Analysis & Commentary


4th January 2012 - National Review Online

While You Were Watching Iowa, Obama Was Springing Taliban Terrorists from Gitmo

The Guardian reports that the Obama administration has “agreed in principle to release high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantanamo Bay in return for the Afghan insurgents’ agreement to open a political office for peace negotiations in Qatar.”

4th January 2012 - National Review Online

Meet the Jihadist War Criminal Obama Plans to Release from Gitmo

At AEI’s blog, Marc Thiessen provides the low-down on Mullah Mohammed Fazi, one of the Taliban terrorists President Obama envisions releasing from Gitmo, in return for … nothing

3rd January 2012 - Quoted by Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post

Mass Murder in Syria, Inaction by Obama

Jonathan Schanzer

Critics of the administration concede that arming the opposition forces has its downside and may add to political strife and violence after Assad is gone. While acknowledging this concern, Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies tells me

2nd January 2012 - National Review Online

Muslim Brotherhood to Renounce Peace Pact With Israel . . . By Referendum

Mindful of its lopsided electoral triumph in Egypt, which has been so enthusiastically welcomed by the Obama administration and top Democratic emissary John Kerry, the Muslim Brotherhood has announced plans to submit the Camp David Accords

31st December 2011 - National Review Online

Obama Recruits Qaradawi

The surrender is complete now. The Hindu reports that the Obama administration has turned to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s leading jurist, to mediate secret negotiations between the United States and the Taliban.

29th December 2011 - NOW Lebanon

What’s Obama’s Plan B After Arab League Monitors?

Tony Badran

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.

28th December 2011 - Quoted by Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy

Obama Administration Secretly Preparing Options for Aiding the Syrian Opposition

Tony Badran

"It seems awfully risky for the U.S. to be putting its chips all in on that mission," said Tony Badran, a research fellow with the conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "There never was a serious mechanism for it to be a strong initiative."

26th December 2011 - The Weekly Standard

Hurry Assad Along

Last week the Obama administration’s point man on Syria, Frederic Hof, went to Capitol Hill to apprise the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East of recent developments.

24th December 2011 - The Long War Journal

US Cannot Rely on Pakistan for Counterterrorism Operations

Bill Roggio

In CJ Radin's recent Threat Matrix report on US counterterrorism (CT) strategy, one area that stood out was the Obama administration's emphasis on partnering with Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and allied terror groups, as set forth below in the "National Strategy for Counterterrorism"

22nd December 2011 - Cited by Oren Kessler, The Jerusalem Post

50 US Experts Implore Obama to Press Syria Harder

Tony Badran

Around 50 US-based experts on Middle East policy and strategy signed an open letter to President Barack Obama this week imploring him to demonstrate greater leadership on the Syria crisis.

22nd December 2011 - Tablet

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.

21st December 2011 - The Daily Beast

How Biden Gets it Wrong (Again) in Newsweek

James Kirchick

When Barack Obama selected Joe Biden to be his running mate in 2008, the media lauded the decision as the perfect choice to beef up a ticket in need of foreign policy credentials.

21st December 2011 - Quoted by Chelsea J. Carter, CNN

Soldiers Just Back From Iraq Get New Orders: Afghanistan

Bill Roggio

"I don't think we are going to turn around guys who spent time in Iraq and put them on planes to Afghanistan ... without there being a clear indication that the Obama administration wants to continue the acceleration of the withdrawal

21st December 2011 - Syndicated

The John Batchelor Show

Sebastian Gorka

The White House purging of counterterrorism training.

20th December 2011 - Cited by Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy

Experts to the Administration: Help Syria Now

"As was the case in Libya, the situation in Syria is one in which our interests and our values converge," wrote a bipartisan group of 55 foreign policy experts on Monday in an open letter to Obama.

19th December 2011 - The Long War Journal

Taliban Seek Freedom for Dangerous Guantanamo Detainees

Thomas Joscelyn

The Obama administration is considering repatriating some Guantanamo detainees to Afghanistan as part of a diplomatic effort to engage the Taliban, according to Reuters.

19th December 2011 - The Weekly Standard

Fantasyland Peace Talks with the Taliban

Thomas Joscelyn

The Obama administration is still pursuing negotiations with the Taliban, even if it doubts a viable negotiating partner sits across the table. And, as part of this ad hoc diplomatic effort, the administration is considering the transfer of Taliban members held at Guantanamo back to...

16th December 2011 - National Review Online

Punching Back Against Obama’s Israel Policy

Benjamin Weinthal

Yesterday, the Emergency Committee for Israel — a group that has played a decisive role in the defeat of Democratic congressional candidates with checkered records of support for the Jewish state — called out President Obama for turning Israel into an international “punching bag.”...

15th December 2011 - The Jewish Chronicle

Good Luck, Newt Gingrich. You’ll Need It

Emanuele Ottolenghi

President Newt Gingrich will not be inclined to favour the demands of an invented people, as he defined the Palestinians in recent remarks. President Mitt Romney will make Israel his first foreign trip and President Barack Obama had a big Chanucah dinner.

14th December 2011 - Faster, Please!

Who’s REALLY Blowing Up Iran?

Michael Ledeen

It just has to be Israel, according to the pundit class. You know, that warmonger Netanyahu. Or maybe it’s us. Maybe it’s Obama, who after all killed bin Laden and Qadaffi, toppled Mubarak and bin Ali, and has proclaimed that “Assad must go.”

Experts

Khairi Abaza

Senior Fellow

Tony Badran

Research Fellow, Levant

Mark Dubowitz

Executive Director

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Director, Center for the Study of Terrorist Radicalization

al-qaeda, energy

Reuel Marc Gerecht

Senior Fellow

cia, iran, iraq

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