The growing focus, at home and abroad, on a proposal under which Bashar al-Assad would subject his chemical weapons to international control seems an all-too-fitting next step in the clumsy U.S. effort to punish the Syrian strongman for using those weapons against his own people, killing more than 1,400 of them in late August. The …
Continue reading “New proposal for Syrian chemical weapons won’t produce anything good”
The congressional debate over whether to support President Barack Obama’s call for military action against Syria will revolve around the issue of “U.S. credibility,” but here’s the sobering fact: U.S. credibility around the world has already taken a huge hit due to White House actions of recent weeks. Each day seems to add another wrinkle …
Continue reading “U.S. Credibility Already In Tatters Over Syria”
The public run-up to all-but-certain U.S. military action in Syria in response to the al-Assad regime’s chemical weapons usage is undercutting the very message that President Obama feels compelled to deliver. For starters, Administration officials continue to say that the President still has not made a final decision on whether to respond forcefully – despite …
Continue reading “White House undercuts its professed steadfastness in very public ways”
Ever wonder about the European Union, a sometimes unwieldy body of 28 nations, each of which sacrifices some measure of its national sovereignty in order to help make continent-wide policy? The EU certainly can leave heads a-shaking, as it did recently in announcing two major policies related to the Middle East that, together, showcase its …
Continue reading “European Union Clearly Confused About Middle East”
The International Criminal Court (ICC), which began operating in 2002, is charged with focusing on “the most serious crimes of concern to the international community,” listed in particular as “the crime of genocide,” “crimes against humanity,” “war crimes,” and “the crime of aggression.” In its 11 years, the ICC has brought cases related to such …
Continue reading “The International Criminal Court Is Mulling An Absurd Case Against Israel”
Of all the challenges on his plate, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey worries most about something nebulous – whether the United States can “maintain our swagger” on the world stage. “Even the Miami Heat,” Dempsey told Washington’s WTOP radio this week, referring to the two-time NBA champs, “if they don’t walk out there with …
Continue reading “America’s ‘Swagger’ Shrinks, World Suffers”
Oye. Didn’t I, as Israel’s prime minister, already have enough problems? Let’s see: Syria’s most radical rebels are gaining strength among the opposition to Bashar al-Assad, so they’ll be better positioned to turn their guns on us after they topple him. Meanwhile, the Golan Heights is growing more dangerous as al-Assad threatens to convert his …