THE CONFLICT IN LEBANON:  IRAN, SYRIA, & HEZBOLLAH VERSUS THE WEST -- LEBANON AS A KEY BATTLEGROUND BETWEEN THE WEST AS A WHOLE & THE FORCES THAT SEEK TO DRAG THE MIDDLE EAST DOWN INTO FANATICISM, TYRANNY, & BARBARISM -- LEBANON AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE ANTI-WESTERN STRATEGY OF IRAN & ITS ALLIES, SYRIA & HEZBOLLAH -- THE TRANSFORMATION OF IRANIAN POLITICS THAT IS BEING PLAYED OUT IN LEBANON & GAZA -- IRAN'S PLAN TO CO-OPT ARAB NATIONALISM, HAVE AN ACTIVE WAR WITH ISRAEL, BE VICTORIOUS IN THAT WAR, & SEIZE LEADERSHIP OF THE MUSLIM WORLD FROM THE SUNNIS & ARABS

SYRIA, THE U.S.A., & THE MIDDLE EAST:  BASHAR AL-ASSAD, THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME, & SYRIA'S FOREIGN POLICY GOALS -- THE MESSAGE THAT AL-ASSAD IS SENDING TO U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH & HIS ADMINISTRATION:  SYRIA IS NOT PREPARED TO ENTER INTO AN AXIS WITH THE U.S.A. & THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT INSIST THAT SYRIA DO SO. IN EXCHANGE FOR FRIENDLY DIALOGUE BETWEEN SYRIA & THE U.S.A., THE LATTER MUST ABANDON IRAQ, LEAVE LEBANON OPEN TO SYRIAN DOMINATION, & AGREE TO THE RETURN OF THE GOLAN HEIGHTS TO SYRIA. IN SHORT, THE U.S.A. MUST CAPITULATE TO SYRIAN DEMANDS & LEAVE ISRAEL & THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST AT THE MERCY OF TYRANNICAL REGIMES & ISLAMIST TERRORISTS

SYRIA'S AUTHORITARIAN POLITICAL REGIME & U.S. FOREIGN POLICY:  SYRIA'S DENIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTIONS TO POLITICAL DISSIDENTS & REGIME CRITICS -- THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S WEAK REACTION TO THE ARREST & IMPRISONMENT OF SYRIAN PRO-REFORM POLITICAL ACTIVIST KAMAL AL-LABWANI -- FAILURE OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO TRANSLATE ITS DISPLEASURE INTO POLICY -- U.S. ACTION IN SUPPORT OF POLITICAL & FREE MARKET REFORMS & BASIC GUARANTEES OF CIVIL LIBERTIES IN SYRIA SPEAKS MUCH SOFTER THAN THE RHETORIC OF U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH & SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE

THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYRIA & HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON: HEZBOLLAH'S TRANSITION FROM THE ROLE OF SUBSERVIENT JUNIOR PARTNER IN ITS AXIS WITH SYRIA TO THE ROLE OF DOMINANT PARTNER -- THE CONSEQUENT WEAKENING OF SYRIA'S ROLE IN LEBANON -- HEZBOLLAH'S ABANDONMENT OF COOPERATION WITH THE EXISTING LEBANESE GOVERNMENT, STAKING OUT A MORE MAXIMALIST POSITION TO DOMINATE LEBANON & TRANSFORM ITS POLITICAL CHARACTER INTO AN IRANIAN-STYLE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST STATE -- THE STRENGTHENING ROLE OF IRAN IN LEBANON, WHERE IRANIAN AGENTS, IN LEAGUE WITH HEZBOLLAH, HAVE CONSOLIDATED A STATE WITHIN A STATE -- THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC'S ADOPTION OF SYRIA'S FORMER DOMINANT ROLE IN LEBANON

ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON, SYRIA, & THE ISRAELI-ARAB CONFLICT:  THE SECOND LEBANON WAR AS A FALTERING, INDECISIVE WAR RESULTING FROM ISRAEL'S STRATEGIC FOLLIES & OPERATIONAL DEFICIENCES -- THE ISRAELI POLITICAL & MILITARY LEADERSHIP'S LACK OF A CLEAR CONCEPT OF WHAT VICTORY OVER HEZBOLLAH ENTAILED -- HOW ISRAEL SQUANDERED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE REGIONAL SCORES & MAINTAIN UNQUESTIONED ISRAELI DETERRENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- THE STRENGTHS & ADVANTAGES UPON WHICH ISRAEL CAN BUILD & PREPARE TO ATTAIN A CLEAR & DECISIVE VICTORY IN THE NEXT ROUND WITH HEZBOLLAH & THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME

THE MIDDLE EAST:  ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE -- THE ORIGIN OF MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICAL TRADITIONS & STRUCTURES -- COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT & MODERN GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEMS -- THE TENSION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITARIAN RULE OF CENTRALIZED STATE GOVERNMENT & THE COUNTERVAILING POWER OF LOCAL ENTITIES -- THE CONTEMPORARY BATTLE BETWEEN EXCLUSIONARY & CONSENSUAL GOVERNING SYSTEMS

