Khody Akhavi

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged her administration’s support for the Lebanese government Friday in the aftermath of Hezbollah’s takeover of West Beirut, accusing the Iranian-backed group of "killing innocent civilians" in a bid to "protect their state-within-a-state." Three days of intense clashes between government and opposition supporters last week left at least 18 … Continue reading “Washington Rallies Behind Embattled Lebanese Government”

Amid regional fears of a summer war between Israel and Syria, the two countries may in fact be inching closer to a deal. Not even President George W. Bush’s recent disclosures to Congress, intended to prove Syrian-North Korean nuclear cooperation, appear able to dent the resolve for peace, or at the very least, a reduction … Continue reading “Washington Cool on New Israel-Syria Talks”

Five months after the U.S. hosted the Annapolis conference to push for a decisive Israeli-Palestinian peace, negotiations between the two sides have shown no visible progress. As President George W. Bush races to ink a deal before his term expires in January of next year, disagreements remain over the final-status issues and the territorial integrity … Continue reading “Palestinian Negotiators Go Home Frustrated”

In the more than five years since the George W. Bush administration’s misdirected adventurism in Iraq, the fundamental balance of power in the Middle East has shifted. Iran’s mullahs, once fearful of meeting the same fate as the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, have become the main beneficiaries of the U.S. quagmire in Iraq. And … Continue reading “Tough New Iran Sanctions Could Backfire, Experts Warn”

The results of Iran’s eighth parliamentary elections were never meant to be a cliffhanger – the hard-line camp of fiery President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came out on top; moderate conservatives maintained their stake; reformists were demoralized. And everyone else was on vacation. Iranian New Year’s celebrations, held before and during the first days of spring, curiously … Continue reading “Iran’s Engineered Elections Reelect Sanctions-Fed Regime”

Iran’s post-revolutionary education system continues to teach children to discriminate against women and religious minorities, according to a report released Tuesday by Freedom House, a Washington-based nonprofit group that seeks to encourage democracy in the world. While lauded by supporters for its candid look at the challenges facing Iran, the report, entitled "Discrimination and Intolerance … Continue reading “A Textbook Tale of Two Reports on Iran”

Describing the current Lebanese political impasse as a moment "pregnant with incredible danger," a US expert Tuesday urged rival factions and their international patrons to adopt of a formula of "no victim, no vanquished" in order to mitigate a possible descent into civil war. "When I think back to that horrible day in March of … Continue reading “In Lebanon, Time to Step Back From the Brink”

A new report published by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) think-tank purports to show the reach and scope of Iranian influence across the Middle East, but it stops short of drawing conclusions about Tehran’s intentions or grand strategy. Co-written by AEI fellows Fred Kagan and Danielle Pletka with Kagan’s wife, Kimberly, who heads the Institute … Continue reading “Neocons Fine-Tune Iran Angle”