MENA Archives

October 13, 2019October 14, 2019

The Kurds – Betrayal and an ignored report highlight US policy failures

A US administration ignores the obvious, choosing betrayal over allies, trading Kurdish lives for a path towards US foreign policy failure. Keep Reading

June 29, 2019

Getting to Yes in Syria – Negotiating Peace

After an 8 year bloody conflict in Syria all sides have a lot to gain from a negotiated peace. The battle for control rages on in Syria. The Syrian Civil War has continued its metamorphosis from a large-scale civil war, to a gruelling counterinsurgency operation,… Keep Reading

June 3, 2019June 4, 2019

The Art of Foreign Influence: The Russian Military Adviser

History’s superpowers have long employed military advisers around the world as extensions of a country’s power and influence. Russia has a wealth of experience when it comes to optimizing and maximizing the use of advisers. A prime example is the advisory operations of the former… Keep Reading

May 29, 2019May 29, 2019

Iranian crackdown on MEK shows the activist group has popular support

OPINION | Iran’s increasing crackdown on the MEK, an activist group accused by the mullahs of organizing mass protests, proves the group is the main alternative to the present Iranian regime. Lima Charlie World is publishing the following opinion article in its entirety. At times,… Keep Reading

May 16, 2019May 16, 2019

Syria’s oil, gas and water – the Immiscible Solution to the War in Syria

There is a major battle going on for control of Syria’s oil and gas industry among the U.S., Russia, Iran and Turkey. The roots of the Syrian Civil War can be traced to conflicts over the control of Syria’s energy. Resolution of that conflict will… Keep Reading

May 14, 2019May 22, 2019

STRATEGIC OPTION | Syrian Endgame – The Hard Truth

A harsh reality is that the Syrian revolution is an abject failure. Nothing will rescue the dream of Syrian democracy. It’s time for radical policy initiatives, even distasteful ones, to stop the needless slaughter of countless innocents. It’s time for realpolitik. It’s time for an… Keep Reading

May 11, 2019May 22, 2019

Israel-Hamas Cyberwar, when old warfare meets new

While strategies shift, Israel and Hamas continue to battle in both cyberspace and conventional space. Israel struck 320 ground targets in the Gaza Strip last weekend targeting Hamas, the Islamist militia and governing political party of Palestine. The attack included a strike against the headquarters… Keep Reading

Image The Alevis Dilemma [Lima Charlie News]

April 7, 2019

The Alevis Dilemma – Turkey’s Erdogan sets a religious minority on a collision course with Erdogan’s Turkey

A significant religious minority in Turkey, the Alevis, have become increasingly subject to President Erdogan’s populist ire, as they find themselves on a collision course with the Islamification and ‘Turkification’ of Turkey. When I visited Antalya, Turkey, in the late 1990s, I was surprised by… Keep Reading

Image Iran perpetuates terror - why not legally recognize that? Lima Charlie News

April 6, 2019April 6, 2019

OPINION | Iran perpetuates terror – why not legally recognize that?

The case for designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Intelligence Ministry as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Lima Charlie World is publishing the following opinion article in its entirety. At times, Lima Charlie will publish opinion articles that are relevant to critical foreign… Keep Reading

March 22, 2019March 22, 2019

Strike a deal with which devil? The many faces of the Taliban

18 years later, the U.S. is engaged in negotiations with the Taliban over the future of Afghanistan. But what exactly is “the Taliban”? Contrary to popular belief, there is no single “Taliban” and America is now negotiating with a hydra-like creature to an uncertain end.… Keep Reading

February 23, 2019February 23, 2019

The Fears of Iran and its Forgotten Kurds

In the West much is heard about the struggles of the Kurdish peoples of Iraq and Turkey. Yet, little is heard about the Kurds of Iran. To most Iranians, Kurds are simply a non-people. Any mention of Kurdish symbols, such as the sun logo of… Keep Reading

February 10, 2019November 13, 2019

Killing al Baghdadi – SOF operation sparks attempted coup against ISIS leader

As the sun sets on the Islamic State, its notorious leader faces a radical decision – a decision by his own men to remove him. After a Special Forces operation led by U.S. and British troops closed in on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an unlikely coup ensued.… Keep Reading

January 25, 2019January 28, 2019

Arabs and Kurds – Why can’t they just get along?

U.S. Army Colonel Norvell DeAtkine examines the age old clash between Arabs and Kurds. The young Kurdish interpreter for American troops pointed to a tattered Iraqi flag flying over a small government building. He told me with bitterness in his voice that just seeing that… Keep Reading

January 14, 2019

Iran vs. the European Union – A Murderously Difficult Balancing Act

Europe faces a balancing act between security and Iran’s hard-liners. Iranian intelligence services have long been suspected of actively carrying out operations to target Iranian dissidents in Europe. According to European intelligence agencies, in the past 5 years, Iranian intelligence operatives have successfully carried out… Keep Reading

January 10, 2019January 11, 2019

Leaving Syria – a misstep continues to haunt America’s allies

Trump’s proclamation that the U.S. would leave Syria caught America’s allies off balance. On December 19th, 2018, President Donald Trump tweeted that “we have defeated ISIS in Syria,” thus eliminating the need for U.S. troops to remain in the Syrian area of operations. Shortly thereafter, the… Keep Reading

December 24, 2018April 9, 2019

The Arabs – a “Manufactured” People?

OPINION: Establishing a grand Arab peacekeeping force is a seductive idea. An “Arab NATO” consisting of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan has been proposed. As the thinking goes, Arabs understand one another, speak the same tongue, and all abhor the… Keep Reading