By Mark Krikorian, CIS.org
The Washington Post’s editorial writers ought to read their own newspaper. Monday’s lead editorial bemoaned the fact that having illegal aliens go to the “back of the line” is deceptive since there is no “line” for them:
by Daniel Pipes*
It is the far-flung, easternmost island of Greece, 80 miles from Rhodes, 170 miles west of Cyprus, but just 1 mile off the coast of Turkey. Kastelorizo (in Greek, Καστελόριζο; or officially Megisti, Μεγίστη) is tiny, comprising just 5 square miles, plus some yet smaller, uninhabited islands. Its 430 inhabitants are way down from 10,000 in the late nineteenth century. The Lonely Planet travel guide has picked it as one of the four best Greek islands (out of thousands) for diving and snorkeling. There’s no public transportation from nearby Anatolia, only from distant Rhodes by airplane or ferry.
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi and Oskar Svadkovsky*
Among the second wave of Arab Spring uprisings that followed Tunisia, Syria was the most spectacular “out of the blue” that suddenly arose in the face of the media and analytic community. Just days before Deraa exploded with protests last March, some analysts were still scrutinizing Syria’s circumstances and declaring the country to be immune from the Arab Spring. Nor did reporters who visited the country spot signs of a brewing storm.
Reports emerged yesterday warning that, “Iran had been working on developing a missile capable of striking the United States.” In addition, one source claims that, “Iran’s nuclear arms program is complete, its missiles can reach US.” The general consensus already assumes that the Islamist regime has missiles, “capable of reaching Israel and Europe.” This obvious existential threat to Israel and the West has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s, “growing concerns of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program,” bolstered by the fact that the the European Union (EU), U.S., and to some part Japan and South Korea, have imposed an oil embargo on Iran. It must be emphasized that the EU, South Korea, and Japan all depend at least partially on Iranian oil, meaning the Western bloc takes Iran’s nuclear program seriously. All the above evidence is even more worrisome considering the fanaticism of the Islamist regime:
by Ali Alfoneh*
In July 2011, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed Maj. Gen. Rostam Qassemi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as oil minister,[1] bringing the number of former IRGC officers in his cabinet to twelve out of eighteen. Yet the IRGC’s seizure of the Oil Ministry could have far reaching economic, political, and strategic implications.
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi*
As U.S. military operations in Afghanistan drag on inconclusively, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Taliban insurgency is gaining ground. In the first six months of 2010, for example, there was a 31 percent rise in civilian casualties while the Shari’a was implemented in areas hitherto inaccessible to the Taliban.[1] Insurgent attacks in the first quarter of 2011 grew by 51 percent compared with the previous year[2] while the Afghan security forces have been increasingly penetrated by the Taliban.[3]
By Gary Gerofsky
As Canada (my country) knows all too well, when you get in bed with an elephant, you get squashed. Canada now has a semi-independent foreign policy with respect to Israel (we favour Israel over violent Islamic states but the USA has begun to distance itself away from Israel) and Canada has found a way to make its own decisions despite having such a large and domineering neighbour. We have found a way to develop our own economy and society while finding mutually beneficial arrangements with our largest trading partner (and we are the USA’s largest trading partner).
The anti-Israel company LUSH Cosmetics has quietly closed its Beverly Hills location approximately 3 months after JtB organized a protest outside the store to expose the company’s support of PLO extremism.
LUSH (with stores in the UK, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Anaheim, all over the US, and over 40 countries) is taking your money and giving it to support the PLO’s extremist One World Campaign which portrays Israel as an “illegal” occupier committing “crimes” against “Palestine” and grossly exaggerates the suffering in Gaza. Please write to customercare@lush.co.uk to protest their anti-Israel extremism and CC jointheboycott@inbox.com — see example and list of US locations. The “FLUSH LUSH” video is © JtB 1/2/12.
by Svante E. Cornell*
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) was reelected to a third term in June 2011. This remarkable achievement was mainly the result of the opposition’s weakness and the rapid economic growth that has made Turkey the world’s sixteenth largest economy. But Ankara’s growing international profile also played a role in the continued public support for the conservative, Islamist party. Indeed, in a highly unusual fashion, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his victory speech by saluting “friendly and brotherly nations from Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, Amman, Cairo, Sarajevo, Baku, and Nicosia.”[1] “The Middle East, the Caucasus, and the Balkans have won as much as Turkey,” he claimed, pledging to take on an even greater role in regional and international affairs. By 2023, the republic’s centennial, the AKP has promised that Turkey will be among the world’s ten leading powers.
By James R. Edwards Jr., CIS.org
What’s the number one issue in America today? It’s jobs. But we now have one more indication that U.S. employers are giving Americans desperate for work the shaft.
by Mudar Zahran*
Thus far the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has weathered the storm that has swept across the Middle East since the beginning of the year. But the relative calm in Amman is an illusion. The unspoken truth is that the Palestinians, the country’s largest ethnic group, have developed a profound hatred of the regime and view the Hashemites as occupiers of eastern Palestine — intruders rather than legitimate rulers. This, in turn, makes a regime change in Jordan more likely than ever. Such a change, however, would not only be confined to the toppling of yet another Arab despot but would also open the door to the only viable peace solution — and one that has effectively existed for quite some time: a Palestinian state in Jordan.
By David North, CIS.org
The Inspector-General of the Social Security Administration (SSA) has taken a look at one aspect of the H-1B program.
He brought to bear unlimited access to SSA’s huge electronic earnings data system, and deployed a staff of four to dig into it. So far, so good.
But he has done so with his blinders on and, as a result, has found little of interest.
As a researcher who, from time to time, had limited access to the same wonderful data set, which covers all earnings reported to the Social Security Administration, I find the latest IG report, “H-1B Workers’ Use of Social Security Numbers (A-08-11-11114)“, to be deeply disappointing.
By Fern Sidman
In an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva, New York City topographer and recent ZOA awardee Mark Langfan, responded to statements made by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon while on an official visit to Greece. According to wire service reports, during a news briefing on Tuesday, Ayalon was asked what Israel’s reaction would be to a threat posed by Turkey regarding oil drilling in Cyprus. Ayalon unequivocally stated: “If anyone tries to challenge these drillings, we will meet these challenges.” Last month Turkey said it would send naval forces to protect its drilling rights.
By Barry Rubin
What is the definition of insanity? Repeating the same behavior and expecting different results.
What is the definition of Middle East policy insanity? Intensifying the same behavior that has already failed and expecting a better result.
By Gary Gerofsky
The only non-military response to Islamism and the creeping sharia (Islamic law) that is infecting the world is through strength and activism against this scourge and against those in power who are facilitating Islamist expansion. The generations that went before us defeated communism and fascism, and now we must step up to the plate to defeat Islamism. This task is made seriously difficult because we have a Muslim supporter in the White House and weak, ignorant, misinformed leaders married to multiculturalism, wishful thinking, and leftism that is intent on appeasing Islamists in all but a few places (For political reasons related to 9/11, Al Qaeda seems to be the only real Islamist concern for the Obama administration.) Our Western countries have become divided states, one part for the radicals and one for the majority of citizenry — and, by virtue of our free and fair society, they are both afforded the same rights. The new world order has its new world leader with Obama encouraging dissent and self-loathing among his own countrymen while boosting the political fortunes of Muslim Brotherhood forces who want us dead and who live by their belief in intolerance and a world ruled by Islamic edicts.
You are currently browsing the archives for the Economy category.
Articles/Entries