Kragdar
@kragdar.bsky.social
Lawyer & observer of the Middle East / West Asia. فارسی بلدم; biraz Azərbaycanca.
Pinned
Does anyone have a blocklist for dog pfps
Ukraine has been hugely instructive, because it really reveals the realm of the possible and how racism and misguided U.S. priorities have limited it. Turns out you can just immediately sanction aggressors. & why shouldn’t U.S. partners have transport planes for Gaza or Sudan, given access issues?
Some addtl spice to the humanitarian aid part - and not to detract from the crime this represents - but USAID allocated so much money to Ukraine humanitarian aid that our partners literally didn't know what to do with it, even asking us if they could *buy* private transport airplanes with it
Quite the chart
February 11, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Ukraine has been hugely instructive, because it really reveals the realm of the possible and how racism and misguided U.S. priorities have limited it. Turns out you can just immediately sanction aggressors. & why shouldn’t U.S. partners have transport planes for Gaza or Sudan, given access issues?
Truly don’t know where to start with the Epstein files because it’s millions of documents, many horrible. The most useful source I’ve found so far is r/Epstein. I can only imagine what happened to some of these women when they were children, or younger adults.
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
February 11, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Truly don’t know where to start with the Epstein files because it’s millions of documents, many horrible. The most useful source I’ve found so far is r/Epstein. I can only imagine what happened to some of these women when they were children, or younger adults.
Reposted by Kragdar
First, the Trump administration said it detained Leqaa Kordia for an immigration violation.
Then, they used her participation in a pro-Palestine Columbia protest to justify it.
Now, they say she supports Hamas because she sent money to family in Palestine.
She has been detained for nearly a year:
Then, they used her participation in a pro-Palestine Columbia protest to justify it.
Now, they say she supports Hamas because she sent money to family in Palestine.
She has been detained for nearly a year:
Why Has This Columbia University Protester Been in ICE Detention for Nearly a Year?
Leqaa Kordia's family worries about her health after she was briefly hospitalized last week. DHS refused to give them information about her condition and she is still 'very sick.'
zeteo.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:51 PM
First, the Trump administration said it detained Leqaa Kordia for an immigration violation.
Then, they used her participation in a pro-Palestine Columbia protest to justify it.
Now, they say she supports Hamas because she sent money to family in Palestine.
She has been detained for nearly a year:
Then, they used her participation in a pro-Palestine Columbia protest to justify it.
Now, they say she supports Hamas because she sent money to family in Palestine.
She has been detained for nearly a year:
Reposted by Kragdar
We make fun of activist college kids in the US but student movements really are the birthplace of most progressive change. It's why brutalizing them with the police is one of the first things any shitty government does.
February 11, 2026 at 4:53 PM
We make fun of activist college kids in the US but student movements really are the birthplace of most progressive change. It's why brutalizing them with the police is one of the first things any shitty government does.
Reposted by Kragdar
I also love the little bit in the intro about another failed public project, where someone from the city wanted her to do an art installation because they thought there weren't enough made by women, and it ended up failing because some men involved wanted to underpay her
This painstakingly detailed account of a nightmare experience working with Google feels worth honoring with a read. So unprofessional and disrespectful of Google.
news.artnet.com/art-world/ju...
news.artnet.com/art-world/ju...
Want a Masterclass in How Not to Work With Artists? Ask Google | Artnet News
Renown artist Judy Chicago shares her misadventures with an ambitious public art commission for the tech giant.
news.artnet.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:45 AM
I also love the little bit in the intro about another failed public project, where someone from the city wanted her to do an art installation because they thought there weren't enough made by women, and it ended up failing because some men involved wanted to underpay her
Reposted by Kragdar
Ok folks, Akram shouldn’t have to ask for help at all but he’s got big expenses in trying to make his HOME liveable for his sibs & mama. Anything at all helps! Help this family get some shelter! chuffed.org/project/help...
Help the Abdelwahed family survive
I'm helping my friend, Akram Abdelwahed, raise funds to help his family survive.
chuffed.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Ok folks, Akram shouldn’t have to ask for help at all but he’s got big expenses in trying to make his HOME liveable for his sibs & mama. Anything at all helps! Help this family get some shelter! chuffed.org/project/help...
Reposted by Kragdar
If you were to run down a list of all the things distinctive about the United States in contrast to Old World Europe, most of it is stuff we instead have in common with Latin America. That's not some woke novelty, it's a deeply embedded centuries-old aspect of our culture and national identity.
February 9, 2026 at 3:28 AM
If you were to run down a list of all the things distinctive about the United States in contrast to Old World Europe, most of it is stuff we instead have in common with Latin America. That's not some woke novelty, it's a deeply embedded centuries-old aspect of our culture and national identity.
