Afghanistan
The Halakhah of Selling ArmsTuesday, February 5, 2013 by Shlomo M. Brody | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Jewish law prohibits individuals from selling weapons to irresponsible or violent customers. But how does this apply to Israel's arms sales to foreign governments?
Chemical Warfare in the Middle East: A Brief HistoryThursday, December 13, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
At this time of Hanukkah’s memories of Syrian tyrants past, the Syrian tyrant present, Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly assembled chemical weapons for use against the rebellion.
Editors' Picks
The Use and Misuse of American Influence Shoshana Bryen, Gatestone Institute. "It is a specifically American conceit that people in other countries and other societies want our social and governmental blueprint as well as our money, medicine, and weapons."
Obama's Foreign Policy Cliff Mark Landler, New York Times. With crises in Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Obama faces national security threats across the Middle East; but his top priority will be Iran's nuclear program.
The Afghan Genizah Samuel Thrope, University of Chicago Divinity School. A trove of medieval Jewish documents recently found in Afghanistan promises to shed light not only on Jewish life at the time of the Mongol invasion but also on the evolution of the Persian language.
History Repeats Itself David Ignatius, Washington Post. The U.S. and its allies are moving in Syria toward a program of covert support for the rebels that looks very much like what America did in Afghanistan in the 1980s.