Category: Blogs

Morsi Comes up Short

By Tarek Radwan

Vice President Mahmoud Makki called for calm on Wednesday, offering the newest proposal from the Mohammed Morsi government in an effort to ease the ongoing political crisis in Egypt. At a press conference in Cairo, Makki issued an invitation to all opposition forces to discuss and revise the most controversial articles in the draft of […]

NATO’s Reluctant Dance with the Middle East

By Richard LeBaron

The heavily-qualified December 4 decision by NATO to dispatch Patriot missile batteries to Turkey’s border with Syria reflects a pattern of reluctance by the Alliance to involve itself in the messy conflicts of the Middle East.

Clinton: US concerned that ‘desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons’

By Hillary Rodham Clinton, Department of State

From Hillary Rodham Clinton, Department of State:  I think it’s a great tribute to NATO that this decision to deploy the Patriots was taken, because it’s very much in line with our solidarity among all of the members.

Clinton: ‘The United States is grateful to NATO. We believe it’s needed more than ever’

By Hillary Rodham Clinton, Department of State

From Hillary Rodham Clinton, Department of State:  I’ve spent a good amount of time in this building during the past four years, and I think it was time well spent.

Officials: Serbia’s NATO ambassador leaps to death

By Slobodan Lekic and Dusan Stojanovic, AP

Top News: Egypt’s VP offers amendments to disputed constitution

By Egypt Source

Egypt’s vice president said on Wednesday amendments to disputed articles of the draft constitution could be agreed with the opposition ahead of a Dec. 15 referendum and put in writing, and he called for dialogue with opponents to end the crisis. 

Morsi’s Dilemma Solved: Why the Judges will not Boycott the Referendum

By Ahmed Aboul Enein

The Supreme Council of the Judiciary (SCJ), the State Council and the State Litigation Authority have all announced that judges will be overseeing the 15 December constitutional referendum. Conversely the national Judges’ Clubsaid that the country’s judges would not monitor the referendum unless President Mohamed Morsi rescinds his November 22 constitutional decree. Both decisions are […]

NATO sending Patriot missiles ‘to defend the population and territory of Turkey’

By NATO

From NATO:  Foreign Ministers’ statement on Patriot deployment to Turkey

NATO Deploying Patriots to Turkey

By James Joyner

NATO has agreed to deploy Patriot missiles along the Turkey-Syria border to protect Turkish airspace and territory, while making clear no escalation is intended.