As many have noted, launching missile strikes against Syria might once again harden the arteries that, since Hassan Rouhani was elected president, has been transporting fresh blood to Iran’s relationship with the West. Unfortunately, turning the relationship toxic...
The Kurdish Moment: Opportunity and Peril
For almost a century, the Kurds—one of the world’s largest ethnic groups without its own state—have been deceived and double-crossed, their language and culture suppressed, their villages burned and bombed, and their people scattered. But because of the U.S. invasion...
If True, Does Assad Really Think WMD Use Is Okay With Russia?
Calls for intervention are rearing their ugly head again in light of charges that the Syrian military mounted a poison gas attack outside Damascus. (Syria’s capital and home to President Assad: gives new meaning to “fouling your nest,” aka “s****ing the bed.”) While...
Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/16/13)
Syrian Rebel-Force Futility “If a regular Syrian comes and asks me what we have given him, I don’t know what to say,” Ahmed said. Momentum Shifts in Syria, Bolstering Assad’s Position, Ben Hubbard, the New York Times Netanyahu, Agitator-in-Chief on Iran The amped-up...
Why Israel Is Obsessed with an Iranian Bomb
Perhaps more than any other state in the Middle East, Israel has historically shown a special sensitivity to its nemeses’ efforts to acquire strategic capabilities that might change the regional balance of power. It has also demonstrated a unique willingness to take...
If Iran Had a Nuke Research Program, It May Have Been Rogue
Even informed Americans are loath to accept the unlikelihood of a nuclear-weapons program on the part of Iran. Why? They may just wish to maintain their credibility in the face of prevailing opinion. Also, they fear being played for fools since Iran isn’t as...
Lindsey Graham Ready to Play the “Last Card” on Iran
Lindsey Graham is no longer just rattling his saber at Iran -- it now looks like he’s en garde and ready to face off against the Islamic Republic. At ThinkProgress, Ben Armbruster reports that, on Tuesday (July 23), the Republican senator from South Carolina said “If...
The Meaning of Rouhani
Although Hassan Rouhani’s victory in Iran’s presidential election was a major gain for the moderate and reformist political groups in Iran—and consequently a major loss for the conservative groups—its implications are far greater than a simple adjustment in the balance of power in Iran’s domestic politics.
Iranians Vote for Hope and a Change of Course
Iran’s June 14 presidential election results, announced the day after voting was held, were nothing less than a political earthquake.
Iran’s Election Nuclear, But Not Nuked
Before the election, Rohani’s words to the West were conciliatory.