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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

11/13/08
The View from Gaza  —Taghreed El-Khodary, New York Times journalist in Gaza and Harvard University Nieman Fellow (2005-2006). Interviewed by Middle East Bulletin.
11/04/08
Getting on the Right Track  —Dalia Rabin, chairperson, Rabin Center, and daughter of the late Yitzhak Rabin. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
10/23/08
Bottom-Up Meets Top-Down for Progress  —Robert Danin, Head of Mission, Office of Quartet Representative Tony Blair and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

U.S. Policy Strengthens Iran

"Simply put, without permanent bases in Iraq, a nuclear capable Islamic Republic cannot be contained."
—Michael Rubin, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute, "Can a Nuclear Iran Be Contained or Deterred?" Middle Eastern Outlook, November 5, 2008 versus
  • “[B]y attacking Iraq, we automatically made Iran a regional power. We took out their major adversary in Iraq, and we neutralized, if only temporarily, the Taliban, on the other side. And so now we see not only that they are regional powers, but clearly indications of aspirations to be perhaps a hegemon in the area, their role in Iraq, their role in Syria, in Lebanon as well. And I can tell you, and I think you’ve heard it already, that there is real fear among the GCC countries about where all of this is going. All of them have minorities, in one case it’s not a minority, it’s a majority of Shias, and as the Sheika correctly pointed out, they can’t exchange Iran for some place else.”
    —General Joseph P. Hoar (USMC, Ret.), former commander of U.S. Central Command (1991-94), National Council On U.S.-Arab Relations, 17th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, October 30, 2008

    • Middle East Analysis

    Fouad Sinioria, Prime Minister of Lebanon

    May 23, 2007

    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)

    In an interview with Al Hayat newspaper, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora described how he saw events unfold before last summer’s war:

    Al-Hayat: When you heard of the operation carried out by Hezbollah outside the Shebaa Farms area on July 12 last, were you afraid Israel would wage war on Lebanon?

    PM Siniora: I was having a meeting with His Excellency President Emile Lahoud when we were informed of the operation. After the meeting, I sent for Haj Hussein Khalil (the political aide to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Mr. Hassan Nasrallah), and discussed the issue with him.

    I asked him, "Why the operation, and why outside the Shebaa Farms?’

    He replied: "We got the chance."

    I asked him:"Did you consult anyone?’ He said, "Like whom?" I answered: "The government. Are you confronting it with a fait accompli?"

    I reminded him of what Mr. Nasrallah had said in the national dialogue, that the Resistance would not interfere in operations, and, if it did, it would only be as a reminder to the enemy in the Shebaa Farms area.

    I asked him, "What will the Israelis do?" He answered: "Nothing".

    I said to him: "Don’t you see what is happening in Gaza?". He answered: "Lebanon is not like Gaza".

    I said: "They can do like what they are doing in Gaza, and more, and Lebanon is not ready to face a situation like that." He ruled out a response of that kind.

    In the end, I told him, "What happened has happened, how do we cooperate to contain any reaction?" Hours later, the war started.