Despite Obama's Concessions, Russia Remains Unhelpful on Iran
Joshua Kucera

The Obama administration's announcement last month that it was scrapping plans to build missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic removed a prime irritant in the U.S.-Russian relationship; Russians felt the missile defense network was targeted as much at them as against the purported threat, Iran. And the move appeared at first to pay dividends. However ...

Obama Fumbling a Chance for Middle East Peace
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

Only four percent of Israelis see Obama as a friend. Obama should worry about this. So should we all, for the alienation has significant consequences for peace

On Gaza, the UN Targets Israel Again
Harold Evans

A new report is the gold standard of moral equivalence between killer and victim in Gaza.

Iran: Words Without Action or Resolved to Be Unresolved
Paul Greenberg

'Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow, endangering the global nonproliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world.' No, that wasn't Israel's tough-talking prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, warning against Iran's aggressive tendencies again. It was Barack Obama addressing the UN Security Council.

Obama Faces Reality on Iran, Middle East
Kenneth T. Walsh

President Obama's disclosure that Iran has been building a secret uranium enrichment plant underscores a truism in foreign policy: Harsh reality trumps good intentions. Obama says the plant is further evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, and he promises to push even harder for sanctions against the Tehran regime.

Consequences of the Palestinian-Israel Status Quo
William Pfaff

There seems to have been a mistake made when President Barack Obama named former Sen. George J. Mitchell his special representative concerned with settlement of the Palestinian-Israel impasse. The president and Mr. Mitchell seem to have believed that the problem is one of negotiation between adamantly opposed but ultimately reconcilable parties.

Shimon Peres on Peace, Obama's Tough Love, and Working in the Shadows
Arianna Huffington

It's hard to spend any time with Israeli President Shimon Peres and remain pessimistic about the possibility of peace. 'I'm 86,' he told me, 'and at a moment in my life when I have no personal agenda. I'm not interested in money. I'm not jealous of anyone. My only agenda is my country. I feel freer than I've ever felt before -- and with this freedom I can be most effective. At my age I don't want a suntan. I like being in the shadows.'

Iraq War -- What War
Victor Davis Hanson

The war in Iraq is scarcely in the news any longer, despite the fact that 141,000 American soldiers are still protecting the fragile Iraqi democracy, and 114, as of this writing, have been lost this year in that effort. But after the success of the surge, there are far fewer American fatalities each month

The Diplomatic Myths and Illusions of the Middle East
by Robert Schlesinger

Incorrect preconceptions and misguided conventional wisdom hamper American policy in the Middle East, Dennis Ross and David Makovsky write in Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East.

Time to Get Out of Iraq
Joe Galloway

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has suggested that he might speed up our withdrawal from Iraq by pulling out an additional brigade combat team by year's end. Good idea! How about pulling out FIVE more brigades by then

Iran at Crossroads of History
Will this Regime Fall Like Shah's
Abolhassan Bani-Sadr

Within six short weeks since the recent election, the government of the Islamic Republic has been publicly divided, delegitimized, challenged and weak. As a result, we can now draw some analytical parallels between the current regime and the pre-1979 monarchy, and between the two occasions of political unrest.

Israeli - Palestinian Peace
(c) M. Ryder

Obama, Solana Mean Business About Two-State Solution
by William Pfaff

The Israeli press reports with alarm that the United States has threatened to reduce by $1 billion the guarantee the U.S. Treasury customarily provides for Israel state borrowings, which assure them the best commercial terms.

This is evidence that the Obama government is serious about halting Israel's colonization of the Palestinian territories -- and about imposing, rather than merely inviting, a two-state Middle East solution.

 

Israel Fortifies Presence in Latin America
Andres Oppenheimer

Following three years of frantic Iranian activities in Latin America that included three trips by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the region -- a fourth visit is scheduled in August to Brazil -- and the opening or enlargement of a half-dozen Iranian embassies, Israel is beginning to raise its own profile in the region.

From Iraq to Afghanistan, U.S. Foreign Wars Not Going According to Plan
by William Pfaff

In Iraq, tension was reported to be increasing between the Americans and the Iraqi military and security forces, who were supposed to take over the Americans' responsibilities. Move to another front: Pakistan-Afghanistan. Here there was also supposed to be a straightforward job to do: drive the Taliban out of Afghanistan, into the Tribal Areas of the Pakistan border. There, the Pakistan army, with American urging and help, would defeat and disarm them.

Iran Election Historical Analogies Misleading & Dangerous
by Paul J. Saunders

Many political leaders and pundits have called for more active and vocal American support of the Iranian opposition, typically on the basis of analogies to oppressive regimes of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these analogies are misleading and even dangerous if used as guides to policy. The historical cases most similar to present-day Iran should instill caution.

On Iran, the U.S. Needs Handshakes and an Iron Fist
by Mortimer B. Zuckerman

The argument went, civilized dialogue with Iran was more likely if we chose to treat its external conduct separately from its internal character. Such an approach, not threatening the Islamic republic's claim, would give us a better chance of restraining its nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorism. Obama did his bit to press the reset button with grace and eloquence. And what was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's response? ...

Diplomacy Can and Will Work With Iran
by Senator John Kerry

President Obama is right to open the door to direct engagement with Iran. Negotiations-backed by escalating sanctions to show we mean business if talks fail are the only way short of war that we can persuade Iran to rein in its nuclear ambitions and begin building a more stable and secure Middle East.

Islamic Republic Acronym
(David Horsey)

Iran Election Mess Is Just a Reflection of Global Human Failings
by Louis Ren� Beres

Today's dramatic Iranian instability is more a specific symptom of general civilizational fragility than an isolated disease.

Beneath the surface, all world politics readily reveals a distinctly common disorder. This is the incapacity of human beings to find both meaning and identity as individuals, within themselves.

CONTINUE >>

 

Missing Our Moment in Iran
by Victor Davis Hanson

Last month, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest a rigged presidential election. Our president was extremely cautious in his initial criticism of the Iranian government's fierce crackdown against the protestors. At first, President Obama said that the United States -- given our history in Iran -- should not be "meddling" in

Obama Presses Israel on Settlements
by William Pfaff

The Obama administration's confrontation with Israel over its colonies inside the Palestine territories began as a test of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to enter serious negotiations on a Middle Eastern settlement.

'W' is For Withdrawal
by Robert C. Koehler

National Sovereignty Day, the day U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities. Sorry, but Iraq is still America's sovereign lackey: broken and smoldering. Some 130,000 U.S. troops remain in the country, withdrawn for the most part to the permanent bases we've built over the last six years. The country's infrastructure is shattered, and shocking bursts of violence remain a common occurrence

U.S. Troops Leave Iraqi Cities, but Unsettled Issues Remain
by William Pfaff

If all goes correctly, when this column is read American troops will be gone from the cities of Iraq. Then the calculation must begin as to whether some half-million to million lives lost, and the infrastructure and social structure of Baghdad, and much of the rest of the Iraqi nation, ruined, have served some good purpose.

Violence Spikes as U.S. Troops Withdraw From Iraq's Cities
by Alex Kingsbury

Militants in Iraq staged a series of bomb and machine gun attacks in the past ten days that left more than 250 dead and the country on edge. Increased carnage as the U.S. forces prepare to depart was not unexpected, American and Iraqi officials say.

