The Yinon Thesis Vindicated: Neocons, Israel, and the Fragmentation of Syria

The Yinon Thesis Vindicated: Neocons, Israel, and the Fragmentation of Syria

It is widely realized now that the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime would leave Syria riven by bitter ethnic, religious, and ideological conflict that could splinter the country into smaller enclaves. Already there has been a demographic shift in this direction, as both Sunnis and Alawites flee the most dangerous parts of the county,…

Jamal Khashoggi Rejiggers the Middle East at Potentially Horribly Cost

Jamal Khashoggi Rejiggers the Middle East at Potentially Horribly Cost

The fate of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, assuming that his disappearance was the work of Saudi security and military officials, threatens to upend the fundaments of fault lines in the Middle East. At stake is not only the fate of a widely respected journalist and the future of Turkish-Saudi relations. Mr. Khashoggi’s fate, whether…

United States of Anger: Liberals Are Killing Comedy in the Age of Trump

United States of Anger: Liberals Are Killing Comedy in the Age of Trump

The level of political rhetoric ripping through the US has hit such a fever pitch that even the world of comedy has been weaponized for political gain. As a result, comedy is no longer a laughing matter for many Americans. If ever the United States of Anger needed an industrial-size dose of comic relief injected…

President Assad’s Amnesty Decree Is Helpful, But Not Everyone Will Follow It

President Assad’s Amnesty Decree Is Helpful, But Not Everyone Will Follow It

The world should welcome President Assad’s latest decree granting amnesty to military deserters inside and outside of the country, but observers shouldn’t forget that it isn’t a new initiative and might therefore not be observed by the parties that matter most because they ignored his government’s identical outreaches over the past couple of years. Europe’s…