The New York Times didn’t know or didn’t care that one of its new high-profile “contributing opinion writers” has long displayed a relentless hostility to Israel and posited startling conspiracy theories about “Zionist” power. The revelations about the best-selling Egyptian novelist and activist Alaa Al Aswany, as highlighted in news reports of recent days, raise …
Continue reading “Alaa Al Aswany: The Grey Lady’s Troubling New Columnist”
The startlingly open breach of recent days between the United States and its once-solid allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Middle East reflects region-wide concerns not only about President Obama’s current policy path but, more broadly, about what they regard as his sinking credibility and rising naivety. The breach is rooted less …
Continue reading “America’s allies are drifting thanks to Obama”
The deal that re-opened America’s government and averted a national default should evoke little cheer, for the Washington spectacle of recent weeks has hurt America’s image and influence around the world. The impacts to date are serious enough. They include a Chinese call to “de-Americanize” the world’s economy to lessen its dependence on the U.S. …
Continue reading “Government Shutdown 2013 Ends: Hey, Washington — The Whole World Was Watching”
With all eyes in Washington focused on the government shutdown and possible default, policymakers and pundits may have missed what’s potentially the most consequential story of late – a Washington Post piece that catalogues the growing backlash against Tea Party Republicans in districts across the country. In West Michigan, business leaders are recruiting a primary …
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s charm offensive has already changed the global dynamics over Iran’s nuclear pursuit to Tehran’s advantage, with the West easing its pressure and Israel now positioned as a stubborn outlier. Also to Tehran’s benefit, Rouhani’s efforts have opened a clearer fissure between Washington and Jerusalem. Not only is U.S. President Barack Obama …
Continue reading “Rouhani’s Charm Offensive Already Paying Off For Tehran”
In his high-profile effort to “reset” U.S.-Russian relations, President Obama has sought not only to assuage Moscow’s concerns on issues like missile defense to win its cooperation on other U.S. priorities. He has gone out of his way to ratify Russia’s role as a great power, even letting Moscow reassert itself in the Middle East …
Continue reading “Russia, rotting from within, faces bleak future”
With U.S. attention no longer focused on Syria, Washington is now preparing to fill itself with more misguided hope that Iran finally wants a deal with the West over its controversial nuclear program. In the public sphere, the issue of Iran’s nukes is taking center stage as that of Syria’s chemical weapons recedes into the …
Continue reading “Iran Likely Seeking to Exploit U.S. Weakness Over Syria”