Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia (and their Gulf partners), Israel, Turkey, France, the U.S., and Russia each have some military involvement in Syria, soon to be followed by the United Kingdom. Needless to say, there are a lot of players in the Middle East and an abundance of interests, all at the expense of …
During the short drive from Beirut toward Damascus, our taxi turned off the road and pulled into a refugee camp in the Lebanese Bekaa Valley. As a journalist and academic who writes about international security, I wanted to see the refugee situation I had read about for myself. I watched as a truckload of women …
Diplomacy Is the Way To Beat the ‘Islamic State’ Read More »
Eleven years after the September 11th attacks, I woke up to an eerily similar day. Clear skies, nice weather, and, more or less, a noticeable amount of silence. I remember that day, first I heard the planes and then I watched the towers fall. I remember thinking how small the world had gotten, how actions …
Eyes and Ears: It’s Time They are Opened: The tragedy in Libya Read More »
Western officials are hoping the violent outburst after the careless Koran burning at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan will not happen again. Despite their deepest desires there is no doubt that it will. This was not the first furious demonstration against the U.S. and its NATO partners, who Afghans consider occupiers, and it definitely will …
Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, is on his way to the United States to argue, again, for a war with Iran. Plenty of US officials including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper have also been in Israel to discuss …
Secretary Panetta is set to come out with his new “strategy” to offer his assessment on how to cut the military budget. The question remains: will it be the same old or will he have the courage to mandate what truly needs to be done to build a stellar military for America’s future national security …
Military Budget Cuts: No Big Deal or Excellent Opportunity? Read More »
Iran hedged its bets and lost. By turning a blind eye to this week’s violent assault on the British embassy, which had the distinct odor of spin, the regime plowed right over the edge of an already teetering tipping point. Outrage over the behavior of the international community and its endless war-drumming rhetoric and sanctions …
“We came, we saw, he died,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in one of the most flippant and least diplomatic comments heard in recent history. She, of course, was referring to the violent death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. She completely dismissed any calls for justice; there were no declarations by her or any …
US Response to Gaddafi’s Death Sets Bad Precedent Read More »
US officials broke up an alleged assassination attempt which supposedly targeted the Saudi Ambassador right here in the good ‘ol U.S. of A. In one of the most protected and secure areas of Washington, D.C., one or maybe two individuals with alleged connections to Iran were going to walk right in and, in the words …
The Saudi Ambassador, Iran, America and more war. Read More »
US Condemns Attack on Envoy in Syria reports Al Jazeera. “More violence!” I thought. Apparently Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shared my initial shock declaring, “We condemn this unwarranted attack in the strongest possible terms.” Whew, that is intense, but then I found out the envoy was “attacked” by eggs and tomatoes. The American Ambassador, …
War, Weapons, and Secretary Clinton on Eggs and Tomatoes in Syria Read More »
