O.I.L. Media Roundup (24 December)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Occupation, Intervention and Law and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the O.I.L. Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each biweekly roundup to OIL@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every other week.]

Torture, Law and Detention

US Transfers Two More Guantanamo Detainees, Meredith Clark
The Department of Defense has transferred six detainees out of United States custody in the detention center at Guantanamo Bay to their home countries in the month of December alone.

Former Gitmo Inmate Moazzam Begg Stripped of Passport, Robert Verkaik
Moazzam Begg, former inmate of Guantanamo Bay and head of an Islamic anti-torture group, has been stripped of his passport due to allegations he is involved in terrorism in Syria.

A History of Torture, Clive Robert Smith
In a general history of torture written for Al Jazeera English, Smith, director and founder of anti-torture group Reprieve, argues that "similar patterns of violence and humiliation" occur throughout history.

In Blow to Leadership of '11 Revolt, Egypt Activists Are Given 3 Years in Prison, Kareem Fahim
A court in Egypt has convicted three activists instrumental in the 2011 uprising against then-President Hosni Mubarak of participating in more recent protests.

Egypt Announces New Charges Against Morsi, 35 Others, Laura King, Amro Hassan
The prosecutor from the interim government of Egypt has announced a new round of charges against deposed President Mohamed Morsi that could lead to the death penalty. The charges include assisting in terrorist acts and espionage.

American Studies Association Academic Boycott of Israel

Abbas: Don't Boycott Israel, Yoel Goldman
PA President Mahmoud Abbas has argued for boycotting Israeli products made in settlements but not a blanket boycott of Israeli products, arguing PA relations with Israel make the latter problematic.

Israel Lobby Launches Fierce Counterattack Against American Studies Association, Ali Abunimah
Abunimah surveys attempts of anti-Palestinian actors such as StandWithUS or former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren to counter the American Studies Association academic boycott of Israel.

Peter Beinart's Colonial Logic, Steven Salaita
Salaita responds point-by-point to an argument Peter Beinart has made in favor of boycotting West Bank settlements but not other Israeli institutions, counter-arguing that such an argument stems from a "segregationist" mentality viewing Israel as an "exclusive space for Jews."

Peter Beinart is "Dead Wrong" on ASA Academic Boycott, Noura Erakat
Jadaliyya co-Editor Noura Erakat responds to the contention of Peter Beinart that academic boycotts of Israel are "dead wrong" not to distinguish between Israel and Israeli settlements.

Why I Support the ASA Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions, Colin Dayan
Dayan responds in Al Jazeera America to accusations that the ASA academic boycott threatens academic freedom.

Boycotts, Backlash, Authority and Change, David Palumbo-Liu
The pedantic and fierce responses to the ASA academic boycott speaks to its status as a powerful and effective statement of protest, writes Palumbo-Liu in Truthout.

Law and the "War on Terror"

Yemeni Parliament in Non-Binding Vote Against Drone Attacks, Mohammed Ghobari, Maha El Dahan
The Parliament of Yemen has unanimously passed a symbolic vote calling for the end of all drone strikes following a strike that killed fifteen people en route to a wedding.

Jeh Johnson, Changing the Hue of Hegemony, William C. Anderson
Anderson, writing for Youngist, argues that the appointment of Jeh Johnson as Secretary of Homeland Security, the first black American to hold the seat, is no cause for celebration given that his job will largely involve "terrorizing communities of color both at home and abroad."

National Intelligence Chief Declassifies Bush-Era Documents on NSA Programs, Associated Press
The director of national intelligence has declassified documents relating to the origin of the NSA bulk data collection practices, amidst concessions from President Obama that such data collection "may be unnecessary" to fight terrorism.

A Wave of Violence Sweeps Iraq, Shane Shifflett, Hilary Fung, Eline Gordts, Jay Boice
The Huffington Post provides a series of infographics tracking violence and casualties thereof in Iraq before, during and following the 2003 US invasion.

Mapping the Blind Spots: Developer Unearths Secret US Military Bases, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Data artist Josh Begley has created an interactive map showing images of all known US military bases around the world using information from Google Maps and Bing Maps.

Armed Conflict in Syria

Secret Detention Part of Syria Campaign of Terror: UN, Stephanie Nebehay
UN investigators have alleged the Syrian government as well as armed rebel groups have engaged in campaigns of abduction and enforced disappearances as part of the conflict in Syria.

Russian Lorries to Transport Syria Chemical Weapons, BBC News
International watchdog group Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reports Russia will transport Syrian government chemical weapons to an Italian port, where they will later be destroyed at sea.

Rule of Fear: ISIS Abuses in Detention in Northern Syria, Amnesty International
Amnesty International provides a report of human rights abuses in detention camps of the Islamic Sate of Iraq and al-Sham, an armed opposition group in Northern Syria.

Israel

High Court Asks Palestinians to Drop Land Case Against Settlers, Amira Hass
The Israeli High Court has issued a decision in a land case ordering the Palestinian party to the case, farmers from the West Bank village of Yatta, to drop their case against settlers who had seized the land, despite contending that the had proven its tie to its land,

Unforgivable: Ari Shavit's My Promised Land and Its Acclaim in the United States, Jerome Slater
Slater responds on his blog to the warm reception of Ari Shavit's history of Israel My Promised Land by way of a point-by-point response to the historical points Shavit makes regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Efforts to Ease Israel-Lebanon Border Tension After Shooting, Betsheva Sobelman
Israel and Lebanon have downplayed reports Israel returned fire following the fatal cross border shooting of an Israeli soldier by Lebanese forces.

Conferences

Governing Intelligence: Transnational Threats and National Security State; 2 May 2014; Stanford Law School, Palo Alto, California; Respond to call for papers here.

Peacebuilding and Environmental Damage in Contemporary Jus Post Bellum: Classifying Norms, Principles and Practices; 11-12 June 104; The Hague, Netherlands; respond to call for papers here.

Africans and Hague Justice: Realities and Perceptions of the International Criminal Court in Africa; 23-24 May 2014; Hague University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Register here.

On Jadaliyya

Substantive Erasures: Essays on Academic Boycott and the American Studies Association, Noura Erakat, Alex Lubin, Steven Salaita, J. Kehaulani kauanui, Jasbir Puar

Demanding Equality: Interview with Steven Salaita on the ASA Academic Boycott, Noura Erakat

The Time for Intimidation is Over, Jadaliyya Reports

Press Release: UN Syria Commission Announces Thematic Paper on Enforced Disappearances As War Tactic, Jadaliiyya Reports

In Support of Swarthmore Hillel, Jadaliyya Reports

NAISA Declaration of Support for the Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions, Jadaliyya Reports

George Mason University Student Group to Boycott Israeli Billionaire Shari Arison During Graduation Ceremony, Jadaliyya Reports