AMERICAN POLITICS, FOREIGN POLICY, & FREELANCE DIPLOMACY:  U.S. POLITICIANS ENDANGERING AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS & SECURITY BY BLIND & INEPT ENGAGEMENT WITH AMERICA'S ADVERSARIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- LEGITIMIZING TYRANNICAL DICTATORS & STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM -- UNPRINCIPLED & IRRESPONSIBLE POLITICIANS USE THEIR SEATS IN THE U.S. SENATE TO UNDERMINE AMERICA'S POSITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE SAKE OF GAINING PUBLICITY & FURTHERING THEIR DOMESTIC POLITICAL AMBITIONS

SYRIA:  MIDDLE EASTERN TROUBLEMAKER & ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -- WHY THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD CONTINUES TO DEFY THE U.S.A. -- THE PROBLEMS THAT THE SYRIAN REGIME & ITS STRATEGY ARE CREATING FOR AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- WHY & HOW THE BUSH PRESIDENCY SHOULD CALL BASHAR'S BLUFF -- THE PROPER ROLE OF U.S, MILITARY ACTION

LEBANON, ISRAEL, ISLAMIST TERRORISM, & WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST:  THE ISRAELI-ARAB CONFLICT & MIDDLE EASTERN TERRORISM IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF THE WORLDWIDE ISLAMIST JIHAD BEING WAGED AGAINST ISRAEL, AMERICA, & THE WEST -- THE ROLE OF IRAN'S ISLAMIST REGIME IN THE GLOBAL CONFLICT -- THE NEED FOR THE U.S.A. & ITS ALLIES, THROUGH COVERT COUNTERTERRORIST POLITICAL ACTION AS WELL AS OVERT MILITARY ACTION, TO BRING ABOUT THE DEFEAT & TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THEIR DEADLY ENEMIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST:  THE LONG & TROUBLED HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE EAST & THE IDEA OF DISPATCHING AN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE TO THE REGION -- THE IMPORTANT LESSON THAT THE STATE OF ISRAEL LEARNED, AS REGARDS TRUSTING INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPERS -- THE SAME LESSON THAT THE U.S.A. & THE WEST SHOULD HAVE LEARNED BY NOW -- THE FOLLY OF RELYING ON INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPERS TO END A WAR IN PROGRESS

THE MIDDLE EAST & THE ISLAMIST TERROR WAR BEING WAGED AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL:  WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN ENDURING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST?  IS THERE A ROLE FOR DIPLOMACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS?  TOTAL ANNIHILATION OF SUCH TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS AS HEZBOLLAH & HAMAS & SEVERE PUNISHMENT OF THEIR STATE SPONSORS MUST PRECEDE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO ARRANGE A MIDDLE EAST PEACE

A HISTORY OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR:  THE COLD WAR & THE ISLAMIC MIDDLE EAST -- THE ROLE OF THE KGB IN THE SOVIET UNION'S ENDEAVOR TO GAIN INFLUENCE IN & CONTROL OF THE MIDDLE EAST & USE IT TO UNDERMINE & CONQUER THE U.S.A. & THE WEST -- HOW & WHY THE KGB'S EFFORTS ENDED LARGELY IN FAILURE -- IN WHAT WAY DID THE EFFORTS SUCCEED?

THE CURRENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIBYA & THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:  HAS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S SUCCESS IN RESOLVING ITS MOST VITAL DIFFERENCES WITH THE MU'AMMAR QADHAFI POLITICAL REGIME IN LIBYA BEEN THE RESULT OF A ROBUST U.S. POLICY OF FORCE PROJECTION IN IRAQ?  WOULD SIMILAR FORCE PROJECTION BY THE U.S.A. CREATE COMPARABLE COMPLIANCE FROM OTHER HOSTILE REGIMES, SUCH AS THOSE IN SYRIA, IRAN, & NORTH KOREA?

MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS & AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY:  MIDDLE EASTERN SOCIETIES, THEIR POLITICAL HISTORY, THEIR POLITICAL LEADERS, & THEIR RELATIONS WITH THE U.S.A. -- AMERICAN NATIONAL INTERESTS IN SOUTHWEST & CENTRAL ASIA & IN NORTH AFRICA -- IRAQ, IRAN, KURDISTAN, SYRIA, LIBYA, & SOUTH YEMEN

THE CURRENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYRIA & LEBANON:  SYRIA'S UNDERGROUND INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS IN LEBANON AS THE BASIS OF SYRIAN CONTROL OF LEBANON -- SYRIA'S EXPLOITATION OF & FINANCIAL DEPENDENCE ON THE LEBANESE ECONOMY -- THE PROBLEM THAT THE SITUATION POSES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SYRIA AS A CONTINUING PROBLEM FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:  THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME STILL IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF U.S. DEFENSE & INTELLIGENCE CONCERN -- SYRIAN ATTEMPTS TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, PARTICULARLY SOPHISTICATED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE BALLISTIC MISSILES -- HIGH PROBABILITY THAT SYRIA NOW POSSESSES BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL WEAPONS, AS WELL AS NUCLEAR SECRETS -- THE SYRIAN REGIME'S DEMONSTRATED WILLINGNESS TO USE TERRORISM TO ADVANCE ITS GEOPOLITICAL GOALS

