Terrorism has dominated the history of Islam, as demonstrated by the murder of three of the first four caliphs who succeeded the Prophet Muhammad: Umar ibn Abd al-Khattab (644 C.E.), Uthman Ibn Affan (656 C.E.) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (661 C.E.). … [Read more...] about The Volcano of Islamic Terrorism*
Daesh
The Petrokingdom In Peril*
"The decision makers of the Saudi government should not have any doubt that this blood will trouble them. It will haunt them."- Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - The eastern province, bordering on the Gulf, not only has a concentration of oil, it … [Read more...] about The Petrokingdom In Peril*
A Century after Sykes-Picot: Strategic and Geopolitical Aspects*
"The instability and the uncertainty that characterize the current state of affairs is best exploited, as mentioned before, by the most prominent enemies from the Radical Islamic camp – both Iran and its surrogates and the Sunni Radicals." The … [Read more...] about A Century after Sykes-Picot: Strategic and Geopolitical Aspects*
No Brexit please!*
There’s not much good news from Europe these days. It’s clear that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has bitten off more than she can chew with her big, big welcome mat for any and all migrants. The Hungarians and the Poles have different ideas, don’t … [Read more...] about No Brexit please!*
U.N. Resolution Will Not Stop ISIS Funding
Left: Security Council first ever meeting at Finance Ministers’ level. UN Photo/Evan Schneider Today’s U.N. Security Council’s resolution to curb the funding of ISIS is essentially the same as resolution 2199 that was adopted earlier this year, and … [Read more...] about U.N. Resolution Will Not Stop ISIS Funding
The Middle East Poker*
Left:U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and foreign ministers from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Europe in Vienna, November 14, 2015 in a bid to step up diplomatic efforts to end the four-year-old conflict … [Read more...] about The Middle East Poker*
From the Head, But From the Heart?*
Credit: White House Pool / Reuters What was most striking about the President’s speech from the Oval Office – only his third in seven years – was that it “read” but did not “speak”. For despite his fame as an orator, the talk somehow lacked the … [Read more...] about From the Head, But From the Heart?*
What Should Israel Worry About?
A former director of the Central Intelligence Agency recently stated that the intelligence community in the U.S. has a perfect record of identifying future threats: "We have never been right". The one thing we know nothing about is the future. … [Read more...] about What Should Israel Worry About?
A Response to Bernard-Henri Lévy*
On November 16, 2015, French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy published a commentary in which he urges the West to acknowledge that it is at war and must call things by their right names. He subsequently argues that we must battle Islamic jihad … [Read more...] about A Response to Bernard-Henri Lévy*
Islamist Terrorism and European Amnesia
Left: Jo Goldenberg's restaurant at the Marais district, Paris, attacked in 1982 by PLO mastermind Souhaur Mohammed Hassan Khalil al-Abbassi, aka "Amjad Atta" that killed six people and wounding 22 others. Politicians and the media in Europe and the … [Read more...] about Islamist Terrorism and European Amnesia