Lebanon

Eyeless in Gaza

Featured image Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on Lebanon, Hezbollah, Syria, and the geopolitics of the Levant. Tablet originally published his illuminating column “Eyeless in Gaza” on October 18. FDD has cross-posted it here with Badran’s many links. The column provides an illuminating account of “how the U.S. blinded Israeli intelligence gathering efforts on Hamas and other Palestinian groups inside Lebanon.” »

Protests in Lebanon and Iraq are bad news for Iran

Featured image I’ve tried to keep our readers apprised, or at least aware, of the large scale protests in Lebanon and Iraq. Both sets of protests are bad news for Iran. In Lebanon, the protests are directed, in part, against Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy. In Iraq, the major target appears to be Iran itself. Eliora Katz, writing for Tablet, calls the protests “the revolt against Iran”: Across the Middle East, from Baghdad to »

Anti-Iran protests erupt in Iraq

Featured image I wrote here about protests in Lebanon against a government dominated by Hezbollah, and therefore by Iran. Hezbollah’s leader initially expressed support for the protesters, pretending that the target was other players in Lebanon. When protesters refuted that myth, he changed his tune and warned of civil war. Since then, Hezbollah has violently attacked protesters. Iraq is experiencing a similar dynamic. Large-scale protests have broken out again. As in Lebanon, »

Protesters to Hezbollah: “All means all”

Featured image Lebanon is the scene these days of mass protests. They began on October 17, triggered by a proposed new tax and fueled by an austerity budget that cuts public spending, pensions, and employee benefits. According to the Washington Post, the protests are the largest in nearly 15 years. They bring together Lebanese from all groups and sects. The target, say protesters, is the entire political class which is viewed as »