Attacks on U.S. Soldiers Show Iraq Is Not Yet Safe
by Anna Mulrine

U.S. combat troops officially withdrew from all Iraqi cities this week, and the Iraqi government declared a national holiday to commemorate the event. But with the celebration came a stark reminder that the war in Iraq continues for U.S. troops and that the country is far from safe.

Iranian Protests a Direct Challenge to Khamenei
by Anna Mulrine

"Flexing muscle on the streets after the election is not right," warned Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the days before the bloodshed. "If they don't stop, the consequences of the chaos would be their responsibility." Those consequences included casualties that resulted from the worst upheaval in Tehran in 30 years, as well as mass arrests last week, with more than 600 protesters jailed ...

Iran Election Twitters In a Revolution
by Mary Kate Cary

It was a battle to show who could best harness the only real news source on the ground -- the new social media -- to report fast, accurate, and insightful information. Cable and network news lost both the battle and the war. Two of the journalists who won were Andrew Sullivan, a political blogger for the old-line magazine Atlantic Monthly, and Nico Pitney of the younger Huffington Post. Sullivan and Pitney looked at the gold mine of information sitting on the new social media platform and, with two staffers, jumped in. Sullivan and his staff cut and pasted the most interesting, useful, and profound tweets into a document he called "Live-Tweeting the Revolution," updated every few minutes.

Iran: Death to Election Fraud
by Rick Steves

Last year, while in Iran producing a documentary for public television, I observed freedom-loving people patiently making do under a repressive regime. Today, the relatively peaceful Iran I experienced is in turmoil.

As Iranians Revolt, Their Government Reveals True Self
by William Pfaff

The truly significant result of the suppressed Iranian revolt is that the most important Islamist radical movement in the contemporary world has demonstrated that it has become a brutally repressive dictatorship whose leaders rig elections and beat down clear popular demands for a true election count or repeat of the election itself.

The War Between Civilizations That Never Was
by William Pfaff

An important change is evident in what since Samuel Huntington's time has been mistakenly identified and manipulated as a war between Muslim and Western civilizations.

Iran's (So Far) Revolution-less Struggle
by William Pfaff

Iran's cosmopolitan and liberal middle classes and its students are making a revolutionary bid without intending a revolution. Few think that the demonstrations in Tehran, and now in other Iranian cities, can produce a change in regime.

Hungary 1956, Iran 2009
by Paul Greenberg

Liberty is not something that can be rationed; one freedom leads to another. Iran's demagogue-in-chief understands that old truth, which is why he is so determined to crush this peaceful revolution in today's Iran. All the odds are in favor of his doing just that, but Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has already lost something far more important than Iran's presidency; he has lost legitimacy.

Iran Elections: The Silent Revolution
by Paul Greenberg

This is something new: a Silent Revolution. The huge throng that marched through the Iranian capital last Monday spoke nary a word, Theirs was a silent vigil for a liberty not so much lost as never gained, from Shah to Ayatollah. Meanwhile, the White House and President Obama practiced its own form of silence. Things have changed since a president of the United States could be counted on to at least voice a protest when another people are cowed.

President Obama's Iran News Conference
by Cal Thomas

For the first time in a long time, the president was challenged about his positions on Iran, health care and his "occasional" smoking. This may be due to the heavy criticism the media have been getting from commentators who have accused them of not doing their jobs with coverage that has bordered on the worshipful.

Iranian Regime Change Is for Iranians to Decide
by Mary Sanchez

I find Iran's government structure of vaguely democratic elections and Islamic theocracy almost incomprehensible. However, if Iran's government needs reform, it is Iran's people that must make that case -- and they are, very eloquently and tragically even with their lives. The last thing Iranian reformers and protesters need is to be painted as agents of the Great Satan.

The 'Neda Moment' Shows Promise of Social Networking
by Leonard Pitts, Jr.

Maybe you were there when Neda died. If you were, you saw a tragedy, of course, a 26-year-old Iranian protester gunned down in the streets. But I am convinced you also saw the future -- a profound change in the way you and I will henceforth comprehend the world.

Obama's Iran Policy Is a Bomb
by Jonah Goldberg

Here is the one immutable fact of Barack Obama's foreign policy agenda as it relates to Iran: It's over. If the forces of reform and democracy win, Obama's plan to negotiate with the regime is moot, for the regime will be gone.

Obama's Choice Is Not to Choose on Iran
by Jonah Goldberg

Stop measuring the success of your diplomacy with Iran by the degree to which the grinning, hate-filled stooge of a clerical junta will "temper" his rhetoric about the pressing need to destroy Israel and slow his ineluctable pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Iran's Crisis of Legitimacy
Ramin Jahanbegloo - Global Viewpoint

Increasingly, Iran's divine sovereignty has been less about religion than about political theology. As for the popular sovereignty, it has found its due place in social networks and political action of Iranian civil society

Iran Must Void Elections to Restore Peace on Streets
Shirin Ebadi - Global Viewpoint

People's dissatisfaction with the results does not concern the present elections alone: Many objections were made four years ago when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was first elected president. Ahmadinejad's most important position until then had been mayor of Tehran. He was, however, supported by Basij and Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's leader for life. Ahmadinejad's four years of presidency resulted in people's great dissatisfaction.

Will Iran Look More Like Turkey, or Turkey Like Iran
Nathan Gardels - Global Viewpoint

The effort to forge new forms of non-Western modernity in the Muslim world has pushed Iran into bloody civil strife while Turkey swirls with persistent rumors of military plots against the Islamist-rooted government. The great historical question is whether, at the end of the day, Iran will look more like Turkey, or Turkey like Iran

A Cedar Grows in Lebanon
by Paul Greenberg

The election returns in Lebanon represent an impressive comeback for the cause of the martyred Rafik Hariri. He led the party that finally drove the Syrians out of Lebanon in the Cedar Revolution of 2005. And paid for it with his life. His son Saad now leads the coalition of Sunni, Christian and Druze voters that emerged victorious. Its win revives hope -- not just for Lebanon but for democracy in the Middle East

Events in Middle East & Central Asia Challenge U.S's Conventional Assumptions
William Pfaff

Three recent developments in the Muslim Middle East and Central Asia challenge Washington's conventional assumptions about Pakistan, the Taliban, Lebanon and Iran.

Tehran's Take: Understanding Iran's U.S. Policy
by Mohsen M. Milani

Iran's foreign policy is often portrayed in sensationalistic terms, but in reality it is a rational strategy meant to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic against what Tehran thinks is an existential threat posed by the United States

Essence of Islamist Resistance:
Different View of Iran, Hezbollah & Hamas
by Alastair Crooke

Most Western analysts of political Islam make the same mistake. They instinctively assume that conflict with the West has mainly to do with specific foreign policies, particularly of the U.S. with respect to Israel, the Arab world and Iran, and, if those changed, all would be well.

Israel's Cuban Missile Crisis All the Time
by Victor Davis Hanson

Why would the Iranian government spend billions of dollars on trying to develop a few first-generation nuclear bombs when the country is so poor that it has to ration gasoline? A lot of reasons have been offered by various experts.

Today, North Korea; Tomorrow, Iran - Nuclear Weapons
By Paul Greenberg

North Korea has been playing around with nuclear weapons again, this time setting off an even bigger underground explosion. To which the five veto-wielding powers at the United Nations have responded much as they did the first couple of times the North Korean regime defied the UN by setting off nukes: with oh-so-serious, oh-so-official statements.

