Left: Iran has provided military support to Syrian government forces since at least 2012. Credit, RFE/RL file - It has been a slow burn for a while, but the latest incident in northern Israel resulting in the shoot-down of an Israeli F-16 tells us … [Read more...] about Russia responsible for Iran’s behavior in Syria
Turkey
US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
When Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt broke diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed various sanctions on that minuscule but incredibly wealthy emirate, they presented the Qatari government with thirteen "non-negotiable" demands.The … [Read more...] about US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
US Ground Troops for Syria: A Really Bad Idea
The president is being asked by the Pentagon to provide U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS in Syria. If the president is wise, he will run as fast as he can the other way. There are four potential traps here: The cost in American lives; The … [Read more...] about US Ground Troops for Syria: A Really Bad Idea
A Solution for Syria?
Left: Kurdish Areas in Syria A respected Turkish journalist, Mahmut Borzarslan has told about an important Russian initiative to broker a deal to set up an autonomous entity in Syria for the Syrian Kurds. Borzarslan’s article was translated from the … [Read more...] about A Solution for Syria?
Obama’s Syrian Legacy*
It would be hard to exaggerate the mess in the Middle East that Pres. Barack Obama is leaving his successor. While the five-year Syrian civil war continues unabated, pitting different armed groups against each other with their foreign sponsors, … [Read more...] about Obama’s Syrian Legacy*
The Turks are Back*
Almost a century after the Turks evacuated the Arab Middle East at the end of World War I, they are back. Not just with bombing or artillery fire, but a full-scale, old-fashioned invasion of Syria. This, just after dismissing or jailing a very large … [Read more...] about The Turks are Back*
Israel’s Kurdish Conundrum*
Israel may soon be forced to choose between the Turks and the Kurds. In this week's column, I will compare and contrast two developments of great significance for Israel's regional future: the Kurdish question and the development of the offshore … [Read more...] about Israel’s Kurdish Conundrum*
Israel Agreement with Terrorist Supporting Turkey
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement as "strategically important for Israel's security and economy," but members of the coalition government, as well as the opposition, disagree. Israel's newly appointed … [Read more...] about Israel Agreement with Terrorist Supporting Turkey
Stumbling into War*
Despite Pres. Barack Obama’s continued insistence that he has pulled the U.S. out of endless – and unsuccessful – wars in the Mideast, American military involvement continues there. Witness to the continued engagement, and in fact what appears to be … [Read more...] about Stumbling into War*
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*