It is the ghost of Iraq that prevents the U.S. from leading attempts to topple the brutal Assad regime in Damascus.

CNN: Did Iraq War give birth to the Arab Spring?

Meanwhile, rumors continue to circulate about a radically new iPad from Apple -- the world's leading consumer electronics company that has never and will never attend CES and whose ghost hung heavily over Las Vegas this week.

CNN: How the Consumer Electronics Show lost its spark

That idea has become Ghost and it is now a project backed by over 900 people on Kickstarter, including leading content creators and thought leaders like Seth Godin, Leo Babauta, and Anil Dash.

FORBES: Innovation in Creation