The Nation-State is Back & How
International Politics & Foreign Affairs
by Paul Kennedy

About 500 years ago, in parts of Western Europe, a funny thing happened to human society. The national state had arrived, and the world would never be the same.

Waiting For Netanyahu
International Current Events, News & World Affairs

As President Obama prepares to receive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their first meeting, the situation is very similar to what it was in 1978.

Now as then, Israel is ruled by a rightwing coalition. Now as then, some of its elements are more hawkish than the prime minister and his Likud Party is. Now as then, talks with the other side are ongoing but leading nowhere.

Iran criticised over nuclear deal
The six major powers say they are disappointed with Iran's apparent rejection of a deal over its nuclear programme.

Riot over Egypt football defeat
Police are injured as Egypt fans' anger over reported violence after a World Cup game erupts in Cairo.

Easyjet sorry for Holocaust error
Easyjet apologises after fashion photographs shot at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin were published in its in-flight magazine.

Barghouti urges unity from jail
Palestinian factions must unite and start campaigning for statehood, says jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.

Egypt recalls envoy from Algeria
Sudan joins a diplomatic row between Egypt and Algeria over violence at a World Cup qualifier in Khartoum.

UK 'finds Lebanon hostage body'
Human remains have been found by a team searching for a British journalist, Alec Collett, who was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985.

UN marks child rights anniversary
Ceremonies take place around the world to mark 20 years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UAE footballer dies at training
A United Arab Emirates footballer, Salem Saad, has collapsed and died of a heart attack at a training session.

'Complacency' led to US sub crash
The crew of a submarine made 'dozens of errors' before a collision in the Gulf, according to a US Navy report.

Gaddafi preaches to Rome beauties
Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi throws a party for 200 girls but then tells them why they should become Muslims.

Family affair
Is North Africa succumbing to dynastic rule?

Election in doubt
Will political rows derail Iraq's January polls?

Boxing rabbi
Israeli WBA champion mixes sport and faith

In pictures
Algerian joy as win over Egypt secures World Cup place

False alarm?
Little evidence to support Iraqi claims of border infiltration

Political turmoil
Key issues behind the Palestinian political crisis

US ponders response to Iran snub
President Barack Obama says the US and its partners are discussing steps they could take if Iran snubs a uranium enrichment deal.

Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip
Israel's air force launches an attack on what officials say are weapons factory and smuggling tunnels in Gaza.

Yemen troops 'kill rebel leader'
Yemeni government troops fighting rebels in the country's north have killed a rebel leader, officials say.

Iraq VP vetoes new election law
One of Iraq's vice-presidents vetoes part of the new election law, putting the parliamentary polls due in January in doubt.

Obama warns Israel on settlements
US President Barack Obama says Israel's approval of new homes at a settlement in Jerusalem could lead to a "dangerous" situation.

Iran doctor 'committed suicide'
Iran's police chief says a doctor who died at a detention centre shut in July after the deaths of several opposition supporters committed suicide.

Yahia sends Algeria to World Cup
Antar Yahia scores the only goal of the game as Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 to clinch Africa's final spot at next year's World Cup.

Iran seeks to amend nuclear deal
Tehran casts doubt on whether it will accept a deal which offers it the opportunity to continue uranium enrichment.

Israel razes Palestinian building
Israeli authorities bulldoze a Palestinian-owned building in occupied East Jerusalem reported to have been home to two Palestinian families.

Ramzi stripped of Olympic title
Bahrain's Olympic 1500m champion Rashid Ramzi is stripped of his gold medal after testing positive for doping at the Games.

Man beaten by sheikh sues Swiss
A man who claims he was whipped by a UAE sheikh is taking Switzerland to the European Court of Human Rights after Swiss courts acquitted his attacker.

Intel in Jerusalem 'Sabbath deal'
Intel will stop employing Jewish workers at its Jerusalem plant on Saturdays, following a large protest rally by Orthodox Jews.

Jewish woman arrest over shawl
Israeli police arrest a Jewish woman for wearing a prayer shawl, known as a tallit, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Oil price up as US reserves fall
The price of crude oil rises to $80 a barrel after figures showed a sharp fall in US stockpiles last week.

Oil rise 'could derail recovery'
The International Energy Agency says that if the recent rise in oil prices continues it "risks derailing the recovery".

New Israeli settlement criticised
Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a settlement in East Jerusalem comes in for harsh criticism in the Palestinian, Middle Eastern and Pan-Arab press.

Press alarm at football violence
The press in the Middle East and North Africa reacted with alarm to tensions surrounding the Algeria-Egypt World Cup qualifier match.

Lebanon views on government
Voters' views on long awaited new government

Abbas 'pushed' to stand down
Israeli and Arab commentators consider the reasons behind Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision not to stand in forthcoming elections.

Iran witness: Protest videos
Your films of anti-government protests in Iran

Iran voices: The nuclear crisis
Iranians discuss the country's nuclear programme and the international stand-off over the issue.

Lebanon: Years of paralysis
Why the Lebanese have given up on their politicians

Is Iraq the next holiday hotspot?
Can Iraq really become a tourist hotspot?

Palestine remote as ever
Palestinian dream of independence is remote as ever

Quest for Egypt's antiquities
Egypt seeks to reclaim its 'stolen' antiquities

Legal row over Gaza intensifies
Legal row over UN report on Gaza offensive intensifies

Iran's internal divisions
Are internal squabbles blocking a nuclear deal?

BBC News | World | Middle East | UK Edition
Get the latest BBC News from the Middle East: breaking news, features, analysis and debate plus audio and video coverage from across the Middle East.

 

Palestinian children mark 20th year of UN rights treaty with video testimony
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugee children in United Nations schools in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria have been clicking away with flip cams to create the region's first ever online video yearbook to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UN and Iraq agree on plan to boost governance, socio-economic development
The United Nations and Iraq have agreed on the basics of a new development partnership to strengthen Iraqi governance, social services and economic growth over the next five years.

Lebanon: UN force commander confers with prime minister on security in south
The military chief of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon today met separately with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the security situation in the south of the country.

Following Iraqi presidential veto, Ban hopes elections can be held promptly
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced the hope today that Iraq would move forward on holding national elections slated for January after the Presidency Council's decision to veto the electoral law.

Potential Israeli settler violence threatens 250,000 Palestinians - UN report
Nearly 250,000 Palestinians in 83 communities on the West Bank are at risk of heightened violence in so-called "price tag" revenge attacks that Israeli settlers may launch against a large-scale attempt by Israel to evacuate outposts it considers illegal, a United Nations report warned today.

Ban deplores Israeli decision to expand Jerusalem settlement
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored the Israeli Government's decision today to expand Jerusalem's Gilo settlement, stressing that it was built on Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war.

Israel must end Gaza blockade, evictions, alleged abuse of young Palestinians - Ban
Israel should end the blockade of Gaza, cease evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes, and ensure that the rights of children are respected and that all allegations of torture and ill-treatment are promptly investigated and perpetrators prosecuted, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an annual report released today.

With crucial elections ahead, UN must commit to Iraq for the long term - top official
With upcoming Iraqi elections marking a crucial step on the road to stability, the United Nations must redouble its long-term commitment to a country that is still threatened by both insurgents and potential conflict between the central government and the Kurdish region, the top UN official for Iraq warned today.

