Be assured of one thing: whichever candidate you choose at the polls in November, you aren’t just electing a president of the United States; you are also electing an assassin-in-chief. The last two presidents may not have been emperors or kings, but they — and the vast national-security structure that continues to be built-up and institutionalized around the presidential self — are certainly one of the nightmares the founding fathers of this country warned us against. They are one of the reasons those founders put significant war powers in the hands of Congress, which they knew would be a slow, recalcitrant, deliberative body.
Resurgent Arab Nationalism in Egypt?
The gains of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist al-Nour Party in the 2011-2012 parliamentary elections, as well as the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi’s first-place showing in the presidential election, demonstrate that Egypt’s Islamists carry widespread support throughout the country. Nonetheless, the surge of enthusiasm for Hamdeen Sabahi, which placed him third in the presidential election (fewer than 5 points behind Morsi), demonstrates the growing strength of Nasserism in post-Mubarak Egypt.
The Brownshirts of the Arab Spring: Tunisia’s Salafists (Part 2)
Tunisia’s Arab Spring is looking more and more like the status quo disguised as a revolution.
The Brownshirts of the Arab Spring: Tunisia’s Salafists (Part 1)
Virtually every sector of the Tunisian economy has been on strike and unemployment is worse than during the years of President Ben Ali.
If the NTC Can’t Control Tripoli’s Airport. . .
The militia left the airport but the commander wasn’t released.
The Other Case for Intervention in Syria
The potential for a major escalation of the Syrian crisis exists due to an overlooked source.
Syria: America vs. Israel?
Security considerations surrounding the unknown variables of a post-Assad Syria appear to have created a divide between U.S. and Israeli strategies, as the Netanyahu government has not followed Obama’s course on Syria. The Israeli concerns surrounding the collapse of Syria’s Ba’athist party are legitimate. Washington should also consider the security consequences of Assad’s ouster and avoid intervention in Syria.
Counterterrorism Calculus in Yemen Shortchanging Political Solutions
The White House neither confirms nor denies the air war in Yemen.
The Crisis in Syria Calls Out for an Intervention — with Russia
In the chorus of condemnation that resounded after the massacre, Russia’s voice stood out for its glaring ambiguity.
Dashed Hopes for Baghdad Breakthrough
The recently concluded negotiations between Iran and the world powers, the so-called P5+1, was perhaps the first serious attempt at resolving the Iranian nuclear impasse since the 2009 botched negotiations. Both sides entered the talks with a strong sense of cautious optimism, thinking maybe this time would be different. Even former top American diplomats joined the euphoric run up to the Baghdad talks. According to the former lead U.S. negotiator on Iran, Nicholas Burns, “for the first time in 32 years, since the Iranian revolution, there is the possibility of serious, substantive and sustained talks with Iran.”