Syria

What some diplomats are calling an attack by the Assad regime in Syria utilizing weapons of mass destruction, namely chemical weapons, has resulted in a response that may include the use of cruise missiles from the United States.

After a military coup in Egypt, former President Mohammad Morsi is under house arrest, and tens of thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets to celebrate the overthrow of the fundamentalist Muslim leader.

Retired Ambassador Mark Johnson of the Montana World Affairs Council based in Missoula says two events in the past week have signaled a change in the overall picture in the Middle east, the Iranian elections, and the decision by the United States to become directly involved in the Syrian civil war.

"Someone once said if hell had a theme park, it would be in today's Syria." Those are the words of former ambassador Mark Johnson, now affiliated with the Montana World Affairs Council in Missoula.