Latest U.N. Security Council Act Won’t Stop Assad
The U.N. Security Council finally reached an agreement on Syria yesterday. In typical U.N. form, it amounts to more talk than action. Russia and China… Read More
Meet Al-Nusra, Another Bin Laden Wannabe Group
The group that claimed responsibility for a double-suicide bombing that killed 27 people in Syria is widely regarded as a front organization for al-Qaeda in… Read More
Senate to Prevent Rosoboronexport Helicopter Sales to Afghanistan?
Recently, 17 Senators expressed a concern over U.S. government trade ties to Rosoboronexport, a leading Russian arms exporter that supplies weapons to the defiant Bashar… Read More
Bahrain vs. the Media
Since the uprising erupted last year, Bahrain has continued to experience unrest. Despite continuing reforms by the government, the opposition movement has steadily hardened its… Read More
SecurityNews
Global U.S.–Russian Rivalry Fuels Syria Clash in the U.N.
On Monday, Washington and Moscow clashed yet again in the U.N. Security Council over what to do about the bloody conflict in Syria. Neither side… Read More
McCain Calls for Air Strikes on Syria
Senator John McCain (R–AZ) yesterday called for a U.S. military intervention in Syria that would include air strikes on Syrian government forces to protect the… Read More
Obama Hearts Israel . . . Oh, Really?
At the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) meeting in Washington today, President Barack Obama delivered a speech on US-Israeli relations under his presidency,… Read More
Why the EU’s Foreign Policy Approach Will Never Work
The latest round of European Union (EU) sanctions against Syria, agreed today in Brussels, proves why the EU’s “common denominator” approach to foreign policy will… Read More
Beijing and Damascus
As the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has found two steadfast allies: Russia and the People’s Republic of China… Read More
Morning Bell: Obama Doctrine Failure
Three years ago, President Barack Obama set forth to recast American foreign policy in an image of his own design. It was one in which… Read More
Syria’s (Literal) Information Warfare
To hide its myriad of other crimes, the Syrian government is determined to prevent news of its atrocities against its own citizens from getting out…. Read More
Syria’s War on Free Speech
The Syrian government’s sickening attacks on its own people continues unabated. Syrian government troops are pushing into the city of Daraa, where resistance is currently… Read More
10 Questions and Answers: What the U.S. Should Do About Syria
As the violent government crackdown continues in Syria, the United States is faced with a series of questions about what role it should play in… Read More
Morning Bell: Fighting to the Death in Syria
Fifty-five explosions rocked the city of Homs, Syria, in the span of 15 minutes. Artillery and automatic gunfire pound neighborhoods. Snipers perch on rooftops, firing… Read More
Assad Regime Escalates Repression in Syria After Russia Blocks U.N. Action
The embattled Assad regime escalated its horrific attempts to crush Syria’s opposition movement this week after Russia, one of its few allies, blocked action by… Read More
EU Should Act Quickly on Syria
You can tell how serious the situation in Syria is getting by looking at the recent actions taken by its neighbors. Earlier this week, the… Read More
Morning Bell: Middle East Crumbles Around Obama’s Foreign Policy
Thousands are dead in Syria, with more blood spilled each day. Iran is within arm’s reach of a nuclear weapon, threatening Israel’s very existence. And… Read More
U.S. Closes Embassy in Syria; Should Take Action Against Assad Regime
With the crisis in Syria escalating, CNN reports that the U.S. State Department has closed its embassy there, pulling out all remaining staff due to… Read More
“Reset” Backfires as Clinton Fails to Reach Foreign Minister Lavrov
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wanted to reach her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, to discuss the upcoming U.N. Security Council… Read More
Turkey and Iran: Bad Timing for Trade Increase
Last Thursday, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement aimed at increasing trade between the two countries and doubling bilateral business by 2015. The agreement was… Read More
Obama’s Move to Close U.S. Embassy in Syria a Wise Decision
After 10 months of anti-government protests in Syria and some 5,000 dead amid a violent government crackdown, the United States is preparing to close the… Read More
Syria’s Media Crackdown: No End in Sight
Syria remains a holdout in the Middle East against the forces of popular discontent. The regime of Bashar al-Assad has so far stayed in power… Read More
Will Russia Bog Down in Syria?
In an unfortunate exercise of naval muscle-flexing, a flotilla of Russian warships will be sent to the anchorage and naval base of Tartus in Syria… Read More
Iran Talks Tough to Turkey
As international pressure on Iran has mounted due to its accelerating uranium enrichment, its foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., and… Read More
The Administration’s Mixed Messages to Syria
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is home following an informal and indefinite recall. The Obama Administration cited concern for Ford’s personal safety as the… Read More
Arab League Finally Takes Action Against Assad Regime
Facing mounting pressure, the Arab League called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to immediately cease the brutal hostilities against his people. By a near-unanimous vote,… Read More
Ankara Should Push back Against Tehran
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi visited Turkey over the weekend and met with Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davuto?lu. On a very broad agenda—which included… Read More
Arab Autumn: Elections, Crackdowns, and Sectarian Tensions Part III
Bahrain and Syria are countries ruled by sectarian minorities. Bahrain’s Sunni royal family rules over a Shia majority whereas the Assad regime, which rules over… Read More
News
Top 10 Reads: Oct. 5th, 2011
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Ambrose: Federal law will get… Read More
Obama Administration Takes Long-Overdue Action on Syria
The Obama Administration, which has been tragically slow to condemn President Bashar al-Assad’s violent repression of peaceful demonstrators and call for his resignation, finally took… Read More
