Left: "HE’S GOT THE MOVES: US President Barack Obama dances tango with a dancer during a state dinner in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. (AFP)" Arab News, March 25, 2016 For an Administration, which supposedly excels in its appreciation and manipulation … [Read more...] about Unseemly Behavior*
Terrorism
The “Radicalization” Elephant in the Room: Violence Against Women
Left: ISIS considers women as "war spoils" and has adopted special regulations how to rape and manage their slavery. Around the globe from Europe, Pakistan, the Middle East to Minnesota everyone seems to be talking about extremism and radicalization … [Read more...] about The “Radicalization” Elephant in the Room: Violence Against Women
The Palestinian Knife Campaign: A Policy of Limited Liability*
Left: From the Palestinian “Stab a Jew” Guide, Credit: Raoul Wootliff, “Videos teach would-be Palestinian attackers ‘how to stab,’” Times of Israel, October 15, 2015. Five months into the stabbing terror campaign, the Palestinian leadership keeps … [Read more...] about The Palestinian Knife Campaign: A Policy of Limited Liability*
Hassan Nasrallah’s “Ammonia Speech:” The Threat for Israel and Its Significance*
Left: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a broadcast from his bunker threatened to fire missiles at the ammonia plant in Haifa, Israel, which he claimed would cause an explosion similar to that of a nuclear bomb (2/16/16). Overview Marking the … [Read more...] about Hassan Nasrallah’s “Ammonia Speech:” The Threat for Israel and Its Significance*
Syria Ceasefire Will Not Defeat ISIS
The United States and Russia brokered ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and few of the fighting groups is scheduled for February 27, 2016, 00:00 local time. While Washington described the agreement as yet another major diplomatic … [Read more...] about Syria Ceasefire Will Not Defeat ISIS
The Syrian Threat to Israel*
Left: Map of Syrian Civil war/ Global conflict in Syria - liveuamap, February 22, 2016 There are more than two dozen state and non-state actors battling over the prostrate body of what used to be Syria, one of the artificial entities carved out in … [Read more...] about The Syrian Threat to Israel*
Misnavigating America
As if seven years of Obama’s efforts to diminish the world’s superpower were not enough, recent events in the Middle East highlight the need for American leadership capable of righting the ship. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s statement that the … [Read more...] about Misnavigating America
The Counter-Terrorist-Financing Farce
Left: The chart on the right shows the intricate money-laundering system the Lebanese Canadian Bank used to divert money to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, according to United States officials. (The NYT, Dec 13, 2011). And on June 25, 2013, the … [Read more...] about The Counter-Terrorist-Financing Farce
Spotlight on Iran*
Left: On January 31, 2016, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei awarded the ‘Fath’ medal on Commander of the IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi as well as four others for capturing 2 US Navy patrol boats and 10 US Marines on January 12, … [Read more...] about Spotlight on Iran*
ISIS’s Libyan Expansion
Left: Locations of ISIS presence and control in Libya. It has territorial control over the square outlined in black. Outlined in red are large cities where ISIS is present but not in control, while Misrata and Ajdabiya are on its agenda (Google … [Read more...] about ISIS’s Libyan Expansion