The Quartet, while in principle a good idea, has been fatally undermined by the insincerity and ‘pro-Israel’ bias of the United States. The time has come, argues Rami Khouri, for the UN and the EU to disassociate themselves from the charade.

The Middle East Quartet is failing – making inadequate progress towards improving the lives of Palestinians nor improving the prospects for peace – according to a new report by leading aid agencies published last week.

George Monbiot exposes the new wave of food colonialism practiced by the EU, and several other rich nations, that is snatching food from the mouths of the poor.

The Morning Star reflect upon Gordon Brown’s recent surprise visit to the UK forces in Afghanistan, who face a dangerous and unwinnable situation, as casualties rise and resistance grows fiercer every day.

Yaakov Lappin reports on how the Israeli Defence Force shut down BBC radio transmitters in Hebron on Wednesday, acting on orders of the Communications Ministry and citing interference with communications at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

In articles from July 2006 and August 2008, Michel Chossudovsky examines the geopolitics of the conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia and considers US/NATO and Israeli interests in the region given the importance of the BP-controlled Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil and gas pipeline.

Gabrielle Rifkind introduces an Oxford Research Group detailing an April 2008 meeting, where 35 policy experts and practitioners gathered in Riyadh to examine the challenge of finding a regional consensus for stabilising Iraq.

Iran is facing increasing threats from the US in the form of a belligerent Republican party, military commanders and presidential hopefuls. _Justin Raimondo_argues that now is the time for Barack Obama to truly represent public opposition to further invasions.

Mark Steel on the surreal horror of appointing a man who helped destroy a large chunk of the Middle East to the position of “Middle East peace envoy”.