Amidst CW Disarmament, No Pause in Syrian Fighting

by Wayne White Most international attention remains focused on locating, inspecting and destroying Syria’s chemical weapons (CW) arsenal, but the bloody conventional civil war rages on. The process of getting rid of Syria’s CW probably will take at least until… Continue Reading

Obama’s Near East Trip: Time to be Bold

by Robert E. Hunter The stakes in President Barak Obama’s impending visit to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan have risen steadily in recent days. It is taking take place, after all, almost immediately following Secretary of State John Kerry’s… Continue Reading

Israel and Palestine: Obama Commits the US

by Robert E. Hunter To say that President Barack Obama’s visit this spring to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan is the proverbial gamble is an understatement. He may end up (rightly) congratulating himself on his wisdom and courage in… Continue Reading

Iran-Turkey Relations Heading into a Tough Year

Since the advent of the Syrian Revolution and tightening transatlantic sanctions against Iran in 2011, Tehran and Ankara have had a particularly tough time maintaining a facade of mutual amity and cooperation. Last December, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hastily cancelled a… Continue Reading