Articles
Assad's overreach pushes former allies into a corner
Recent comments by Turkey and Saudi Arabia are crowding Syria's Bashar Al Assad into a corner. But there is no evident end-game.
Hama becomes the new battleground of Lebanese politics
Lebanon's politicians are caught between political expediency, which demands they cater for Syria's interests, and the growing moral imperative to condemn the Assad regime's brutal crackdown.
Lebanon's political bellwether turns away from Syria
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has been politically agile for decades, and his latest moves reveals his grave doubts about the future of Syria's Al Assad regime
A new political consciousness finds a voice in the Arab spring
Even if the Arab Spring brings little positive immediate change, the wave of uprisings has made a healthy change in the way Arab peoples think about their governments.
Even partial justice leaves Lebanon in a quandary
The Special Tribunal's indictments put Lebanon in a difficult situation. Not only is there sharp domestic disagreement, but international pressures will come to bear as well.
Obama's America prefers to ignore the Middle East
The era of Pax Americana in the Middle East is well and truly over. There are lots of reasons for this, but Barack Obama's evident lack of interest in the region's problems is certainly one of them.
An economic vice squeezes Assad's patronage system
In Syria, loyalty from the business class is a key part of President Bashar Al Assad's grip on power. If a new EU report is to be believed, that loyalty may soon be put to the test.
With allies like these, Beirut will not be able to rule itself
A new cabinet in Beirut, mobilised around Hizbollah and Syrian allies, will be paralysed by its members who are fighting for their political survival.
A foreign policy of instability cannot save Syria at home
For years, the Syrian government has exported instability, and the threat of it, to maintain its place in the region and to protect the regime's status at home. But that tactic is working no longer.
Amid revolts, Mladic's arrest is a reminder to lawless leaders
As the Arab spring turns violent, several leaders find themselves facing a judicial process, or the prospect of one. It's a welcome change for a region where political crimes have routinely gone unpunished.
A sectarian time bomb as Damascus clings to power
It's no longer a question of whether Bashar al Assad's regime will collapse, but a question of how. Will he trigger the sectarian time bomb he has prepared, or will he go quietly?
Syria finds it useful to have a fuzzy border with Lebanon
Lebanon's borders will continue to cause great anxiety as Syria's regime faces an existential challenge that will not soon disappear.
The Assad regime is trapped by its own repressive tactics
The Assad regime has always relied on balancing power to maintain its rule, and all calculations in the latest protests are geared towards maintaining it at any cost.
Palestinian factions pushed together by regional events
The reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah was inspired by the Arab Spring. It is likely that the international community will now give both sides room to make their agreement work in accordance with their own requirements
Hizbollah finds itself on the wrong side of revolutions
Hizbollah has overplayed its hand by politicising Lebanese Shiites overseas, creating an opportunity to offer its constituents a deal that could see the group's disarmament.
