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
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
Syria: Russia Outmaneuvers the United States but …
Yesterday’s news that the former Soviet Union and Syria had agreed to an off-hand proposal by US Secretary of State John Kerry that Damascus turn over its chemical weapons to … 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
Dubai: Here We Go Again
A few years ago, when the Arab emirate of Dubai was facing the brunt of the global financial crisis, the government of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum blamed rampant real … Continue reading
Jordan: Unclear how US Bombing would Lessen Threat from Syria
One of the arguments being made by the US administration for intervention in Syria is that it will protect US allies and Syrian neighbors from Damascus and its dangerous agenda. … 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
Pakistan: Islamabad should Negotiate an Agreement with the Taliban
Over the past few months, Pakistan has undergone the first democratic transition in its history. Unfortunately, this change has done nothing to solve the country’s problems, which include, but are … 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
Egypt: History Repeats Itself Amid Potential for a New Al-Qaida
The Egyptian military’s recent overthrow of the country’s popularly elected government – generally known as a coup – is nothing new for the Middle East. Unsurprisingly, it poses multiple scenarios … Continue reading
All Sorts of Things 