Defining ‘Success’ for the Annapolis Conference
Like most analysts, Peter Brookes sees little chance that the Annapolis Conference will solve the longstanding Arab-Israeli crisis. He does think, however, that it is already a resounding success. The bulk of his column is devoted to the obstacles that will almost surely prevent much substantive change. Several major players have an interest in keeping the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 26, 2007 12:04
Condoleeza Rice’s Highs and Lows
While Condoleeza Rice's tenure as Secretary of State is, so far as I'm aware, not set to expire for another fourteen months, the AP has nonetheless rolled out a story on Rice's Highs and Lows. Interestingly, the listed highs are pretty substantial and the lows seem to be almost entirely happenstance. Among the lows: Getting confirmed only 85-13, Hamas ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 20, 2007 15:10
Palestinians Seeking Israeli Citizenship
As the reality of Palestinian autonomy takes hold, with a permanent division of Jerusalem a likely outcome, thousands of Palestinians are applying for Israeli citizenship. Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem calling to set up an appointment with the Interior Ministry to apply for an Israeli citizenship will discover the next available interview date is only in April. In the months leading up ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 7, 2007 14:38
Israeli Soldier Exposes Breasts to Flee Interrogation
Now, here's a headline you don't see every day: "Soldier flees interrogation by exposing breasts." An IDF soldier fled an interrogation room by exposing her breasts to a stunned officer. The soldier was interrogated at the Biranit army base on the northern border after she refused to undergo a drugs test. A short while after her questioning began the soldier was seen ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 1, 2007 08:32
Islamofascism
Monday's essay by Christopher Hitchens defending the term "Islamofascism" drew quite a bit of blogospheric reaction. Matt Yglesias responds to it with what amounts to a straw man and yet backhandedly makes a valid point. [The term] provide[s] a spurious patina of unity and sameness to diverse phenomena involving Muslims Behaving Badly so that al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Assad, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 24, 2007 11:55
Israel Frees 255 Palestinian Prisoners
Israel freed 255 Palestinian prisoners in an attempt to strengthen the hand of Fatah in its power struggle with Hamas. Israel released more than 250 Palestinian prisoners Friday, aiming to bolster embattled President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle with the Islamic militants of Hamas, which took control of Gaza by force last month. Several thousand chanting, clapping Palestinians greeted the prisoners ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 20, 2007 12:44
Al Qaeda Leadership in Iran?!
The National Intelligence Estimate reportedly finds that the Salafist Sunni terrorist group al Qaeda has been reconstituted in Shiite theocracy of Iran. One of two known Al Qaeda leadership councils meets regularly in eastern Iran, where the American intelligence community believes dozens of senior Al Qaeda leaders have reconstituted a good part of the terror conglomerate's senior leadership structure. That is ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 17, 2007 10:49
Caption Contest Winners
The Green Eggs and Hamas Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over. [Reuters] The Winners: First: Bithead - Need an apartment for your stay in Gaza? Call Low-Rents-of-Arabia Second: Dave schuler - You had questions about your employee benefit program?Third: charles austin - Ok, I understand Paula, but why are Randy and Simon wearing balaclavas? Honorable Mention: elliot - Mohammed, put your ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 28, 2007 21:26
Losing The War Against Radical Islam?
Fareed Zakaria notes that there are several hopeful signs in the fight against Islamist terrorism, including the capture of important leaders and several schisms threatening to break apart alliances in Iraq and elsewhere. Moreover, he argues, the jihadists face numerous structural problems. The split between Sunnis and Shiites—which plays a role in Lebanon as well—is only one of the divisions ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 25, 2007 13:23
Arab Agenda
Marc Lynch has been keeping track of the major agenda items at the wide circulation Arab media -- specifically, "al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya programs (since they are the two most-viewed TV stations with a region-wide audience) and the content of major Arab op-ed pages" -- for several years in an effort to track anti-Americanism and the extent of fragmentation among the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 23, 2007 05:21
