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Archive for the ‘United States’ Category

As people across the Middle East continue to demand change, a group of leaders have proven more obstinate – and far more brutal – than their Tunisian and Egyptian counterparts. For all their differences, the regimes in Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, and now Syria  have effectively shown what many Middle East observers already knew: survival trumps all [...]

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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,” [...]

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The U.S. Department of State (“State Department” or “DOS”) has just issued its budget request for the fiscal year of 2012. Not surprisingly, the State Department is responsible for coordinating and leading all international assistance programs. For two reasons, this year’s budget request is particularly important. First, American domestic politics – under the twin impact [...]

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In 2005, millions of Lebanese marched for their freedom. The streets of Beirut captured the world’s attention and seemed likely to trigger a wave of Arab democratization and reform. But despite glimmers of hope in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, the much-lauded “Arab Spring” soon fizzled out. In some countries, homegrown activism was absent or fell [...]

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Earlier this week, NOW Lebanon published an op-ed that Firas Maksad, a Middle East analyst, and I, a humble law student, wrote. The piece basically argued that the Marine Barracks Bombing on October 23, 1983 was an opening salvo in Iran’s bid for expanded power in the Middle East. On the other hand, Foreign Policy published a piece by Nir Rosen, a fellow [...]

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Selected reading for information only, as it is worth keeping the regional game in mind. This post does not endorse or reject the content of these articles… The National Newspaper (UAE) on Syria-Saudi ties: http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090710/FOREIGN/707099796/1011/rss Foreign Policy on the “Other Threat” from Iran: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/02/the_other_ticking_clock_in_iran Council on Foreign Relations on US-Iran relations: http://www.cfr.org/publication/20344/road_ahead_for_usiran_relations.html?breadcrumb=%2F

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He’s done it again. Walid Jumblatt has left the March 14 coalition – or maybe not. Being the leader of the fiercely proud and historically influential Druze minority, “Walid Beik” operates to keep his community secure and his dynasty relevant. With that said, it appears that three trends have led Jumblatt to move away from [...]

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