Limited US Influence in Egypt Can Still Do Some Good

by Mitchell Plitnick When is a coup not a coup? When calling it that carries repercussions that make a bad situation worse. US President Barack Obama is struggling with recent events in Egypt. Once again he’s presented with a situation… Continue Reading

Israel’s Next Ambassador to the US: A Jewish Karl Rove

by Mitchell Plitnick Ron Dermer, the man who is rumored to be the replacement for Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren (who resigned today), has been compared to Karl Rove. The comparison is an apt one. Oren, an… Continue Reading

Iranian Elections: Netanyahu, Neoconservatives Are the Big Losers

by Mitchell Plitnick Outside of Iran, there is no doubt that the biggest losers in Iran’s election this past weekend were the Likud government in Israel and its supporters, especially neoconservatives, in the United States. The response of Israel’s Prime… Continue Reading

Washington Mulls Surprise Rouhani Victory in Iran Vote

by Jim Lobe via IPS News The surprise victory of Hassan Rouhani in Iran’s Jun. 14 election has provoked a range of reactions here, ranging from cautious optimism about possible détente between Tehran and Washington to outright rejection of the… Continue Reading

Elliott Abrams Seems Poor Choice to Pronounce on Benghazi

by Jim Lobe As Republican lawmakers and Fox News have been claiming that the Benghazi “cover-up” scandal will prove even bigger than the Iran-Contra and Watergate scandals combined, Elliott Abrams — who, faced with a slew of felony charges by the Iran-Contra… Continue Reading