The problem at present is not just that the Middle East may be heading for disaster and the Western strategic situation could be moving toward collapse, but that such an unfavorable outcome is made more likely by the fact that Western governments don't seem to comprehend this situation and are following policies that make it worse. There are five main critical developments which threaten the region's already fragile stability. First, and most basic, is the rise of revolutionary Islamist … [Read more...]
THE MIDDLE EAST: WELL-INTENTIONED CONCILIATORY POLICY MEETS REVOLUTIONARY ISLAMIST THREAT
By March 2, 2010
TERRORISM WITHIN THE UNITED STATES: THE MIDDLE EAST CONNECTION
By March 1, 2010
A great deal of study and analysis goes into the effect of U.S. foreign policy on the Middle East, but the issues and conflicts in the region also have an effect within the United States, which acts as an extension of those matters. With the dramatic developments of September 11, 2001, revolutionary movements and terrorism struck America directly. This article explores recent developments in that interaction by analyzing terrorist plans or attacks originating in the Middle East but being … [Read more...]
To Perpetuate Their Dictatorships, Arab Rulers Resort to the Islamic Creed
By December 6, 2009
KORANIC INSPIRATION FOR THE MODERATE, ISLAMIST, AND JIHADIST The Koran often provides Muslims with contradictory inspirations on subjects of political or social relevance. On Muslim relations with Christians and Jews, for example, a moderate Muslim would focus on peaceful and tolerant verses such as 29:46: “Do not argue with the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] unless in a fair way.” Similar injunctions are found in, among others, 2:62, 2:136, 2:256, and the second … [Read more...]
Goldstone’s Gaza Report: Part Two: A Miscarriage of Human Rights
By December 2, 2009
[CLICK HERE TO READ PART I] PART II: WHY? GENEALOGY OF THE “GOLDSTONE REPORT” In order to understand how the Goldstone Report, with all its pervasive flaws, came into existence, one must first appreciate the culture from which it arose. The pattern is largely as follows: Palestinians create alleged facts or information--often through the formal reports, and finally it makes up most of the Goldstone report, without any real critical evaluation taking place at any … [Read more...]
Goldstone’s Gaza Report: Part One: A Failure of Intelligence
By December 1, 2009
[CLICK HERE TO READ PART II] INTRODUCTION[1] In response to the Israeli attack on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead (December 27-January 18, 2009), several major NGOs and public figures called for an investigation. On April 3, 2009, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) appointed a “Fact-Finding Mission.” The mission was made up of four members, including Hina Jilani, Desmond Travers, Christine Chinkin, and at its head, Richard Goldstone, former member of the South … [Read more...]
What to Do on Lebanon: The Future of Lebanon-Israel Relations?
By September 4, 2009
During the first decades of Israel’s existence and until the late 1970s, many Israelis felt Lebanon would be the second Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel. This belief was based on the fact that during this period, Lebanon was dominated by the Maronite community, whose foremost goal at that time was believed by many Israelis to be the preservation of Lebanon’s Christian and generally Western character. Thus, in the view of many Israelis, it followed that the … [Read more...]
The 1978 Battle of Larnaca Airport, Cyprus, and UK Diplomacy
By June 7, 2009
In 1978, Egypt and Cyprus clashed while terrorists held hostages in an airplane. The Cypriot government, under President Spyros Kyprianou, who personally handled the negotiations with Arab terrorists, faced an Egyptian crack antiterrorist group. The Egyptian troops attempted to free the hostages without the authorization of Kyprianou. The Egyptians, aiming for an Entebbe-style operation, met the determined Cypriot National Guard, who opened fire against them, killing 15 commandos and destroying … [Read more...]
Varieties of Islamism in Yemen: The Logic of Integration Under Pressure
By March 3, 2009
In the spring of 2005 in a remote corner of former South Yemen, the driver of an old Toyota Land Cruiser displayed two seemingly opposite pictures on his windshield. The first showed Ali Abdallah Salih, the president of Yemen since July 1978 and a new ally of the United States in the “War on Terror,” while the second depicted Usama bin Ladin, the world-famous embodiment of transnational terrorism. This reveals much about Yemeni society and its political system; nevertheless it can be … [Read more...]
An Analysis of al-Qa’ida’s Worldview: Reciprocal Treatment or Religious Obligation?
By December 6, 2008
Volume 12, No. 3 - September 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 6 of 8 AN ANALYSIS OF AL-QA'IDA'S WORLDVIEW: RECIPROCAL TREATMENT OR RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION? Raymond Ibrahim* By analyzing what al-Qa'ida preaches to Muslims regarding Islam's relationship to the non-Muslim world at large, and what it states to the West are its reasons for battling it, this essay seeks to highlight the many disparities … [Read more...]
Pakistan and the Challenge of Islamist Terror: Where to Next?
By December 4, 2008
On August 18, 2008, Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's beleaguered president, resigned from office, allowing the Speaker of Senate, Muhammad Mian Sumroo to assume the position of interim president. What was surprising was not so much Musharraf's decision to step down, but rather how smooth the transition from military to civilian rule was: there was no violence or commotion. This was largely due to the fact that both Musharraf and the army had accepted that it was time for a change and that … [Read more...]
