Afghan Taliban fighters listen to Mullah Mohammad Rasool Akhund (unseen), the newly appointed leader of a breakaway faction of the…
Browsing: Commentary
Russia has greatly complicated an already-fraught situation by picking a fight with Syria’s majority Sunni rebels and tripping into other…
Only objective secularists can safeguard the holiness attributed to these sites, to preserve the holiness of humankind, and prevent bloodshed.…
Tony Barber in London Having spent seven years as Turkey’s president, and five years before that as prime minister and…
Introduction It comes as no surprise that the startling phenomenon of Islamic State (ISIS) propaganda has galvanized attention since the…
Feminists and frat boys, asexuals, groupies, and that quiet kid who sits in the front row. A weeklong survey of…
The Iranian regime’s anti-Western regional policy has become much more important to its identity than Islamic ideology, so confronting Tehran’s…
I spent early 2011 trying to ease tensions between Syria and its neighbors. I never predicted the brutality that would…
Forty-two years ago this week, Arab petroleum exporters banded together to impose an oil embargo on Western consumers in retaliation…
By Vanessa Ogle In the spring of 1891, Count Helmuth von Moltke rose to speak in the German parliament on…
The release of a special-committee report to the Majlis will be seized on by hardliners, who will continue to voice…
Our worst fears were realized on Wednesday, September 30th, 2015. Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, declared [through…
From Iraq to Lebanon, through Syria, with clear echoes into the Gulf, Yemen, and Egypt, the Arab political and cultural…
Two sharply opposed narratives are today in confrontation in the Arab world, notably in its Eastern flank. The first has…
On the refugee crisis The flow of refugees from Africa and the Middle East into Western Europe has provoked a…
William Armstrong william.armstrong@hdn.com.tr ‘National and State Identity in Turkey: The Transformation of the Republic’s Status in the International System’ by…
I’ve called attention to the writings on Syria of Amb. Fred Hof in several blog posts (here’s one). Hof, after…
If the Supreme Leader is able to continue his strategy of purposeful ambiguity by manipulating the media and parliament, the…
On the Catholic liturgical calendar, Aug. 6 is the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, recalling a Biblical scene…
Recognizing the various spheres of influence in Syria and working with its neighbors to stabilize each piece of the puzzle…
Synopsis The Saudi military intervention in Yemen against Houthi rebels has repercussions in the kingdom amid cracks appearing in the…
Reports of an American and Turkish agreement to close a sixty mile stretch of the Syria-Turkey border to the Islamic…
By James Morone In This Review One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America Kevin M. Kruse …
People: Next Agreement Is On Civil Rights by Fereshteh Ghazi In their celebration of the Vienna nuclear agreement reached between…
Knowing when Iran has violated the agreement is one thing; ensuring that there is a price for every transgression, no…
The deal with Iran is finally done. Given the stakes, it should be scrutinized. It makes sense to reserve judgment…
Even with a deal now signed, the Obama administration still has many tools for countering Iran’s menacing behavior across the…
Although Iran’s missile arsenal is conventionally armed, credible reports of links with its nuclear program underscore the need for limits…
An excellent « Public Statement on U.S. Policy Toward the Iran Nuclear Negotiations » – « Endorsed by a Bipartisan Group of American…
Prince Muhammad’s visit to Russia will increase speculation that Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the United States is changing. On June…
It was no joke for millions of Turks who queued in front of ballot boxes at early hours of the…
This article is followed by a response by Andrew F. March, along with Michael Walzer’s reply. To read the exchange,…
Ten years ago this week, our friend and colleague Samir Kassir was murdered outside his home, likely at the instigation…
Concern about the political direction of the Middle East has long ago replaced the optimism that briefly followed the 2010-11…
The outcome has dealt a blow to the AKP’s longstanding dominance and Erdogan’s goal of implementing a presidential system, with…
A knowledgeable source and writer of this website, who declined to be named, gave Middle East Transparent the following explanation…
One of the prime minister’s remarks suggests that a more fundamental dispute may be brewing between U.S. and Israeli intelligence…
In all likelihood, Khamenei’s potentially imminent successor will be even more of a hardliner, and he could renege on a…
Salman Masalha New Arab city will perpetuate inequality We should oppose the construction of a new Arab city on principle.…
The President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue speaks to Vatican Radio about the barbaric killing in Pakistan: “How…
By revealing all the offers that Iran has rejected, Washington could block Tehran’s potential Plan B, which will likely involve…
A rare poll conducted last month in three Gulf Cooperation Council states demonstrates decisive rejection of ISIS and a surprisingly…
The moderate rebel force currently envisioned by Washington would take far too long to arrive on the battlefield and could…
How does Islamic State think? How do its followers see the world? SPIEGEL ONLINE met up with an Islamic State…