Latest Articles and Blog Posts

More Than a Matter of Words
The Fuzzy Red Line

May 13, 2013  •  The Times of Israel

The recent Israeli airstrikes outside of Damascus have refocused the United States' attention on the Syrian civil war. In the wake of the attacks, the phrases – "red line," "game-changer," and "enormous consequences" – have permeated the lexicon of the conflict, with each resonating differently in Washington and Jerusalem. "I've stated repeatedly, publicly that red line, and that is we're not going to accept Iran having a nuclear weapon," President Obama said in a September 2012 interview with Telemundo. "I've been very clear about my position." But the administration has long suffered from mixed messaging on Iran; Syria is merely the latest example. It augurs poorly for security guarantees Team Obama offers Israel at a time when Israel requires a steadfast ally in America.

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Israel's Game-Changer with Hezbollah
Syria attacks sting terrorist group as it pivots to prop up Assad

May 8, 2013  •  The Washington Times

The international media have focused on the recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria and what it means to the region. They reflect Israel's understanding of the new reality in the Middle East. For more than a decade, Israel watched as massive arms shipments passed from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, with the pace and lethality of those weapons dramatically increasing. Israel's complaints went unheeded by the international community — and the unstated rules were that Israel could not launch a pre-emptive strike despite the mountain of evidence it had gathered. Israel's actions in Syria are not just about preventing the transfer of game-changing weapons — they are about changing the rules of the game in how it engages with Hezbollah and Syria. Moreover, the strikes represent an eye toward a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program in which Tehran may look to use Hezbollah as a tool in its arsenal.

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Never Mind that Red Line in Syria

May 2, 2013  •  Rare

At first blush, it appeared that the Obama administration finally agreed with the intelligence assessments of its allies—Britain, France, and Israel—namely, that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against the opposition. But no sooner had the intelligence letter been delivered did the administration begin walking away from its own assessment. The President is now laying the groundwork to remain on the sideline, ensuring that he will never have the kind of definitive proof he claims to require by setting the bar so high it will never be reached. Obama's waffling has made further escalation of the conflict a near certainty. The real problem is the lack of a coherent policy in Syria now—over two years into the Syrian civil war. Absent a clear policy, no clear strategy to end the conflict has emerged, and the tactics employed have been dilatory and procedural.

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The Cost of Inaction in Syria

April 29, 2013  •  The Huffington Post

Pressure is mounting on the Obama Administration to respond more decisively to the situation in Syria after the White House conceded that it believes the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons against its people. After all, on Aug. 20, 2012, the president said, "a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus." He reiterated his warning on March 21, 2013: "I've made it clear to Bashar al-Assad and all who follow his orders: We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people, or the transfer of those weapons to terrorists. The world is watching; we will hold you accountable."

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Syria's al-Nusra Front Pledges Allegiance to Al-Qaeda

April 11, 2013 at 5:51 pm

Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) declared a merger with Mohammad al-Julani's Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) or the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian Salafi rebel group. Both groups, with the urging of al-Qaeda central leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, seek to make an Islamic state across the region.

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