By Zach Paikin Lebanon has been torn between West and East for quite some time. The very founding of the state was based upon a compromise between Christians and Muslims. The former would acknowledge that Lebanon was an “Arab state”…
Politicians in Washington are grappling with how to address rising gasoline prices, but most of their answers—from repealing tax breaks for oil companies to expanding offshore drilling—are unlikely to make much of a difference any time soon. The Arab awakening,…
The public uprisings spreading like wildfire from Tunisia to the Persian Gulf have been referred to collectively as the “Arab Spring.” But in fact, as the Obama administration crafts its policy responses, it should strive to avoid this unifying narrative,…
Israelis have always lamented that Moses led the ancient Israelites to the one patch of land in the Middle East bereft of energy resources. It turns out the sea offered more promise. At the end of December, a huge natural…
Seventy years ago, in the summer and fall of 1940, Western civilization teetered in the balance as Britain stood alone against Nazi-controlled Europe. Other major world powers did not lend aid; Russia supported Germany, and the United States remained neutral. After Britain resisted the assault…
by James Colbert
With little fanfare, this year marks the 30 th anniversary of the Carter Doctrine, when President Jimmy Carter warned against “outside” control of the oil-rich Persian Gulf. The U.S. effectively enforced an implicit corollary to that doctrine—to prevent control by a regional power—in the…
July 13, 2010 Neglect seems to be the operative word in President Obama’s India policy. After eight years of unprecedented cooperation and ever closer ties between the United States and India, the two countries have begun a slow drift apart.…
The Obama administration is sending conflicting signals about how far it is willing to go to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capability. Recently, Vice President Joseph Biden declared, “The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,…
Last month marked a turning point in the United States-Iraq relationship. American influence is waning, while Iraq is taking steps to get on its feet economically. We suffered no combat deaths in December, and continue to reduce our presence, expecting to…