Analysis & Commentary
A Bipartisan Effort in the War on Terror
Your April 4 editorial "Terror TV" on terrorist media highlights the legal consequences and symbolic importance of the Treasury Department naming the Iranian-funded, Hezbollah-operated al-Manar television and al-Nour radio as Specially Designated Global Terrorist entities. As you note, this is a victory for the good guys against the pernicious influence of the Iranian regime.
A Hezbollah Crack-up?
Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, wants out. Things have gotten so tense for Hezbollah, says Lokman Slim, an independent Lebanese Shiite activist, that according to well-sourced accounts of a meeting two weeks ago, Nasrallah “complained he no longer wanted the job.”
A Looming Crisis In Lebanon?
On Sunday, June 7, the Lebanese held parliamentary elections and handed the incumbent coalition a decisive victory over the opposition, which is led by the Iranian-sponsored militant group Hezbollah.
A Proper Welcome
To: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President Islamic Republic of Iran Tehran
A Puzzling Run for President in Lebanon
If you're lucky enough not to be obsessed with Middle East politics, you may be surprised to learn that the keynote speaker at Hezbollah's massive Beirut demonstration last week was not a Shiite Muslim but a Maronite Christian. Michel Aoun, the army general who was driven into exile by Syria in 1990 but has been oddly friendly with Syria and its local allies since his return to Lebanon last year, addressed an overwhelmingly Shiite crowd and called for the resignation of Sunni Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
A Talk with Samir Geagea, Head of the Lebanese Forces
Samir Geagea is reluctant to speak much of the attempt on his life last month. It was here, at his home in Maarab, a fortified villa high in the mountains, where one or more snipers allegedly took aim at the head of the Lebanese Forces, a Christian majority party.
A War Crime at Qana?
The Qana tragedy has intensified accusations that Israel's actions in Lebanon violate international law. Every death of an innocent person is extremely regrettable; but there is no evidence Israel has committed any war crimes. In contrast, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have clearly violated international law in this conflict.
A Widening War
What must Hamas leaders have been thinking? Last month they sent guerrillas through a secret tunnel from Gaza into Israel where they launched an attack, killing two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping a third, 19-year-old Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Since no civilians were targeted, this was not an act of terrorism. It was an act of war.
Addressing Genocide
The shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum serves as a stark reminder: Holocaust denial is not a problem simply because some people choose to falsify history.
Admirable Restraint
As the armed conflict continues in the Middle East, many are finally starting to acknowledge that the connections between the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian patrons represent a significant strategic threat not only to Israel, but also to the United States, as we warned in an article published a week before the current outbreak. Unfortunately, many policymakers and analysts have been unable or unwilling to understand the connection between the act of war that provoked today's crisis and the government of Lebanon.
America vs. Jihadists
Has the United States been successful in its war against terrorism? Yes, without a doubt. Although Islamic militancy remains a potent force, especially in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, Washington’s relentless pursuit of armed jihadists has severely damaged the capacity of Sunni radical groups to strike the United States, at home and abroad.
America’s “Big Game”
During last week’s stormy hearing on Syria in the US House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, the Obama administration for the first time laid out its Syria policy. Unfortunately, the policy is based on a flawed, old premise that brings Washington awfully close to accepting a line the Syrians perpetually seek to sell – the politics of grievance. Distressingly, the Americans are signaling that they're interested shoppers.
Among the Believers
Nearly ten years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, many politicians, diplomats, journalists and academics remain reluctant even to name America’s enemies. To take but one example: John Brennan, head of the White House homeland security office, has argued that America is only “at war with al Qaeda” and its closest affiliates.
Arabs vs. Iranians
Americans like to think big in foreign policy, so they yearn to settle the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation.
Are Sanctions Working?
There’s pain and then there’s pain. Getting stung by a bee hurts. Having a Doberman sink his teeth into your thigh is a more intense experience. By the same token, there are sanctions and then there are sanctions.
Are Two States a Solution?
Speaking to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee the other day, Vice President Joe Biden said: "Israel has to work toward a two-state solution."
Assad May Be Cruising For A Bruising
If Damascus continues to arm Hezbollah, would the Israelis strike against Syria? Despite Israel’s past track record of overlooking Syrian malfeasance, there is reason to think the equation may have changed. Bashar al-Assad’s gamble that he would be immune, therefore, may be misreading Israeli and American thinking. He may in fact be inevitably placing himself in the path of an Israeli strike against Syria.
Beyond Farce
The following is not the outline of a rejected screenplay by an aspiring Hollywood writer trying to outdo 24. Nor is it product of a freshman political science student's imagination, concocting a term paper after a weekend of partying. It is merely an introduction one of the most stunning aspects of contemporary international relations in the real world: the United Nations' relentless campaign to undermine the security of Israel.
Big Show of Force by Hezbollah Spells New Trouble in Lebanon
The demonstration convened yesterday by the terrorist group Hezbollah, a show of force that brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets in support of continued Syrian sway over the country, represents the darkest sign yet that plenty of difficulties lie ahead for Lebanon's three-week-old democratic uprising.
Blinded by Hate, Israel’s Enemies Will Never Relent
I've been reporting on the Arab-Israeli conflict for more than 42 years and I've just come to a horrifying but unavoidable conclusion: Nothing has changed - and probably nothing can change - Israel's enemies' fanatic refusal to accept her right to exist. It is simply too deeply ingrained in the psychology of the region.
