After increased Syrian military activity along its border with Lebanon, and a string of bombings in recent months, the two countries have voiced their interest in increased security cooperation. In a meeting Monday, Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud agreed with his Syrian counterpart to form a joint-commission charged with improving cooperation on matters of terrorism […]
The International Herald Tribune had the bright idea of asking six writers to identity what they most admired about President George W. Bush and would miss when he leaves the White House in January. Not all six were by any means Bush fans, but they all praised certain aspects of his character, often his basic […]
With a flood of U.S. election-related reporting all over the world, it's not often that particular pieces stand out from the mainstream. But, for German-speakers, it's worth a look at this post "Obama Wins?' from the weblog of Handelsblatt, the leading German business newspaper. While not the most brilliant example of European coverage of the […]
Today, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem accused the US of committing 'terrorist aggression’ when addressing the British media in London on this weekend's raid conducted by US forces in the Syrian border area of Abu Kamal. According to a US official, the raid successfully targeted the head of a network that was financing and smuggling […]
Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General for Hezbollah, appeared on Al-Manar television today dismissing as propaganda recent media reports alleging Hezbollah received funding through drug gangs. In the interview, Nasrallah also denied rumors that have circulated on a number of websites claiming that he was poisoned. A segment from the interview can be viewed here. On Tuesday, […]
According to the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center (PIC), a spokesman for the group asserts that an Egyptian document outlining guidelines for internal Palestinian reconciliation “contains positive points that could be built upon.” He went on to say that Hamas will agree to the document once necessary changes and clarifications are made to it. Hamas's statement […]
Bintjbeil.org, a Hezbollah-affiliated website, has announced the formation of its own facebook group. The website is named after a town in south Lebanon (nicknamed City of the Resistance and Lady of the Galilee), which has been the site of key engagements between Hezbollah and the IDF over the past 20 years. While in a physical […]
The Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily recently featured an in depth report on the bombing in Tripoli (Lebanon) earlier this week. Part of the report included schematics (in a 1, 2, 3, sequence) on how the attack is thought to have been executed (see below). It shows how the bus carrying army personnel was immediately hit after […]
The jihadist al-Yaqeen media center recently distributed a report on internet forums questioning Syria's claim that last weeks bombing in Damascus was carried out by extremists, suggesting it may have been a 'staged incident’. In it's conclusion, it describes the Syrian regime has one that has long fabricated terrorist events in order to suppress Islamist […]
Today's car bombing in Damascus was the first of its kind in Syria since the 1980s. This circumstance, in conjunction with the recent deployment of Syrian troops to the country's border with Lebanon and the alleged involvement of an extremist group in the attack, may have some conspiracy theorists wondering if the incident will be […]
Amid the closure of several jihadist internet forums, it appears Al-Qaeda enthusiasts may be turning more to secondary online outlets to distribute major video releases and interact online. In a previous post last Friday, I mentioned how the As-Sahab media production house established a YouTube channel for the much awaited and delayed release of a […]
In the past week, the New York Times and the Financial Times have run stories suggesting that the United States ought to look toward the Swedish bank bail out plan of the early 1990s. Both articles suggest that the crisis in Sweden is comparable to the crisis roiling American financial markets, but fail to make […]
The Sueddeutscher Zeitung published this interesting commentary, "Enemies, Vassals and Americans' on September 12 by Russian playwright Yevgeny Grischkowez. Playing off an assertion made by George Kennan that Russia has only vassals or enemies as neighbors; Grischokwez argues that an American cannot possibly understand the complex relationship between Russia and its neighbors as America is […]
The deployment of a reported 10,000 Syrian troops near the country's border with northern Lebanon has many concerned, according to several Arab sources. As-Sharq al-Awsat stated that some Lebanese fear that it could be the sign of a Syrian incursion, with French and Turkish cover, to counter extremists originating from northern Lebanon. However, Lebanese Army […]
By Reginald Dale and Eve Copeland "Greening the dream that drives America: The U.S. should put the same creativity that produced the car into tackling the energy crisis it has caused' September 18, The Times of London This short essay, part observation from a motel window, part finger-wagging at America, and part book review, maintains […]