Sunday, May 5, 2013

Selected writings on Middle East and related/unrelated security issues (Ignore date tag)

This page is regularly updated (please ignore the May 5th date tag).  Most recent writings tend to be at the top of each header section. Writings on other issues related to security/intelligence/counter-terrorism/AQ Core etc. are listed in the OTHER section towards the end of this post.

Relevant academic background - I hold a BA in War Studies from King's College London and a Masters degree in Middle East Politics from The School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

IRAN

Iran Deal: Just a piece of paper. For now
. (Christian Science Monitor)

Iran Nuclear Program - Discussion and Analysis (TV - Global Voice Hall)

5 Benefits of US-Israel Negotiating Discord - How it makes a good nuclear deal more likely (National Review Online)


Flow Chart - Predicting the ramifications of an Israeli military operation against Iran (Blog)

Flow Chart - Predicting the regional ramifications of a nuclear armed Iran (Blog)

US Navy deployments... Iran? (Blog)

How Obama can achieve a good nuclear deal with Iran (The Guardian)

How to manage a nuclear theocracy (Blog)

2 Presidents and 3 diplomatic delusions regarding Iran (Blog)

4 Takeaways from the Filkins study of Qassem Suleimani (Blog)


Iran, the US and the UN - A skeptical take (Blog) 


Iran plans retaliation if US strikes Assad (Blog)


President Rouhani and the continuing risk of conflict (Blog)


The geo-strategic impact of Iran attaining a nuclear weapons capability (The Commentator)


How domestic politics influences Iranian, US and Israeli foreign policy (Blog)


How Iran will use brinkmanship to protect its nuclear program (The Guardian)


Israel could attack Iran without causing a major war in the region (The Guardian)


Iran and Diplomacy (Blog)


Strategic interplay in the Near/Middle East (The Daily Caller)


Netanyahu at the UN (Blog)

Netanyahu's strategy on Iran (The Daily Caller)

Iran plots against US and How US should have responded (Blog)

SYRIA/LEBANESE HIZBALLAH/LEBANON/ (together due to overlap in the pieces)

Putin's deal is a catastrophe for Syria and the US (The Guardian)


A key difference between Bush and Obama (Blog)


Thoughts on Geneva (Radio 660 AM The Answer) 


Putin's letter - Analysis (Blog)


The American Retreat (Blog)


Syria WMD deal? The ultimate political Ponzi scheme (Blog)


The American Choice in International Affairs (National Review Online)


Syria - a pivotal week for America (Blog)


How the Bin Laden raid can guide US intervention in Syria (Blog)


Syria - 4 myths infecting the intervention debate (Blog)


Talking Syria/Congress (TV - Al Jazeera America)


Syria - US policy challenges (Radio - 660 AM The Answer)


Obama goes to Congress on Syria: Big mistake (The Week)


Kerry press conference (Blog)

Why the British Government vetoed intervention in Syria (Blog)

Syria and US Foreign Policy - Values and Outcomes (Blog)


Syria Update... (Blog)

Why the US should intervene against Assad (Monocle 24 Radio)


Obama fails to lead on Syria (The Guardian)


5 proposals for American intervention in Syria (Blog)

Actors in the Syrian Civil War - Flow Chart (Blog)

The suffering of Syria, the shame of America (Blog)

It's time to arm the Syrian rebels (The Week) 

On the EU's Hizballah delusion (Blog)

How the US should deal with Assad's chemical weapons threat (Huffington Post)




Why Hizballah will desert Assad before the end (The Guardian) (I still support the essence of my argument here, but in hindsight, it's also clear that I placed too much emphasis on Hizballah's concerns over domestic/regional political perception.)

IRAQ


AL QA'IDA in the ARABIAN PENINSULA

7 Thoughts on the August 2013 AQAP threat (Blog)


BBC World Service discussion on August 2013 AQAP threat (BBC)


AQAP Intelligence Leaks (Blog)


On the Foiled 2012 AQAP plot (Blog)


EGYPT 


Five observations about Egypt chaos (Fox News)


Egypt and the failure of US policy (Blog)


Why the Egyptian Army Issued Morsi a Deadline (Blog)


Why Egypt Needs Democracy (Blog)

SOMALIA/AL-SHABAB

Tripoli/Baraawe - Special Forces Methodology (Blog)

Capture of Anas al-Liby/Strike Against al-Shabab (Blog) 

The Evil of Global Jihad (National Review Online)

How the US must respond to the Westgate Mall attack (Blog)


ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT


Why the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are worthwhile (Blog)

American conservatives should support the peace process (Blog)

Why America is right to support Israel (Blog)


LIBYA

Capture of Anas al-Liby/Strike against al-Shabab (Blog)

Obama's subversion of war powers (The Guardian)


Assessing allegations of a CIA cover-up in Benghazi (Blog) 

Benghazi and why truth makes a difference (Blog)


OTHER - (Somewhat relevant here: In 
2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012, I was the Deputy Lead Player Escort (#2 rank), G4S – Wimbledon Tennis ChampionshipsThis role involved ensuring player/VIP security during the tournament and required extensive liaison with the UK's Metropolitan Police Service and other parties.

Why Islamic extremists don't appreciate satire (Blog)

Notes on Sayyid Qutb (Blog) 

British Jihadists in Syria (Blog)

The Evil of Global Jihad (National Review Online)

Debate - Is America right to spy on Europe? (BBC)

Why America should spy on Europe (National Review Online)

US Intelligence Operations in Europe (Al Jazeera America)

Merkel and the NSA - Analysis (Blog)

A delicate dance - France and the NSA (Blog)

In Defense of Drones (National Review Online)

UK Intelligence Chiefs - Analysis of Testimony (Blog)

London Counter-Terrorism arrests, Snowden and UK Intelligence (Blog)

Oct 2013 London Counter-Terrorism arrests (Blog) 

Zawahiri and AQ Core's evolving strategy (Blog)

Brazil, the NSA and a Snowdened state visit (Blog)

The protection of President Obama's family shouldn't be political football (The Guardian)



On the drone debate (Blog)


Why I support the CIA's UCAV (drone) program (Blog)


Obama must not undo success of surge in Afghanistan (The Guardian)


The role of religion, the definition of terrorism - beware the original thinkers (Blog)


Why the Tsarnaevs turned to terrorism (Blog)


Why Guantanamo Bay should remain open (The Daily Caller)


BBC World Service debate on Guantanamo Bay (Radio) (BBC)


BBC World News debate on Guantanamo Bay (TV) (BBC)

Why Muslims must confront Islamic extremism (Blog)


In Defense of Lawful Secrecy (The Week)


Analysis of Washington Post Intelligence Community reporting (Blog)


The Challenge of Hostage Rescue Operations (Blog)


The War on Terror isn't over. Here's how the US can win it (The Week)


Republicans must speak out against attacks on our Muslim fellow citizens (The Daily Caller)


Conservatives and Counter-Terrorism (The Week)
(All pretty serious topics, so here's some pleasant music...) 
 

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