time ever earlier this month, the Pentagon acknowledged this week. It’s a revelation that has raised a host of questions for the US military. Here are the top three.
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War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.
The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
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Iraqi government takes 10 TV stations off the air for 'incitement'
Iraqi authorities accused the stations of stoking conflict with their coverage of a violent Army crackdown on an antigovernment sit-in. Some see a worrying crackdown on free speech.
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Kerry makes headway with Middle East peace, but violence flares
Secretary of State John Kerry got an important boost yesterday when the Arab League agreed to soften the terms of their Middle East peace proposal.
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Obama’s 'red line' on Syria: An Iraq-like 'slam dunk' moment? (+video)
President Obama said a 'red line' would be crossed if the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against rebels. Might that propel the US into war, as those elusive 'weapons of mass destruction' did in Iraq?
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The Monitor's View: Of one mind about chemical weapons and protecting the innocent
Probable evidence of chemical-gas use in Syria may soon force world leaders to intervene. Their decision should be based on a principle enshrined in a global ban of such weapons – a respect for the innocence of civilians in not being harmed by this indiscriminate tool of war.
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Global News Blog Switzerland shuts the door on EU migrants: A new 'us vs. them' in Europe?
News that Switzerland is capping residence permits for Western Europeans reached the Monitor's Europe bureau chief as she was having her own intolerable immigration experience.
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Israel shoots down drone, Hezbollah denies it's theirs
The Shiite militant group in Lebanon has sent drones over Israel in the past, linking their use to Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace.
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Chemical weapons in Syria? What Obama's high bar for proof could mean.
Three key US allies – Britain, France, and Israel – have said Syria has used chemical weapons in its civil war, but the US, wary of intervening in the conflict, is calling the evidence 'inconclusive.'
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Outside the camps, Syrian refugees face further hardship
With 74 percent of Syrian refugees living outside camps, life is a daily struggle to find affordable housing, jobs with living wages, and schooling for their children.
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Decoder Wire George W. Bush poll numbers up. Does America miss him yet?
George W. Bush left office with a 23 percent approval rating, but now, as his presidential library is about to open in Dallas, he's back up to 47 percent. But he's got a way to catch Bill Clinton.
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Backchannels From Bali to Boston, terrorists chase the same goal: infamy
Fueled by a fringe brand of Islam, the Boston bombers may have been motivated by the same desire that drove bombers in Indonesia a decade ago to go down in history as vigilantes.
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Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and Ospreys
The US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
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Two bishops kidnapped by rebels, says Syrian government
Two bishops were kidnapped by 'a terrorist group,' say Syrian officials. Several Muslim clerics have been killed, but the two bishops are the most senior Christian leaders caught up in the conflict which has killed more than 70,000 people across Syria.
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Environmentalists tap Palestinian schoolchildren to clean Jerusalem's holy valley
Six Olympic-size pools of trash and sewage are dumped in Kidron Valley, which abuts Jerusalem's holiest sites, every year.
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In Middle East Kerry pushes for Turkey-Israel rapprochement
Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East exploring options for renewed peace efforts. On Sunday, he urged Turkey and Israel to normalize relations, which broke down after Turks were killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010.
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Hagel: Israel and US see 'exactly the same' threat from Iran
On a trip to Israel, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the US and Israel view the threat from Iran the same way, but differ on the point at which military action would be necessary.
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Chechen identity looms over Boston Marathon bombing suspects
If true that the two suspects were raised in Chechnya, its warrior tradition - which stresses male independence and defiance of authority - would likely have shaped their childhood.
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Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policies
Iran's supreme leader was emphatic in his condemnation of the Boston Marathon attacks, but criticized the US for decrying attacks on its own civilians while carrying out drone strikes elsewhere.
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John Kerry to Congress: Middle East peace effort is urgent
In his first congressional hearing as secretary of State, John Kerry tells lawmakers that, after the Benghazi attacks, the US must fortify security for diplomats, press for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
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Boston Marathon bombing: '6L' mark, circuit boards may be key clues (+video)
Investigators have scoured the crime scene of the Boston Marathon bombing for every possible physical clue. A crucial task is to collect as many bomb fragments as possible, to track where the parts came from and who bought such items.
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Global News Blog Boston Marathon blasts: How the world is responding
The usual joy and pride surrounding Boston's Marathon was marred by yesterday's attack. Headlines from countries familiar with terrorism were filled with support for the city.
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Boston Marathon bombing: Feds raid apartment, police seek rental van (+video)
Federal authorities late Monday removed several bags from an apartment in a nearby suburb. Police investigating the Boston Marathon bombing have also issued an alert for a rental van and for a hooded man who left the area before the blasts.
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In Morocco, activists struggle to keep protest fervor alive
After tens of thousands protested on Feb. 20, 2011, Morocco's powerful king pushed through reforms. Two years later, activists say little has changed, and vow to face down threats and keep up pressure for a 'real' democracy.
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The Monitor's View: Looking for Obama's agenda in Syria
As killings in Syria worsen, more people look to Obama for action. But the mental preparation for action doesn't start with the White House.
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Global News Blog Death penalty: Amnesty International says global decline in executions stalls (+video)
In 2012, four countries that had not used the death penalty in several years were on Amnesty International's list. Missing was China, which keeps its figures secret but is estimated to far outpace others in executions.
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Olive Press Welcome to The Olive Press
Christa Case Bryant introduces a new blog focused on the life stories of people in the Middle East.
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