Mob Raids Tunis Embassy, Clashes with Riot Police An angry mob stormed the US embassy in Tunis, set fires and clashed with riot police. At least two people were killed and 28 injured in the assault, the latest in a series of attacks against US diplomatic missions by crowds upset by an anti-Islamic video. Tunisia
Israel's Strike on Syrian Reactor Offers Few Lessons on Iran In an interview with Jacob Hale Russell, David Makovsky discusses Israel’s 2007 bombing of a Syrian nuclear installation and a potential Israeli attack on Iran's facilities. Makovsky says not to count on the apparent success in Syria repeating in Iran, and expresses concern about the lack of “political intimacy” between the US and Israeli leadership. Israel
Covering Yemen Imperils Journalists Benjamin Wiacek offers a first-hand account for Al-Monitor about trying to report on the protests at the US embassy in Yemen, detailing how he was assaulted by security forces as his wife and another colleague looked on. He writes that what happened to him is unfortunately a regular occurrence for many Yemeni journalists. Yemen
Why Lebanon's Taif Accord Is No Road Map for Syria Syria is not Lebanon, and the Lebanese Taif Accord shouldn't be a model for a solution to the crisis there, even if the US and Russia back such a sectarian-power-sharing plan, writes Amal Mudallali. The Lebanese arrived at that answer when both sides were convinced they couldn't win the war. In Syria, both sides are convinced they're winning. Syria
In Cairo, Protesters Didn't Pledge Allegiance to a Flag In the sea of protesters outside the US Embassy in Cairo — a mix of Islamists and dissatisfied young men — there was an astonishing number of black Islamist flags, much like the ones used by Al-Qaeda, writes Tara Todras-Whitehill from Cairo. But a flag vendor didn't feel they were brandishing an allegiance to Al-Qaeda as much as to Islam. Egypt
The Filmmaker Who Wasn't Many media accounts have named "Sam Bacile" as the "filmmaker" behind an anti-Islamic video that has sparked outrage in the Mideast. But the name appears to be phony, and Laura Rozen reveals details about people who were involved with the video. Egypt
Saudis, Iran Tentatively Engage in Trying to Resolve Syrian Crisis Like Iran, Saudi Arabia must “fish in muddy waters” for a while, and when its interests are firmly hooked, it can shape regional currents in its favor and leverage other players including Iran. The kingdom does not like playing the same games as Iran, but the stakes are too high to withdraw from engaging Iran, Banafsheh Keynoush writes for Al-Monitor. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu's Ultimatum Misreads US Attitudes Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin writes that by trying to push the US government to agree to “red lines” for Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is alienating US officials and many other Americans. Netanyahu should not overplay his hand and let his fear of Iran drag the US into a third war in the region in a decade. Israel
Attack on Libya Consulate ShowsIslamist/Security Imbalance The deaths of a US ambassador and three staff members complicate US policy on Syria and the upcoming presidential election, writes our Beirut Bureau Chief Ben Gilbert. But the situation also dramatizes just how much Libya, and Benghazi in particular, has changed from the early days of its revolution. Syria
Former KRG Prime Minister Says Iraqi Politics More Polarized Than Ever In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor’s Andrew Parasiliti, Kurdistan leader Barham Salih warned, “let’s not repeat the mishaps of the Iraq transition” in planning for a post-Assad Syria, and said that the “Iraqi political crisis is far from over,” and compared threats to cut the Kurdistan Region’s share of the Iraqi budget to the tactics of Saddam Hussein. Iraq
Amid Arab Spring, A Road Map Exists for US Economic Ties With traditional US alliances shifting and some Middle East economies in turmoil in the wake of the Arab Spring, Danny Sebright, president of the US-UAE Business Council, argues the bilateral economic relationship between the US and UAE could be a road map. United Arab Emirates
Egypt’s War on Culture Threatens Not Only Art, But Regional Status Egypt’s intellectual and cultural life is under attack, writes Alexander Brock, who questions the Muslim Brotherhood’s commitment to freedom of expression. Restrictions on Egypt’s creative life could have consequences that reach beyond its borders and potentially derail Cairo’s efforts to regain a leadership role in the Middle East. Egypt
Returned South Yemen Leader: 'Peaceful Struggle' May Yet Win Mohammed Ali Ahmed, a former South Yemeni leader who recently returned from exile, survived an assassination attempt on September 10. Al-Monitor's Farea al-Muslimi interviewed Ahmed, who rarely speaks and remains mostly in seclusion, earlier this summer on topics ranging from al-Qaeda to South Yemen’s prospects for independence. Yemen
Turkey's Alevis Disillusioned By Erdogan-Style Democracy Broken promises of democratic reform are a dangerous gamble in today’s Middle East, writes Jody Sabral. Turkey is a mosaic of ethnicities and faiths not unlike Syria, and Turkish minorities have for some time now become disillusioned with Erdogan's style of democracy. Turkey
Study: Violence Begets Violence Among Palestinian, Israeli Youth A study shows Palestinian and Israeli children act more violently because they're exposed to so much violence. Palestinian kids were found to have both the highest exposure to violence and highest levels of aggression. Mairav Zonszein writes for Al-Monitor. Culture & Society
Iraqi Spokesman: Al-Hashemi Is 'Connected Directly' To Terrorists In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor's Andrew Parasiliti, Ali Aldabbagh, spokesman for the government of Iraq, said that Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi is "connected directly to groups who ... performed terrorism," but could appeal his death sentence with a "full guarantee of protection" if he returned to Iraq. Iraq
