Silencing Khatami?

by Tehran Correspondent The judicial order of a media blackout on Mohammad Khatami and the reaction of Iranian social media users have once again highlighted the former president’s political importance. As the potentially pivotal 2016 parliamentary elections draw near, the pressure… Continue Reading

Spotlight on the Islamic State

by Wayne White The extraordinarily gruesome execution of the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh generated intense regional backlash against the self-anointed Islamic State (ISIS or IS). However, aside from Jordan, this affair may not translate into a major increase in military… Continue Reading

Why Stabilizing Libya is so Hard

by Wayne White As the violence in Libya grinds on and the two rival governments find little common ground, months of UN efforts to broker talks have been frustrated. Although both are insecure, the competing governments believe they have some… Continue Reading

Chutzpah Squared: Bibi and Boehner

by Jim Lobe As Mitchell Plitnick pointed out on Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress on February 11, although now it appears that Bibi would like to… Continue Reading

Josh Block Misrepresents New Iran Sanctions Bill In SOTU Talking Points

by Ali Gharib I just received a copy of the talking points Josh Block, the head of the Israel Project, distributed to journalists and pundits ahead of tonight’s State of the Union address. The talking points, which are focused exclusively… Continue Reading