Left: Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shows the way to his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on April 13, 2015. (photo credit: AFP/Sergei Ilnitsky, Pool) The significance … [Read more...] about Toward a New Russian Initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian Issue?*
Europe
Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
President Barack Obama speaks the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 2, 2015, about the breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear talks. The president heralded a framework nuclear understanding with Iran as an "historic" … [Read more...] about Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
No-one agrees on what was agreed with Iran, but in any case the precedents are hardly encouraging. By this time hordes of commentators have chewed over Mr. Obama's "historic" agreement. Some aspects, however, have been overlooked or … [Read more...] about The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
Putting the squeeze on Israel
One of the many anomalies of Pres. Barack Hussein Obama’s collapsing foreign policy is Washington’s growing rift with Israel, despite the two countries’ historically intimate ties at every level. Obama’s fundamental antagonism toward Israel was … [Read more...] about Putting the squeeze on Israel
The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
The profit margins Big Oil requires are no longer to be made in Saudi Arabia but in Iran and Iraq. Once the US concludes a nuclear deal with Iran, Big Oil will see to it that it sticks, and Washington can turn its attention to the true cause of … [Read more...] about The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
Sharia and the European Union
The attempts by European Muslims to enforce sharia have not been diminished by the European Court of Human Rights affirmation that “sharia is incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy.” In Refah Partisi v. Turkey, in 2003, the court … [Read more...] about Sharia and the European Union
ISIS Global Advances (March 26 – April 1, 2015)*
Left: ISIS in Yarmouk, the Palestinian refugee camp south of Damscus While the United States and its allies claim their air campaigns are successfully eroding the Islamic State expansion, ISIS took over the Yarmouk refugee camp, home to 18,000 … [Read more...] about ISIS Global Advances (March 26 – April 1, 2015)*
Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
Left: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned about the death of Muammar Gaddafi via an SMS message. Clinton was staying in Kabul when she learned the news. The moment, when she was given a cell phone, was filmed by CBS NEWS as Clinton was … [Read more...] about Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015
Credit: Office of the Supreme Leader Iran: Why? - Sol Sanders - Why is one of the world’s poorest countries [40% living in poverty, halfway down on list of countries in per capita GDP] building capital-intensive nuclear power facilities? Iran has … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015
Muslim Immigrants Draining European Social Benefits*
Left: European Muslims - The more wives the more benefits An estimated 40% of Muslim youth in France and 50% in Germany are unemployed but far from destitute. Rather, they receive a wide range of social benefits. [2] For example, an estimated 40% of … [Read more...] about Muslim Immigrants Draining European Social Benefits*