Reposted by Kragdar
To reject the US as a fundamentally American country with a deep shared history and commonality with the rest of the Americas, including that Spanish has long been our de facto national second language, is on a deep level anti-American. It's hating actual American culture and history and tradition.
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 AM
To reject the US as a fundamentally American country with a deep shared history and commonality with the rest of the Americas, including that Spanish has long been our de facto national second language, is on a deep level anti-American. It's hating actual American culture and history and tradition.
Reposted by Kragdar
Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming
February 9, 2026 at 2:30 AM
Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming
God Bless America 🇺🇸 🇵🇷 🇻🇪 🇨🇱 🇺🇾 🇵🇾 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇦🇷 🇧🇴 🇪🇨 🇬🇾 🇸🇷
Rancid European ideas stay out
Rancid European ideas stay out
In case you missed the moment.
Art is powerful
Art is powerful
February 9, 2026 at 2:46 AM
God Bless America 🇺🇸 🇵🇷 🇻🇪 🇨🇱 🇺🇾 🇵🇾 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇦🇷 🇧🇴 🇪🇨 🇬🇾 🇸🇷
Rancid European ideas stay out
Rancid European ideas stay out
Reposted by Kragdar
1. Would like to ask for a big favor.
Would love for you to please follow two Iranian women reporters who were just laid off from the Washington Post.
I will link to their latest investigation in the post below, but please follow @ntabrizy.bsky.social and @yjtorbati.bsky.social!!
Would love for you to please follow two Iranian women reporters who were just laid off from the Washington Post.
I will link to their latest investigation in the post below, but please follow @ntabrizy.bsky.social and @yjtorbati.bsky.social!!
February 8, 2026 at 10:22 PM
1. Would like to ask for a big favor.
Would love for you to please follow two Iranian women reporters who were just laid off from the Washington Post.
I will link to their latest investigation in the post below, but please follow @ntabrizy.bsky.social and @yjtorbati.bsky.social!!
Would love for you to please follow two Iranian women reporters who were just laid off from the Washington Post.
I will link to their latest investigation in the post below, but please follow @ntabrizy.bsky.social and @yjtorbati.bsky.social!!
Reposted by Kragdar
BREAKING | Iran has sentenced 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to more than 7 additional years in prison, her lawyer said, after she launched a hunger strike on Feb. 2. The Revolutionary Court in Mashhad imposed 6 years for “gathering and collusion,” plus 18 months for propaganda...
February 8, 2026 at 8:11 PM
BREAKING | Iran has sentenced 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to more than 7 additional years in prison, her lawyer said, after she launched a hunger strike on Feb. 2. The Revolutionary Court in Mashhad imposed 6 years for “gathering and collusion,” plus 18 months for propaganda...
For Palestinians and non-Palestinians, the Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism is conducting a survey. This org is one of the few, which in my opinion, has a correct analytical understanding of the discourse surrounding Palestine. Please share widely.
Anti-Palestinian Racism | About us
antipalestinianracism.org
February 8, 2026 at 7:58 PM
For Palestinians and non-Palestinians, the Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism is conducting a survey. This org is one of the few, which in my opinion, has a correct analytical understanding of the discourse surrounding Palestine. Please share widely.
There seems to be a class of Iranian hardliners who think their mistake after the June war, and before it, was that they didn’t become more like North Korea or China and clamp down on all opposition. Amid the dead-end of Iranian politics under the IRI, it seems some are implementing this fantasy.
February 8, 2026 at 7:51 PM
There seems to be a class of Iranian hardliners who think their mistake after the June war, and before it, was that they didn’t become more like North Korea or China and clamp down on all opposition. Amid the dead-end of Iranian politics under the IRI, it seems some are implementing this fantasy.
Reposted by Kragdar
Supporters of the deposed Iranian shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, are reportedly going around to Iranian establishments in the UK and Europe and threatening them with violence if they do not display a photo of Reza P or the flag associated with the monarchy. Psycho behavior. x.com/Ehsan_HoZa/s...
February 8, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Supporters of the deposed Iranian shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, are reportedly going around to Iranian establishments in the UK and Europe and threatening them with violence if they do not display a photo of Reza P or the flag associated with the monarchy. Psycho behavior. x.com/Ehsan_HoZa/s...
I wasn’t born in an Iranian prison, but it’s remarkable how similar of an op-ed I could write, using my family’s personal experiences to justify practically anything.
www.wsj.com/opinion/i-wa...
www.wsj.com/opinion/i-wa...
