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
Saudi
Weekly Briefing – March 16-20, 2015
“Anti-Semitism is a Huge Menace” – The Netherlands Chief Rabbi - Emerson Vermaat, Exclusive to ACD - “The growing wave of anti-Semitism in Holland forces Jews to be careful and hide any symbol that would give away their identity.” “I don’t think … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – March 16-20, 2015
Can America’s Energy Revolution Survive The Iran Deal?
There is no lack of voices warning against the dangerous implications of the nuclear agreement the Obama Administration is advancing with Iran. The opposition has mostly focused on the destabilizing geopolitical impact of a nuclear Iran and what it … [Read more...] about Can America’s Energy Revolution Survive The Iran Deal?
Obama’s Deal With Iran
The Obama administration's efforts to advancing deal with Iran resembles final rehearsals before the raising of the curtain on the ultimate theater of the absurd. If Obama gets his way, Americans will be forced to pay with their taxes to watch how … [Read more...] about Obama’s Deal With Iran
The Egyptian Bet
Any hope for an exit from the current Middle East chaos lies with the efforts of Gen. Pres. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to stabilize its politics and rebuild the Egyptian economy. With its 90 million people and traditional role as the intellectual leader … [Read more...] about The Egyptian Bet
Free Speech Trumps Business. Not in the U.S.
Left: Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem © AFP In an unexpected and unprecedented step the Swedish government announced that “the principles of human rights were more important than a military deal,” and therefore it will cancel a lucrative … [Read more...] about Free Speech Trumps Business. Not in the U.S.
Weekly Briefing – March 1-7, 2015
Right: TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi described the removal of all sanctions against Tehran as a precondition for a comprehensive deal with the world powers, underlining that Tehran is standing … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – March 1-7, 2015
The Conduct & Funding of ISIS – Feb. 26–March 4, 2015*
Left: ISIS "deliberate destruction of irreplaceable objects of religious and cultural values in the museum of Mosul and burning thousands of books and rare manuscripts from the library of Mosul." Destruction of historical relics In the past two … [Read more...] about The Conduct & Funding of ISIS – Feb. 26–March 4, 2015*
The Obama Persian Mystery
Obscured by all the hullabaloo over the Congressional speaking invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the more fundamental mystery of the Obama Administration’s Iranian strategy. Laying aside the increasingly evident incompetence … [Read more...] about The Obama Persian Mystery
The Invisible Hand Behind The Coup in Yemen*
Left: Sa'dah, Yemen Credit: Bernard Gagnon Over the last three years, media pundits accurately described Yemen as perched on the brink of chaos. No more. Now it has fallen off the cliff. The key question is how this happened. The short answer is … [Read more...] about The Invisible Hand Behind The Coup in Yemen*