Attempts by members of the Bush administration to link bin Laden’s death to intelligence gained through torture reek of desperation.
Desperately Seeking Vindication: Bin Laden and Torture
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Middle East & North Africa
Israel and Iran: Partners in Plausible Nuclear Deniability
Those who oppose attacking Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities would better advance their cause by admitting Iran’s likely intention to at least field the capacity to, if not actually build, nuclear weapons.
Bahrain: Beyond the U.S.-Iran Rivalry
The popular uprising in Bahrain has put U.S. foreign policymakers in an awkward position. The U.S. government has largely lent its diplomatic weight to the Saudi regime in stifling popular uprising in Bahrain for fear that any democratic transformation in that country would work to Iran’s advantage, thus undermining U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf region.
Syria: Washington Just Watches
After a decade of policies aimed at marginalizing and ignoring the Syrian regime, U.S. policymakers have come to realize that they have very little leverage to pressure President Bashar Al-Assad. As the violence continues, Washington appears to be out of both carrots and sticks.
Bigger than Blackwater: Arming the UAE
The International Defense Exhibition, otherwise known as IDEX, has been held bi-annually in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 1993. It is the largest defense expo in the Middle East and North Africa and one of the biggest in the world. But far from being a one-off, it highlights the UAE’s growing stature as a global arms buyer.
Bunkum and Debunk ‘Em
Scratch the surface of any story and you’ll find rumors, hoaxes, and conspiracies. The conspiracy theory is the most intriguing of them all, for it combines total skepticism with total credulity. The same person will challenge every assertion made by the government or the mass media about Roswell or the Kennedy assassination, and then proceed to embrace the most cockamamie theory without even doing a minimum of legwork to test it.
Breaching the Wall through Art
The wall that divides Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories is ugly and oppressive. It is far from a work of art. But now it is the subject of art. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery’s new exhibition “Breaching the Wall” displays works of 11 different artists that reflect their feelings and artistic reactions to this eight-meter-high concrete wall that runs for 520 kilometers (64 percent of the planned length).
Israel’s Atonal September Song
If the United Nations grants Palestine’s request for statehood, Israel may take it out on Iran.
New IDF Chief Makes No Bones About His Intention to Over-react to Palestinian Demonstrations
One of the Israel Defense Force chief’s greatest fears is the Arab Street.
France Seeks to Act (Operative Word) as Israel-Palestine Peace Broker
France is attempting to present itself as a diplomatic alternative to the United States, yet its position doesn’t differ significantly from that of the United States.