Opinion | I Was Born in the Shah’s Prison. Now I Support His Son
Reza Pahlavi was 18 when he left Iran and is the only opposition leader with no ties to the Islamic regime.
www.wsj.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:36 PM
I wasn’t born in an Iranian prison, but it’s remarkable how similar of an op-ed I could write, using my family’s personal experiences to justify practically anything.
www.wsj.com/opinion/i-wa...
www.wsj.com/opinion/i-wa...
Reposted by Kragdar
There seems to be a substantial crackdown against reformist political figures in Iran. At least 4 people political figures, some of whom have previously served in govt, have reportedly been arrested by the IRGC for fomenting "disorder" x.com/IranObserver...
February 8, 2026 at 7:16 PM
There seems to be a substantial crackdown against reformist political figures in Iran. At least 4 people political figures, some of whom have previously served in govt, have reportedly been arrested by the IRGC for fomenting "disorder" x.com/IranObserver...
Reposted by Kragdar
"twitter is a nazi bar" this place is a country club.
May 26, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"twitter is a nazi bar" this place is a country club.
Reposted by Kragdar
palestinians' accounts continue to get suspended on here because white people levy blanket accusations like the claim that palestinians are mostly southeast asian scammers with not much more than timestamps, so if it's all the same to the discourse on here i'm going to cross-post on other platforms.
May 26, 2025 at 8:22 PM
palestinians' accounts continue to get suspended on here because white people levy blanket accusations like the claim that palestinians are mostly southeast asian scammers with not much more than timestamps, so if it's all the same to the discourse on here i'm going to cross-post on other platforms.
Reposted by Kragdar
MERIP has a long, storied history in independent media and Middle East Studies. When I took charge nearly two years ago, the org had made some shrewd decisions to try and wade through a challenging environment of the late-teens/early 2020s. We closed the DC office in 2017 and went virtual. 1/
I really can't emphasize enough that this is one of the most important periodicals/projects and it deserves far more support than it gets.
SUPPORT MERIP: We rely on the support of our readers to publish all of our content without paywalls. If you value independent research and analysis on the Middle East, please consider a donation today!
February 8, 2026 at 1:34 AM
MERIP has a long, storied history in independent media and Middle East Studies. When I took charge nearly two years ago, the org had made some shrewd decisions to try and wade through a challenging environment of the late-teens/early 2020s. We closed the DC office in 2017 and went virtual. 1/
From years of observation, my opinion of Cameron and his ilk is that the only real issue they have with the Islamic Republic is that they’re not the ones in charge of repression and killing.
We really are sleeping through a pre-Iraq-war moment. Here, the head of a newish pro-war group Iranan-American group, calls for the prosecution of anti-Trump, anti-war Iranians here and then in a new Iran. Diaspora politics can get stupid and ugly, but i hope this really clarifies the moment.
February 7, 2026 at 11:06 PM
From years of observation, my opinion of Cameron and his ilk is that the only real issue they have with the Islamic Republic is that they’re not the ones in charge of repression and killing.
Reposted by Kragdar
My latest: Without anti-authoritarianism, 'anti-imperialism' is just conservatism with left-wing aesthetics
www.hauntologies.net/p/iranian-pr...
www.hauntologies.net/p/iranian-pr...
Iranian protesters don't owe us an explanation
Without anti-authoritarianism, 'anti-imperialism' is just conservatism with left-wing aesthetics
www.hauntologies.net
February 7, 2026 at 4:01 PM
My latest: Without anti-authoritarianism, 'anti-imperialism' is just conservatism with left-wing aesthetics
www.hauntologies.net/p/iranian-pr...
www.hauntologies.net/p/iranian-pr...
Reposted by Kragdar
Most of the time whether implicitly or explicitly what is being said is that there was a ceasefire for Israeli Jews.
February 7, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Most of the time whether implicitly or explicitly what is being said is that there was a ceasefire for Israeli Jews.
Reposted by Kragdar
Yeah it is funny to see a bunch of people say there was a ceasefire on Oct 6th 2023 when a 21st century record number of Palestinians had already been killed by the army and the settlers in the oPt from January 1st 2023 to that day.
Similarly, it's depressing how many people (liberals mostly with Gaza and certain leftists with Ukraine) pretend to not realize occupation is not a meaningful peace.
The minute details are obviously significantly different but a core similarity between UKR and Palestine is that neither can actually reach a political solution because in each case their corresponding belligerent has an outwardly eliminiationist goal and has shown that it won't deviate from it.
February 7, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Yeah it is funny to see a bunch of people say there was a ceasefire on Oct 6th 2023 when a 21st century record number of Palestinians had already been killed by the army and the settlers in the oPt from January 1st 2023 to that day.