Robert M. Danin

Middle East Matters

Danin analyzes critical developments and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Posts by Category

Showing posts for "Bahrain"

Middle East Matters This Week: Violence, Demonstrations, Evacuations, and Conciliation

by Robert M. Danin
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a public appearance at an anti-U.S. protest in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 17, 2012 (Hasan Shaaban/Courtesy Reuters). Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a public appearance at an anti-U.S. protest in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 17, 2012 (Hasan Shaaban/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Libya. U.S. deputy secretary of state William Burns flew into Tripoli today to meet with Libyan officials and to attend a ceremony in honor of Ambassador Chris Stevens and the three other Americans killed last week in Benghazi. Burns met with Foreign Minister Ashur Ben Khayal, Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur and Mohammed al-Megaryef, head of the national assembly. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Lebanon Erupts, Syria Boils, and Egypt Builds Up

by Robert M. Danin
A Sunni Muslim gunman aims his rifle from the neighborhood of Bab al-Tebbaneh in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, during clashes between Sunni Muslims and Alawites on August 22, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters). A Sunni Muslim gunman aims his rifle from the neighborhood of Bab al-Tebbaneh in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, during clashes between Sunni Muslims and Alawites on August 22, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Lebanon. Renewed clashes broke out today in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli between Sunnis and Alawites, despite a ceasefire brokered yesterday. Since fighting first erupted four days ago, fifteen people have died and nearly one hundred have been injured. Prime Minister Najib Mikati voiced concern on Wednesday over “efforts to drag Lebanon more and more into the conflict in Syria when what is required is for leaders to cooperate … to protect Lebanon from the danger.” Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Annan’s Resignation, Syria’s Escalation, and Egypt’s Plodding Government Formation

by Robert M. Danin
UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan addresses a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva on August 2, 2012 (Denis Balibous/Courtesy Reuters). UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan addresses a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva on August 2, 2012 (Denis Balibous/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Annan Resignation. Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy for Syria, tendered his resignation today, having served in the position since late February. In a statement announcing that Annan was stepping down at the end of the month when his mandate expires, UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon said: “The hand extended to turn away from violence in favor of dialogue and diplomacy—as spelled out in the Six-Point Plan—has not been taken, even though it still remains the best hope for the people of Syria.” Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Syria’s Defections and Diplomacy, Egypt’s Power Struggles

by Robert M. Danin
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad meets UN Syria peace envoy Kofi Annan in Damascus on July 9, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters). Syria's president Bashar al-Assad meets UN Syria peace envoy Kofi Annan in Damascus on July 9, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Syria. UN Security Council members today began discussing a draft resolution on Syria in New York. Russia and the Western nations on the 15-member council have drafted rival resolutions on Syria. Britain, the United States, France and Germany have demanded sanctions against President Assad under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Moscow has vowed to veto any text that includes imposes sanctions or authorizes military intervention. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Egypt’s New President, Syria’s Bloodiest Week, and New Regional Diplomacy

by Robert M. Danin
President-elect Mohamed Morsi is seen on screens at the Egyptian Television headquarters control room during his first televised address to the nation in Cairo on June 24, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters). President-elect Mohamed Morsi is seen on screens at the Egyptian Television headquarters control room during his first televised address to the nation in Cairo on June 24, 2012 (Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Egypt. After days of delay, Egyptian election officials announced on Sunday that Mohamed Morsi had won 52 percent of the runoff vote and would become Egypt’s next president. Hours after being declared the winner, Morsi said that he would “be a president for all Egyptians” and called for national unity. Morsi, Egypt’s first Islamist and first fairly-elected president, resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood to take up the post. He moved into deposed president Mubarak’s old office on Monday to begin work on forming a new government. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Israel’s Surprise Unity Agreement, Further Disunity in Syria

by Robert M. Danin
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Kadima head Shaul Mofaz give a joint press conferece on May 8, 2012 (Ammar Awad/Courtesy Reuters). Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Kadima head Shaul Mofaz give a joint press conferece on May 8, 2012 (Ammar Awad/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Israel. In a move that caught virtually all Israelis by surprise, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Tuesday morning that he was forming a new unity government with the Kadima party and its new leader Shaul Mofaz (my Tuesday morning analysis available here). Israelis had been bracing for new national elections. As Netanyahu and Mofaz met secretly to hammer out the deal on Monday night, Knesset members were working to dissolve the government in preparation for a likely September 4 vote. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Syria’s Cease-fire Tatters, Former Israeli Security Officials Speak out on Iran

by Robert M. Danin
Israel's defense minister Ehud Barak sits across from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on April 29, 2012 (Ronen Zvulun/Courtesy Reuters). Israel's defense minister Ehud Barak sits across from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on April 29, 2012 (Ronen Zvulun/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Syria. The United Nations announced today that the three-week old truce in Syria “is not holding.” Major General Robert Mood, chief of the UN Supervision Mission to Syria, told Britain’s Sky News that “This is not easy and we are seeing–by the action, by explosions, by firing–that the cease-fire is really a shaky one.” He went on to say that “what we are also seeing on the ground is that where we have observers present, they have a calming effect and we’re also seeing that those operating on the ground, they take advice from our observers.” Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Syria Plan Flounders, Iraq’s Kurds Worry

by Robert M. Danin
Members of the first UN monitoring team in Syria, together with members of the Syrian Free Army, visit Homs on April 21, 2012 (Khaled Telawi/Courtesy Reuters). Members of the first UN monitoring team in Syria, together with members of the Syrian Free Army, visit Homs on April 21, 2012 (Khaled Telawi/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Syria. The United Nations Security Council established the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria on Saturday, increasing the number of ceasefire monitors there from thirty to three hundred. UN special envoy Kofi Annan subsequently urged the Security Council on Tuesday to deploy the expanded unarmed military mission rapidly. However, the head of U.N. peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, said it will take a month to deploy the first one hundred monitors. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Iran’s Negotiations, Syria’s Friends, and Egypt’s Elections

by Robert M. Danin
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili pose for media before their meeting in Istanbul on April 14, 2012 (Tolga Adanali/Courtesy Reuters). European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili pose for media before their meeting in Istanbul on April 14, 2012 (Tolga Adanali/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Syria. The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution Saturday authorizing the deployment of a thirty-person monitoring mission to oversee the Syrian ceasefire. By the time the first observers arrived in Syria on Monday, violence had flared up in recent flashpoint towns, including Homs and Hama. Read more »

Middle East Matters This Week: Hamas, “Friends” Line up Against Syria’s Assad

by Robert M. Danin
Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu confers with United Arab Emirates' foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan during the “Friends of Syria” conference in Tunis on February 24, 2012 (Jason Reed/Courtesy Reuters). Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu confers with United Arab Emirates' foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan during the “Friends of Syria” conference in Tunis on February 24, 2012 (Jason Reed/Courtesy Reuters).

Significant Middle East Developments

Hamas. Hamas officials announced today a break with long-time ally Syrian president Assad. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told a crowd of thousands at Cairo’s al-Azhar Mosque: “I salute all the nations of the Arab Spring and I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy, and reform.” The announcement indicates a dramatic shift in alignment for the organization that until recently had been headquartered in Damascus. Read more »