Monthly Archives: March 2011

Iran-Syria Alliance in Harmony

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

01/06/2009 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and President Bashar Assad of Syria reconfirmed the close alliance between their two countries during the Iranian president’s visit to Damascus this week. Ahmadinejad’s visit came on the eve of the return of two … Continue reading →

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Duplicitous Assad is getting away with Murder

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

23/11/2008 British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has just completed an official visit to Syria. This was the first visit of a senior British elected official to Damascus since 2001. Following the visit, the British media revealed that Miliband has agreed … Continue reading →

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On the Iranian Presidential Elections

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post- 01/04/2009 Presidential elections are set to take place in Iran on June 12. One consultant to a presidential candidate billed the race the “most significant poll so far since the revolution.” The same source said that the elections … Continue reading →

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An Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

24/10/2008 The decree by President Bashar Assad announcing the establishing of full diplomatic relations between Damascus and Beirut represents the latest stage in the emergence of Syria from diplomatic isolation. On a symbolic level, the announcement appears to suggest Syria’s … Continue reading →

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Making Mischief in Damascus

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

01/10/2008 As the days pass since the car bombing in the southern suburbs of Damascus, furious speculation is continuing as to who was responsible. No organization has taken responsibility – leaving the rumor mill free to grind on. The Syrian … Continue reading →

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Increasingly, Hamas is gaining Acceptance in the Arab World

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

09/09/2008 A series of recent developments point to Hamas’s increasingly solid position in the Palestinian and broader Arab political constellations. This process is of significance both for Arab politics itself, and for the likely direction of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in … Continue reading →

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No Change

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

01/02/2008 The response of Israeli officials to the latest events in Gaza may in essence be divided into two halves. The initial response was one of frustration at Egyptian unwillingness to restore order on the international border. The subsequent sense … Continue reading →

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Syrian Games Without Frontiers

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

16/01/2008 The ongoing impasse over the appointment of the next Lebanese president, after Emil Lahoud stepped down on November 24, is the product of Syrian machinations and interference in Lebanese politics. The agreement reached on Sunday in Cairo may finally … Continue reading →

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The Dynamics of Revival

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Haaretz-24/08/2007 In a recent article in the British Guardian newspaper, Ed Husain, a former member of the radical Islamist Hizb ut Tahrir organization [which aims to bring about a worldwide Muslim state], sought to draw a parallel between Zionism and … Continue reading →

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An Empty Package

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

30/05/2008 At this past Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued a public statement relating to the revived negotiations with Syria. The talks, the prime minister wished to assure us, were “serious” and would be conducted with “all due … Continue reading →

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