Lebanon

Posted on Sun, January 10, 2010 at 20:24 pm CET

Syria and the 1948 War in Palestine – part 1

Shukri al-Quwwatli’s war policy during the conflict in Palestine was a disaster both for his presidency and for democracy in Syria. It is easy to argue that Syria should never have pushed for war in Palestine… Continue reading

Posted on Fri, January 8, 2010 at 12:50 pm CET

The Middle East Matrix

What if everything you think you know to be true is a lie, and everything you see is just an illusion? Sounds like a promo for The Matrix, but this is the reality of life in the Middle East… Continue reading

Posted on Fri, December 18, 2009 at 13:37 pm CET

Has Hizbullah changed?

Some Western analysts believe the political manifesto published in the wake of Hizbullah’s 7th General Conference at the end of November 2009 represented a fundamental change in Hizbullah policy. But has Hizbullah really changed… Continue reading

Posted on Mon, December 14, 2009 at 21:16 pm CET

Syria’s “independent” Media

It’s remarkable how easy it is for Middle Eastern dictatorships to fool the West. Iran has been stringing along Europe and the United States for seven years on the pretense that it is ready to make a deal on its nuclear weapons’ drive. The Palestinians persuade the West that they really do want to make peace but just need a better offer. And so on… Continue reading

Posted on Sun, December 13, 2009 at 12:08 pm CET

The Sykes – Picot agreement (1916)

The Sykes-Picot (-Sazonov) agreement, concluded on 16 may 1916, was an agreement between the Governments of Britain and France and with the consent of the Russian Empire about dividing the Middle East in spheres of influence… Continue reading

Posted on Sat, December 12, 2009 at 17:30 pm CET

McMahon – Husayn Correspondence (1915-1916)

At the awakening of Arab Nationalism and the start of the first World War (1914-1918), the European Governments attempted to gain the sympathies of the Arabs with promises of independence from the Ottoman Empire and other foreign powers… Continue reading

Posted on Mon, November 30, 2009 at 19:11 pm CET

Hezbollah continues its armed aggression against Israel

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group announced a new political strategy on Monday that tones down Islamist rhetoric but maintains a tough line against Israel and the United States,which it accused of terrorism while vowing to keep its weapons… Continue reading

Posted on Wed, November 25, 2009 at 23:30 pm CET

Muslim Arab Antisemitism today

Antisemitism in Arab societies and in Iran is the most potent and menacing form of hostility to Jews that exists anywhere in the contemporary world. It has become thoroughly embedded in recent decades (especially since 2000) in the body politic of Islam… Continue reading

Posted on Wed, November 25, 2009 at 05:10 am CET

Islamism 2.0

To borrow a computer term, if Ayatollah Khomeini, Osama bin Laden, and Nidal Hasan represent Islamism 1.0, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (the prime minister of Turkey), Tariq Ramadan (a Swiss intellectual), andKeith Ellison (a U.S. congressman) represent Islamism 2.0. The former kill more people but the latter pose a greater threat to Western civilization… Continue reading

Posted on Mon, November 23, 2009 at 21:30 pm CET