All is not well: Donald Trump’s assassination of Iran’s Suleimani masks how far American power has been forced into retreat across the Middle East, and will only accelerate strategic losses that endanger American lives and interests.
middle east
Bomb Iran? Pass.
Saudi Arabia is dragging the United States toward war with Iran against all American interests when the true threat to the Middle East continues to be Saudi Arabia–and American blindness to that alliance’s consequences.
Trump Steps Up Bombing in Iraq, Civilians Die
More U.S. coalition strikes are now causing civilian casualties than strikes by Russia, which was loudly and appropriately accused of war crimes for its bombing of Aleppo, Syria last year.
Iran Nukes Deal Will Protect Against Saudi and Israeli Threats
Iran hasn’t launched a single war in 50 years. Israel has launched eight, Saudi Arabia has kept funding America’s worst enemies–ISIS, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Who are the real threats to Mideast peace?
Good and Bad of the Iran Nuclear Deal: Caution and Selective Cooperation Ahead
The prospect that the agreement could keep Iran without nuclear weapons for 15 years is its main attraction. Sanctions alone could not have accomplished this, and using military force would have entailed considerable risk with uncertain results.
ISIS and Barack Obama’s Dumb War
Sending US troops back to Iraq to fight ISIS, Obama is doing what no American president has ever done before: re-start a war long lost. He’s doing it illegally, without Congressional authorization.
Obama’s Poisonous ISIS Moment and
The Snare of Remote-Controlled War
It’s not enough to be fighting a losing war in Afghanistan and another against “terror” in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and wherever else Obama wants to play centurion to the world. Expanding the war to Syria is a grave error whose unintended consequences will add to 13 years’ worth of American setbacks in the Middle East.
U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, 1949-2014
U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, 1949-2014: military and economic aid broken down by year, from the Congressional Research Service reports.
Obama’s Born-Again Missile Envy Over Syria: Wrong on All Counts
Whether the Syrian regime used chemical weapons or not, Obama would be wrong to attack, even if Congress approves. It’s not America’s war to fight, it’s not Obama’s judgment to make, and his red line is an absurd marker when contrasted with two and a half years of atrocities, and 100,000 deaths, that never got a peep.
When Riots In Defense of Islam Are More Vile Than Any Parody of the Prophet
“Innocence of Muslims” is a vile movie about Islam, but its movie maker had every right to make it, and it is far less vile than the murderous riots Muslim fundamentalists have launched as a result–or Mitt Romney’s political opportunism over the crisis.
Palestinian Prof. Jamil Khader Earns Hand Award at Stetson, Second in 5 Years
American Studies and History professor Paul Croce and Associate Professor of Geography J. Anthony Abbott also won Hand awards; Harry Price, an associate professor of chemistry, got the John Hague Teaching Award.
Bipolar Obamocracy:
Bombing Libya While Invading Bahrain
Barack Obama didn’t deserve the Nobel peace prize a few months into his first term. He deserves it less now. But Obama and Clinton certainly deserve the Nobel prize in physics for reinventing the rules of double-standards.
Two Down. Twenty To Go.
It’s a great day for Egypt, a great day for the Middle East. It’s only a beginning. American-backed dictatorships are still the rule in the region. It’s time for a wholesale reckoning.
My Journey Out Of Egypt: An FPC Graduate and Cairo Transplant Describes Her Exit
Catherine M., who asked that her last name not be used for security reasons, is the daughter of two prominent Flagler residents–a former sheriff and a commercial real estate broker. She wrote from Dubai.
Stetson Goes Tahrir: Panel Discussion on Egypt’s Future, Thursday (Feb. 10)
In a free event open to the public, Stetson University professor Jamil Khader will moderate a panel discussion titled “The Egyptian Revolution and the Future of American-Arab Relations.”
Watch the Egyptian Revolution Live: BBC and Al-Jazeera Feeds Here
Front seat to the revolutions: watch the BBC or al-Jazeera’s live English feeds of the unfolding events in Egypt and the Middle East, embedded on FlaglerLive.
Bill Delbrugge Live From Egypt:
“This Is Just a Different Type of Hurricane”
In a 40-minute interview from the outskirts of Cairo today, the former school superintendent explained why he’s staying in Egypt, what Egyptians are after and deserve, and what conditions are like.
The Rise of Egyptian Aspirations, The Fall of the American Brand
It’s been exhilarating to watch Egyptians demand an end to the dictatorial regimes controlling their lives for decades. But it’s exhilaration mixed with dread, doubt, disappointment and embarrassment, particularly over American postures and prejudices.
Delbrugge’s Letter to Flagler, Part II: How Egypt Compares And What Matters Most
The former school superintendent reflects on life in Egypt by deflating myths about the difference between private and public schools, comparing his in Egypt with Flagler’s school district, and speaking about what matters most in life.
Bill Delbrugge’s Letter to Flagler, Part I: America’s Place In the World–And Yours
In the first of two parts, Delbrugge recaps life in Egypt, America’s image abroad, and all the things Americans take for granted–but shouldn’t, including the importance of local government and civic engagement.
Bill Delbrugge in Egypt: Beyond the Camel, A Discovery of Challenges and Serenity
In his first interview since leaving Flagler County in July, former Superintendent Bill Delbrugge describes his new old world in Egypt–the challenges, the revelations, the peace of it all.
Firing McChrystal Isn’t Enough. Fire the War.
The McChrystal firing is the Obama administration’s grandest distraction from a failing war it still pretends to be winnable.
Delbrugge To Resign and Head for Mideast
Flagler County School Superintendent Bill Delbrugge announced on Feb. 11 his resignation and intention to lead a school district in the Middle East.