Posted on Fri, February 24, 2012 at 22:40 pm CET
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The Coalition Crumbles: Erdoğan, the Gülenists, and Turkish Democracy

The authority of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been challenged by the security apparatus, the police and parts of the judiciary that enjoy the backing of the brotherhood of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen… Continue reading

Topics: PKK • Politics • Turkey 
Posted on Thu, February 23, 2012 at 23:20 pm CET
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Is Egypt about to Elect an Islamist President?

Registering to run for president of Egypt will begin March 10. The military moved it up from April 15 to show that it is handing over power to the civilians… Continue reading

Topics: Egypt • Islamism • Muslim Brotherhood • Politics 
Posted on Thu, February 23, 2012 at 23:09 pm CET
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Fake Muslim “Freedom Fighter’s” Latest Crime: Extorting a Prime Minister

The Bangladeshi Bandit strikes again… Continue reading

Topics: Bangladesh • The Media 
Posted on Wed, February 22, 2012 at 20:14 pm CET
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From UN Watch: Pakistan and Chavez Running for Seat on Top UN Rights Body

The governments of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Pakistan are slated to run unopposed for seats on the UN’s 47-nation Human Rights Council this year… Continue reading

Topics: Human Rights • Pakistan • United Nations • Venezuela 
Posted on Wed, February 22, 2012 at 19:35 pm CET
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Iran Cuts Down to Six Weeks Timeline for Weapons-Grade Uranium

Tehran this week hardened its nuclear and military policies in defiance of tougher sanctions and ahead of international nuclear talks… Continue reading

Topics: Diplomacy • International Atomic Energy Agency • Iran • Security and Defense • US-Israel Relations 
Posted on Tue, February 21, 2012 at 23:54 pm CET
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“Eventually, All Humans Will Be Palestine Refugees”

Of all the issues that drive the Arab-Israeli conflict, none is more central, malign, primal, enduring, emotional, and complex than the status of those persons known as Palestine refugees… Continue reading

Topics: History • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • United Nations 
Posted on Tue, February 21, 2012 at 22:52 pm CET
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Bashar’s ‘Iron Fist’

The iron fist against “terrorist gangs” as promised by Bashar Assad got off to a fairly impressive start two weeks ago… Continue reading

Topics: Al-Qaeda • Arab Spring • Religion • Security and Defense • Syrian Revolution 
Posted on Tue, February 21, 2012 at 21:21 pm CET
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The Two Faces of Al Jazeera

One of the principal beneficiaries of the Arab uprisings has been Al Jazeera television… Continue reading

Topics: Anti-Israelism • Anti-Semitism • Arab Spring • Islamism • Qatar • The Media 
Posted on Mon, February 20, 2012 at 19:19 pm CET
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A New Year of ‘Dhimmitude’ for Egypt’s Copts

2012 appears to be unfolding as the “year of dhimmitude” for Egypt’s Christians… Continue reading

Topics: Anti-Christianism • Copts • Egypt • Human Rights • Muslim Brotherhood • Religion • Salafism 
Posted on Sun, February 19, 2012 at 20:56 pm CET
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Harvard, Jew haters, motherhood and Israel

Today’s crop of corrupt intellectuals of the Walt and Mearshimer variety with all their allies in academia and the media and the blogosphere and politics are seeking to delegitimize Israel… Continue reading

Topics: Academic Bias • Anti-Israelism • Anti-Semitism • Anti-Zionism • Holocaust • Jew-Hatred • Liberalism • Political Correctness 
Posted on Sun, February 19, 2012 at 15:11 pm CET
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The Hamas Split and the Palestinian Political Mess

There’s a serious split in Hamas reflecting the growing civil war among Islamists along Sunni-Shia lines… Continue reading

Topics: Fatah • Hamas • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • Palestinian Authority • Peace Process • Politics • Religion 
Posted on Sun, February 19, 2012 at 14:11 pm CET
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Riyadh Enters the Yemen-Huthi Fray

On August 11, 2009, the Yemeni government launched “Operation Scorched Earth,” aimed at putting an end to the Huthi uprising that had destabilized the country’s northern province of Sa’da for more than five years… Continue reading

