Notions

       The new chairman of the Jordanian parliament who formerly served as Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister answered the following when asked about possible reconciliation steps between Damascus and Jordan and intelligence cooperation: "as far as I know, Jordan does not interfere in Syrian territories in any form, and Jordan’s role is to protect its security and citizen well-being, with a clear decision from the very beginning of a policy of non-interference".       Assuming that a high-level figure such as the former Minister of Interior/Deputy Prime Minster is indeed kept in the dark about a major security crisis occurring 300 km away from Amman, the neutrality and passiveness in his response still struck a chord. What does it mean to follow a policy of non-interference? Is this is civil disaster occurring in a Latin American country with which Jordan has no historic, cultural, economic and   political ties? Is the...

An article posted in the Washington Post eloquently titled “The day the American flag was shown unmolested in Iran” is in no way void of cynicism. The poetic depiction at the end of the article of an American flag displayed in the ever so radical and fundamentalist Iran, on the occasion of the Wrestling World Cup held in Tehran, must have raised eyebrows amongst non western readers, mine at least. Why is the American flag not the most popular flag in the Middle East? A quick review of historic events may clear the enigma: instigation of a 10 year war between two neighbors; a war on Iraq that left the country in shatters; an embargo on Syrian economy and society; demonization of Islamic groups and thought; support and then persecution of militant groups in Afghanistan; an intended stalemate of any peace deal in the holy lands; reckless killing of Yemeni citizens by foreign military planes ; and support to oppressive, authoritarian and proxy regimes, all are the works of US admin...