Syrian President Bashar al-Assad keeps making all the wrong moves. In a recent interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, the former doctor sounded more like a butcher – and a heartless one at that. He lied and deflected questions. He made light of a dire situation. He rejected international conventions and global standards on news reporting, [...]
Archive for the ‘Israel’ Category
The Big Cat’s Out of the Bag: A Moment of Truth, a Lifetime of Duplicity from Bashar al-Assad
Posted in Israel, Lebanon, Levant, Syria, tagged Arab Spring, Assad, Duplicity, Syria, Violence on December 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
My Grandfather, Hizbullah, and the Hobbesian Jungle
Posted in Christians, Druze, Hizbullah, Israel, Levant, Shiites, Sunnis, tagged Beirut, Conflict, Hobbes, Levantine, Pluralism, Tension, War on August 20, 2011 | 1 Comment »
“You need a gun.” It was February 14, 2005. Hours earlier, in a massive blast that shook Beirut to its core, assassins had taken the life of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri and dozens more. Between bouts of shock and rage, many Lebanese pointed the finger at Syria, but others focused their attention on [...]
Partying with God? Issues to Consider in the Hizbullah Debate
Posted in Israel, Lebanon, United States, tagged David Ignatius, Engagement, Hizbullah, National Intelligence Estimate, National Security Council, Obama administration on March 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
According to The Washington Post’s David Ignatius, an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Hizbullah has led the Obama administration to consider whether the U.S. should initiate contacts with the “Party of God.” Although National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor has since said that “U.S. policy toward Hizbullah has not changed and is not changing,” [...]
Get Real: Hizbullah Won’t Let an Adverse Indictment Slide
Posted in Hizbullah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Levant, tagged Hariri case, Hizbullah, Iran, Israel, Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Syria on December 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The Lebanese never learn. For years, Hizbullah convinced many Lebanese that it would not turn its weapons against them. Shiites, Sunnis, Druze, and Christians all bought into that myth. Some believed wholeheartedly that Hizbullah would remain focused on Israel, while others saw no other choice but to acquiesce to realities on the ground. After all, the Lebanese had [...]
Beirut ’09: Dancing in the Eye of the Storm
Posted in Hizbullah, Israel, Lebanon, Levant on August 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »