Marc Stanley, the Chairman of the Jewish National Democratic Council, wrote an article in August 2008 lauding President Obama’s (then the Democratic candidate) trip to Israel as a “reaffirm[ation] [of] his commitment to Israel’s peace and security.” However, since he has taken office, President Obama has yet to visit Israel. Far right-wingers point to his […]
Originally appeared in: Political Reflection Quarterly. Volume 2, Issue 1. (Spring, 2011) H. Akın Ünver, PhD — Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been undergoing an important and profound transformation since May 2010, which began with the resignation of Deniz Baykal, the party’s chairman for more than 15 years, as a result of sex scandal allegations. Following Baykal’s resignation, […]
Despite his father being treated in Saudi Arabia following a bomb attack on the Presidential mosque, Ahmed Ali Saleh is determined to fight off the opposition and conquer the seat that is rightfully his. At the head of the powerful and well trained Republican Guards, Ahmed Saleh is a powerful player on Yemen’s political scene. […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. According to sources close to the Yemeni government, Brigadier General Ali Saleh al-Ahmar, President Saleh’s half brother, would be behind the attempted assassination which took place last week. An explosion […]
Another day of Syria dominating the press. I’ll try my best to continue to update things in anticipation of another pivotal friday of protests coming up tomorrow. Check it. Northern Exposure Continued I just want to continue to update the Jisr al-Shaggour story. As of this evening, the number of Syrian refugees to have crossed […]
Before I start off today’s post I want to thank the OLLI program of Portland for having me yesterday. I gave a presentation there on my experiences in Syria, and could not have had a more pleasant experience. It’s very rewarding to get the opportunity to speak with such an involved and engaged group of […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. The Joint Meeting Parties, a coalition of various political factions united in their opposition to the Saleh regime, has extended an invitation to the government to discuss the transition of […]
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would seek a second term in the top post at the international agency, with another five year tenure spelling possible disaster for Israel. The Middle East has been in the throes of a so-called Arab Spring, with some governments — such as the Syrian regime — conducting countless […]
On Friday I mentioned the now completed “Conference for Change” held by the Syrian opposition in Antalya, Turkey. The conference was very important for a variety of reasons. Today I want to expand a bit on why that conference was so important, who exactly was there, dissect the final statement issued by the conference, and […]
So the outcome of the Syrian uprising is not as clear cut as I would have had you believe a few short weeks ago. The opposition has rallied and is once again putting some pretty serious pressure on the Assad regime. Protestors took to the streets in significant numbers today. The numerous arms of the […]
According to Hurriyet News, Recep Tayip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, visited one of the main opposition parties’ office during his last tours for election campaign. I think it is a great accomplishment for Mr. Erdogan to stop, point fingers, and start a dialog with the “other” side of Turkey, the side that has […]
This is a piece by Robert Lattin of FPA Blogs, who covers Israel. His full profile can be viewed here: http://israel.foreignpolicyblogs.com/author/robertlattin/ With every passing day, security is becoming a greater concern for the average Egyptian. There have been several reports of attacks on the country’s Coptic population, which constitutes over 10 million people and random acts […]
Federal officials announced Tuesday that two Iraqi nationals have been arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky on charges that they conspired to provide weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. In a recent interview with Reuters, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah, the Minister of Industry and Trade said that Yemen’s uprising had cost so far an estimated US$5 billion. “We have reports […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal In a recent interview with news channel al-Alam, Naif Alsharabi, a Yemeni political analyst and member of Yemen’s Public Committees revealed that in his […]