Topic: Middle East
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Iran fires at US drone: the top 3 pressing questions
Iranian military forces fired at a US Predator drone for the first time ever earlier this month, the Pentagon acknowledged this week. It’s a revelation that has raised a host of questions for the US military. Here are the top three.
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War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.
The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
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How the world is reacting to Obama's reelection
From China to Iran, President Obama's reelection elicited everything from celebration to doubt about his second-term agenda. Here are 11 responses:
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5 national security issues next president must tackle
President Obama and Mitt Romney battle over foreign policy issues in the third and final presidential debate. No matter who wins the presidential election November 6, Mr. Romney or Mr. Obama will have to confront five urgent national security issues in the first weeks of his term.
All Content
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John Kerry, Chuck Hagel: Vietnam vets to lead US foreign and defense policies?
Sen. John Kerry is the leading contender to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel could be Obama's next Defense Secretary.
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Top Picks: Songs of Christmas cheer, Jeremy Renner as The Bourne Legacy, and more
Two e-readers work well with little lighting, the 'Charlie Brown Christmas' soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment to any holiday, and more top picks.
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Syria's rebels, US urge Moscow to help push Assad into ceding power
Both rebel leadership and the United States urged the Russian government to help push Syria's President Bashar al-Assad into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital.
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Opinion: Egypt and other Arab democracies will not survive without including more women
Despite their sacrifices during the Arab revolutions, Arab women are glaringly absent from the new parliaments, constitutional drafting committees, and cabinet appointments – especially in Egypt. But democracy, like revolution, is unsustainable in the Middle East without the inclusion of women.
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Family of journalist Austin Tice struggles with silence on kidnapping
Austin Tice was kidnapped near Damascus in August. His family went to Beirut recently in hopes of extending their reach into Syria and finding out more about who might be holding him.
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Focus
Which world hot spots will clamor for Obama's attention?Obama is unequivocal about his intent to refocus on US domestic issues during his second term. But the world is not likely to cooperate. Here are seven foreign-policy challenges already bearing down on him.
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McDonald's surprises with US sales gain; shares soar
McDonald's posted a surprise gain in a key November sales figure, sending McDonald's shares soaring 2.2 percent in premarket trading. The strong report was a pleasant surprise for McDonald's after a sales drop in October.
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On Europe's foreign agenda: how to handle Israel
The future of Israeli-European relations will be on the agenda when European Union foreign ministers meet today to broach the subject of Israel.
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As Syria's rebels close in, Assad has three options
The most likely is a retreat into the mountains controlled by his minority Alawite community.
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The Monitor's View: How to avoid revenge killings in post-Assad Syria
The end appears near for the Assad regime in Syria. The opposition and world powers must do more to prevent the kind of post-conflict revenge – mainly against Alawites – that could ricochet in the Middle East.
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Terrorism & Security
With Hamas's confidence waxing, Khaled Meshaal arrives in GazaThe Hamas leader's return to Palestinian territory, his first visit since 1967, coincides with the party's increased sway after an eight-day conflict with Israel and UN recognition of Palestine.
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Difference Maker
Izhar Gafni invents revolutionary cardboard bicycleHis two-wheeled creation, a $20 bike made out of cardboard, could revolutionize bicycling, especially in the developing world.
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Merkel meets Netanyahu as Israel and Germany hit rocky patch
Germany's abstention from the UN vote on the status of the Palestinian Authority angered Israel and raised questions about whether Germany's once almost unconditional support is changing.
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Backchannels
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's 'trial of power' (+video)In Egypt a few years ago, the Muslim Brotherhood was making promises. The protesters in Cairo say the group isn't keeping them.
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Greece seen as most corrupt European nation, survey says
Transparency International ranks Greece, along with other European countries racked by the financial crisis, poorly in its 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index.
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The Monitor's View: Are Americans ready to deal with Syria's chemical weapons?
On Monday, Obama strongly warned Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad not to use chemical weapons as rebels advance on Damascus. What is the national interest in threatening US action? Obama must sort out the moral purpose.
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Decoder Wire
New polls fuel speculation about Hillary Clinton in 2016Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is more popular than she's ever been – and might well clear the Democratic field, were she to officially enter the 2016 presidential race.
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Terrorism & Security
And the most corrupt nation this year is.... (+video)It's a tie between Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia. Elsewhere, bankrupt Greece, one-party China, and various 'Arab Spring' nations stand out in Transparency International's annual rankings.
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Covert US-Iran war bubbles over with claims of drone capture
Most of the actions in the US-Iran covert war remain mysterious and unclaimed – until one side sees an advantage in shining light on an incident. That’s what Iran has done with the drone capture.
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Cover Story
Inside the mind of Iran's Khamenei (+video)Why Iran's iron ayatollah distrusts the US and what that means for nuclear talks and the possibility of war with the West.
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Europe's big powers unify to push against Israel settlement plans (+video)
Observers are struck by the degree to which the UK, France, and others in Europe have acted together to criticize Israel's plans to expand settlements.
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Mortar slams into Syrian school, killing 29 students
While concerns over the potential use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government increase, a conventional weapon does lethal damage in a Damascus suburb.
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Terrorism & Security
Did Iran just down a US drone by 'spoofing'? (+video)Iran claims it captured a US drone in its airspace, which the US denies. If true, Iran may have brought the drone down by jamming signals and reconfiguring its GPS coordinates.
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Fuel subsidies get scrutiny at Doha talks
Nations spend more than $500 billion to keep fossil fuel prices low, which is popular with voters but harms the climate. Removing fossil-fuel subsidies would lower carbon emissions by more than 10 percent by 2050, the OECD calculates.
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Rebel gains in Syria embolden Lebanese Sunnis
Sunnis in Lebanon are growing more outspoken about the most powerful faction in their country, the Shiite movement Hezbollah.
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