Over the last week, reports from the ground level and from those that have fled Syria* for safe havens have been coming through, sharing a lot of information about where they are, what is going on in Damascus and in… Read More ›
Tag Archive for ‘middle-east’
Russia and China: Partners or Competitors When Facing US Foreign Policy?
The most striking image to come out from the G20 meeting in Mexico was the one included in this post of Putin consulting with Hua. Putin’s demeanor is full of respect and is almost deferential to his Chinese counterpart, the… Read More ›
The 11th Commandment: Thou Shall Regime-Change
Since Summer 2010 and the commencement of the “Libya sequence”, we have been living in a parallel political universe, where the United States of America is GOD and there is an eleventh (11th) Commandment that rules our world: Thou shall… Read More ›
US Foreign Policy on Middle East: An Assessment
In his first few months in office, President Obama was awarded the Nobel peace prize. During the same period, President Obama announced that the US would be accelerating the timetable for pullout from Iraq and then Afghanistan. He followed through… Read More ›
Political Resolution and Mediation Proposal on Syria
No matter which way you see it, Syria is already more complicated and more loaded than Libya or Iraq ever was. Russia and potentially China are involved in Syria this time in total opposition to the proposal by the US… Read More ›
Russia’s Motivations and Objectives in Syria: Decaying Power or Re-emerent Supernova?
In my last few blogs on Russia and the Return of Tzar Putin, I predicted that Russia and Putin would look for a larger global role and seek to return Russia to its former “glory” as the Soviet Union. The… Read More ›
The Truth of the Situation in Syria: Do We Really Know it?
Today, I paused to recap what I really know about Syria and the violence affecting its people. I started with the Government. We know that the Al-Assad government is composed of Alawites, Shiites, Sunnis and even a few, perhaps token,… Read More ›
Options on Syria: International Conference Option Should Include Iran and Syria in Parallel Forum
In the face of non-compliance with the Annan Peace Plan, the International Community is reduced to considering two alternatives: regime transition of Al-Assad out of power and convening an international conference on Syria as a means of coordinating and increasing… Read More ›
Reading between the Lines: Annan’s Message on Syria
I listened and observed Kofi Annan’s body language closely while he delivered his much-anticipated speech to the UN General Assembly today, on Syria. I’ve worked under the man for over 10 years so body language sometimes says what his soft… Read More ›
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia: The Thorny Exceptions in US Foreign Policy + Responses to Comments from Mccartange
The CNN ticker over 12 and 13th May, 2012 have been flashing the news that the US is recommencing military assistance to the Bahrain and secondly, that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are holding discussions concerning a “political union” in order… Read More ›
