Pakistan and Iran: Gas Pipeline Fallacy Continues
During last week’s meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Iranian President Hasan Rowhani, the two leaders trumpeted their efforts to restart the stalled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. Sharif stated … Continue reading
Egypt: Military’s Actions Supported or Ignored
Every day brings new reports of how a resurgent Egyptian government – staffed by the country’s armed forces – is stomping on those who it deems to be an undesirable … Continue reading
Middle East: To Parent or Guide is the Question
A few days ago, I wrote a post recommending the United States use its ever decreasing influence in the Middle East to develop a coalition of regional powers to counter … Continue reading
Iraq: Yet Another Opportunity for Regional Cooperation in the Middle East
Over the past few days, the world has seen multiple reports on the advancements made by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq’s infamous Anbar province. According … Continue reading
Saudi Arabia: Aid to Lebanese Armed Forces Reflects Reduced Confidence in US Policy
Ending 2013 on a high note, the Lebanese Republic (Lebanon) announced that its armed forces would receive a grant of $3 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2014; … Continue reading
Saudi Arabia: The Syria Bombing’s Biggest Benefactor and Beneficiary
Last week, I wrote a post on how it was unclear how Jordan would benefit from the US bombing Syria. Today, I want to focus on the one country that … Continue reading
Syria: Is Washington Preparing for Boots on the Ground or How Assad United the US Military and Al-Qaida
The Obama administration has asked the US Congress to authorize airstrikes on specific Syrian government targets because President Bashar al-Assad’s government “has crossed the redline” and used chemical weapons on … Continue reading
Syria: The Best Solution is Exile for Assad
I generally don’t write about the same country multiple times in a week but was forced to make an exception in the case of Syria since it looks like the … Continue reading
Iraq: Compliance with US Demand to Stop Allowing Iranian Support for Syria Unlikely
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki found himself in US Secretary of State John Kerry’s cross-hairslast week when the two leaders engaged in “spirited discussions” regarding Iran’s use of Iraqi airspace … Continue reading
Iraq: Moving Forward Will Need International Guidance in Managing Influential Neighbors and Internal Pressures
Over the past few days, there have been a number of excellent articles and posts written on the reasons for and behind the US invasion of Iraq. While these have … Continue reading
All Sorts of Things 