Anyone who has visited Syria over the years can see the remarkable qualitative transformation that has now overtaken the Syrian army and security apparatus.  The Syrian

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Suddenly, surprisingly suddenly, the atmospherics in the US towards Iran have shifted.  Now – commentators who have been known over the years for their ‘never

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CF reads widely and follows events in the Middle East and beyond.  Today, however, in spite of following events closely, we like most others, simply do not

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Very occasionally, a point of inflection occurs in human affairs – a moment of latent potential, which somehow springs into present ‘being’.  The potential may

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On 12 September 2013, Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia addressed the Defence and Security Forum in London.  Prince Turki is known for his cool-headed analysis, and though regarded

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Syria:  Analyst Philippe Grasset surely has it right when he suggests that the Syria situation has been stabilized by the initiative to place Syria¹s chemical stocks under supervision, ­

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Prospective US intervention in Syria:  The harshness of the dilemma now facing President Obama is becoming clearer (even if its resolution of it remains obscure).

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“It’s … as if US leaders have learned nothing, and forgotten nothing in the past decade: They want to topple foreign leaders they regard as

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