Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 27, 2013

Demonstrators hold the flags of Arab nations aloft during a rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square. PHOTO: AFP

Tribes With Flags -- Aaron David Miller, Foreign Policy

How the Arab Spring has exposed the myth of Arab statehood.

In 1978, Fouad Ajami wrote a seminal article in Foreign Affairs titled "The End of Pan Arabism." Its conceit was that the particular interests and actions of key Arab states had long ago trumped the idealized rhetoric and aspirations of Arab unity.

Forty years on, it may be time to ponder another proposition: In the wake of the Arab Spring, we're witnessing the beginning of the end of another Arab illusion -- the functional and coherent Arab state.

Forget democracies. What's at stake here is basic coherence and governance.

Three powerful states once competed for power and influence in the Arab world, not to mention America's attention. Egypt held the key to peace or war with Israel, Iraq determined the power balance in the Gulf, and Syria shaped security and stability in the Levant.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

With Syria In Shambles, The Uncertain Future Of Hezbollah -- NPR

Assad’s Big Ally: How Deeply Entrenched Is Iran in Syria? -- Masih Alinejad and Azadeh Moaveni, Time

Even if Iran gets the Bomb, it won’t be worth going to war -- Jack Straw, The Telegraph

Are the US and Russia bridging their divide over Syria?
-- Frank Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Isolating North Korea will not help curb its nuclear ambitions --- Christopher R. Hill, The Daily Star

China should take lead on North Korea
-- Joseph R DeTrani, Asia Times

The Taliban's New, More Terrifying Cousin -- Jeffrey Stern, The Atlantic

Mali crisis eclipses Western Sahara conflict -- Deutsche Welle

The cult of Silvio Berlusconi: Why Italians keep voting for 'Il Cavaliere' -- Bill Emmott, Special to CNN

Italy's Populist Revolt: Beppe Grillo scored big on voters' outrage with their elected leaders. -- Alberto Mingardi, Wall Street Journal

Greek Reform Effort Slows to a Crawl
-- Georgios Christidis in Thessaloniki, Spiegel Online

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