The Iranian Government’s instruments of financial leverage and soft power have taken a hit this month, but Tehran continues to march toward attaining a nuclear weapon.  more

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) negotiator Saeb Erekat threatened over the weekend that the Palestinians would work for international support to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state within the 1967 boundaries.  more

The AP reports that Hillary Clinton’s latest round of shuttle diplomacy with Arab leaders “produced no sign of a breakthrough.” These failures though are not hers alone. They are the result of earlier missteps by the President, and an Arab world sending mixed messages about its commitment to peace.  more

While renewed conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis is possible, there may be another conflict brewing. Tensions between Hamas and Fatah are running high and a new “intra-fada” between the rival Palestinian factions may be on the horizon.  more

President Obama’s State Department has reversed the Bush administration’s policies of undermining authoritarian Middle East regimes through the spread of democracy.  more

On Friday, the UN Council for Human Rights approved the Goldstone Report, which falsely accuses Israel of targeting civilians during the war in Gaza. While the move is a naked attempt to demonize Israel, it is also a distinct failure for President Obama’s Middle East policies.  more

That Hillary Clinton is returning from a trip to Russia without exacting any significant concessions from the Kremlin should come as no surprise. When Obama unilaterally scrapped plans for a missile defense shield in eastern Europe, he coughed up Washington’s only bargaining chip.  more

Legislators are growing increasingly frustrated with President Obama’s refusal to endorse an Iranian sanctions package that has the overwhelming support of 327 Representatives in the House and 75 Senators – more than three-quarters of Congress.  more

At the United Nations last week, Libyan strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi showered U.S. President Barack Obama with unexpected praise, telling the heads of state and dignitaries assembled that he hoped Obama could “stay forever as the president.” This was not an isolated incident. Scores of other authoritarians and anti-American mouthpieces have come out in support of Obama’s foreign policies.  more

A U.S. drone attack on Wednesday on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border killed at least seven Taliban members, including a number of foreign fighters, Reuters reported. U.S. drones have carried out more than 30 strikes over the last year, including 7 under the watch of U.S. President Barack Obama. 
Obama, meanwhile, has ordered the deployment of 17,000 more   more