Hagel, Syria, the P5+1 and Iran
The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense as the United States announced $60 million in non-lethal aid to the Syrian Opposition Council; Israel, Iraq and Lebanon continue to be concerned about the regionalization of the war in Syria; and Iran puts Syria in play after the P5+1 meetings.
Hagel and Syria
On Feb. 26, former Sen. Chuck Hagel was confirmed as US defense secretary. The campaign against Hagel’s confirmation was an embarrassment and a loser for those who waged it, as Akiva Eldar wrote this week. The allegation of an anti-Israel bias by Hagel continues to be revealed as the falsehood it was from the start. Former Israeli Consul General in New York Alon Pinkas, a regular contributor to Al-Monitor, wrote elsewhere this week that Hagel is “a friend in the Pentagon” for Israel. Israeli President Shimon Peres lauded Hagel’s appointment.