New UN scheme aims to feed 172,000 most vulnerable Iraqi schoolchildren
The United Nations food agency today launched a school feeding programme in Iraq, providing some 172,000 children with a free daily snack to help boost attendance and learning in eight of the country's poorest districts.

Increasing number of Yemenis fleeing embattled north, UN agency reports
The United Nations refugee agency reported today that an increasing number of civilians are fleeing embattled Sa'ada province in northern Yemen as the fighting between Government troops and Al Houthi rebels rages on.

UN News Centre - Middle East
A world of news from the world organization.

 

Dubai ousts financial chief over debt troubles
Dubai has removed the high-profile governor of the Dubai International Financial Center as a political power struggle caused by the emirate's financial troubles continues to build

Alabbar upbeat on Dubai growth prospects
Dubai's economy could grow by about 5 per cent this year, says one of the emirate's top officials, in one of the most upbeat recent forecasts about the city's prospects

Why Saudi Arabia should rethink its Yemen strategy
Governments far beyond Yemen's borders should also be alarmed at the deteriorating security in a country that has long been a breeding ground for the religious extremists of al-Qaeda, writes Roula Khalaf

Obama warns of Iran sanctions 'within weeks'
US President Barack Obama has said that world powers could have a package of measures against Iran "within weeks", warning Tehran of consequences for its failure to respond to an offer of a nuclear deal

Iran rejects demand of nuclear compromise
Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, has rejected a US-backed confidence-building measure that required Tehran to ship enriched uranium out of the country

Veto puts timeline for Iraq poll in jeopardy
Iraq's Sunni Arab vice-president has vetoed part of a law over the allocation of seats to displaced Iraqis, throwing fresh doubt over plans for elections in January

A town torn on the Afghan dilemma
While the world waits for Barack Obama to decide whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, there are few places with as much interest in the US president's dilemma...

Iran homes plan fails to raise roof
Disappointment with the delays and loopholes plaguing a highly touted programme upsets Ahmadi-Nejad's working-class constituency

Israel defies US on settlements
Israel has defied US pressure by approving a plan to construct 900 new housing units in a suburb of Jerusalem built on occupied Palestinian land in a move that could stoke regional tensions

Qatar formalises tax changes
The gas-rich peninsular plans to slash the corporate tax rate levied on foreign companies to boost international investments and help diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons

Dubai air show sees deals start to trickle in
With just a handful of extra order announcements from the main aircraft manufacturers, organisers say the total value of the Dubai air-show deals is now $8.3bn

Qatar's emerging economy bond record
Qatar has issued the world's biggest emerging market bond as the small Gulf emirate seeks to boost its capital markets by building a government yield curve

Mideast brinksmen
Obama can still retrieve this situation by publishing a blueprint of a two-states solution and a Palestinian homeland on most of the West Bank and Gaza, and placing it before the UN Security Council

Cairo angered by football violence in Algeria
Algeria's envoy has been called in to explain the violence against Egyptian workers and companies in Algeria after Saturday's match between the sides in Cairo and before a play-off on Wednesday in Khartoum

EU dents Palestinian hopes of independence
The European Union has poured cold water on Palestinian plans to seek immediate recognition as an independent state, saying the move would be "premature" and called instead for a resumption of Middle East peace negotiations with Israel

FT.com - World, Middle East
FT.com - World, Middle East

 

Afghanistan--Endgame?
Will the U.S. and its allies ever pull out of Afghanistan?

Germany's War in Afghanistan
Germany’s defense minister begins to assert his influence on the war in Afghanistan.

Dollar-Oil Link Soon to Be Broken?
Saudi Arabia is pursuing new oil trade opportunities at America’s expense.

The Iran Hostage Crisis--30 Years On
The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Hamas Rockets Can Reach Tel Aviv
Iran’s threat to Israel increases.

Is Jerusalem About to Explode?
New round of violence erupts on the Temple Mount.

Zu Guttenberg's Next Test?

Iraq Braces for U.S. Withdrawal
“The American era is ending. We must prepare for a new era in which Islamic forces set the agenda.”

Pakistan: Militants Threaten "Sovereignty, Integrity of the State"

Concerns Resurface Over Turkey-Israel Ties
When will Israel realize that Turkey is no friend?

Shiite Insurgency in Yemen Intensifies

Iran Caught Exporting Arms

Iran Close to Building Nuke, Say Press Leaks
Iran could be close to creating a fully functioning nuclear missile—with Russia’s help.

Ahmadinejad's Apocalyptic Ambitions
We ignore them at our own peril.

Iran Nuclear Crisis Will Not Be Solved by the UN
Russia will make sure the UN is a lame duck, leaving only one other major player left to solve the issue.

China and Russia Undermining U.S. Power
The giants of the East are positioned to upset U.S. sanctions on Iran by supplying Tehran with gasoline.

Al Qaeda Threatens Germany
Terrorists promise a “rude awakening” if Germany does not withdraw from Afghanistan.

Surrendering to Iran
One fateful step at a time.

Europe in Regular Secret Talks With Hamas

The Solution for Afghanistan
It’s certainly not democracy.

Rogue Scientist Confirms Pakistan's Involvement in Iranian Nuclear Program

Venezuela and Iran Continue to Boost Ties
The two petroleum economies sign more energy deals.

Hezbollah Found to Have Chemical Weapons

Iran Fights on the Yemen Battlefront

Another Defeat at the Door
And guess who’s knocking?

theTrumpet.com: Middle East
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.

 

Obama warns of Iran sanctions 'within weeks'
US President Barack Obama has said that world powers could have a package of measures against Iran "within weeks", warning Tehran of consequences for its failure to respond to an offer of a nuclear deal

Iran rejects demand of nuclear compromise
Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, has rejected a US-backed confidence-building measure that required Tehran to ship enriched uranium out of the country

Beijing remains guarded on Iran
Barack Obama, the US president, sought to convince China to increase pressure on Iran's nuclear programme – but received no public commitment that Beijing would support sanctions

Iran told to reveal all nuclear facilities
Revelation of undeclared enrichment plant near Qom has reduced IAEA's confidence in Tehran's declarations

Ankara pursues lead role in Middle East
Simple formula of romantic television drama and an anti-Israeli stance has enabled Turkey to make a comeback as an influential power in the Middle East

US and Russia agree on Iran
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev say the world is running out of time in using diplomatic means to resolve a crisis over Iran's nuclear programme

Iran's artists join growing boycott of state
A growing boycott of state-sponsored ceremonies is under way by many Iranian cultural figures in protest at the policies of the hardline regime

Iranian consulate worker shot dead in Peshawar
A senior Pakistani official working for the Iranian consulate in Peshawar is killed in an armed attack, prompting fresh concerns over mounting tensions between the countries

Iran executes Kurdish activist
In a rare application of the death penalty against a political prisoner, Iran has hanged Ehsan Fattahian, a Kurdish activist, on charges of armed struggle against the Islamic regime

Iran criticises Oxford memorial to Neda
A college of Oxford University has set up a scholarship in memory of Neda Salehi Agha-Soltan, the young Iranian woman whose death during the June post-election unrest provoked outrage and became a symbol of regime brutality

Iran charges US hikers with spying
Iran has charged three US citizens with spying two months after the trio were arrested having walked across the border from neighbouring Iraq, a top judiciary official has said

Israel seizes arms 'bound for Hizbollah'
The Jewish state said a captured container ship originating in Iran and loaded with weapons, including rockets, was destined for Syria and Lebanon's Shia group

Tehran reluctant to cede state control
Following a recent blow to its hopes, Iran's private sector believes than despite slogans to the contrary, the government has no intention of encouraging any real privatisation

Iranian opposition and police in fresh clashes
Thousands of opposition supporters clashed with security forces at a state-organised rally on the anniversary of the US embassy siege

Merkel warns Iran against nuclear move
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, delivered a stern warning to Iran's hard-line leader amid signs that the west's patience with Tehran's prevarication on its nuclear programme was running out

FT.com - Iran
FT.com - Iran

 

UN General Assembly Condemns Post-Election Abuses in Iran
In a vote of 74 in favor, 48 against and 59 abstentions, the General Assembly committee responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural affairs - known as the Third Committee -adopted the resolution co-sponsored by Canada and 41 other countries.

