Copyright 2012 Michael Rubin Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:40:02 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Michael Rubin :: Writings http://www.michaelrubin.org mrubin@aei.org (Michael Rubin) webmaster@pundicity.com en-us http://www.michaelrubin.org/11047/kurdish-epic Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST In one of his last acts as prime minister, Barham Salih symbolically launched the Aras Publishing House's book fair in Erbil. The event featured important Kurdish classics, translations of Western works, as well as children's books. Book fairs are... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10994/iran-navy-hormuz-straits Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST Tension between Iran and the United States flared on December 28, 2011, when Habibollah Sayyari, commander of Iran's navy, threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the 34-mile-wide passage through which more than one-third of the world's oil tanker... http://www.michaelrubin.org/2012/01/jeffrey-goldberg-iran Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:50:00 EST The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg​ raises a number of questions regarding the assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, but also makes a number of assumptions which may not be warranted. First, his questions: 1) Why aren't the Iranians attempting to kill... http://www.michaelrubin.org/11003/iran-weak-america Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST Addressing pilgrims on November 5, 2011, just over two weeks after President Obama announced U.S. troops would withdrawal from Iraq, Iran's Supreme Leader cited American "failures" in Iraq and Afghanistan as proof that, "Today, the West, the United... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10995/turkey-weapons-purchases-krg Sun, 8 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST On July 25, 2009, more than two million Kurds went to the polls and, fed up with corruption, nepotism, and the ruling families' abuse of power, delivered the establishment parties a stunning rebuke. The Gorran list, led by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10982/iran-poison-chalice Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST TENSIONS in the Strait of Hormuz are at a more than 20-year high after Iranian authorities threatened to close the 34-mile-wide channel through which more than one-third of the world's oil tanker traffic passes. The threats come against the backdrop of... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10974/kurdistan-dubai Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST Almost two decades ago, I made my first trip to the Persian Gulf. It was a starkly different place than it is now. Dubai International Airport was a single terminal. My Dubai hotel cost $25 a night, and old, traditional buildings still existed among high... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10957/iran-hormuz-strait Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST Tension between the United States and Iran reached levels not seen in more than 20 years when, on Wednesday, Iranian military officials threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the 34-mile wide channel through which more than one-third of the world's... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10952/kurdistan-us-iran-war Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST Tension between Iran and the United States is at a peak. On October 11, Attorney General Eric Holder accused the Islamic Republic of plotting an attack on American soil. "Today, the Department of Justice is announcing charges against two people who... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10822/iranian-end-game Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST For almost a third of a century, the Islamic Republic of Iran has confounded American presidents. It has taken hostages, conducted terrorism, undermined the Middle East peace process, and worked unrelentingly to become a nuclear power and develop... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10820/kurdistan-needs-accountability Sun, 4 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST On December 2, rioters allegedly stirred up by preachers at Friday prayers rampaged through Zakho, destroying a controversial massage parlor before moving on to torch several liquor shops and hotels. In retaliation, a mob of Kurdistan Democratic Party... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10790/iran-british-embassy Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST Hardline Iranian students stormed the British embassy in Tehran this morning, smashing windows and burning the British flag. The students, protesting the latest British sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic as a result of its nuclear defiance,... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10727/nechirvan-barzani-office Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST That the Kurdistan Regional Government functions far differently in reality than it does on paper is no secret. Every Kurdish official, foreign businessman, or diplomat, knows that regional leader Masud Barzani and his immediate family have far greater... http://www.michaelrubin.org/2011/11/push-cost-of-iran-nuclear-program-beyond-breaking Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:30:00 EST Engagement with Iran was Barack Obama's signature foreign policy issue. During the Democratic primaries, Obama promised to meet the leaders of Iran "without preconditions." Less than a week after taking office, Obama told al-Arabiya's satellite network,... http://www.michaelrubin.org/10706/iran-iraq-problem Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST Ayatollah Khomeini may have founded Iran's Islamic Republic in 1979, but for the regime in Tehran, his revolution has never really ended. Iranian politics remain a vortex of factional struggle as hardliners and reformists compete to shape the regime's...