Appease Islam and Die…

Why Naïve Westerners Constantly

Exaggerate Middle Eastern Moderation

by Barry Rubin of The Rubin Reports

There are three basic reasons why many Westerners are so gullible that they often overstate the moderation—or inaccurately claim that a major step toward moderation has taken place—on the part of radical states or groups.  Among the beneficiaries of these errors are: Fatah, Iran, Hamas, Hizballah, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood groups, the PLO, Sudan, Syria, the Taliban, and others, including many individuals.

Such errors are dangerous for a variety of reasons. Advocating engagement with extremists strengthens them; reducing sanctions or not instituting them has the same effect. Those who oppose such groups are stigmatized and don’t receive the support they need and deserve. Acts of terrorism and advocacy of genocide are ignored. People do die as a result of these errors, though rarely are they those who made the mistakes. Click here to read the entire article…

The Age of Idiocy

When It Comes to Analyzing the Middle East,

We Live in the Age of Idiocy

by Barry Rubin of The Rubin Reports

After more than 30 years of watching people write dumb things about the Middle East, I believe that in the last month I’ve seen more nonsense than at any previous time. The problem arises from ignorance, lack of understanding of the region by those presented as experts; plus arrogance, treating the region and the lives of people as a game (Hey, let’s try this and see what happens!), fostered by the failure of such control mechanisms as a balanced debate and editing that rejects simplistic bias or stupidity; as well as a simple lack of logic.

To put it another way, I am reading material that simultaneously has no connection with the real world, is full of internal contradictions, and often seems deliberately tailored to misrepresent events in order to prove a false thesis. Fortunately, this stuff has not done actual damage in the real world–much of it has not been implemented in policy–yet but may in future.

Click here to read the entire article…

Destroying America one Friend At a Time

Is America A Declining Power?

Its Friends Think So and They Are Scared

by Barry Rubin of The Rubin Reports

“What do you think,” asked the reporter, “about the U.S. pressure on China?”

Puzzled, I responded, “What pressure on China?”

And then I realized what he meant. Like many observers, especially those in the Third World, he thinks U.S. policy is tightly coordinated. In other words, he thinks that the United States was about to sell arms to Beijing’s rival, Taiwan, and have the Dalai Lama, who claims to be the rightful ruler of Chinese-occupied Tibet, come to Washington as part of a grand scheme to force China into supporting sanctions against Iran.

This is, partly, where conspiracy theories come from, assuming that every step taken by the United States is carefully planned out and that every event in the world—given American power—is part of a larger scheme. Why believe that the United States itself blew up the World Trade Center? Based on the assumption that the United States is too strong, its intelligence too good, to let a bunch of barely trained terrorists enter country, board planes, and fly them into its tallest building. Click here to read the entire article…

The Point of No Return Is Now

Please dont push that red button...

The Point of No Return:

Clearly the Obama Administration

Won’t Ever Do Anything Serious

Against Iran’s Nuclear Program

by Barry Rubin of the Rubin Reports

We must now face an extremely unpleasant truth: even giving the Obama Administration every possible break regarding its Iran policy it is now clear that the U.S. government isn’t going to take strong action on the nuclear weapons issue.

Note that I didn’t even say “effective” action, that is, measures which would force Iran to back down. I’m neither advocating nor do I think there was ever any possibility that the United States, even under Obama’s predecessor, might take military action.

I’m saying that they aren’t even going to make a good show of trying seriously to do anything at all. Click here to read the entire article…

Boring Press Conference?

Boring Press Conference?

No, Gold Mine for Understanding

U.S. Middle East Policy

by Barry Rubin of the Rubin Reports

What could be more boring, you might ask, then a press conference following the meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr al-Thani? Well, a little document like this is a gold mine of interesting stuff that either won’t be covered or won’t be understood in the mass media.

Qatar, though tiny, is a very interesting country. On one hand, it hosts al-Udayd air base which is vital for the U.S. presence in the Gulf. On the other hand, it hosts and owns al-Jazira television which incites anti-Americanism. To make matters worse, Qatar has been the Gulf Arab state closest to Iran, which hosted the anti-American and radical summit led by the Iran-Syria bloc.

So Qatar is hedging its bets rather well. In public, Hillary isn’t going to complain about this stuff. Did she do so in the private meeting? Perhaps, though the jollity of al-Thani, a member of the ruling family, seems to belie any tough words from the secretary of state. But this is going too far:

“Qatar is a friend and an ally of the United States, and the partnership between our two countries is a model of the new beginning based on mutual respect and mutual interest that President Obama called for in Cairo.” Click here to read the entire article…

The Enemy Within Our Gates

THE ENEMY HAS LANDED

MASSIVE ATTACK ON U.S. SOIL WILL OCCUR IN 2010

by Paul L. Williams, Ph.D.

New Year’s Day 2010.

The planned bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 252 was averted by a stroke of luck and the courage of a Dutchman.