World Economic Forum Summit Begins in Dubai
Hundreds of influential thinkers from around the world have gathered in Dubai to participate in the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda. Participants of the three-day event will look at ways that international institutions like the G20, World Bank and United Nations can improve.

World Powers Disappointed at Iran's Intransigence
Officials from six world powers have expressed disappointment at Iran's refusal to accept a proposal to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment.

UNICEF says Children's Lives Are Improving
But 20 years after the adoption of a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, hundreds of millions still go without basics like food and health care, and violence against children remains a global problem.

US, Allies Discuss Iran Nuclear Stance and Consequences
Speaking in South Korea, President Obama says a package of potential steps will be developed during the next several weeks with the aim of sending a 'clear message' to Iran

Palestinians Say Israeli Move Could Kill Peace Process

Israeli PM Meets with Obama, Seeks Renewed Peace Talks

Hariri Names New Lebanese Government After Five-Month Vacuum

Iran Denies Backing Yemeni Rebels

Lebanon's Unity Government Convenes for First Time

Abbas Renews Call for Settlement Halt

Iraq's Presidential Council Wants January 18 Election

Palestinian Elections Postponed Indefinitely
The elections were postponed because of divisions between rival Palestinian factions: the Fatah movement that controls the West Bank and the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip.

Obama's Middle East Strategy Stalls

Iranian Nobel Laureate Ebadi Criticizes Human Rights in Iran

Ahmedinejad Uses Conciliatory Tone Over Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says Iran and the West have "entered a period of cooperation" concerning its nuclear program. The Iranian president did not reply to specifics of a pending nuclear deal during a televised address.

More Civilians Fleeing War-Torn Yemen
UN and International aid agencies say plight of civilians in Yemen is worsening amid increasing conflict along Yemeni-Saudi border. The agencies say IDP camps are becoming overcrowded as more and more people fleeing their homes arrive

Iraq Constitutional Court Overturns Electoral Law Veto
The Constitutional Court has overturned a veto of the country's electoral law by Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi who wants parliament to allocate more seats to minorities and to Iraqis living abroad, which include a large number of Sunnis

Sarkozy Leads Charge in Reinvigorating Stalled Peace Talks
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing the stalled Middle East peace process this week, holding talks with Middle East leaders including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday.

Human Trafficking Reaches to High Alert Around World
The United States is often a destination for many of these victims, where they are held in what many human rights activists consider modern day slaver

VOA English - Middle East
VOA English - Middle East

 

UN General Assembly Condemns Post-Election Abuses in Iran
In a vote of 74 in favor, 48 against and 59 abstentions, the General Assembly committee responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural affairs - known as the Third Committee -adopted the resolution co-sponsored by Canada and 41 other countries.

World Economic Forum Summit Begins in Dubai
Hundreds of influential thinkers from around the world have gathered in Dubai to participate in the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda. Participants of the three-day event will look at ways that international institutions like the G20, World Bank and United Nations can improve.

World Powers Disappointed at Iran's Intransigence
Officials from six world powers have expressed disappointment at Iran's refusal to accept a proposal to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment.

UNICEF says Children's Lives Are Improving
But 20 years after the adoption of a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, hundreds of millions still go without basics like food and health care, and violence against children remains a global problem.

US, Allies Discuss Iran Nuclear Stance and Consequences
Speaking in South Korea, President Obama says a package of potential steps will be developed during the next several weeks with the aim of sending a 'clear message' to Iran

Palestinians Say Israeli Move Could Kill Peace Process

Israeli PM Meets with Obama, Seeks Renewed Peace Talks

Hariri Names New Lebanese Government After Five-Month Vacuum

Iran Denies Backing Yemeni Rebels

Lebanon's Unity Government Convenes for First Time

Abbas Renews Call for Settlement Halt

Iraq's Presidential Council Wants January 18 Election

Palestinian Elections Postponed Indefinitely
The elections were postponed because of divisions between rival Palestinian factions: the Fatah movement that controls the West Bank and the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip.

Obama's Middle East Strategy Stalls

Iranian Nobel Laureate Ebadi Criticizes Human Rights in Iran

Ahmedinejad Uses Conciliatory Tone Over Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says Iran and the West have "entered a period of cooperation" concerning its nuclear program. The Iranian president did not reply to specifics of a pending nuclear deal during a televised address.

More Civilians Fleeing War-Torn Yemen
UN and International aid agencies say plight of civilians in Yemen is worsening amid increasing conflict along Yemeni-Saudi border. The agencies say IDP camps are becoming overcrowded as more and more people fleeing their homes arrive

Iraq Constitutional Court Overturns Electoral Law Veto
The Constitutional Court has overturned a veto of the country's electoral law by Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi who wants parliament to allocate more seats to minorities and to Iraqis living abroad, which include a large number of Sunnis

Sarkozy Leads Charge in Reinvigorating Stalled Peace Talks
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing the stalled Middle East peace process this week, holding talks with Middle East leaders including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday.

Human Trafficking Reaches to High Alert Around World
The United States is often a destination for many of these victims, where they are held in what many human rights activists consider modern day slaver

VOA English - Middle East
VOA English - Middle East

 

Congo's constitution: Democracy under threat

Is Congo’s President Joseph Kabila flirting with dictatorship?

AFTER 32 years of rapacious dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko and nearly a decade of chaos following his demise in 1997, Congo’s elections in 2006 marked the first time the people of the former Belgian colony had gone to the polls in a free and fair vote for four decades. It was a rare moment of hope for a better future. But the latest signs are less auspicious. In recent parliamentary sessions, it emerged that President Joseph Kabila had called for a special constitutional review commission to consider amending Congo’s four-year-old charter. Among various suggestions, it may ask for presidential terms to be extended from five to seven years and perhaps for term limits to be junked altogether. Another idea being touted is for the president to become head of the Superior Council of Magistrates, the country’s most powerful judicial body. But the constitution specifically forbids amendments in all of those areas.

In the past three years the 38-year-old president has shown increasingly little interest in living up to the democratic promise that impressed the West when he won at the polls in 2006. Not that such hopes lasted very long. Just a few months after he was sworn in, he brought the opposition to heel by defeating fighters loyal to Jean-Pierre Bemba, who came second in the presidential contest, in deadly street battles in the capital, Kinshasa. Soon afterwards he clamped down on parliament’s largest opposition group, which is led by Mr Bemba, who is anyway due next year to stand trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. ...

Sierra Leone's corruption problem: A mortal enemy

The government is having some rare success in trying to eradicate an old sore

IN MOST African countries, the fight against corruption is deemed important but hardly a matter of life and death. In Sierra Leone it is exactly that.

