Opinion & Analysis: 4 December

Opinion and Analysis:  Week ending 4 December 2013

(1) No exit: why the US can’t leave the Middle East

 Michael Totten, World Affairs Journal, November/December 2013

A majority of American voters in both parties have had it. They’re just flat-out not interested in spending any more money or lives to help out. Even many foreign policy professionals are fed up. We get blamed for every one of the Middle East’s problems, including those it inflicts on itself. How gratifying it would be just to walk away, dust off our hands, and say you’re on your own.
 

(2) A nuclear crisis in search of a model: Lessons from Iraq, North Korea, Libya and Syria

 
Emily Landau, Institute for National Security Studies, 2 December 2013
 
Until Iran makes the strategic decision to reverse course in the nuclear realm, there is little chance that a true and lasting deal will be achieved. Continued pressure is the only key – keeping an eye firmly on the leverage is, therefore, the only hope the P5+1 have to compel Iran to finally make that choice.  

(3) Antisemitism: A warning sign for Europe 

 The history of anti-Semitism demonstrates that, ultimately, those who target Jews usually have democracy itself, including the rights of minority groups, in their crosshairs. In other words, bigotry may begin with Jews, but it rarely ends with them. 
 

(4) The blood libel film

Ben-Dror Yemini, The Times of Israel, 29 November 2013

How is it possible to produce a film that completely ignores the background, the benefits granted to the Bedouins, the legal rulings, and other issues?
 

(5) Iran’s President determined to maintain uranium enrichment sites

Roula Khalaf, Lionel Barber, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, Geoff Dyer, Financial Times, 29 November 2013

Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s new president, has insisted that Tehran will not dismantle its nuclear facilities, as advocated by Israel and US hawks but has held out hope for an end to its long estrangement with Washington

(6) The hypocrisy of the Human Rights Council

 Joel Brinkley, World Affairs, 25 November 2013

The United Nations formed the Council on Human Rights in early 2006. It came to be because the UN deplored its predecessor, the Human Rights Commission, which was disbanded in 2005 after years of angry criticism – primarily over the composition of its membership.

(7) Obama, Iran and the Jews reconsidered

 Jonathan Tobin, Commentary Magazine, 25 November 2013

Obama has worried Jewish supporters before, but never has he so ruthlessly undermined their faith. 

 
(8) The inevitable comes to pass

​​Mike Berger, Solar Plexus, 25 November 2013

Given Iran’s history and persisting rhetoric, plus the general behaviour of Kerry and Obama, there doesn’t seem to be too much room for optimism or a constructive or positive outcome to this issue.