Jihadists once flowed from Syria to Iraq. Now the favor is being returned.
Flow of Jihadists From Syria to Iraq Reversed
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Middle East & North Africa
Sequential Drone Attacks Double the Brutality
The United States attacks rescuers of its own drone attacks as well as mourners at funerals of their victims.
Syrian Repression, the Chinese-Russian Veto, and U.S. Hypocrisy
On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed an otherwise unanimous UN Security Council resolution condemning the ongoing repression in Syria and calling for a halt to violence on all sides, unfettered access for Arab League monitors, and “a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations or ethnicities or beliefs.”
Although the joint Russian and Chinese veto of the resolution is inexcusable, the self-righteous reaction by U.S. officials betrays hypocrisy on a grand scale and fails to take into account a series of policy blunders that have contributed to the tragic impasse.
The Not-So-Great Game
The current Great Game centers on Iran and the efforts particularly of the United States and Israel to prevent the country from going nuclear. The 19th-century battle over turf and influence in Central Asia lasted decades and sent armies slogging their way across high mountains and unforgiving plains. The current standoff, by contrast, could escalate in a matter of hours, if Israel launches a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iran retaliates directly or through proxies.
Israel v. Iran: “U.S. Assets” Might Not Be American
Who knew that the term “U.S. assets” was a category broad enough to include the entire state of Israel?
Iran and Post-Withdrawal Iraq
With the United States formally ending its military operations in Iraq, many analysts are beginning to examine Iran’s deep influence in the country. In light of of Iran’s growing tensions with the Westover its burgeoning nuclear program, Tehran’s maneuvers in Iraq carry tremendous strategic implications.
Failed Sanctions on Iran
During his State of the Union address President Obama trumpeted the supposed success of tougher sanctions on Iran. U.S. policymakers seem to believe that stronger measures will deny the regime’s nuclear capability and force it to cry uncle. Although sanctions are indeed causing serious harm to the Iranian economy, they have not forced the government to comply with U.S. demands. Greater pressure seems only to have hardened the regime’s determination to press ahead with the nuclear program, while weakening the position of the country’s beleaguered civil society opposition.
Is Libya a “False Analogy” (in Hillary Clinton’s Words) to Syria?
The United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia seek regime change in Syria, but Russia does not want to see another country wrested from its orbit.
Timoney Time in Bahrain
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has hired John Timoney, the former police chief of Philadelphia and Miami, noted for his heavy-handed policing of demonstrations.
Israel’s War on Democracy (and Why Americans Should Be Concerned)
Right-wing legislators, militant settlers, and a growing religious divide in the Israeli army threaten to silence internal opposition to the Netanyahu government.