If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Those intoxicated by Obama's rhetoric will soon experience a painful hangover. For the president's Israel speech and the rest of his Middle East trip were focused, first and foremost, on domestic politics here in the United States.
The battle for Syria demonstrates that what started as a peaceful call for change can lead to the disintegration of an entire country, and creation of a new geopolitical reality. If it can happen in Syria, it can and will certainly happen elsewhere.
The longer the West remains inactive, the more Islamic extremists will join the war. Inaction by the Obama administration over the last two years had encouraged the regime to kill more than 60,000 Syrians and force the displacement of 2 million Syrians. By turning a blind eye, President Obama has in effect given the green light to Al-Qaeda and other Jihadists to enter Syria.
On Thursday night in New York, one by one they lined up to try and destroy 20 years of hard work. First Iran, then North Korea and then Syria. This was supposed to be the moment the United Nations took a truly historic step and adopted an Arms Trade Treaty. But instead of a moment of history, I witnessed a moment of cynical opportunism.
U.S. troops to help stop a civil war in an Arab and/or Muslim country? Hold on just a minute! Rewind the tape. The last two Muslim nations in which the U.S. intervened militarily -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- actually helped ignite and perpetuate a civil war.
Headlines describing the 24th Arab Summit held in Doha this week reflect profound division over Syria and Qatar's role in effecting change in the Arab...
The long-tail effects of chemical weapons continue to plague Iraq today, burdening a decimated health care system, and providing horrifying visual fodder for extremists who would incite hatred against the West.
After years of efforts to curb the $70 billion conventional arms trade, a global treaty was blocked by Iran, North Korea and Syria. But the measure is expected to go to the U.N. General Assembly where it may be resurrected.
In honor of the day when everybody is encouraged to punk each other, here are the journalistic equivalents of telling someone his or shoelace is untied. Of course, these headlines could never really happen. But we can dream.
Consider that Mr. Obama was not invited to address the Knesset (Parliament) perchance he might be booed by Israeli legislators. In 2011, Mr. Netanyahu received 29 standing ovations from members of our own congress.
If you think Syria is a ghastly mess now, just wait till the rebels finally topple Bashar al-Assad. If I wanted to be vulgar (hell, why not?), I'd say: "You ain't seen nothing yet."
In its refined form, crackpot realism wears the camouflage of idealism: military invasions are really aimed at humanitarian rescue, spreading democracy, or peacekeeping.
Although all of Syria's neighbors have been negatively impacted by the country's crisis, Iraq's sectarian tensions and the religious, historical and cultural bonds between Syrians and Iraqis connect the two states' political fates.
Even when Syrians flee across the border of their country into northern Iraq, their troubles are far from over. Many of those I met on a recent visit to the region saying they feel forgotten - their most basic human needs for food, clean water, medical care, and shelter are often unmet.
In August last year, I wrote an op-ed for the International Herald Tribune calling for Western powers to arm the Syrian insurgents. Over six months later, the case is even more compelling than before.
In effect the Westerners want to take sides in a multi-dimensional war, with no guarantee that their chosen protégées will prevail. Most likely, by arming the rebels they will give carte blanche to the Russians and Iranians to reinforce their support for Assad and his allies, including the Lebanese Shia faction Hezballah.
Most Popular Syria Stories
