July 12, 2006

Escalation in the Middle East

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So Israel invades southern Lebanon after two of its soldiers are seized by Hezbollah. The Bush administration, no doubt with lots of proof in tow, immediately blames Syria and Iran for the kidnappings. And now Yossi Klein Halavi in the New Republic says that Israel is about to start a wider, multiyear war against Syria and Iran, and that the United States should help by bombing the latter’s nuclear facilities. Is there anyone out there with any interest in trying to de-escalate this conflict?

MORE: Jonathan Edelstein sheds a lot of light on the situation.

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WE'LL BE BLUNT

It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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