There may be a bipartisan consensus on backing hawkish Israeli positions, but Washington has little to offer the Palestinians for sticking to the U.S. script
Middle East
How Palestinian Bloggers Cover Protests in Their Own Villages
As the cycle of protests goes on, Palestinian videographers and live bloggers produce footage of great immediacy and pointed perspective
Syria’s Prime Minister Defects: More Erosion in the Assad Regime
By joining the rebels, Riad Hijab doesn’t quite debilitate the government of President Assad. He does, however, further humiliate it and thin the ranks of bureaucrats it can count on
By Ceding Northeastern Syria to the Kurds, Assad Puts Turkey in a Bind
Ankara has been a key backer of Syria’s rebellion, but the prospect of an Iraq-style autonomous Kurdish zone has Erdogan threatening to intervene
As Syria Teeters, So Do Decades-Old Assumptions About the Middle East
The conflict is testing the brittle bonds of a national identity in states carved out of old Ottoman provinces at the end of World War I
In Saudi Arabia, Dissent Is Alive and Well, but Only Online or in Private
Riyadh polices its streets and cafés with a fearsome rigor, but it doesn’t seem to know how to shut down the chatter on Twitter and Facebook
Is Egypt’s President Morsy Really Challenging the Ruling Junta?
His decree reinstating parliament sounds confrontational, but it can serve the purposes of both the Muslim Brotherhood and the military
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 28, 2012
Today’s global media stories look at the conviction of a prominent journalist in Ethiopia, the possibility of peace talks being revived in the Middle East, and the debate over Egypt’s new first lady.
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 14, 2012
Among today’s stories: The Obama Administration ramps up its spying efforts in Africa, Hugo Chavez’s campaign for another presidential term and how the lives of Greece’s riches haven’t been dented by the crisis.
The Six-Day War: Photos from a Short, Bloody Conflict
The war fought 45 years ago from June 5-10 helped bolster Israel’s legend of military invincibility but it also left a legacy of displacement and bitterness that unsettles the region to this day
Russia and China Challenge the West on Syria: What Implications for Iran?
The breach among the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council in Saturday’s vote on Syria’s increasingly bloody power struggle could have profound implications for Syria’s immediate future. But it may also signal …
Ten Grim Lessons Learned From the Iraq War
Despite the upbeat talk of the Obama Administration, the eight-year war that ended this week has done plenty of long-term damage to both Iraq and the United States. And it has bequeathed lessons worth considering ahead of future conflicts
Palestinians’ Political Calculus: Would Obama Take a Stand Against the Arab Spring?
Behind the bold decision by Palestinian leaders to press for full membership in the United Nations – with its risk of a U.S. veto in the Security Council – is the Palestinians’ calculation of another risk: All the Obama administration stands to lose by conspicuously denying the aspirations of a moderate, democratic national …