So, I realize that when I set out to write this blog I intended to do a lot of writing about Syria’s international position. However, I also wanted to do pieces about domestic issues and things that shed light on what life was like here. Well I haven’t done nearly enough of that so far, […]
If it seems like the pace of events has been accelerating since Hassan Nasrallah announced that he expects Hizballah members to be indicted in the Hariri Tribunal, it has. Immediately, leaders from Saudi Arabia and Syria rushed to Beirut to calm the situation. Shortly after they left town, an Israeli commander was killed by the […]
Politicians generally like to hear themselves talks — and Israeli politicians are generally no different. Instead of cutting to the point (even the “Straight Talk Express” came in through a heavy fog), politicians often cloud what they mean with metaphors, references to local business leaders, allusions to past heroes and other tactics meant to beat […]
Two smaller events happened over the course of the week that seemed worth passing on. The first being the announcement that France has appointed a special mediator in an attempt to get peace negotiations going between Israel and Syria. While George Mitchell is green with envy, I’m not sure this really matters much to the […]
Recently the news broke that three Israeli citizens were arrested and charged with spying for Syria. Apparently the arrests took place in early july but were only announced last thursday due to a court gag order. A father and son Druze tandem teamed with another Arab Israeli citizen to spy on several targets in northern […]
A day after President Obama vowed no delays to the drawdown of troops in Iraq, synchronized car bombs killed 33 people and five police officers were murdered in Baghdad. In both cases, the attackers hoisted the black flag of the Islamic State of Iraq — a clear sign that al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is […]
Just days after Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah and Syria’s President Bashar Assad traveled to Beirut to quell the fears that another regional war was just around the corner, fighting broke out between the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in Southern Lebanon. The trouble started when an Israeli battalion commander was killed […]
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) apparently exchanged fire today in Southern Lebanon. One high-ranking officer was killed on the Israeli side, and at least two soldiers and one journalist, were killed on the Lebanese side. It may be too early for analysis, but it looks like the violence has […]
Some might remember a certain incident a few years back. Very hush-hush. Israeli bombed something in Syria, only no one was sure what exactly was bombed or why. For some background reading try here, here, and here. The Israeli’s eventually said they had attacked a nuclear reactor of North Korean vintage. The Syrians have remained […]
We’ve hit an emotional milestone in Iraq. The end is in sight. Major combat is over and the troops are coming home. And we can expect many more of these talks, with appearances planned throughout the month by the president, Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials as they wax eloquent on Obama’s steadfast commitment to ending the war.
As previously discussed in this blog, Syria and Turkey have become much closed in recent years. That trend has continued in an issue especially close to this bloggers heart. Syria and Turkey are cooperating in efforts to save the endangered Northern Bald Ibis, a species thought to have only one active breeding pair left in […]
Well, apparently those along the Israeli Lebanese border didn’t read my birthday plea for peace. Today was only the latest clash along the often contested border. Since the fighting took place between the IDF and Lebanese Army, I don’t think this particular skirmish is going to be the catalyst for anything bigger. The alarming thing […]
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