Analysis & Commentary
Paper Trail Leads to Damascus
In December 2010, the New York Times' Robert F. Worth wrote an article about the newspaper Al-Akhbar, "the most dynamic and daring in Lebanon, and perhaps anywhere in the Arab world."
Clinton: We Need a Stable, Sovereign Lebanon
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made calls to Lebanese leaders in recent days to emphasize the American commitment to stability as upheaval in Syria threatens its neighbor.
‘The Time for Action has Come’
Yes, the United States should intervene in Syria. With so much at stake, in both humanitarian and political terms, the U.S. simply does not have the luxury of inaction.
Hezbollah’s Newest Threat
Lebanon’s Party of God is feeling heat from certain Shiites, who aren’t eager to serve as human shields again.
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.
Israel’s Unity Deal and Lebanon
The surprise unity deal struck between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz has spurred a flurry of speculation, including in the Arab media, about its ultimate significance.
Homs and Achrafieh
Since February 3, the city of Homs has been under a sustained, and increasingly heavy, bombardment by the Assad regime’s forces. According to reports in the last couple of days, the regime has sent armored reinforcements...
Standing Up to Assad
Washington persists in the belief that Russia can be swayed to withdraw its support for the Assad regime in Syria, thereby falling in line with US policy. The White House has called for Assad to step aside, but continues to state that it seeks a “peaceful political solution.”
When Will the West Act Against Persecution of Christians in the Middle East?
The case of the Iranian pastor sentenced to death for his faith has attached a human face to the horrible situation of Christians in the Middle East.
Kurds and Sway
If there is one group in Syria that embodies the trans-national currents running through Syrian society, and which is likely to have increasing influence in the post-Assad era, it’s the Kurds.
A Thorn in the Lion’s Paw
The politics of the Druze in the Syrian revolution have witnessed serious developments over the last couple of months, as evidenced by the escalation in the rhetoric of Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.
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.”
Assad Finds His Margin to Maneuver
One of the more curious things about Bashar al-Assad’s latest rambling speech on Tuesday was his aggressive and typically condescending attack against his Gulf Arab foes.
Hezbollah Comes to the US, Cont’d
During my visit to Tulsa last month I noted a story in the local news involving the search of a used car dealership as the result of a lawsuit alleging that it received about $20.2 million from Hezbollah members or Hezbollah-controlled entities to purchase and ship used cars.
Minority Interest
Being Christian in the Middle East has never been easy, but the wave of uprisings that has swept the region over the past year has made the situation for the region’s Christian minority almost unbearable.
What’s Obama’s Plan B After Arab League Monitors?
The Arab League’s observer mission in Syria is coming under criticism a mere couple of days after its initial deployment, as the regime of Bashar al-Assad continues to gun down its opponents, seemingly unfettered.
Useful Fiction
Are the Palestinians an “invented” people”? According to Newt Gingrich, now a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination, they certainly are. “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state,” he said earlier this month.
The Happy Warrior
In February 2009, I attended a Hezbollah rally in Beirut with Christopher Hitchens. You could not have had better company with whom to witness the martial pieties of Lebanon’s “Party of God.”
Prosecutors Accuse Lebanon Bank of Laundering Money for Hezbollah
Jonathan Schanzer, an ex-Treasury Department terror finance analyst who is with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said, "Hezbollah can do a lot of damage, and the more money that rolls in, the more problematic that will be.
CNN Newsroom
New claims allege the Mexican drug cartel "Zetas" are working with the terrorist group Hezbollah.