In 1991 the country descended into one of Africa’s most terrible civil wars. It lasted a decade or so, killed tens of thousands of people and spawned a new lexicon of words and images that shocked the world: “blood diamonds”, drugged-up child soldiers, warlords and militiamen amputating the hands of their victims for doing nothing worse than voting. At the end of it all, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed by the government decided that one of the war’s main causes had been the rampant corruption that had infested every level of government in the preceding decades. If Sierra Leone was to avoid a repeat of the 1990s, corruption was the biggest vice to be eradicated. ...

Iraq and its neighbours: A regional cockpit

A regional competition for influence in Iraq

Editor's note: Following an emphatic denial from United States Central Command, we have removed this story from our site pending further investigation.

...

Yemen's war: Pity those caught in the middle

A bitter local conflict threatens to spread across the region

MUHAMMAD REDWAN and his family were being hammered from all sides. In early August, rebels from Yemen’s Houthi clan took over his village in the rugged mountains of the Malahid district, near the border with Saudi Arabia. First they harassed him, telling him not to listen on his television to music that “contradicted the values of Islam”. Then they told him he was “praying in the wrong way”— with arms raised, as is the custom elsewhere in Yemen. But then he got squeezed from another side, when Saudi armed forces, entering Yemen from across the border, issued warnings by loudspeaker. “If you want to stay alive, leave your homes immediately,” they blared.

A 35-year-old smuggler, Mr Redwan took the hint. After a three-day journey of 100km (62 miles)—by donkey, in a truck and finally by foot—he, his wife and six children managed to reach Mazrak Camp, south-west of the regional capital, Saada. This is where more than 10,000 recently displaced Yemenis now languish in misery. The UN-run camp cannot cope with the thousands of people who are arriving every week. Tens of thousands of other displaced people have recently sought refuge in villages and towns scattered across a swathe of northern Yemen. ...

Hope and worry in Zambia: Less poor, less free

The president is making the country’s well-wishers anxious

WHEN Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) got independence from Britain in 1964, it was one of Africa’s richest and most developed countries. It has vast copper-ore deposits and some of the best land and most copious water in the continent. Yet now, largely due to poor leadership, it is one of the poorest. Under President Levy Mwanawasa, who ran the place from 2002 until he died a year ago, things began to look up. But after a year in the job his successor, Rupiah Banda, is beginning to raise fears, especially among foreign investors and donors, that his country may be returning to some of its bad old ways.

One reason is that Mr Banda, who was foreign minister under Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, has been chumming up with Mr Kaunda’s disgraced successor, Frederick Chiluba. Apart from the successful privatisation of the mines, Mr Chiluba’s ten-year reign from 1991-2001 is remembered mainly for its economic mismanagement and corruption. In 2007, in a civil case brought by Zambia’s government before London’s High Court, Mr Chiluba was found guilty of embezzling GBP46m (then $95m) of public funds. The ruling has yet to be enforced in Zambia. ...

Regional diplomacy and Zimbabwe: When patience finally runs out

Setting a deadline for Zimbabwe’s politicians to settle their differences

AT LAST the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an influential club of 15 countries that has overseen the regional diplomacy intended to solve Zimbabwe’s troubles, is showing signs that it may be prepared to squeeze President Robert Mugabe a bit harder. As the supposed guarantor of a power-sharing pact between Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader, SADC has—after months of dithering—ordered all “outstanding issues” to be settled by December 5th. As a result, Mr Tsvangirai has agreed to end a three-week boycott of the unity government by members of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Ever since the coalition government was set up in February, Mr Mugabe has flouted most of the pact’s main provisions with impunity. In some respects, matters have been getting worse. The persecution and arrest of political opponents, trade unionists and student leaders have increased. So has violence against the dwindling band of white farmers who refuse to be chased off their property. Broadcasting and the daily press, still firmly in the hands of Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, smear Mr Tsvangirai and the MDC incessantly, while independent newspapers have yet to be allowed to start printing again. ...

Race and power in South Africa: Trouble at the grid

A race row over electricity

UNTIL the end of last month, Eskom, the state-owned power company, was mainly known for its inefficiency and incompetence. Power cuts have been maddeningly common throughout the country. But now the company has been engulfed by another, much more South African, sort of row, about race.

On October 30th rumours first circulated that the board had asked Jacob Maroga, Eskom’s chief executive, who is black, to step down. A month earlier a group of senior employees at the cash-strapped utility were reported to have sent an anonymous letter to the minister for public enterprises, demanding his removal. On November 5th it was reported that Mr Maroga had not been pushed after all, but had resigned after a clash with the board’s chairman, Bobby Godsell, who is white. ...

Iraq's mobile-phone revolution: Better than freedom?

Why Iraqis cherish their mobile phones

ASKED to name the single biggest benefit of America’s invasion, many Iraqis fail to mention freedom or democracy but instead praise the advent of mobile phones, which were banned under Saddam Hussein. Many Iraqis seem to feel more liberated by them than by the prospect of elected resident government.

In the five years since the first network started up, the number of subscribers has soared to 20m (in a population of around 27m), while the electricity supply is hardly better than in Mr Hussein’s day. That is double the rate for Lebanon, where a civil war ended two decades ago and income per head is four times higher. ...

Rivalry over hummus: An emotive issue

A good-humoured war over food

MIDDLE EASTERNERS have had a habit of making war but they suffer a stronger addiction to hummus, the chickpea dip that is a staple of Levantine cuisine. So what could be more explosive than a mix of both passions, war and peas? Just such a conflict is raging between those old foes, Israel and Lebanon.

Last year, a team of Israeli chefs concocted what they claimed was the world’s biggest-ever batch of hummus, rolling out a vat weighing 400kg (882lb) in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. It took a year to muster an Arab counter-strike, but on October 24th a squadron of Lebanese chefs cooked up a bunker-busting bowlful that weighed in at over 2,000kg. For good measure they also unveiled a terrifying 3,500kg batch of tabbouleh, the cracked wheat and parsley salad for which Lebanon is justly famed. Gastronomic gigantism may be a fad in Lebanon, where chefs recently baked a tray of kibbeh, a pie of minced meat and cracked wheat, at 20 square metres (215 square feet) a candidate for the Guinness Book of Records. ...

The leadership of Palestine: Will he jump?

The Palestinians look both divided and leaderless

AFTER five hapless years as the Palestinians’ president, Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) suddenly declared on November 5th that he would not seek re-election in January, when the Palestinian territories are due to hold general and presidential polls. On the face of it, his decision was a blow to the cause of peace. Even before he succeeded Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, Mr Abbas stood out as a man of peace who preferred negotiation to violence, whereas Mr Arafat, at least in most Israeli eyes, had always juggled the two. After Mr Abbas steps down, who will take over? And in which direction might the new man go?

But within hours of Mr Abbas’s declaration confusion had set in. For a start, it soon became unclear whether Mr Abbas really would step down. He has often threatened to resign. Angered by a recent decision of the American administration to rescind its previous vaunted insistence that Israel’s government should completely stop building and expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the core of a would-be Palestinian state, Mr Abbas may have been seeking to win concessions as his price for staying in office—and for returning to the negotiating table. ...

Uganda and homosexuality: Don’t ask

A new law against homosexuality in Uganda could set a nasty trend

VISITORS to Uganda have rarely been starved of sex if they have wanted it. But there are limitations. The country’s mix of vigorous heterosexuality and religiosity have made it one of Africa’s more homophobic places. Now, say advocates of sexual freedom, a proposed new law against homosexuals will push Uganda back into a grim kind of Victorian age, Africa-style.

