February 23, 2012

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What to Do About Syria

By February 15, 2012
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There is a strong case that can be made for doing nothing about the Syrian civil war, but a stronger case can be made for doing something relatively low-cost and ineffective, indeed, precisely what the Syrian opposition is requesting. Forget about major military intervention, which would be dangerous, costly, and above the level of available resources. I’m also not enthusiastic about a major U.S. effort at regime change, since the Turkish regime wants an Islamist government in Damascus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Regional Security, Syria, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Why Egypt’s Holding Americans Hostage and How The Obama Administration’s Destroying Its Own Credibility

By February 12, 2012
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A reader asks: Why is Egypt keeping Americans who have been working with pro-democracy NGOs from leaving the country and threatening to put them on trial as criminals? Here’s the answer: 1. The military rulers want to show they cannot be pushed around by the United States. This is, of course, also a big way to muster popularity within Egypt. The resentment of foreign intervention is very high and as I pointed out in a recent article, even a U.S. Navy anti-disease program is being … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Egypt, Regional Security, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Gulf Arab Leaders: Obama Administration Policy is the Biggest Threat to our Security

By February 8, 2012
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Want to understand the real Middle East? Then pay attention to the following. Let’s say an important and outspoken Gulf Arab gave a frank and thoughtful assessment of the region’s security problems. What would he say and what would that tell you? And how would that differ from the stereotypes of what Arabs—especially non-Islamist Arab leaders—think as presented by the Western media and academia? In fact, Dahi Khalfan Tamim recently gave such a speech. He is the respected police chief … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gulf, Middle East Politics, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Egypt Et Cetera: When the Moderates are Radicals You’re in Trouble

By February 6, 2012
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Dear readers, I’d like to share with you a secret. Every day I read and hear things by people who claim to be experts on the Middle East. I have read them on the land; I have read them on the sea; I have read them in the air. And they will never surrender to reality. Here are the two main causes of error: --They think the Middle East is just like the West so they can extrapolate from their own experience. When someone would say, “If I were Yasir Arafat, I’d….” My response … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Egypt, Radical Movements, U.S. Policy on the Middle East, Understanding the Middle East

The Muslim Brotherhood Moderation Myth Revealed, Then Quickly Dropped Down the Memory Hole

By February 2, 2012
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It is amazing how mass media coverage of the Middle East switches gears and implicitly admits to having been wrong while continuing with the same themes. Or sometimes, buried deep inside an article, there’s a flash of truth that conflicts with everything else that’s been said, even by the same reporter. But then the light goes out; the stygian dark returns; and it was as if that flash had never taken place. In working on a new edition of my book, Islamic Fundamentalists in Egyptian … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Media Coverage of the Middle East, Radical Movements, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Response to Ron Paul: Did U.S. Policy Make Today’s Islamist Iran Hate America?

By January 31, 2012
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Presidential candidate Ron Paul has said repeatedly that Iranians hate America because of its role in the 1953 coup overthrowing Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadegh. Like his frequent claims that the September 11 attack was a response to a supposed decade-long U.S. bombing of Iraq.In fact, about the only intense bombing of Iraq done by the United States in the last twenty years was for two weeks at the start of the 2003 war and one time in retaliation against an assassination plot against former … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, Middle East Politics, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Rick Santorum Shows Us the Strong and Weak Points of Republican Foreign Policy Thinking

By January 31, 2012
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As Republican candidates begin to define a foreign policy alternative to President Barack Obama, it’s useful to analyze an international affairs’ speech given by presidential candidate Rick Santorum. I am not writing to praise or criticize him as an individual—I’m not backing any candidate—but to show where strategic ideas are going and where they should be going. Everything said regarding Santorum also applies to Newt Gingrich and Mitch Romney. Santorum is the most conservative. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Israel Isn’t Going to Attack Iran and Neither Will the United States

By January 26, 2012
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The radio superhero, The Shadow, had the power to “cloud men’s minds.” But nothing clouds men’s minds like anything that has to do with Jews or Israel. This year’s variation on that theme is the idea that Israel is about to attack Iran. Such a claim repeatedly appears in the media. Some have criticized Israel for attacking Iran and turning the Middle East into a cauldron of turmoil (not as if the region needs any help in that department) despite the fact that it hasn’t even … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, Israel, U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Obama’s State of the Union Speech: My Response Discovers Some Curious Insights and Strange Formulations

By January 25, 2012
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In his State of the Union message, President Barack Obama began by wrapping himself in the flag, patriotism, and love of the armed forces while trying to highlight his foreign policy achievements. Among his points: The United States [is] safer and more respected around the world. Presumably, a lot of Americans will believe this. The United States may be said to be safer in terms of facing direct terror attacks but that was basically true in 2002. As for “more respected” — a phrase no … [Read more...]

Filed Under: U.S. Policy on the Middle East

Where the ‘Counter-Obama’ View of the Middle East Is Right and Where It’s Wrong

By January 25, 2012
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Jackson Diehl is by far the best journalist writing in the mass media about the Middle East. In a recent column, he tries to find some middle ground between the dominant ideas — that Islamist regimes are no problem at all and that the Muslim Brotherhood is really moderate — and what he defines as a too extreme conservative and Republican analysis. While I don’t quite agree with him, there is much of merit in his dichotomy. We should all learn from it even though I’m going to suggest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Turkey, U.S. Policy on the Middle East, Understanding the Middle East
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