Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing Islamist tendencies, his crackdown on the military and the media have upset many in Turkey. Revelations of the gold-for-oil raid and the extent of his and his associates' corruption, bribes to members of … [Read more...] about Erdogan’s Russia Problem and Vice Versa
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Hezbollah Intensifies Fighting in Syria
1. In late 2013, Hezbollah had intensified its military involvement in the civil war in Syria, suffering heavy losses. The main three sites of Hezbollah fighting were the eastern rural area of Damascus (Al-Ghouta al-Sharqiyya), the Al-Qalamoun … [Read more...] about Hezbollah Intensifies Fighting in Syria
The Sunni-Shiite Divide Widens
Quoting Iran's official news agency, Agence France-Presse reported on 6 January that General Muhammad Hejazi, Iran's Deputy Chief of Staff, had just announced that, if asked, the Islamic Republic of Iran was "prepared to provide military equipment … [Read more...] about The Sunni-Shiite Divide Widens
Hurtling Downhill
If recent events are any indication, the pace of U.S. withdrawal from the world and the extent of our fecklessness (and the West's generally) in the face of threats coming from Islamist terrorism, Russia, China, and Iran promises to pick up in 2014. … [Read more...] about Hurtling Downhill
Threat from the Gulf of Mexico
If you live near the Gulf of Mexico, you are the front line to an emerging existential threat to all Americans. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a nuclear weapon exploded a hundred miles above the U.S. could kill 60-90 percent of all Americans. … [Read more...] about Threat from the Gulf of Mexico
Turkey: The End of a Geopolitical Model
Whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan survives the current crisis, the legend of "The Turkish model" is dead. The implications of the loss of Turkey's image abroad, particularly in the Islamic world, may be far more important than the explosion … [Read more...] about Turkey: The End of a Geopolitical Model
Obama’s Wasted Year in the Middle East
Obama's "active passivity" in the Middle East in 2013, has contributed to the turmoil. It was The Year Obama Wasted. "Instead of striving for solutions that appear to be drastic but are viable and lasting, the West preferred to take a mild painkiller … [Read more...] about Obama’s Wasted Year in the Middle East
The Muslim Brotherhood at Work: Tunisia
The Muslim Brotherhood's modus operandi of corrupting the meaning of political democracy is like bacteria that festers from a wound to spread the contamination. A good example of how it works may be found in the recent activities of the Tunisian … [Read more...] about The Muslim Brotherhood at Work: Tunisia
The Air of Unreality in NSA Reform
The president's panel found no official malfeasance but recommends overhauling surveillance programs anyway. Grope through the Styrofoam pellets of rhetoric that surround the 46 recommendations in the report issued last week by the president's … [Read more...] about The Air of Unreality in NSA Reform
Jesus is No God – Says a Canadian Islamic Charity
"Is Jesus God?" A billboard posted at Dundas Subway Station in Toronto asks. The screaming poster's words answer: "Bible & Quran say NO" further instructing the reader: "Discover the Truth." CoolcetfreeQuran, a Canadian registered charity, … [Read more...] about Jesus is No God – Says a Canadian Islamic Charity