Another ‘Symbolic Victory’: Abbas’ New Political Gambit
September 22, 2011 by Ramzy Baroud
President Abbas addresses the UN Security Council. Jenny Rockett/UN
When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas decided to go to the United Nations to request the admission of Palestine as a full member, he appeared to have had an epiphany. Had he finally realized that for the past two decades he and his party, Fatah, have gone down a road to nowhere? That Israel was only interested in him as a conduit to achieve its colonial endeavor in the remaining 22 percent of historical Palestine? That his national project – predicated on the ever elusive ‘peace process’ – achieved neither peace nor justice?
Julian Assange and his Irony Problems
September 22, 2011 by John Lyman
Bordering on what some suggest is the very definition of irony, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has come out fighting against the release of his autobiography without his consent. Despite being paid $1 million dollars for his autobiography, he failed to deliver on his portion of the agreement and the publisher decided to release the 244-page memoir to bookstores on Thursday.
The publisher, Canongate, insists that Assange has not repaid the publisher for his advance. Assange was originally paid by Canongate to begin working on the memoir with a ghostwriter but decided to cancel his contract with Canongate, citing his ongoing legal problems. Nevertheless, Canongate decided to publish the first draft of Assange’s “unauthorized autobiography”.
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