Interview with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, conducted by Scott Harris

Like many of its neighbors throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Syrians took to the streets last March, demanding political and economic reforms from the nation’s authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad.  The United Nations estimates that 5,000 civilians have been killed in a brutal government crackdown that continues to escalate.  In reaction to the rising violence and the very real possibility of a civil war, the Arab League attempted to intervene in early November.  Although President Assad agreed in principle to the League proposal to send monitors into his country and begin negotiations with the opposition, he delayed signing the accord until December 19th.

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Interview with Daphne Wysham, co-director of the Institute for Policy Studies’ Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, conducted by Scott Harris

As the 17th Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa concluded on Dec. 11, many environmental activists were disappointed with the results, but relieved that the talks hadn’t collapsed. With the 1997 Kyoto protocol treaty on global warming set to expire, the conference in Durban was tasked with negotiating an agreed-upon path toward developing a new international treaty that will control greenhouse gas emissions.

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Interview with Robert Naiman, policy director of the group Just Foreign Policy, conducted by Scott Harris

A confluence of recent events has dramatically increased tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and western nations. The early November release of an International Atomic Energy Agency report presenting evidence that Iran had been developing a nuclear warhead over the past decade, while also working toward long-range missile capability, provoked calls for more severe economic sanctions. A massive explosion at an Iranian solid fuel missile testing site on Nov. 12, destroying the facility, has prompted speculation that this blast and another at a uranium conversion facility in Isafahan, could have been the result of a U.S. or Israeli covert sabotage operation. The Nov. 29 Iranian student invasion and trashing of the British embassy in Tehran moved relations between the two nations to the breaking point. The embassy incident was followed by reports on Dec. 4 that Iran had shot down a sophisticated U.S. stealth reconnaissance drone over Iranian airspace.

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Ouverture du site www.bandeorganisee.org

Interview with Seif Da’Na, associate professor of sociology and international studies at the University of Wisconsin, conducted by Scott Harris

When tens of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square last spring demanding the ouster of U.S.-supported dictator Hosni Mubarak, the nation’s armed forces played a decisive role in forcing Mubarak to resign on Feb. 11. When Mubarak ended his 30-year reign of power, it fell to Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to organize the nation’s transition to democracy. Initially, the military promised a six-month transition period, after which they would step aside to make way for civilian rule.

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Excerpt of speech by Mazin Qumsiyeh, Palestinian professor, author and activist, recorded and produced by Melinda Tuhus

Mazin Qumsiyeh, a professor of genetics who worked at several American universities before returning to his native Palestine, is the author of four books, including his latest, “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment.” As an activist as well as an academician, Qumsiyeh had hoped to be a passenger onboard the most recent ship convoy attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza in early November, but was bumped at the last minute when the Turkish government forced organizers to reduce the number of passengers by two-thirds. Professor Qumsiyeh returned to his home in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, in time to present a talk on the Palestinian struggle to a group of international solidarity activists.

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Human Rights Group Decries Israel's Imprisonment of 20 Percent of Total Palestinian Population Since 1967

Excerpt of speech, recorded and produced by Melinda Tuhus

In mid-October, Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic party that controls Gaza, agreed to a prisoner swap. One thousand twenty-seven Palestinian political prisoners were traded for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Hamas since June 2006. Many Israelis were horrified by the release of Palestinians, some of whom had been convicted for violent crimes against Israelis, but overall, the sentiment was one of celebration. However, some Palestinians were angry that many of the prisoners released were sent into exile.

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World Health Organization Study Links Cell Phone Use to Cancer Risk

Interview with Devra Davis, Environmental Health Trust founder and president, conducted by Scott Harris

After years of speculation about the health hazards of mobile phone use, a panel of scientists at the World Health Organization reported on May 31 that they’ve concluded using cell phones may increase the risk of developing certain types of brain tumors. A working group of 31 scientists from 14 countries meeting at the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer announced that their review of all the available scientific evidence suggested cell phone use should be classified as "possibly carcinogenic."

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Outcome of Palestinian-U.N. Initiative for Statehood Has Serious Consequences for U.S.

Interview with Jeff Halper, co-founder and director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, conducted by Hazel Kahan

After years of failed U.S.-brokered negotiations for a peace agreement that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, close to 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements on West Bank and East Jerusalem, land occupied by Israel since 1967. Palestinians are expected to turn to the United Nations in September for recognition of an independent state on that territory. Recognition would require approval by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

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Interview with Eva Golinger, attorney and editor-in-chief of Correo del Orinoco International, conducted by Scott Harris

After spending several weeks in Cuba without explanation, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez announced to his nation and the world that he’s battling cancer. The outspoken socialist head of state was first treated for pelvic abscesses in Havana during an official visit to Cuba in June. After initial surgery, doctors discovered and removed a cancerous tumor. The 56-year-old Chavez returned to Caracas on July 4, quashing rumors spread by his opponents that he had died or was terminally ill.

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