Quote of the Day: Unbiased Analysis
“The Khomeinist leadership is in a state of panic,” crowed Amir Taheri, a long-time critic of the Islamic Republic, in the Saudi-owned, London-based Asharq al-Awsat. Eight months after the start of the Arab Spring, he added, “the ruling mullahs” fear that they, too, “may be on the path of the tsunami of change.” Taheri, of course, … 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
Implications of Turkey Cutting Military Ties with Israel on a Larger Scale
After Erdogan made a grand speech about rethinking Turkish-Israeli ties, Erdogan officially lowered diplomatic relations and suspended all military ties with Israel last night and this morning. Turkey, still rightfully upset with Israel, has decided to put some action behind their words and do this move. But what does the move intend to do? Is … Read more
No One Saw This Coming? Really?
So there was no mention that these were the same people, but it seems pretty clear that this would/will continue to happen. The IDF has conducted detailed work to determine a “red line” for each settlement in the West Bank, which will determine when soldiers will be ordered to shoot at the feet of Palestinian … 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
Thoughts on the Palestinian Bid in September
There are many potential narratives already being conjured up for the Palestinian bid for recognition in September at the United Nations. The Palestinian leadership is going around the world asking for states to vote in favor of recognition with the rights that come with it. The Israelis are doing whatever they can to stop this … Read more
Is There a Link Between the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and the Arab Spring?
Abe Greenwald certainly thinks so. As Matt Duss points out, Greenwald’s piece in Commentary is just another effort to create a false conclusion about the war. From Greenwald: It was the Freedom Agenda of the George W. Bush administration—delineated and formulated as a conscious alternative to jihadism—that showed the way. Indeed, the costly American nation-building in … Read more
The GCC and Buying Stability
Mathew Reed has a piece up on Middle East Progress looking at the amount of money spent by the Gulf monarchies on other countries: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is busy. In March they announced a $10 billion bail-out for Oman and Bahrain, the two poorest member states suffering from upheaval. Following the Egyptian revolution, Saudi … Read more
Turkey’s Syrian Waiting Game
In contrast to Iran and Saudi Arabia, Turkey has been far more patient in its policy towards Syria and the Syrian uprising. Meanwhile Iran has completely backed Assad and Saudi has thrown its lot in with the protesters. Each decision has clear regional implications (as I recently discussed) based on national interests, but it seems … Read more
The Iranian-Saudi Testing Ground (aka Syria)
Joseph Bahout has an interview in Le Journal de dimanche in which he expands on the competing interests of Iran and Saudi Arabia (and Turkey as well,) noting that the recent isolation of Syria has left Assad with only Iranian support. Bahout calls the fall of the Assad regime a ‘red line’ and says … Read more
Chris Keeler
Chris Whitman
