YNet: Arabs Unprepared for Democracy
Yigal Walt at YNet News writes: IDF Major General Arab Spring” may ultimately turn into a “radical Islamic winter.” Recent events in Egypt and elsewhere in the region indicate that this grim assessment is materializing at a rapid pace right before our eyes. Foolish Western observers who lauded the “great revolutions” sweeping the Middle East have displayed … Read more
Will Syrian Protests Turn Violent?
After six months of nonviolent protests have resulted in thousands of dead and injured civilians and have not produced any real reforms by the Syrian regime, some are calling for a move towards an armed uprising styled after the Libyan civil war. There are rumors of arms being smuggled into the country from neighboring Iraq … Read more
Why is NATO in Libya?
So NATO is clearly following the UN mandate that authorized a NATO no fly zone in order to protect civilians (and nothing more.) Responding to whether NATO would pursue Qaddafi military vehicles fleeing south to Niger and possibly Burkina Faso, Colonel Roland Lavoie, the NATO mission’s military spokesman, said: To be clear, our mission is to … Read more
“It Doesn’t Really Matter How Much Support He Has Left”
The big news in Libya today is the convey of 200-250 Libyan military vehicles that has reportedly crossed the border into Niger, perhaps on their way to Burkino Faso. Over the years Burkino Faso has received a substantial amount of support from the Qaddafi regime (Qaddafi was a major player in the coup that brought … Read more
Can Sanctions Bring Down Assad?
It seems as though there is a new article everyday about how Assad is doomed in Syria with many claiming that sanctions alone will be able to bring down the Assad regime. In addition to some serious sanctions by the US the European Union recently announced a ban on oil imports/exports (though the ban will … Read more
More Thoughts on the Palestinian Bid in September
As I was reviewing news this morning, I came across an article that I felt is important to my article yesterday. The point of my article yesterday essentially was that there is an attempt on each side, in the leadership, to achieve a specific goal and control the narrative. The Palestinian leadership wishes to maintain … Read more
Proof That NATO is Relevant. And Irrelevant, Part II
Apparently George Grant is not the only one who thought that the performance of of a handful of powerful militaries working under the guise of NATO is proof that the transatlantic alliance is still healthy. David Abshire, the U.S. permanent representative to NATO from 1983-1987, writes that the speed with which NATO acted in Libya, as compared to … Read more
Was the Libyan Intervention Humanitarian?
Now that Tripoli has fallen to the rebels and Qaddafi is on his way out, many see vindication for the decision to intervene in Libya. Whether the decision intervene in Libya was wise for western governments is up for debate, but it is unquestionably clear that thanks, at least in part, to western aerial power, … Read more
NATO Troops to Enter Libya, Part II
Earlier today I linked to arguments made by Max Boot and Richard Haass in favor of sending foreign (see: western [see: American]) troops into Libya to ensure that the country does not fall in the face of the many challenges that it is certain to face. Personally, I think that the west should absolutely … Read more
