Syrian Bloodshed Could Start Regional War, Part II
Haaretz recently offered some empty speculation concerning the rumors of a Turkish intervention in Syria should Assad not end the violence against the Syrian people: Turkey sends troops to Syria, and Iran retaliates by sending troops to Bahrain. It seems unlikely that Turkey would send its military into Syria and there is nothing to … Read more
Dear Mahmoud Abbas, Here is a Better Plan for September
Mahmoud Abbas in his infinite wisdom is still due to ask the United Nations and its member states to recognize Palestine as its 194th country. As has been said before, this is not the platform at this present time to discuss exactly what legally should happen. Instead I wish to dwell on something Mahmoud Abbas … Read more
Syria Bloodshed Could Start Regional War?
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and to reportedly deliver a letter from Turkish President Abdullah Gul strongly encouraging the Syrian leader to make real changed in both his treatment of the Syrian protesters and in regards to the demands of the Syrian people. Turkish presidential advisor … Read more
How to Determine if the Syrian Uprising is Successful
The editors of the Middle East Research and Information Project have a great article up about the uprisings in the Middle East (and how the uprisings are framed) and, specifically, in Syria. Two seemingly contradictory passages caught my eye that describe a Syrian uprising in pessimistic terms, but also as inevitably successful. Consider passage one: … Read more
Quote of the Day: How to Analyse the Middle East
From the editors of the Middle East Research and Information Project: There are two political-intellectual prisms through which the recurrent conflagrations of the modern Middle East are conventionally seen. One casts the region’s stubborn ills as internally caused — by the outsize role of religion in public life, the persistence of primordial identities like sect … Read more
An Ugly Future in Damascus
I have been skeptical about the chances for positive outcome in Syria for a while. There is a much larger possibility of sectarian civil war than a peaceful overthrow of the Assad regime. The opposition is disorganized and divided – both domestically and internationally, the business class is largely staying loyal to the regime, the … Read more
Should the Plan for Syria be to Repeat Our Blunders in Libya?
It is always nice to see that we have learned something from our failed adventures in Libya. For example, apparently it is a good idea to do the same thing in Syria: Washington should step out smartly and call for his exit, withdraw its ambassador, choke off all remaining direct, indirect and, to the extent … Read more
Should We Be Concerned for Egypt’s Revolution
In The National Interest Marina Ottaway describes the chaotic nature of the transitional periods in Egypt and Tunisia as a consequence of a lack of an agreed upon transitional plan. The transitional governments in both countries are illegitimate and must make the fundamental shifts necessary to allow elections and the creation of an elected government. … Read more
Breaking News: Iran and Libya Concerned About Rights of Protesters!
Well this is all over the blogosphere. Duss has it, Keating has it, and Scoblete has it. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on the British police to show restraint in dealing with the rioters in England and suggests the state enter a reconciliation dialogue. Best part? Not a joke. I think. Ok maybe it was a joke. (Was … Read more
Dear Israeli Tent Movement, You are not Tahrir Square
It has been said lately by Western media outlets that the tent movement going on in Israel is a ‘revolution‘ or ‘Israeli Arab Spring.’ This could not be any more disingenuous, incorrect, or belittling of the Arab Spring movements. Israelis are mostly protesting about prices, specifically for homes and necessary goods. This is the one and only … Read more
