Tag: middle east

America Adopts the Israel Paradigm

I recently read a fascinating article by Scott McConnell, “The Special Relationship With Israel: Is It Worth the Cost?,” which appeared in the spring 2012 Middle East Policy Council Journal. Even for those of us who have closely followed the issue of Israel’s asymmetrical relationship with the United States, Scott provides some unique insights. He … Continue reading “America Adopts the Israel Paradigm”

Has the Day of the Islamist Arrived?

Sixteen months after the United States abandoned its loyal satrap of 30 years, President Hosni Mubarak, to champion democracy in Egypt, the returns are in. Mohammed Mursi, candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, is president of Egypt, while the military has dissolved the elected parliament that was dominated by the Brotherhood and curbed his powers. The … Continue reading “Has the Day of the Islamist Arrived?”

Smoke and Mirrors in Energy Policy

Petroleum is always in the news, especially in an election year, when politicians fear that voters angered by high gas prices will do them in. In addition, much attention has focused on upcoming economic sanctions on imports of Iranian oil (which will soon be imposed by the Europeans) and on financial institutions in other countries … Continue reading “Smoke and Mirrors in Energy Policy”

Syria’s Insurrection Is Not America’s War

In pushing for U.S. military intervention in Syria — arming the insurgents and using U.S. air power to “create safe zones” for anti-regime forces “inside Syria’s borders” — The Washington Post invokes “vital U.S. interests” that are somehow imperiled there. Exactly what these vital interests are is left unexplained. For 40 years, we have lived … Continue reading “Syria’s Insurrection Is Not America’s War”

‘Egypt the Prize’

Imagine the following scenario: a wealthy foreign country decides that the United States is insufficiently democratic. They launch a program to “teach” us the ABCs of “democracy” via a plethora of organizations devoted to “human rights” and “election monitoring,” directly funded by themselves, shipping millions of taxpayer dollars to thousands of well-compensated “activists.” As election … Continue reading “‘Egypt the Prize’”

US Standing Plunges Across Arab World 

The United States’ popularity in the Arab world has plummeted to levels lower than the last year of the George W. Bush administration, according to a new survey of public opinion in six Arab countries released here Wednesday. The "Arab Attitudes" survey found that favorable ratings of the United States have fallen by nine percent or more … Continue reading “US Standing Plunges Across Arab World “

Israel in a Post-American Era

In 1918, the United States proved militarily decisive in the defeat of the Kaiser’s Germany and emerged as first power on earth. World War II, ending in 1945, produced two truly victorious nations, the Soviet Union of Joseph Stalin and the America of Harry Truman. Out of the Cold War that lasted from Truman to … Continue reading “Israel in a Post-American Era”

Riders of the Storm

The tides of history are moving fast, these days. It’s hard for the average human being – who, after all, has a life to live, filled with troubles that are small in scale but no less earthshaking to the individuals experiencing them – to make sense of it all. Indeed, even the so-called “experts” are … Continue reading “Riders of the Storm”

Murder in Bahrain

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been one busy official of late. Last week, on a surprise visit to Afghanistan, he managed to apologize for U.S. helicopters killing nine boys collecting wood on a hillside in Kunar Province, even as he announced that a negotiating team would soon be dispatched from Washington to work out … Continue reading “Murder in Bahrain”

The Dwarfs of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is abuzz with brilliant new ideas. The brightest minds of our political establishment are grappling with the problems created by the ongoing Arab revolution that is reshaping the landscape around us. Here is the latest crop of mind-bogglingly innovative ideas: Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has announced that he is going to ask the … Continue reading “The Dwarfs of Jerusalem”