Category: Middle East
"It's hard to see the awkwardness of Biden's visit so far having a broader political impact. But it does contribute to the impression, fair or unfair, that President Obama is presiding over an era of diminished American influence, in which allies and rivals alike feel comfortable thumbing their noses at a White House focused above all else on its domestic priorities."
"Syria has defied Israel's caution that handing over new strategic weapons to the Lebanese Hizballah would compel Israel to strike targets inside Syria. . . . Damascus has just smuggled across the border a number of Russian-made IGLA-S surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting low-flying F-16 warplanes, drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, transports and surveillance aircraft in all weather conditions, by day or night."
"Arab nations gave the green light Wednesday for Palestinians to enter indirect negotiations with Israel for a preliminary four-month period, a decision that likely breaks the months-long deadlock over resuming Mideast peace talks. . . . The Arab approval gives Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas the political cover he needed to accept the offer."
"A Fox News poll released Tuesday finds that 60 percent of voters think force will be required to stop Iran, while 25 percent think diplomacy and sanctions alone will work."
"The weeks ahead will probably indicate whether the country will continue its slide toward Islamism or revert to its traditional secularism. The denouement has major implications for Muslims everywhere."
"Iran moved nearly its entire stockpile of low-enriched nuclear fuel to an above-ground plant. It was as if, one official noted, a bull’s-eye had been painted on it. Why take such a huge risk? That mystery is the subject of fervent debate among many who are trying to decode Iran’s intentions."
"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday compared the showdown with Iran over its nuclear program to the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war."
Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Assad, and Hizbullah leader Nasrallah met Thursday about Israel and the US "colonialists." Ahmadinejad declared Israel "doomed. Read more »
Rick Santorum opines: "Armed with atomic weapons, the regime could turn the world order upside down."
"Russia's foreign minister suggested Wednesday that a delay in delivering air-defense missiles to Iran is connected with concerns about regional tensions. Russia signed a contract in 2007 to sell S-300 missiles to Iran, a move that would substantially boost the country's defense capacities. Israel fears the sale would tip the regional power balance."
"[B]y ignoring the great achievements of Jewish culture and their impact on modern civilization, Obama is sending a message to the world that his presidential responsibilities do not include defending Israel from attacks directed at it. Read more »
