Right: Abdallah Mortaja, armed with a rifle, reads his will. Behind him is the logo and its inscription, "Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades." Is he a journalist? Abdallah Fadel Mortaja, Hamas terrorist operative in the Shejaiya battalion of the Izz … [Read more...] about Hamas Terrorists in “Journalist” Clothing*
Sunni
Can Saudi Arabia Form a United Sunni Front?
Left: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (r) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Riyadh, March 2, 2015; picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency; AFP Photo/SPA/HO The attempt to establish a Sunni pact against the background of the … [Read more...] about Can Saudi Arabia Form a United Sunni Front?
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
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
Israel, Hamas and Hizbollah on a Collision Course: Undesirable yet Inevitable
Left: Hamas leader Kaled Mashal with Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's 3rd Secretary General. At the start of 2015, Israel’s two major fronts – home to the two hostile players with which Israel has had military encounters in recent months – were calm. … [Read more...] about Israel, Hamas and Hizbollah on a Collision Course: Undesirable yet Inevitable
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
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 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
President Putin Visits Egypt*
Left: Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) attend a welcoming ceremony upon Putin's arrival in Cairo, Feb. 10, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Kremlin) On February 9-10, 2015, … [Read more...] about President Putin Visits Egypt*