All Backchannels
Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra militia looks pretty seriousSome eye-catching video shows a disciplined jihadi militia on the move in eastern Syria after ransacking a regime artillery base.
How lonely must it be to be Mahmoud Abbas?Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is losing support at home as Hamas' star rises. While he's trying to regain relevance with a UN bid this week, the US and Israel are working against him.
Prince of Blackwater heads to AfricaErik Prince, who made a fortune in Iraq thanks to his politically connected and controversial Blackwater military contractor, is leading a group of Chinese investors on a hunt for natural resources and investment opportunities in Africa.
Rupert Murdoch's Jewish problem. And his Egyptian one.What the media baron's twitter feed says about his worldview.
As rockets fly, the Gaza image and propaganda war grinds onSo far, the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas is as much about muscle-flexing, installing terror in the enemy, and image management as it is about the sadly mounting toll of the dead.
For both Hamas and Israel, there are reasons to escalateFor Hamas, a fear that capitulation will hurt their standing more than defiance. For Israel, it's a question of making good on public threats.
How many rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel this year?The rate has surged since the assassination Tuesday of Hamas leader Ahmed Jabari and an Israeli air offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Is Hamas responsible for Gaza rocket fire? Not exactly.And there could well be more of it without them.
For Israel, costs and benefits of striking GazaIsrael assassinated a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Jabari, today. How much further will the Gaza strikes go?
Be wary about what you read on the Petraeus scandalWelcome to the 'wilderness of mirrors.' For those of us on the outside, great care should be taken in assessing each new 'reveal.'
Obama to visit Myanmar, an overture to a one-time pariahPresident Obama's trip to Myanmar comes as the capstone of a stunningly fast rapprochement with a country the US once treated as a pariah. Is it too soon?
On marijuana and the Mexican drug war...After legalization of recreational marijuana use in two US states, Mexico may rein in interdiction efforts.
Does legal marijuana in the US really mean trouble for Mexican drug cartels?A look at the numbers.
Architect of anti-Islam YouTube clip returns to jailNakoula Basseley Nakoula was sentenced to return to jail for聽violating parole on a felony fraud conviction.
After Obama win, say goodbye to neoconsAt least for a few years.
From a distance, Syria 'feels' like Iraq in 2004There's some hope for a faster end to the fighting 鈥� with British Prime Minister Cameron hinting at safe passage for Assad if he decides to quit the fight. But the outlook is grim.
'Cyberterror' and Chinese hackersHow scared should we be?- Aghanistan's Karzai back to antagonizing the US and attacking free speechAnd why not? It's not as though his public statements cost him anything.
War crimes and the fantasy of 'controlling' Syria's rebelsAn atrocity in the strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb is a reminder that the landscape of that country's civil war is a place where angels fear to tread.- Obama 'Mideast surprises'? Unlikely.There are plenty of reasons to question Niall Ferguson's musings about possible last-minute Obama 'surprises' aimed at winning the election. His most recent column in particular.
