Hezbollah and Lebanon’s Presidential Non-Election

by Aurelie Daher For two years exactly on May 25 next the presidency of Lebanon has remained vacant. On two previous occasions, the “country of cedars” has already remained without a head of state: for slightly more than a year… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia is Pissed: What Are the Risks for Lebanon?

by Aurélie Daher It’s official: Saudi Arabia has declared open war on Lebanese Hezbollah. On March 2, the Gulf Cooperation Council, which gathers the six monarchies of the Arab Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and… Continue Reading

Can Putin Save Syria? Can Anyone?

by Aurélie Daher The Russian intervention in Syria has triggered a wave of comments and critiques in the media on both sides of the Atlantic and all along the shores of the Mediterranean and the Gulf. Analysts freely speculate about… Continue Reading

Wikileaks Strikes Again: Saudi Meddling in Lebanon

by Aurelie Daher Last Saturday morning, Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese daily opposed to the West- and Saudi-friendly March 14 movement, once again helped Wikileaks disseminate material, this time with 70,000 diplomatic cables from the Saudi foreign ministry. And nearly half a… Continue Reading

Hey FDD: Israelis are Treating Jihadis, Too

by Jim Lobe The hard-line neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has been campaigning against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP government for many years now. FDD has particularly targeted Erdogan since Israel’s Cast Lead Operation against Gaza… Continue Reading