“Greater Israel” and the Balkanization of the Middle East: Oded Yinon’s “Strategy for Israel”

“Greater Israel” and the Balkanization of the Middle East: Oded Yinon’s “Strategy for Israel”

Oded Yinon, whose 1982 paper for Kivunim (Directions) entitled “A Strategy for Israel in the 1980s”, is often used as a reference point for evidence of an Israeli aim to balkanise the surrounding Arab and Muslim world into ethnic and sectarian mini-states, was recently interviewed. He discussed the notoriety of the document which came to…

Talking to Rouhani: Is Trump Shooting from the Hip or Following a Script?

Talking to Rouhani: Is Trump Shooting from the Hip or Following a Script?

Message to Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Tel Aviv: Not to worry, US President Donald J. Trump has no intention of meeting his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, unconditionally. On the contrary, Mr. Trump’s surprise announcement that he is willing to talk to Mr. Rouhani is likely part of a plan formulated almost a year before he…

Will Trump Do the Right Thing and Pull Out of Afghanistan?

Will Trump Do the Right Thing and Pull Out of Afghanistan?

August of 2017 was the nadir of the Trump administration. At that point impeachment was on the table. Trump was mired in racist controversy over violence at Charlottesville. He had a falling out with Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. Robert Mueller’s investigation was ramping up. Members of his cabinet turned against, notably Gary Cohn. He was…

Is the Central African Republic Turning into Mali 2.0?

Is the Central African Republic Turning into Mali 2.0?

The killing of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic at the suspected hands of Arabic-speaking turbaned rebels suggests that the country is at risk of repeating the Malian scenario of 2012 when Islamic terrorists hijacked a local insurgency in their bid to build a proto-Daesh caliphate. Details are still streaming in about the…

Turkey’s Defection

Turkey’s Defection

After a multi-year see-saw between an overwhelmingly Christian EU and Muslim Turkey seeking membership, in 2015, 1.5 million people illegally crossed into Europe, many by hop-scotching from Turkey to Greece. Although desperate for a solution to this growing problem, the EU did not finally offer Turkey accession, which would have brought it under Brussels control,…

Will Trump’s Trade War Precipitate a Currency War?

Will Trump’s Trade War Precipitate a Currency War?

Last week, mid-July, Trump threatened $500 billion in tariffs on China imports, escalating his prior threat to impose $200 billion on China. He then threatened hundreds of billion in tariffs on world auto parts imports, targeting Europe. But Trump’s threats and announcements do not constitute a trade war. Threats and even announcements of tariffs are…