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
Middle East Conflicts
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
The Asia Scrum
Rather suddenly there is a welter of developments turning Asia's dozen-odd countries into a cat's cradle of conflicting interests-some new-that could lead to war. Central, of course, is a "rising" China. The Chinese, themselves, have given up the … [Read more...] about The Asia Scrum
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
Palestinians’ Myths: Rewriting the History
Secretary of State John Kerry's arrival in Jerusalem shows that the Obama Administration's efforts to destabilize the Middle East did not end with 2013. If choosing the Muslim Brotherhood as partners for "change" in the Middle East was not enough, … [Read more...] about Palestinians’ Myths: Rewriting the History
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
Palestinian Myths: Jerusalem is Ours
In his preposterous Christmas greeting, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, claimed: "Jesus was a Palestinian messenger." He also used the opportunity to deny the right of the Jews and their State of Israel, to their 3,000 … [Read more...] about Palestinian Myths: Jerusalem is Ours
In a World He Never Intended (To Make)
The Obama Administration’s foreign policy begins to look like that tightly wound ball of crocheting thread that the kitten has been playing with for several hours and is now finally completely unraveling. How innocent the kitty is may be a question … [Read more...] about In a World He Never Intended (To Make)