The Holy Land and the UN

Abbas at the UN in New York

Israel and Palestine put their cases to the United Nations.

http://www.tnr.com/article/tel-aviv-journal/95307/netanyahu-un-speech-peace

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-palestinians-israelis-20110924,0,6115616.story

Counting the Cost of Conflict

Political upheaval and protest has had a huge knock on effect on the already fragile economies of some Arab states.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/07/22/the_arab_recession

Is America Still Relevant in the Middle East?

Robert Fisk's article on the shrinking role of the Obama administration in the Middle East

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/who-cares-in-the-middle-east-what-obama-says-2290761.html

Iranian Myths

Excellent insight into the rumours surrounding the role of Iran in the Middle East

http://newamericamedia.org/2011/05/debunking-the-top-7-myths-on-irans-middle-east-policies.php

All Fall Down: But What Rises Up?

Arab Leaders Under Threat

The danger of letting democracy loose in the Middle East, according to the Atlantic

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1969/12/danger-falling-tyrants/8493/

Pakistan: Friendly Foe?



Pakistan's Military on Patrol 

 The peaks and troughs in US support for Pakistan

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/16/110516fa_fact_wright

United in Suppression

Protests in Syria

Claims that the Iranian Security Forces are aiding the Syrian state  in it's stifling of popular opposition

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/08/iran-helping-syrian-regime-protesters

Softly, Softly Start a Revolution

Analysis of the shape of the unrest in Lebanon, in contrast with it's neighbours

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/world/middleeast/14iht-m14-anti-sectarianism.html?ref=world

The End of an Affair?

Recent CIA activities in Pakistan have further soured relations between the two countries.

http://www.truthout.org/node/943

Europe Sharing the West's Burden?

The end of American Unilateralism?

Recent French and British leadership with regards to the crisis in Libya and the pro-active French stance on the growing civil war in one of it's former colonys, the Ivory Coast, may reveal a turning point in European interventionist policy and reassertion of Europe's role within the world.

The history of European intervention outside of its geographical borders is relatively long and quite well known but European leadership on international affairs subsided post World War II and practically ceased to exist as the Cold War escalated throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At this juncture the burden fell to the USA to export and protect western liberal democracy and the capitalist system, a role it seemed to relish under successive administrations. Under the previous administration however, the policy of unilateral intervention, particularly military intervention, reached an impasse. The American voters woke up to both the financial and actual cost of their governments adventures, with trust in the American way of doing things viewed with suspicion among allies and enemies and a general anger in Europe at America's perceived cultural ignorance, lack of forward thinking and unilateral dismissal of the UN whenever it suited them. 

The current American administration seem to have taken some lessons of the Bush years on board and applied them to it's own foreign policy. In effect what President Obama is doing is allowing limited American intervention in areas that may affect American interests, but stressing the limited nature of the mission and the fact that America will not lead. By doing this Obama is pleasing those who claim that America cannot afford another war, he is keeping the military action 'low-key' so as not to stir up further resentment in the Muslim world for the US and he is ceding a large degree of control and responsibility to the office of the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. 

So the pressure fell to a European Union, some of whose member states recent actions in promotion of democracy in the Mediterranean can claim a degree of blame or responsibility for the recent instability along the Sea's southern coastline. With Germany's Chancellor facing a difficult election this year she chose to dither and offer conflicting reasons, Italy cited the refugees they would inevitably be inundated with, France, not for the first time in European history, led the charge, followed swiftly by the UK. Taking this initiative and stressing that this would be a NATO led mission with primary strikes led by Europeans Sarkozy has opened a new chapter in the relationship between Europe and the world, especially it's African neighbours. Is Europe willing to provide another counter balance to China's growing assertion of its sphere's of influence? Is Europe willing to usurp the tainted presence of the American mission in the middle east, particularly with regards to Iran, and try create lasting stability in the region? Or is this merely a muscle flexing exercise by Sarkozy and Cameron, something to appease the voters at home and keep the oil pumping?  

Latest Reactions On Libya



http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-66041-12.html



German suspicion over motives for attack
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,753126,00.html

Bill O'Reilly's take on American Intervention
http://townhall.com/columnists/billoreilly/2011/03/26/the_triumph_of_evil


Recent Political Patterns may point to a devestating finale
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-2249983.html#

Next Stop Syria

Demonstration in Syria

As the wings are clipped on Gadaffi's march East, focus turnes to Syria

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/25/syria-20-things-need-to-know

As the Bombs Drop, the Debates begin Anew

"Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived." - Abraham Lincoln

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37823&Cr=Libya&Cr1

Should there be military intervention in Libya?

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/03/18/does_the_world_belong_in_libyas_war

No Fly Zone a No Go Zone?

Protesters Call for a No Fly Zone

As the situation in Libya begins to take on the look of a bitter civil war than an uprising against a despot the leaders of the global community disagree sharply on what action to take. The phrase 'No Fly Zone' has been banded about as if it were an easy imposition rather than a declaration of military intervention in a still sovereign state. Is there a will to intervene in Libya? If so from who? Which actors could conceivably put boots on the ground and who would it serve?

The most obvious answer to the first question is no, there is no great desire among any of the states capable of intervening, to intervene. France and the UK seem to talk a good fight, but with British troops unpopularly involved in Afghanistan and both countries still viewed as neo-colonialists by many in North Africa, their involvement against Gaddafi's forces would only fuel his rhetoric against the West and reinforce his view that he is the defender of Africa, the defender of Islam. The USA is in a difficult position as well, with American public opinion seemingly against further military intervention in the Middle East, and Obama unwilling, it seems to have his forces bogged down in an unwinnable war, just as Clinton's were in Somalia.

The will to intervene is coming almost solely from the Libyan opposition and the Arab League, who have just passed a resolution supporting the imposition of a No Fly Zone by the UN, recognising the Libyan opposition, the National Libyan Council, as the legitimate government. But who will it serve and who will impose the restrictions. Clearly the big question is oil,since the beginning of the current crisis oil prices in Europe have risen immensely and this may drive intervention, if only to restore stability and keep the oil flowing. This is not essentially a humanitarian issue for the Western powers, if Gaddafi offers the best chance of stability they will support him, providing it won't negatively affect their own moral legitimacy. The Arab League is eager to see foreign intervention in Libya, believing if they sacrifice Gaddafi and involve non-Muslim, non-Arab military forces it will quieten the protests simmering in their own countries. the only organisation which could put boots on the ground is NATO, but they must chose a side first, and one suspects they are waiting to see how successful Gaddafi's current counter attack is, waiting to see how strong his actual support base is, before they back a side.

Chomsky Interviewed by Paxman

Chomsky on 'The Arab Revolts'

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27657.htm

Role of the Modern Media

In the Thick of It

The Importance of Primary Source Reporting in Modern Warzones

http://www.counterpunch.org/amin03042011.html

The Economic Roots of the Recent Rumbles

Blair with Gaddafi

"Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid"

Bob Dylan : American folksinger, b.1941

Digging deeper than the Domino: A look at the economic realities in the Middle East

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27617.htm

Libya on the Brink: Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?



Some reasons military intervention in Libya is rapidly becoming an option for the US and Europe

It seems like non-intervention is not an option for the CIA in Libya

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2011/03/libya_what_should_cia_be_doing.html

The Arab Spring

The seeds sown during these past few weeks will bloom in the coming years.

http://www.thenation.com/article/158991/arab-spring

Murdered Bahrain Protesters Deserve Justice

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/28/bahrain-hold-perpetrators-crackdown-accountable

Bahrain Protests

Human Rights Watch recomnedations for political reform in Bahrian: Hold those who murdered protesters responsible.