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO LEBANON'S BECOMING A REAL NATION AGAIN & OPERATING A STABLE & ENDURING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL SYSTEM: &THE LEBANESE MUSLIMS' DEMONSTRATING TOLERANCE FOR LEBANON'S CHRISTIAN MINORITY, ESTABLISHING THE RULE OF SECULAR LAW & MAKING PEACE WITH ISRAEL, AS WELL AS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT'S ACHIEVING ITS GOAL OF TRANSFORMING THE MIDDLE EAST, A GOAL WHICH WILL BE ACHIEVED ONLY WHEN CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IS IMPOSED & PROTECTED BY THE ARMED MIGHT OF THE U.S.A.

SYRIA'S LOSS OF COMMAND & CONTROL OF LEBANON -- THE LIKELY CONSEQUENCES OF SYRIAN MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON, AFTER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FOR SYRIAN WITHDRAWAL RESULTED FROM A CASCADING SERIES OF SYRIAN MISCALCULATIONS: SYRIA'S LOSS OF REGIONAL PRESTIGE IN THE LEVANT & THE MIDDLE EAST, SUBSTANTIAL WEAKENING OF THE SYRIAN BAATHIST REGIME'S STAYING POWER INSIDE SYRIA ITSELF, & THE EVENTUAL DOWNFALL OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD & HIS DICTATORSHIP

THE CEDAR REVOLUTION:  THE MOVEMENT TO BRING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY TO LEBANON -- WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE CEDAR REVOLUTION TO SUCCEED?  LEBANESE POLITICIANS' TAKING STEPS TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH & THEIR CUTTING TIES WITH ELEMENTS OF THE FORMER SYRIAN OCCUPATION REGIME

SYRIA & ITS DESPOTIC POLITICAL SYSTEM:  DICTATORSHIP & THE SUPPRESSION OF MOVEMENTS ADVOCATING DEMOCRACY & PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS -- AKTHAM NAISSE:  ONE DISSIDENT'S STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY & HUMAN RIGHTS IN SYRIA

SYRIA, LEBANON, & THE MIDDLE EAST -- THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME, ITS MILITARY OCCUPATION & SUBJUGATION OF LEBANON, & HOW THE SYRIAN REGIME HAS TURNED LEBANON INTO A MAJOR CENTER FOR TRAINING ISLAMIC TERRORISTS & FOR FUNDING & SUPPORT OF THE WAR WHICH THE ISLAMISTS & BAATHISTS ARE WAGING TO INSURE THAT THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST REMAINS THE SAME SORRY PLACE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SINCE THE FIRST WORLD WAR & THE COLLAPSE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

THE ARABS' BLEAK FUTURE -- THE DECADENCE & DECLINE OF THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST:  FOCUS ON THE COMPENSATIONS OF THE NEXT WORLD WILL DO NOTHING TO ALTER THE ARABS' PREDICAMENT IN THIS WORLD

SYRIA & THE U.S.A.--WHAT IS NEEDED IN U.S. FOREIGN & MILITARY POLICY TO INDUCE SYRIA TO DISCONTINUE AIDING & SHELTERING TERRORISTS, SMUGGLING OIL & GUNS TO & FOR FORCES HOSTILE TO THE U.S.A. & ITS ALLIES, DEVELOPING & USING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, & KEEPING SYRIAN TROOPS IN LEBANON:  FIRMNESS & RESOLVE, CLEAR & UNAMBIGUOUS MESSAGES AS TO WHAT THE U.S.A. WILL NOT TOLERATE, IMPOSITION OF ECONOMIC & OTHER SANCTIONS, & THE WILL AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO EMPLOY EFFECTIVE & DECISIVE MILI- TARY FORCE, IF NECESSARY

SYRIA -- ROGUE STATE, ENEMY OF THE U.S.A., SPONSOR OF TERRORISM, MAJOR MISCHIEF MAKER IN THE FESTERING MIDDLE EAST, & DEVELOPER/ACQUIRER OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION & BALLISTIC MISSILE DELIVERY SYSTEMS:  WHY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED ABOUT SYRIA'S WMD & MISSILE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

SYRIA'S OCCUPATION OF LEBANON, INTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, & THE CONTINUING THREAT OF INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM AIDED & ABETTED BY THE SYRIAN POLITICAL REGIME

THE DESPOTIC & TROUBLE-MAKING REGIME OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD & THE OLD GUARD IN SYRIA -- WILL THE SYRIAN DESPOTISM BE THE NEXT MIDDLE EASTERN CESSPOOL OF TYRANNY, CORRUPTION, & INTERNATIONAL MISCHIEF-MAKING TAKEN OUT MILITARILY BY THE U.S.A. & ITS COALITION PARTNERS?