The Investigative Project on Terrorism
It's the dawn of a new age in Egypt for Salafist presidential contender Hazem Salah Abu Ismail. The confidence exuded by the popular 50-year old lawyer-turned- preacher says as much.  He has praised al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden as a "martyr,"called ...

Read more: Brotherhood Too Tame for Egyptian Presidential Contender

For centuries, the dilemma facing Iran (and before it, Persia) has been guaranteeing national survival and autonomy in the face of stronger regional powers like Ottoman Turkey and the Russian Empire. Though always weaker than these larger empires, Iran survived for three reasons: geography, ...

Read more: Iran's Strategy

• During the first year of the revolution the army took over from the president, but it had always been kept away from politics by Mubarak, so when power was transferred to them, they had no experience in domestic politics and they started to make mistakes. In all my meetings with President Mubarak, ...

  Read more: The First Year of the Egyptian Revolution: Assessment and Predictions

Michael Ledeen reports that the Natanz uranium enrichment site has been shut down after a mysterious blast happened “in the next-to-bottom level of the underground structure.” A second explosion has struck a site in Zarin Dasht that is used for producing warheads and missile fuel and 7 people are ...

Read more: Report: Two More "Accidental" Explosions at Iran Nuke Sites

The Investigative Project on Terrorism
Speaking out against religious extremism takes courage in today's Egypt, especially when extremists make up an absolute majority in Parliament. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has translated the comments of two courageous Egyptian ...

Read more: Egyptian Liberals Speak Out Against Brotherhood

Israel is now entering its third strategic environment. The constant threat of state-on-state war defined the first, which lasted from the founding of the Jewish state until its peace treaty with Egypt. A secure periphery defined the second, which lasted until recently and focused on the ...

Read more: Israel's New Strategic Environment

As noted yesterday, Dr. Khairat Al-Shater, Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), will be the popular, mainstream Egyptian Islamic party’s candidatefor the Presidency, breaking the MB’s pledge not to seek this executive office, and assure itself a potential monopoly on state ...

Read more: Egyptian MB Presidential Candidate: "Indeed Islam is Religion and State"

The Meir Amit Intelligent and Terrorism Information Center | Iran News Week of March 2012-Esfand 1390

• Iran cut off from SWIFT international clearing house on the eve of Iranian New Year
• Better close than angry: Supreme Leader retains Rafsanjani as chairman of Expediency Discernment Council
• From ...

  Read more: Spotlight on Iran Update March 26, 2012