Last week the US and Turkey agreed upon a program to train and equip vetted Free Syrian Army rebel factions to help battle the Daesh threat from the ground. Now the Pentagon is expected to send hundreds of US troops to the Middle East starting this spring, where they’ll host training for some 5,000 rebels in Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. But American lawmakers have expressed doubt about whether wilted FSA groups in northern and eastern Syria will be able to hold onto the US-made weapons they receive, much less ...

According to Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations , the cultural differences between the east and west are so severe that they will inherently lead to war. However, we see thousands of expats living, working , studying, and touring the Middle East everyday. While of course some countries are notoriously more tolerant of foreigners than others , welcoming strangers is an integral part of Arabic culture. But what do locals think when expats do cross cultural red lines , intentionally or unknowingly? Let’s take a look a lighter look at the ...