Left: Turkish police officers stand on guard, securing the site of the explosion in Ankara. Protesters clashed with riot police after the bombings, accusing officers of blocking a road being used by ambulances to transport the wounded. (Burhan … [Read more...] about Would Turkey’s Military Stand By?
Middle East
Spotlight on Iran (September 24 – October 11, 2015)*
Overview: Syria - Official Iranian spokesmen praised the start of Russia's aerial attacks in Syria. Hossein Hamedani, considered the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) senior military advisor in Syria, was killed in the region of … [Read more...] about Spotlight on Iran (September 24 – October 11, 2015)*
Weekly Review, October 5-9, 2015
U.S. Does Not Condemn Palestinian Violence - Rachel Ehrenfeld - The White House latest condemnation of the escalating violence in Jerusalem is akin to that issued by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Both are talking from both sides of … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, October 5-9, 2015
The Palestinian Victimhood Narrative as an Obstacle to Peace*
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The false Palestinian narrative of one-sided victimhood is a major hindrance to all efforts in the direction of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Global actors need to help the Palestinians move beyond wallowing in self-pity and rituals … [Read more...] about The Palestinian Victimhood Narrative as an Obstacle to Peace*
Russia’s Return to the Middle East*
A Russian army pilot poses at a cockpit of SU-25M jet fighter at Hmeimim airbase in Syria on Oct 3 2015. (Alexander Kots, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Photo via AP) Russia is back in the Middle East in a wholesale fashion signing huge aircraft sales … [Read more...] about Russia’s Return to the Middle East*
Canadian judge: Israeli military Gaza acitivity a righteous act of self-defense
Judge Gallagher asserted that it’s illogical to claim that Israeli government is targeting all Palestinians, when in truth Israel has been defending itself for years and “It is not a ‘political opinion’ to demand and work towards the destruction of … [Read more...] about Canadian judge: Israeli military Gaza acitivity a righteous act of self-defense
Weekly Review, Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2015
Iran’s “Chanting ‘Death to America’” Jobs - Rachel Ehrenfeld - In his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama attempted to dismiss the function of “Death to America” calls by the Iranian leadership in keeping millions of … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2015
The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
The creeping diminution of Ataturk's secular Turkish state began in 1970, when Necmettin Erbakan (1926-2011), who had been elected to Parliament the previous year, formed Turkey’s first Islamic political party in the post-Ataturk era. A year later, … [Read more...] about The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
Homage to Catalonia*
Left: Catalan pro-independence supporters celebrate after polls close. AFP: Gerard Julien Two contradictory groundswell political movements are colliding on the European scene with unpredictable results: The emergence of a supranational government … [Read more...] about Homage to Catalonia*