Fine, say members of Uganda’s parliament, who believe they are leading a global battle to defend the traditional family. Foreign embassies, they reckon, are unduly pro-gay; the UN is alleged to be “smuggling” in “agents of immorality”. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, as one MP put it, is imported by corrupt white men and women. ...

Hope for Zanzibar: Taking the spice out of politics

A pact between the island’s rival parties could prevent more violence and unrest

TANZANIANS are proud of the fact that it was their president, Jakaya Kikwete, who won the race to the White House. Ghana may have been Africa’s first sub-Saharan country to host Barack Obama as president, but Mr Kikwete was Africa’s first head of state to be received in Washington, DC, by the new American leader: a striking endorsement of his country. With messy Kenya and chaotic Congo across the border, and lawless Somalia just up the coast to the north, Tanzania is now viewed in the West as a regional haven of calm in a turbulent neighbourhood.

But there has been a big blot on Tanzania’s record over the years: Zanzibar. The last three elections on the offshore islands that comprise the territory—Pemba and Zanzibar itself—have been increasingly violent and disputed. The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) claims that the elections of 1995, 2000 and 2005 were all stolen by the local branch of Tanzania’s ruling Party of the Revolution, better known by its Swahili initials, CCM. ...

Protests in Iran: Green November

The opposition takes to the streets again

THIRTY years ago, the world was mesmerised by pictures of 52 blindfolded Americans being taken hostage in their embassy in Tehran by Iranian students. This week’s anniversary provided more gripping scenes, as Iranians used the official celebration of that event to take to the streets once again, this time to protest against their own government and their country’s controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose re-election in June they still hotly dispute.

The green movement, as the opposition calls itself, had held no big rally since Jerusalem Day in mid-September, when protesters turned an officially sponsored event into an anti-government one. On November 4th they did it again. Thousands came on to the streets, despite dark warnings from the authorities. There were big demonstrations in Tehran, and reports of others in provincial cities such as Arak, Isfahan, Mazandaran, Rasht, Shiraz and Tabriz. The internet hummed with tales of opposition protests, replete with videos and photographs. It was hard, however, to assess the size of the crowds. ...

Saudis and Yemenis versus jihadists: A bloody border

Trouble on the frontier between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is getting out of hand

TWO separate incidents underline the growing shakiness of Yemen’s government and the increasing fear of Saudi rulers that their own fairly successful campaign to quash Islamist terrorism may be undermined by neighbouring Yemen’s feared descent into chaos. On November 3rd suspected al-Qaeda fighters ambushed a Yemeni government convoy in the remote Hadramawt region, near the border with Saudi Arabia, killing three senior security men. A day later Yemeni rebels at the other end of the country crossed the frontier into Saudi Arabia, killed a Saudi officer and claimed to have captured a strategic mountaintop inside the kingdom. The very next day, Saudi aircraft were reported to have bombed rebel positions in Yemen.

In the first attack the Yemeni officers were targeted in what may be an emerging strategy by al-Qaeda’s resilient local branch to hit local security forces rather than symbols of “crusader” influence, such as Western embassies. The attack on Saudi Arabia, by contrast, was a spillover from the civil war in northern Yemen between government forces and rebel tribesmen loyal to a powerful local clan, the Houthis. The government accuses Shia Iran of backing the Houthis, most of whose supporters are Zaydis, a Yemeni branch of the Shia faith, whereas the rebels say Sunni Saudi Arabia is backing the government’s ferocious counter-insurgency. ...

Guinea's strife: Don't let it be contagious

The neighbours of a shaky west African state fear that its instability could spread

WHEN Moussa Dadis Camara, a 45-year-old captain, seized power at the end of last year, many Guineans and foreigners were by no means unhappy. He seemed sure to be better than his corrupt and dictatorial predecessor, President Lansana Conte, who had just died after 25 years in charge. But hope evaporated at the end of September, when security forces smashed up an opposition rally in a stadium in Conakry, the capital. Soldiers and police killed at least 150 demonstrators and raped scores of women, says Human Rights Watch, a lobby based in New York.

A worldwide storm of outrage ensued. The African Union has frozen the assets held abroad by junta members. The European Union has imposed an arms embargo and has also, along with the United States, stopped giving visas to Guineans close to the regime. France, the former colonial ruler, has cut military ties. Its foreign minister has called for “international intervention”, so far unspecified. ...

The flagging peace process: Is Israel too strong for Barack Obama?

As America drops its demand for a total freeze on the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, angry Palestinians say there is no scope for resuming talks

FIVE months after Barack Obama went to Cairo and persuaded most of the Arab world, in a ringing declaration of even-handedness, that he would face down Israel in his quest for a Palestinian state, American policy seems to have run into the sand. The American president’s mediating hand is weaker, his charisma damagingly faded. From the Palestinian and Arab point of view, his administration—after grandly setting out to force the Jewish state to stop the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land as an early token of good faith, intended to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiation—has meekly capitulated to Israel.

The upshot is that hopes for an early resumption of talks between the main protagonists seem to have been dashed. Indeed, no one seems to know how they can be restarted. The mood among moderates on both sides is as glum as ever. ...

Baghdad's Green Zone goes dry: Stop that naughty Western habit

Life for Westerners in Iraq’s capital becomes less bearable

RESIDENTS of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where nearly all Western civilians in the capital still live in around 100 compounds, along with several thousand soldiers, have long enjoyed a relatively privileged life. Unlike just about everyone else in Iraq, they have electricity that keeps them permanently cool, lights their rooms, plays their music, and runs their fridges around the clock. Their water is clean; loos flush. Above all, suicide-bombers and other insurgents are generally kept out by a maze of high concrete walls and stringently checked entry points, though the occasional lethal bomb has gone off and in bad times rockets and mortars have rained down. Compared with the rest of Baghdad, fatalities have been rare.

Now, however, the residents of the Green Zone are taking a big hit. Many of its diplomats, security people, lobbyists and aid workers have been used to whiling away their evenings at cocktail parties or in bars. But the Iraqi government is banning the transport and sale of alcohol inside the zone even though alcohol will remain legal in other parts of the country. Liquor stores must close after selling off their stock. Restaurants have been told to go dry. ...

Iraq's coming election: The region's liveliest system

Amid the bickering and chicanery, people are engaging in democracy

SOMETIMES it seems as if Iraqi politicians cannot agree on anything. Parliament has taken months debating a bill to pave the way to elections on January 16th, though at least 296 parties have declared their intention to compete at the polls. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things. The era of sectarian division, they all insist, is over. Shias and Sunnis embrace at press conferences as they present electoral alliances. In the name of reconciliation, politicians disavow the militias that once killed on their behalf. Banners proclaim the goal of “national unity”. Is there any sign that such fine dreams might ever come true?

For all the backbiting, progress is plain. After months of negotiations, six main electoral blocks have emerged to meet a looming deadline for registering alliances. The three that look most genuinely post-sectarian may well be the strongest. The rest sport fig-leaves of diversity but are tainted with past sectarian violence. ...

