The Mideast and Abroad

Is Taliban Propaganda Stronger than US Drone Bombs?

In his book The Forever War, Dexter Filkin describes a deep humming – like a massive fly – followed by a lethal explosion. The sounds are constant reminders of the United States’ controversial drone war.

In the past year drone strikes have flooded the headlines: "US Drone Strike Kills Senior Pakistan Tribal Leader", "US Says Drone Killed Al Qaeda Commander" and "Drone strikes claim lives in Pakistan," are just a sampling of some of the news stories. The death toll of Barack Obama’s contentious covert war rises steadily.

Superficially, the drone strikes signal a temporary “victory” over Taliban strongholds in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It may also be keeping al-Qaeda linked militants at bay in Yemen or Somalia. Yet, militant insurgencies and underground “terrorist” cells are not like uniformed soldiers — a corrosive ideology cannot be rooted out with bombs.

Israel’s “Beguiling Blonde” Soldiers Mask Realities of Gender Equality

The image of Israel’s female soldier is one that is often defined by strength, fervor, bravery and even sexiness. The country’s military is praised frequently for its unparalleled egalitarian treatment of its sexes. Maxim Magazine, a softer version of America’s Playboy magazine, sought to profit from this imagery. The magazine published a series featuring female Israeli soldiers in their bikinis, most with provocative captions like this:

This beguiling blonde clearly remembers her favorite part of serving her country: “I met my husband. His commander kept trying to set us up.” Lucky for him, Natalie followed orders.

With Fear and Hope, Afghans Prepare For Uncertain Future

Afghanistan is tense. In the capital of Kabul, daily life goes on as usual: cars clog the streets, shopkeepers sell dried fruits and rugs in the markets and children wander the roads, some begging, others doing odd jobs to make some money. Life is punctuated by bombings and gunfire as militants try to kill government officials. But beyond that, there's a growing concern about the future of the country. Change is coming, and it's the biggest change for the country after more than a decade of a Western-led war. Western troops are leaving at the end of 2014. Afghanistan's government will take the responsibility of protecting its citizens from militants. Afghans know the handover is coming, but in a way, it hasn't hit them yet. When 2014 ends, it won't just be Afghan soldiers taking over for foreign troops – it's the civilians who are going to have to step up to rebuild their country.

From Afghanistan to Mali: Jihad Finds a New Home

“Jihad” as a physical struggle has long been a topic associated with the Middle East. The region’s volatility is often attributed to Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah — groups who interpret the concept, which means “struggle” in Arabic — in a severe way. However, with the Arab Spring came a changed region, and a changed face for Middle Eastern Islamism. The Muslim Brotherhood is the shining example: thrust into the mainstream the group was forced to reconcile its revolutionary rhetoric with the realities of running a modern state. Egyptians quickly demonstrated that any “hardline” Islamism would not be tolerated, and thus a relatively secular constitution was born.

The Red Line in Syria Was Crossed Long Ago

Military intervention in Syria is not a desirable outcome for anyone – the Syrians, NATO, or the Greater Middle East. Arguing for military intervention is advocating a highly complex and dangerous military debacle far surpassing the NATO mission in Libya. However, after 21 months of inhumane bloodshed, it is hard to ask how more has not been done to stop it. It is only now that the proverbial “red line” of intervention has been established. That line has been drawn at chemical weapons.

Israel, Iran and The Arab Spring

Two of the countries that will play the most important roles in the future of the Arab Spring are not Arab nations. As a large and powerful country seeking to maintain and spread its influence across the Middle East, Iran’s actions in the coming years will have major effects on the direction the movements for change in the Arab world take. Meanwhile, Israel, increasingly fearful for its security, will continue to be skeptical about the idea that the Arab Spring is a positive development. As the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state face off against each other (soon, probably, with both armed with nuclear weapons), Arab states and their peoples may, unfortunately, be caught in the middle.

The Other Side of Libya’s Forgotten Revolution

“Libya could become the United States of the Arab World,” or so American risk consultant Stephen Hollingshead said to the Libya Herald. He cites an intense vigor for “freedom,” an innate entrepreneurial spirit, and a robust fundamental desire for democracy as the building blocks for a great nation. Although his hypothesis is difficult to quantify, the tremendous support the NATO mission received and the continual pro-democratic protests in Tripoli and Benghazi may signal that Hollingshead is onto something.

Post-revolution Libya, however, has been gently pushed onto the back burner by “flashier” events like protests in post-Arab Spring Egypt and the Syrian civil war. There are strong democratic undercurrents that could make it a valuable ally. Yet, counterforces in Libya are gradually eroding its democratic potential. The corrosive pressure of armed militias like Ansar al-Sharia, the threat of renewed autocracy, and a profoundly diminished role for the rule of law are the primary culprits. This will be detrimental to Libya and the world if it continues. Libya’s democratic survival depends in large part on the support of the international community.

Lunacy Over Sanity in the West Bank

On 2 November 1917, Arthur Balfour wrote a letter to Baron Rothschild promising that His Majesty’s government favored the idea of establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The consequences of what has since come to be known as the Balfour Declaration live with us today. Israel and Hamas have just clashed over Gaza. Israel’s closest allies, the US and the UK, have been upset by its plans to build 3,000 new homes for settlers in East Jerusalem and West Bank, a move that is illegal under international law. More importantly, representatives of 95% of the world’s population have just voted to accord “Palestine non-Member Observer State status in the United Nations,” a similar status to the Vatican. The UN support for Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic and will not change much on the ground in the short run. For now, the carnage will continue.