The ambiguity of Western attitudes towards the Islamic Republic of Iran raises many questions about whether it is the goal of the United States, Britain, and France to enable Tehran to prevent the victory of the armed opposition in Syria, or to further involve Iran and its ally Hezbollah in...

However high-ranking an individual might be, or however "full" the powers they might be entrusted within the process of political transition in Syria, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will remain in Russia's opinion, president with full powers, as a "wartime president." This could be an issue of disagreement or one of...

The Americans and the Russians have agreed to revive the Geneva agreement and work towards a second iteration, after modifications have been made to the military balance of power on the ground in Syria, and after Iran and Israel entered as direct players in the Syrian conflict. Terrorism using chemical...

US President Barack Obama's "Will Not" has come across as half-baked compared to the Hezbollah secretary general's retort with an arrogant "Will Not" of his own. Both men made threats, each at his own pace: the first with hesitation and fear of implicating his country directly in the war in...

Elections in the Middle East have become a blood-spattered means of exclusion that voids democracy of its core values, as well as a blatant way to monopolize the hold on power. From Egypt to Iran, through Syria and Lebanon, election seasons bring one innovation after another that maintain individuals in...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made it perfectly clear what he has in mind in an interview with Syrian News Channel Al-Ikhbariya this week. He said that the period of "strategic concern" has ended, and declared, "We have no choice but victory; if we don't win, Syria will be finished". This...

Every time signs of a political détente appear in the country, people in Lebanon like to ask, "And what will the summer be like?" The question is not at all superficial, but rather one that touches directly on the dire need to save the economy from collapse by reviving tourism,...

The major regional and international players would do good to pause and consider the future of countries neighboring Syria, given the continued influx of refugees across the border. The issue represents as much a time bomb as it is a matter with major ethical and political consequences. The tragedy of...

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 Region. Doha has taken over the presidency of the Arab league for what could be one of the most important years of the transitional period....

The Middle East region looks at President Barack Obama from the perspective of his relations with three "I's", namely: Islamists, Iran and Israel. For some, the US President seems to adopt an overt policy based on isolationism and on avoiding engagement beyond the borders of the United States, and a...

The wavering stances of President Barack Obama's second administration saw settled this week on the following:

* A reversal of the stances taken by the first administration regarding the interpretation of the Geneva Agreement among the five permanent members of the Security Council, in terms of the role to be...

Positions expressed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ranged from flexibility towards the Syrian and Iranian leaderships at the beginning of his tour in Europe, to militancy vis-à-vis Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian role in Syria, near the end of his Middle Eastern tour, in Qatar. Kerry's...

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has dispelled some of the ambiguity surrounding the second Obama administration's policy towards Syria during his European tour this week, and his meetings with European Foreign Ministers as well as with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In parallel to this, in Kazakhstan's former capital...

New US Secretary of State John Kerry may wish for his tour of Europe and the Middle East to be a "listening tour", but he will nonetheless find in the capitals he shall visit similar enthusiasm for hearing what the second Obama Administration has in store in terms of policies,...

In the State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama presented an outline of his administration's priorities for the next four years. The address makes for some essential reading for emerging leaders in the Arab region, who had taken office on promises of change towards fulfilling the people's right...

It is well known that having an overt part and a covert part in U.S. foreign policy is not a new phenomenon. Rather, both represent longstanding traditions and a cornerstone of the United States' long-term strategy. Each administration leaves its mark in terms of the relationship between the two poles,...

In-depth analysis of the interview given by Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint United Nations and Arab League Envoy to Syria, to Al-Hayat on Wednesday indicates that the only means to save Syria from "the wound festering", as well as from fragmentation and disintegration, resides in an American-Russian agreement that would lead to...

The main concern from the United States to China, as well as to Russia, Europe, the Arab region and the Middle East, to Africa, South America and all parts of the world, remains the same: Most individuals seek after employment, a decent life and safety and stability. They seek after...

The gathering of heads of state and global leaders of both the public and private sectors at the World Economic Forum next week in Davos will be focusing on resilient dynamism, as optimism regains its place after the pessimism of the past year. This year, which marks the forum's 43rd...

All indications point that the foreign policy of the second Barack Obama Administration will carry two aspects, one implicit and one explicit, moving together and in parallel in order to satisfy and contain radical contradictions within the US public opinion. Indeed, the majority of the American people does not want...