Topics: Al-Qaeda • Islamic Terrorism • Saudi Arabia • Security and Defense • Yemen 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 22:51 pm CET
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From Al-Masry Al-Youm: South Sudan FM: relations with Israel no threat to Cairo

South Sudan’s friendly relationship with Israel will not pose any threat to Egypt… Continue reading

Topics: Diplomacy • Egypt • Israel • Politics • South Sudan 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 22:14 pm CET
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Manufacturing Heresy: How the Mildest Muslim Liberalism is Turned into a Capital Punishment Offense

Nageeb Kashgari is a young man in a lot of trouble… Continue reading

Topics: Human Rights • Islamic Fundamentalism • Islamism • Political Correctness • Religion • Salafism • Saudi Arabia • Sharia Law • Wahhabism 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 20:58 pm CET
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Rethinking U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan

As U.S. military operations in Afghanistan drag on inconclusively, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Taliban insurgency is gaining ground… Continue reading

Topics: Afghanistan • Al-Qaeda • Islamic Terrorism • NATO • Security and Defense • Taliban • U.S. Middle East Policy • War on Terrorism 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 16:33 pm CET
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From Asharq Al-Awsat: Libya’s new Intelligence Chief, Salem al-Hassi

Asharq Al-Awsat conducted a lengthy telephone interview with Al-Hassi from Tripoli… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Libya • Politics • Security and Defense 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 14:05 pm CET
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Crisis in US-Israel Relations over Nuclear Talks with Iran

In the last 24 hours, the approach of international talks with Iran on its nuclear program has escalated already high tensions over the issue between the Obama administration and the Israeli government… Continue reading

Topics: Diplomacy • Iran • Israel • Security and Defense • U.S. Middle East Policy • US-Israel Relations 
Posted on Sat, February 18, 2012 at 00:48 am CET
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From Magharebia: Mauritanian President Rates Sahel Security

The security vacuum in northern Mali endangers the entire Sahel region, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz warns… Continue reading

Topics: Al-Qaeda • Maghreb • Mali • Mauritania • Security and Defense 
Posted on Fri, February 17, 2012 at 21:14 pm CET
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Demography is Destiny in Syria

Among the second wave of Arab Spring uprisings that followed Tunisia, Syria was the most spectacular “out of the blue” that suddenly arose in the face of the media and analytic community… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Economy • History • Syria • Syrian Revolution 
Posted on Thu, February 16, 2012 at 21:00 pm CET
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What is Russia Doing in the Middle East?

What is most notable about Russian Middle East policy is that it tends to side with the extremist forces… Continue reading

Topics: Politics • Russian Federation • Security and Defense • The Middle East 
Posted on Thu, February 16, 2012 at 20:34 pm CET
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Why We Need Words Like ‘Islamist’

Is the problem Islam or Islamism? Muslims or Islamists?… Continue reading

Topics: Global Islam • Global Jihad • History • Islamic Fundamentalism • Islamism • Religion • Sharia Law 
Posted on Thu, February 16, 2012 at 00:36 am CET
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Good-Bye, Middle East! Quietly, Liberals and Minorities are Fleeing

I wonder how much higher are the number of visa applications from Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey to North America, Europe, and Australia… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Arab World • Democracy • Human Rights • Islamism • Salafism • The Middle East 
Posted on Wed, February 15, 2012 at 20:19 pm CET
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The Pragmatics of Lebanon’s Politics

Lebanese society has had a remarkable ability to overcome deep-rooted sectarian and religious divides that could readily have imploded less problematic countries… Continue reading

Topics: Hezbollah • Lebanon • Politics • Shia Islam • Sunni Islam • Syria 
Posted on Tue, February 14, 2012 at 20:35 pm CET
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What to Do About Syria

There is a strong case that can be made for doing nothing about the Syrian civil war, but a stronger case can be made for doing something… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • China • Russian Federation • Security and Defense • Syria • Syrian Revolution • U.S. Middle East Policy 
Posted on Tue, February 14, 2012 at 20:03 pm CET
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With “Friends” Like This Who Needs Enemies? With Enemies Like This Who Needs Friends?

President Barack Obama is campaigning on the claim that he is Israel’s great friend despite the fact that this is obviously untrue… Continue reading

Topics: Fatah • Hamas • Israel • U.S. Middle East Policy