Featured Profiles
Matthew Levitt
Right Web | May 14, 2013
A counterterrorism specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy—a spinoff of AIPAC—Matthew Levitt has accused Iran of waging "asymmetric war" against the West through proxies such as Hezbollah. A proponent of the disputed notion that Iran's leaders are pursuing nuclear weapons, Levitt has praised the Obama administration's sanctions against Iran but argued that they must be accompanied by "military options."
Daniel Pipes
Right Web | May 09, 2013
Daniel Pipes, an outspoken neoconservative and critic of Islam, has broken with many of his fellow hawks on the issue of Syria. Rather than advocating the imposition of a "no-fly zone" or sending U.S. arms to the Syrian rebels, Pipes has argued that the United States should consider backing the regime of Bashar al-Assad, writing that "Western powers should guide enemies to stalemate by helping whichever side is losing, so as to prolong the conflict" and keep each side "focused locally."
Michael O’Hanlon
Right Web | May 09, 2013
Brookings scholar Michael O'Hanlon, a well known liberal interventionist who often teams up with rightwing hawks to push for U.S. military action abroad, has exceeded the proposals of many of his conservative partners with respect to Syria. In addition to advocating arming rebels and creating “no-fly zones,” O'Hanlon has suggested that the United States send as many as 20,000 U.S. "peacekeepers" to police an ethnically and religiously fractured Syria.
John McCain
Right Web | May 09, 2013
Since his longtime ally Sen. Joe Lieberman retired from the Senate, Sen. John McCain has led the congressional push for U.S. intervention in Syria's civil war, recently quipping that President Obama's supposed "red line" regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria "was apparently written in disappearing ink." Dismissing warnings about Syria's simmering sectarian tensions and the prevalence of radical Islamists amid its armed opposition, McCain has advocated sending heavy weaponry to Syria's rebels and employing U.S. airpower to create "safe zones" inside Syria.
Clare Lopez
Right Web | May 09, 2013
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Longtime rightwing activist and former CIA officer Clare Lopez is a vocal proponent of the notion that the U.S. government—and in particular the Obama administration—has been infiltrated by Islamic extremists tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. A senior fellow at the Clarion Project and the Center for Security Policy, Lopez implied in the wake of the Boston marathon bombing that Brotherhood-linked “front groups” had stymied FBI surveillance of mosques and Muslim organizations, making such attacks more likely to occur.
Clarion Project
Right Web | May 02, 2013
A controversial activist group closely connected to anti-Islamic political factions, the Clarion Project has released films and publications that attack “Radical Islam” and call into question the trustworthiness of Muslims in general. Previously known as the Clarion Fund, the neoconservative-linked group has been responsible for anti-Islamic films like Obsession and pro-war projects like Iranium. It now claims to be working on a film about "the cruel and often violent oppression of Muslim women."
Jerusalem Summit
Right Web | May 01, 2013
The Jerusalem Summit is an Israel-based advocacy group that brings together evangelical Christians, U.S.-based neoconservatives, and international “pro-Israel” organizations to press an anti-Palestinian agenda. Although the group appears to be largely dormant, it maintains an active presence on Facebook, where it posts images and messages mocking the notion of Palestinian statehood, promoting IDF talking points, and calling the “1.4 million Muslims living in Israel” an “obstacle to peace.”
From the Wires
Decade After Iraq, Right-Wing and Liberal Hawks Reunite Over Syria
May, 08 2013Ten years after right-wing and liberal hawks came together to push the U.S. into invading Iraq, key members of the two groups appear to be reuniting behind stronger U.S. military intervention in Syria.
Europe Urged to Step into Breach of Failed Mideast Peace
May, 07 2013A group of former European leaders is urging the EU to sidestep the stalled U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace process and take a strong stance against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
Obama Seen Unlikely to Sharply Escalate Intervention in Syria
May, 04 2013The Assad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons has led to calls for increased U.S. assistance to rebels, but lingering doubts in Washington about intervention means assistance will likely remain limited.
Israel Unlikely to Stay on Syrian Sidelines for Much Longer
May, 01 2013Although Israel has thus far appeared reluctant to intervene in Syria's civil war, some analysts believe that increased Hezbollah activity in the Syrian conflict could eventually draw the Israelis in.
Some Hear Death Knell for a Two-State Solution
April, 30 2013John Kerry and the Obama administration have placed renewed attention on the Middle East and Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but some analysts think their efforts are too little and too late .
Washington’s Nuclear Hypocrisy
April, 29 2013At the same time that the United States vilifies North Korea and Iran for their nuclear programs, it remains silent about the atomic weapons of its friends.
Kerry’s Mideast Trip Seen as “Going Through the Motions”
April, 19 2013Although several Obama administration officials have visited the Middle East in recent months, many analysts believe the administration has given up on negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement with the current Israeli government.