29/10/2012 Article

Washington Lobbies Europe to Join its War on Hezbollah

A senior US advisor criticises the “failure” of many European countries to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization

/ Omar Nashabe

Tags: Hezbollah, Obama administration

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Originally posted on Al-Akhbar English, 29 October 2012 Washington’s attempts to cultivate what it called “moderate Shias” as a counterbalance to Hezbollah, as revealed in

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11/10/2012 Article

Russia Bridges Middle Eastern Divides

Russia is suddenly all over the Middle East

/ MK Bhadrakumar

Tags: Business, Middle East, Obama administration, Russia

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Originally posted on Asia Times, 11 October 2012 A multi-billion dollar arms deal with Iraq, a summit meeting with Turkey, a fence-mending exercise with Saudi

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09/10/2012 Article

The Regime’s Days are Numbered and Other Facets of the Syria Crisis Box

Finding a solution to the Syrian crisis will require thinking outside the (convenient) box

/ Camille Otrakji

Tags: Diplomacy, Middle East, Obama administration, Syria

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Originally posted on The Syria Page, 9 October 2012 The international community is escalating its commitment to winning the Syria conflict to unprecedented levels. Last

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08/10/2012 Article

Escalate at Your Own Risk in Syria, Prospects of a Horrific War are Real

Learning a painful lesson: why delusional expectations can easily lead to war

/ Camille Otrakji

Tags: Middle East, Obama administration, Syria

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Originally posted on The Syria Page, 8 October 2012 The Syria crisis is complex. But it can only be resolved when a number of simple

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24/04/2012 Article

Counterterrorism and the New American Exceptionalism

The rhetoric of American exceptionalism

/ Mike Vlahos

Tags: Democracy, Obama administration, War on terrorism

1 comment

Conflicts Forum would like to thank Mike Vlahos for permission to circulate this paper which will be published shortly in the Review of Faith and

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11/04/2012 Article

Stuff White People Like n.135 Humanitarian Intervention

If you want to retain white friends, you must adhere to a number of sacred rules: the stuff white people like

/ Marc Michael

Tags: Dialogue, Diplomacy, Europe, Obama administration, War on terrorism

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First published on Jadaliyya on 11 April 2012 I usually get along with white people. For starters, I grew up in a white country. Some

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09/03/2012 Article

Syria: Straining Credulity?

The UN Secretary General said he had received "grisly reports" of execution and torture from Syria. Did he really believe this; or was he just “saying it”?

/ Alastair Crooke

Tags: Middle East, Obama administration, Political Islam, Syria, United Nations

1 comment

Article posted on Asia Times Online, 09 March 2012 The UN Secretary General was reported on March 3 saying that he had received “grisly reports”

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01/03/2012 Publication

Tour d’horizon: An Iranian Optic on the Middle East and its Prospects

/ Seyed Mohammad Marandi

Tags: Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Obama administration, Political Islam

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Almost a year ago, in a well-remembered Friday prayer sermon delivered on February 4, 2011, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke at length, in Arabic, about the uprisings

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04/11/2011 Article

Syria and Iran: The Great Game

This is today's “great game” – losing Syria. And this is how it is played.

/ Alastair Crooke

Tags: Democracy, Iran, Obama administration, Syria

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Article posted on The Guardian, 04 November 2011 This summer a senior Saudi official told John Hannah, Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, that from

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