Whither Syria and Lebanon? AND: Profiles on Ellen Bork, Foreign Policy Initiative, and more
By Edited By Michael Flynn January 19, 2011
Right Web is now available on Facebook. Become a friend!
Available online at: http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/articles/category/right_web_news
Right Web is a project of the Institute for Policy Studies
FEATURED ARTICLE
The Case for Syria
By Samer Araabi
The continuing influence of Syria, which has been reflected in the recent power struggles in Lebanon, clearly demonstrates that U.S. attempts to isolate Damascus have failed. Syria occupies an important strategic position in the Levant, and it sits at the crossroads of a number of U.S. interests. Despite efforts by rightwing “pro-Israel” groups in the United States to prevent rapprochement with Syria, direct and honest engagement is the only way to satisfy U.S. foreign policy goals, rein in violent extremism, and encourage political reforms. Read full article .
SEE ALSO:
Lebanese Government Collapse Adds to Obama Problems
By Jim Lobe
The collapse of the Hariri-led government in Lebanon adds to the list of policy challenges the U.S. faces across the Middle East. Read full article.
FEATURED PROFILES
Bork, a project director at the Foreign Policy Initiative and the daughter of former Supreme Court justice nominee Robert Bork, has helped foster the time-honored neoconservative tactic of organizing elite public sign-on letters to pressure public figures.
A former military intelligence officer and defense industry executive with a track record of advancing hawkish U.S. defense policies and supporting neoconservative campaigns, Jackson now advocates reevaluating the former Soviet republics’ integration into NATO.
Jamie Fly, a former adviser to the George W. Bush administration, is the executive director of the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) and a blogger for the Weekly Standard.
Goldberg, often accused of bolstering efforts to push the United States into conflict in the Middle East, is now calling for restraint on Iran, arguing that a military attack on the country would prove counterproductive.
The former Cheney advisor helps direct the Foreign Policy Initiative and is a fellow at Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
The Foreign Policy Initiative, a premier neoconservative pressure group in Washington, has had surprising success in getting credible human rights groups to collaborate with them on advocacy campaigns, repeating a tactic that was used to great effect by war hawks during the lead up to the 2002 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The Progressive Policy Institute, the associated think tank of the Democratic Leadership Council, has promoted a militarist foreign policy agenda, including a hardline on Iran.
The Philanthropy Roundtable aims to foster rightist causes and assist the “war on terror” by helping shape conservative charitable giving.
Project on Transitional Democracies
The Project on Transitional Democracies, a successor group to the U.S. Committee on NATO, promotes reforms in post-Soviet states and has pressed a get-tough approach to Russia.
ALSO NEW ON RIGHT WEB
Pressure Mounts on Security Council to Rein in Israel
As Israel continues to build new settlements in Palestinian territories, there’s growing international pressure for the UN and the U.S. to take action.
Defense Contractors Insulated from Budget Cuts
Defense contractors will not feel the pinch in the recently announced military spending reductions.
Wikileak Cables Reveal China’s Modernizing Military Might
In the days leading up to the highly anticipated summit between China and the United States, much attention was given to leaked cables that discuss China’s trajectory as a sophisticated military power.
Sanctions Forced Iran to Slash Bloated Energy Subsidies
Economic sanctions may have slowed Iran’s nuclear development, but the country’s decision to cut subsidies on basic commodities appears to have mostly cut consumption and not ignited popular protest.
Disappointment May Yield to Distrust in Latin America
Two years into the Obama administration, Latin Americans have seen little change in inter-hemispheric relations with the U.S., and expect more disappointment with the new Republican-led Congress.
Weekly Standard, Rove Make The Case For Israel-Al Qaeda Linkage
The Weekly Standard and former Bush advisor Karl Rove have been pushing the argument that Guantanamo is not motivating terrorist groups, and in the process bolstering the case that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important recruitment tool of Al Qaeda and presumably other violent Islamist groups.
How Afghanistan Became a War for NATO
The war in Afghanistan has been touted as a vital to countries across the globe, but NATO seems to have taken on the lead role in the campaign there mainly in order to help justify its own existence.
LETTERS
Right Web encourages feedback and comments. Send letters to rightweb.ips@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit comments for clarity and brevity. Be sure to include your full name. Thank you.