But the lesson provided by Umar Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day has been lost to Obama Administration.

Yes, we now have increased security at our international airports – - a measure that has resulted in passengers waiting in line over four hours to board an airplane.

Yes, we have heightened attention to passports and visas from visitors to the U.S. – - not only from Iran and Iraq but also Ireland and Iceland.

Yes, we have raised concern over emerging hotbeds of radical Islam, including Yemen and Nigeria.

But scant mounting concern has been directed at the terrorists in our midst – - terrorists who are plotting an attack that threatens to dwarf the devastation of 9/11. Click here to read the entire article…

First Strike; Obama or Israel?

THE TWO MOST-ASKED QUESTIONS:

WILL OBAMA ATTACK ISRAEL, WILL ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN?

By Barry Rubin of Rubin Reports

Of all the questions readers ask, there’s no question about which are the two most frequent. First, is Israel about to attack Iran or when will this happen? Second, do President Barack Obama and his entourage hate Israel and will there be a major confrontation or some kind of sell-out.

The first two questions are pretty easy to answer, the third less so.

Israel and an attack on Iran: Israeli policy is quite clear. Its current emphasis is on supporting strong sanctions. There is, of course, skepticism as to whether strong sanctions will be applied and whether such a step would work, but that’s not the determining factor. It is recognized that the West must thoroughly try diplomatic means to satisfy itself that everything short of an armed attack has failed.

Only when the sanctions have been seen to be ineffective at stopping Iran’s march to nuclear weapons would Israel even begin to go into an attack phase but even then there are two major considerations. Click here to read the entire article…

Kerry and Iran equals Bad Choice

Sending Kerry to Iran? A Thoroughly Bad Idea

By Barry Rubin of Rubin Reports

The story of the United States and Iran regarding sanctions and pressures reminds me of Woody Allen’s joke in the film “Sleeper” after he awakes following 2000 years asleep: My analyst was a strict Freudian and if I’d been going four times a week all this time I’d be cured by now.

The proposal to send Senator John Kerry to Iran is one more signal that the Obama Administration seemingly will do anything to avoid, or at least postpone, increasing sanctions on Iran because of that country’s nuclear weapons’ drive. Such a move can only be taken by Tehran as further proof–in its eyes–of American cowardice. Obviously, this gambit would gain nothing.

In addition, the choice of Kerry is a very bad one. Despite his distinguished appearance and unearned reputation for international sophistication, Kerry is known in the Senate as one of its dumbest and least accomplished members. In 30 years, he has not initiated a single idea, piece of legislation, or even memorable speech.

And, of course, he would be eager to make some—almost any–deal for his own personal glory and reluctant to be really tough lest he, and the Obama Administration which he supports, would appear to be a failure.

This is a terrible choice and it sends a dangerous signal. Hopefully, Iran’s regime will reject it. Nowadays we are reduced to hoping that our enemies’ arrogance and intransigence will force democratic governments to get a backbone.

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). To read and subscribe to MERIA, GLORIA articles, or to order books. To see or subscribe to his blog, Rubin Reports.

Obama’s Foreign Policy is Failing

Let’s Get Real:

Obama’s Foreign Policy is Failing;

Time to Wake Up, Change Course, and Do It Right

by Barry Rubin of The Rubin Reports

It’s astonishing to watch people try to pretend or convince themselves that this U.S. government has the knowledge, ideas, and attitudes needed to deal with the vital Middle East issues facing by the United States. Maybe next year but not at present.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d be delighted to think, but foolish to pretend, otherwise. The best outcome of all would be if the Obama Administration itself took the blindfold off its eyes, pulled the stoppers out of its ears, and faced reality without flinching.

A number of friends and colleagues have been asking, in amazement, if they truly understand President Barack Obama’s plan for Afghanistan. Is he really saying what we think he’s saying? Yes, indeed. In effect, Obama’s signaling the Taliban and their al-Qaida allies: Click here to read the entire article…

Syria Allied with Al-Qaida; White House Says: Is that a Problem?

Obama’s General Says:

Syria Allied with Al-Qaida, Attacking U.S.;

White House Says: Is that a Problem?

By Barry Rubin of The Rubin Reports

Does anyone read the newspapers in the U.S. government? How about checking out the dispatches coming from its generals in the field? Here’s a news story which tells all.

A Reuters’ dispatch from Iraq interviews the commander of U.S. forces there. What’s he say?

Al-Qaida is joining forces with Saddam Hussein’s supporters.

And where are both al-Qaida’s forces fighting in Iraq and Saddam’s backers headquartered with lots of money stolen from Iraq? Syria.

Syria? So Damascus is now allied with al-Qaida, the perpetrators of the September 11 attack to kill Americans and defeat the United States in Iraq? Is that right, general?:

“Investigations into massive suicide bombings in Baghdad on Oct. 25, in which more than 150 people died, indicated that explosives or fighters were coming across from Syria, U.S. General Ray Odierno also said.” Click here to read the entire article…

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