Iran
Worrying developments in the Middle East
It’s been an eventful , if worrying afternoon in the Middle East. First, the initial Egyptian election results confirm the expectation that Islamist parties would dominate the first round of elections:… Continue reading
30 CommentsFrom the archives: The Great Communicator stumbles
It’s been 25 years since the Iran-Contra affair – the scandal about the US government selling arms to Iran and using the proceeds to fund the Nicaraguan rebels. It saw… Continue reading
4 CommentsIran lashes out
The pressure is piling up on Iran – from below, as people demand greater freedoms; from the region, where Iran is about to lose its one ally, Syria, to a… Continue reading
15 CommentsFrom the archives: A nuclear Iran
This week there were rumblings that war with Iran may be closer than most people thought. In a piece for the Spectator in 2004, Andrew Gilligan argued that even with… Continue reading
9 CommentsA collision course with Iran?
Are we on the verge of war with Iran? The Guardian’s frontpage today suggests we might well be. Here’s a taster of the article: "Britain’s armed forces are stepping up… Continue reading
27 CommentsThe coming world oil order
Following on from Daniel’s post this morning about a more inward looking America, Daniel Yergin has a very interesting essay in the Washington Post about how the changing balance of… Continue reading
18 CommentsGaddafi’s Warning to Other Dictators: Shoot First & Shoot Them All
Now that Colonel Gaddafi is dead, there’s a lot stuff flying about Twitter along the lines of Are you watching Mr Mugabe/Assad/Ahmadinejad? I’m sure they are. Few people are likely… Continue reading
6 CommentsIran crosses a line
A flurry of news yesterday evening, among it Slovakia’s rejection of the euro bailout and even more ado about our Defence Secretary. But nothing nearly as striking as the alleged… Continue reading
13 CommentsAn Execution in Tehran
Cranmer is right about this: It really is quite incredible. Last week, a convicted murderer, Troy Davis, was finally executed in the United States, and it seemed as though the… Continue reading
8 CommentsTensions rise in the Middle East
The escalating crisis in Gaza and Sinai is worrying. Egypt is to recall its ambassador to Israel after 3 security personnel were killed in confused scuffles after an Israeli bus… Continue reading
15 CommentsTim Pawlenty: Generic Republican
Tim Pawlenty’s Presidential campaign may be stranger than any of his rivals’. For some candidates – Gingrich, Cain – running for the Republican nomination is an outlet for excess egomania.… Continue reading
9 CommentsThe mystery of modern Turkey
What does Turkey actually think? That’s an issue that has been occupying many Europeans, as the vital NATO ally heads to the polls. On the one hand Turkey has in… Continue reading
21 CommentsObama Men & Bush Measures?
Ross Douthat and Andrew Sullivan have been debating the extent, if any, to which Barack Obama’s foreign policy has broken with his predecessor’s. Ross’s point in his column this week… Continue reading
1 CommentObama’s Love of Cake
Ryan Lizza’s New Yorker article on the development of Barack Obama’s approach to foreign policy is, as always, full of interestig stuff even if, perhaps unavoidably, I suspect it depends… Continue reading
3 CommentsEyes turn to Syria
The situation in Syria seems to be on a knife’s edge. Perhaps 80 protesters were killed by security forces during massive demonstrations yesterday. Checkpoints have gone up around all major… Continue reading
19 Comments