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The End of Taraf: The Liberals Have Outlived their Usefulness for the AKP

The mood among the few remaining, scattered liberal voices in the Turkish media landscape is gloomy as critical expression in Turkey is being systematically narrowed… Continue reading

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A Paradox of U.S. Middle East Policy: The Friend Who Acts like an Enemy is an Enemy

What’s the major problem for U.S. foreign policy during Obama’s second term… Continue reading

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Biblical Lessons on Foreign Policy and Statism

Whatever your view of religion, the Bible is a terrific source for history and political analysis… Continue reading

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Turkish-Israeli Relations: Is Normalization Possible?

On November 26, 2012, several newspapers reported that Israel and Turkey had resumed reconciliation talks between senior officials, marking a profound change since the low-point in relations occurred in the aftermath of the Gaza aid flotilla in 2010… Continue reading

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The Useful Myth that Obama Now Likes Israel

Reality, especially in 2012, is very hard to face. So many hopes dashed; so many bad things happening… Continue reading

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American Journalists Decry Israel’s Ability to Defend Itself as Blocking Peace

It should be clear by now that U.S. media coverage of Israel is not very good, balanced, accurate, or fair… Continue reading

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Fighting Blind: The AKP’s Increasingly Hardline Kurdish Policy

Even if the Turkish military wins every battle against the PKK, an even more dangerous war is being lost… Continue reading

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U.S. Policy is Making Syria into an Anti-Western, Antisemitic Islamist State

Western policy is now putting into power yet another anti-Western regime that will oppress its own people and put a high priority on trying to wipe out Israel… Continue reading

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Egypt “Democratically” Adopts an Anti-Western Dictatorship

What are the next steps for Mursi?… Continue reading

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Turkey to Deploy Patriot Missiles

Turkey’s membership in NATO has many unique dimensions, including in the number of missile-related crises the country has experienced… Continue reading

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Why Islamists Always Win “Fair” Elections

How politics work in the Arabic-speaking world today… Continue reading

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Analyzing Egypt

Whatever the outcome from the upcoming referendum to begin on Saturday in Egypt for the draft constitution, the superior position of the Islamist factions is unlikely to be overthrown in the near future… Continue reading

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Who Will Rule Syria? A Detailed Assessment

The civil war in Syria is moving into the end-game… Continue reading

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Mishandling Mursi

Only a week after being praised by the Obama Administration for his supposed helpfulness in ending the fighting in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, Egyptian President Mursi apparently decided to cash in his praise “chips” early… Continue reading

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A Turning Point in Egypt: Not on Direction But on the Speed of Islamist Transformation

A critical moment has arrived for Egypt. But what does it mean?… Continue reading

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Ayman Zawahiri and Egypt: A Trip Through Time

Around 1985, current al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri fled his homeland of Egypt, presumably never to return, he never forgot his original objective: transforming Egypt into an Islamist state that upholds and enforces the totality of Sharia law, and that works towards the resurrection of a global caliphate… Continue reading

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“Obey The Prophet, Even If He Tells You To Kill”

Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi maintains that Muslims must obey the commands of Islam’s prophet Muhammad, even unto murder… Continue reading

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Israel Has No Other Alternative But the Alternative it Has is a Good One

By essentially unilaterally declaring the existence of an Arab Palestine, the world has abrogated the Oslo accords… Continue reading

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Erdogan’s Volatile Authoritarianism: Tactical Ploy or Strategic Vision?

In recent months, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made a string of highly controversial public statements which appear indicative of an authoritarian mindset… Continue reading

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The Interview: “Explaining the Latest Middle East Developments” (No Satire)

Revised and updated version of an interview Barry Rubin gave recently… Continue reading

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Syria’s Assyrians, caught in the middle

Of all the Christian communities in Syria, the Assyrians, that is, those Christians who identify as such by virtue of belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East, arguably have the most complex relationship with the Assad regime… Continue reading

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The Interview: “Explaining the Latest Israel-Palestinian Controversy” (Satire)

Satire but very close to actual experience… Continue reading

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Driving in Neutral: Hillary Clinton Explains the Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s said some very interesting and revealing things in her appearance at the Saban Center’s gala dinner, November 30. They are, however, being quoted out of context… Continue reading

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Egypt’s New Constitution: Laying the Basis for an Islamist, Sharia State

Egypt’s population will be given two weeks to consider the Constitution, which has 236 articles, that will govern their lives for decades to come… Continue reading

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For Turkey as a Model in the Middle East, America Remains Crucial

The Turkish presumption to be a “model” for the Middle East will be undermined if the United States were to withdraw from the affairs of the region… Continue reading