Bush the “Madman”
Back in April 2004, Tony Blair and George Bush had a chat about the war in Iraq. In the course of it, Bush reportedly suggested bombing the Arab broadcasting station Al Jazeera, headquartered in Doha,...
View ArticleThe Fruits of “Diplomacy”
Poor Obama. He might have to start backing away from his statement about wanting to sit down with our enemies. AFP just reported the following: DOHA (AFP) — Iranian judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud...
View ArticleDoh! (As in Doha)
Yesterday’s Qatari-sponsored agreement among Lebanese factions represents a major victory for Hezbollah and Syria. After all, both parties finally got what they had long demanded: Hezbollah will...
View ArticleLebanon Recriminations
To add to Eric’s great post below, and to the thoughts of Michael Young and David Schenker, I think it’s appropriate, in the midst of the false denouement of the latest crisis, to take a moment and...
View ArticleHezbollah’s Victory
Lebanon’s “March 14” majority coalition in parliament managed to hammer out a temporary agreement with the Hezbollah-led opposition in Doha, Qatar, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to raise a toast to...
View ArticleSarkozy: Still French
Throughout the six-month Lebanese presidential crisis, France remained the lone western party actively engaged in monitoring the Lebanese political process. In this vein, French President Nicholas...
View ArticleThe Middle East Needs Dubai
There is a large element of Schadenfreude in the media coverage of Dubai’s financial mess. The Gulf emirate has suspended payment on the debt of its flagship holding company, Dubai World, causing...
View ArticleHeavy Meddle in Iran
The following is not hyperbole: the U.S. secretary of state has praised the freedom and pluralism of Iran’s Khomeinist revolution. In a lamentation for the passing of the good ol’ days, Hillary Clinton...
View ArticleKlein of Arabia
Do you like fairy tales? Here’s one written by an American, Joe Klein, who went to the Middle East and got lost in a sandstorm. He writes that Clinton’s tough talk on Iran got most of the U.S....
View ArticleJoe Klein’s Unhinged Attack on COMMENTARY
On Thursday, I wrote about the latest column of Joe Klein on Time magazine, in which he took on the Obama administration’s refusal to “engage” with the Hamas terrorists in charge of Gaza. While...
View Article“Rescue” Jerusalem
What a difference a year makes. In January 2009, Arab League summitry was in disarray. Members assembling to discuss the Gaza crisis couldn’t even agree on holding a single, unified summit: “moderates”...
View ArticleFor Once, Israel Prefers an Ally to an Enemy
Recent articles about the Obama administration’s preference for enemies over allies ring depressingly familiar to Israelis, whose country is a past master of that perverse art (see, for instance, its...
View ArticleThe Unraveling of Seymour Hersh
The New Yorker’s investigative reporter Seymour Hersh seems to be unraveling. According to a story posted on Foreignpolicy.com, in a speech in Doha, Qatar, Hersh delivered a rambling, conspiracy-laden...
View ArticleRE: The Unraveling of Seymour Hersh
Following up on Pete Wehner’s item about Sy Hersh: it’s hardly news that Hersh has, to put it mildly, a peculiar view of the world. Back in 2005, in this Los Angeles Times column, I wrote that Hersh is...
View ArticleSmart-Power Whiplash
During her Senate confirmation hearing in January of 2009, Hillary Clinton described smart power — her preferred approach to American foreign policy — as “picking the right tool, or combination of...
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