Category: Blogs

War and Civil War in Syria

By Faysal Itani

For the third time this year, Israel was able to carry out air strikes in Syria earlier this month without prompting an immediate military response. The reactions of all parties directly affected—Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah—indicated little appetite for a conflict with Israel. This should be of little comfort to US policymakers and the international community, […]

A Starting Point: The Unfortunate Beliefs of the Ruling Elite

By Amr Hamzawy

It is apparent that, due to culminating political and economic crises, Egypt is losing much of the international support and global public sympathy for its revolution, and popular demand for democracy, social justice and progress. Countries in crisis, even with the same strategic importance as Egypt, gradually lose their international support and sympathy, whether governmental […]

The Growing Franco-German Schism

By Frederick Kempe

 Occasionally a public opinion survey surfaces that signals a seismic event. That is the case with a new report from the Pew Research Center that measures the widening tremors of a political earthquake now shaking Europe. Although the report leads with evidence that  Europeans are increasingly losing faith in the European Union (which I wrote […]

Freedom to Criticize Under Attack in the Middle East and North Africa

By Hannah Grigg

Leaders in the Middle East and North Africa appear to be increasingly sensitive to criticism by their citizens and more inclined to pursue legal action against critics. Numerous cases have been brought against critics who employ social media, but traditional media is also under pressure. While not attempting to be comprehensive, the table below summarizes […]

Park-Obama Summit Bolsters US-ROK Alliance, Impacts Northeast Asia

By Robert Manning

Successful summits tend to be more about symbolism than substance.  South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s summit with US President Barack Obama certainly had its share of symbolism: the first foreign trip of the ROK’s new first woman President, 60th anniversary of the US-ROK alliance, and US-ROK messages to North Korea, to Japan and China. But Ms. […]

US Reluctant to Support More European Adventures in MENA

By Richard Gowan, World Politics Review

Norway Strengthening and Reorganizing Its Special Forces

By Gerard O'Dwyer, Defense News

Top News: Egypt Arrests 3 Suspected al-Qaeda Militants

By Egypt Source

Egyptian police arrested three men suspected of planning attacks on targets in Cairo and Alexandria, including a foreign embassy, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim announced Saturday. 

Breedlove Takes Command as NATO’s New SACEUR

By NATO

From NATO:  United States Air Force General Philip Mark Breedlove took over command of NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from Admiral James Stavridis during a handover ceremony in Mons, Belgium on Monday ( 13 May 2013). "I am honoured to be here today for this handover ceremony to thank Admiral Stavridis for his […]