Will Talks Test Hamas-Syrian Relations?
May 27, 2008 2 min. read

Will Hamas-Syrian relations be affected by the Arab state's recent Turkish-mediated talks with Israel? According to a report on AlJazeera.net, Syria's dependency on groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for power, and the shifting of the strategic landscape in its favor, may dissuade the Arab state from distancing itself from these militant groups. The report features […]

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Hezbollah Celebrates the 25th of May: In the 'street', On the Air, and Online
May 25, 2008 4 min. read

May 25th this year marks the eighth anniversary of Israel's military withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000. While most of the country was preoccupied with the election of Lebanon's new president, the anniversary was celebrated this weekend at all levels of Hezbollah's media and popular culture – from the towns of south Lebanon, to television […]

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Syria's Water Shortage: Will it Impact Talks on the Golan?
May 23, 2008 3 min. read

The Syrian Al-Ba’ath daily, the official paper of the country's ruling Ba’ath party, featured an article Thursday addressing concerns over a shortage in drinking water in the province of Damascus. The article indicates low rainfall has caused a steady drop in water levels in the Damascus basin, which could pose a problem during the hotter […]

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As-Safir: Hezbollah Undertaking Political Damage Control
May 22, 2008 3 min. read

The pro-opposition Lebanese daily As-Safir featured an article yesterday illustrating how Hezbollah is dealing with the political fallout of its recent “small war” against the country's ruling majority. Despite the potential political risks involved with this move, the author states that the group apparently saw its actions as worth taking in order to safeguard its […]

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New Media in Conflict Zones: Lebanon
May 20, 2008 1 min. read

Here's an interesting report featured on the Beirut-based, and Dutch-funded, Menassat.com. It touches upon the double-edged sword of new media in conflict zones. Some argue that while this technology might contribute to transparency by enabling “citizen journalism”, it may also stir sectarian strife by enabling individuals to publicize incidents of political violence. Alexandra Sandels takes […]

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Bin Laden's Palestinian Agenda: Lip Service Over Action?
May 19, 2008 3 min. read

Two Osama Bin Laden audio statements came out over the weekend. The first, released this past Friday, coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian nakba. This Arabic term translates to “catastrophe”, and refers to the establishment of the state of Israel in May of 1948. Not surprisingly, Bin Laden decided to stress the the […]

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New Comptroller Addresses Perceptions of Jordanian MB
May 17, 2008 3 min. read

The website for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Jordan recently featured an interview with its new Comptroller General Dr. Hamam Sa’id. Sa’id, who spent a year studying at Temple University back in 1979, addresses a number of issues that have come to nag the organization over the past year. While Sa’id's commentary should perhaps be […]

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Fearing 'the State Within a State' Legacy
May 15, 2008 3 min. read

In response to Hezbollah's recent show of force against Lebanon's ruling majority, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari made an interesting remark to the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper. He stated that the government's persistence in reining in the Sadrist Movement's Mahdi Militia is indicative of its determination to stop Iraq from becoming another Lebanon with a […]

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Hezbollah Boasts of 'Arab' Support
May 14, 2008 3 min. read

Hezbollah's Al Manar TV boasted yesterday that various groups and individuals in the Arab world have pledged solidarity with the leading Lebanese-based opposition group in its current showdown with Lebanon's Western-backed ruling majority. This claim coincidentally comes shortly before a Qatari-led delegation from the Arab League is scheduled to arrive in Beirut Wednesday to help […]

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Hamas Sees Security Measures as Campaign Against the Resistance
May 13, 2008 2 min. read

A report published last week by the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center (PIC) claims that the security measures being carried out by the pro-Fatah Palestinian police force are part of a campaign targeting the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. The report, which dubs the force heading this effort the “Abbas-Fayad Apparatuses” in reference to the […]

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