Middle East & North Africa
Putin Could Steal That Nobel From Kerry

Putin Could Steal That Nobel From Kerry

On Sept. 8, Secretary of State John Kerry made the offhanded suggestion that if Syrian President Bashar al Assad were to "turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week," the United States would call off its plans to...

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An Off-the-Cuff Breakthrough on Syria

An Off-the-Cuff Breakthrough on Syria

John Kerry may have just accidentally earned himself a Nobel Peace Prize. In off-the-cuff remarks to reporters, the Secretary of State reiterated his support for a U.S. attack on Syria, saying Bashar al-Assad could only ward off a U.S. strike by turning over his...

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The Hill to the Rescue on Syria?

The Hill to the Rescue on Syria?

Sometimes history happens at the moment when no one is looking. On weekends in late August, the president of the United States ought to be playing golf or loafing at Camp David, not making headlines. Yet Barack Obama chose Labor Day weekend to unveil arguably the most...

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Syria: Suddenly a Race to Peace?

Syria: Suddenly a Race to Peace?

Suddenly it seems as if the United States is competing with Russia to find an alternative to attacking Syria. As we posted this morning: “The Syrian government has accepted a Russian proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control to avoid a possible...

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Assad and Obama Whiff at Chances to Defuse Crisis

Assad and Obama Whiff at Chances to Defuse Crisis

The hypothesis that the Syrian chemical weapons attacks may not have been perpetrated by President Bashar al-Assad – or the opposition – has been graining traction. Reuters reports (Sept. 8): Syrian brigade and division commanders had been asking the Presidential...

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Syria: Helps to Know Whodunit Before Sentencing

Syria: Helps to Know Whodunit Before Sentencing

With Syria, the United States has been judge, jury, and hopes to be the executioner. The trouble is that its idea of who the accused is remains ill-defined. The United States seeks to hold the Assad regime responsible, but, if it has any idea who ordered the attack –...

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The Crisis of Humanitarian Intervention (Revisited)

The Crisis of Humanitarian Intervention (Revisited)

Supporters of the impending U.S. strike on Syria claim that it is necessary to punish the Assad regime for using chemical weapons on its citizens and to prevent it from further employing them.  The situation, says Washington, calls for “humanitarian intervention.” ...

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On the Fence about Syria? Read This!

On the Fence about Syria? Read This!

Some progressives remain conflicted about how the United States should respond to Syria's increasingly violent civil war. This internal division has only deepened as the Obama administration considers launching a military strike on Bashar al-Assad for an alleged...

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Table the Red Line

Table the Red Line

One year after President Obama declared that Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons would cross a “red line,” Syria stands accused of carrying out a cruel sarin gas attack against opposition groups and activists, killing hundreds of people in rebel-held East and...

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