The U.S. and the Gulf: A Failure to Communicate

by Thomas W. Lippman It was like a movie in which different characters see the same events in completely different ways. At one of those Washington think-tank panel discussions the other day, senior U.S. national security and military officials insisted… Continue Reading

The US in the Middle East Today

by Charles Naas Not even a month in office, Secretary of State John Kerry took his first official trip to the troubled Middle East and immediately felt first-hand the pressures and metamorphosing power relationships in the region. He began his visit… 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

More on Potential Iranian Reax To Military Strike

Via Mondoweiss, Juan Cole’s excellent Informed Comment site is currently carrying an analysis by Middle East and terror expert Mahan Abedin that explores Iran’s likely options and fallout should the United States use bombers to attack the Islamic Republic’s nuclear… Continue Reading

UnPACking AIPAC’s White House Slam, Israeli style

While AIPAC is adamant that the Obama administration is at fault for the current crisis in US-Israeli relations, Israelis across the political spectrum are much more inclined to blame their own leadership and political bureaucrats. Continue Reading