Protecting displaced Africans: Selective rescue

A new treaty promises much, but will not help those who need help most urgently

AFRICA contains half of the world’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)—those who have fled their homes but continue to live in their own countries. Sudan alone has over 4m of them, about the same number as the whole of Asia. Congo has another 2m or so, Somalia at least 1.3m. A score of other countries including Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya have hundreds of thousands more. In sum, there are about 12m IDPs across the continent.

On top of that, Africa has 3m refugees, who, by crossing an international border, have rights and can expect assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). IDPs, however, are not so fortunate. No binding agreements protect them. UNHCR will help out, but generally they have to rely on the generosity of foreign-aid organisations and, occasionally, the goodwill of their own governments. Sometimes though, as in the Darfur region of Sudan, those very same governments have driven the IDPs from their homes in the first place. ...

The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa

 

Iraq's mobile-phone revolution: Better than freedom?

Why Iraqis cherish their mobile phones

ASKED to name the single biggest benefit of America’s invasion, many Iraqis fail to mention freedom or democracy but instead praise the advent of mobile phones, which were banned under Saddam Hussein. Many Iraqis seem to feel more liberated by them than by the prospect of elected resident government.

In the five years since the first network started up, the number of subscribers has soared to 20m (in a population of around 27m), while the electricity supply is hardly better than in Mr Hussein’s day. That is double the rate for Lebanon, where a civil war ended two decades ago and income per head is four times higher. ...

Shootings at Fort Hood: After the horror at home

Is there any lesson to be drawn from the shootings at Fort Hood?

FORT HOOD is one of the largest army bases in America, sprawling over more than 300 square miles (some 780 square kilometres) of nondescript central Texas grassland between Austin and Waco. It is home to more than 50,000 active-duty soldiers, many of whom pass through on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan. One of their errands before deploying is to stop at the Soldier Readiness Processing Centre for last-minute medical and dental checks. It was here, on Thursday November 5th, that soldiers preparing for and returning from war encountered a tragedy no one expected.

Early in the afternoon a major, Nidal Malik Hasan, who worked as an army psychiatrist, walked into the centre and opened fire with two weapons. He shot dozens of people before Kimberly Munley, a civilian police officer serving on the post, shot him. The bloody rampage lasted for about 10 minutes: 13 people died of their injuries and 28 more were wounded, including Ms Munley. For several hours the base was locked down and plunged into confusion, amid misplaced fears that more than one gunman was at large. Most of the dead were young soldiers. Five had been specially trained to deal with stress among soldiers in combat. ...

Baghdad's Green Zone goes dry: Stop that naughty Western habit

Life for Westerners in Iraq’s capital becomes less bearable

RESIDENTS of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where nearly all Western civilians in the capital still live in around 100 compounds, along with several thousand soldiers, have long enjoyed a relatively privileged life. Unlike just about everyone else in Iraq, they have electricity that keeps them permanently cool, lights their rooms, plays their music, and runs their fridges around the clock. Their water is clean; loos flush. Above all, suicide-bombers and other insurgents are generally kept out by a maze of high concrete walls and stringently checked entry points, though the occasional lethal bomb has gone off and in bad times rockets and mortars have rained down. Compared with the rest of Baghdad, fatalities have been rare.

Now, however, the residents of the Green Zone are taking a big hit. Many of its diplomats, security people, lobbyists and aid workers have been used to whiling away their evenings at cocktail parties or in bars. But the Iraqi government is banning the transport and sale of alcohol inside the zone even though alcohol will remain legal in other parts of the country. Liquor stores must close after selling off their stock. Restaurants have been told to go dry. ...

Iraq's coming election: The region's liveliest system

Amid the bickering and chicanery, people are engaging in democracy

SOMETIMES it seems as if Iraqi politicians cannot agree on anything. Parliament has taken months debating a bill to pave the way to elections on January 16th, though at least 296 parties have declared their intention to compete at the polls. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things. The era of sectarian division, they all insist, is over. Shias and Sunnis embrace at press conferences as they present electoral alliances. In the name of reconciliation, politicians disavow the militias that once killed on their behalf. Banners proclaim the goal of “national unity”. Is there any sign that such fine dreams might ever come true?

For all the backbiting, progress is plain. After months of negotiations, six main electoral blocks have emerged to meet a looming deadline for registering alliances. The three that look most genuinely post-sectarian may well be the strongest. The rest sport fig-leaves of diversity but are tainted with past sectarian violence. ...

Bombs and politics in Iraq: No end in sight

Another “spectacular” raises doubts about American troop withdrawals

TWO car bombs that exploded on October 25th in the centre of Baghdad claimed the lives of at least 155 people and injured more than 700. The main targets were the Ministry of Justice and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions blew windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months and the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings, including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing about 100 people.

Since then, a new sense of crisis has enveloped the Iraqi capital. The overall number of attacks has decreased in the past year, but spectacular assaults are on the rise. This is affecting politics. Elections are due in January and security is now a big issue. Within hours of the bombings, some politicians were pointing fingers. “Voters know these are manipulations by the Saddamists,” says Ammar al-Hakim, the new leader of the largest Shia party. Many other Iraqis blame the same Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaeda and members of Saddam Hussein’s former regime. On October 27th a group calling itself Islamic State in Iraq, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying it had attacked “dens of infidelity” in the capital. ...

Baghdad bombs: Bloodbath in Baghdad

At least 155 die in the worst bombings in Iraq of the past two years

TWO car bombs turned Baghdad into a killing field on Sunday October 25th, claiming the lives of at least 155 people and injuring hundreds more. The main targets were the ministry of justice and public works and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions sent windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months, but the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing perhaps 100 people.

The new attack has heightened the sense of crisis in the Iraqi capital. The past two years have seen fewer bombings and fewer people killed than in the years before. But insurgents are now focusing on spectacular assaults in an effort to affect the political situation. Elections are due in January and security is a big issue. As in Afghanistan, where the Taliban stepped up attacks during the election campaign, more bombings are likely in the coming months. Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, had been claiming credit for ending the descent into civil war and is therefore vulnerable. Voters might also punish political parties with their own militias, if they are seen to be associating with terrorists. ...

Iraq's fragile security: Jangling nerves

As the Americans prepare to go and an election looms, anxiety is rising again

THE outlook remains far rosier than two years ago. Violence has dropped to the level of a few months after the American invasion in 2003. Voters are likely to turn out in large numbers for a general election scheduled for January 16th. So far, the main electoral alliances are being drawn from across the sectarian spectrum. It has yet to be determined whether Iraq will be Islamist, federal or centralised in character and constitution. But most politicians seem sincere in insisting that this will be decided by parliament and not by force. The insurgents are too weak to overthrow the newly emerging order. They control no swathes of Iraq, as they once did. There are some dangerous areas, but the Iraqi forces can go more or less where they please.

Even so, the continuing presence of 120,000 American soldiers still underpins security, though they stopped patrolling the streets in July. But Barack Obama this week reassured Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, who was visiting Washington, that all American combat troops would be out by the end of next August and that all troops would have left by the end of 2011. ...

Afghanistan and Iraq: Blood and treasure

The costs of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars

EIGHT years after the toppling of the Taliban, the prospects for the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan seem worse than ever. Battered by mounting casualties, Western support for the war has been further dented by a wildly rigged presidential election in favour of the incumbent, Hamid Karzai. But against this gloomy backdrop it is worth remembering that in 2006, before the American surge, prospects in Iraq looked far bleaker than they do now in Afghanistan, even though the allies had many more foreign and local troops. America still spends more on Iraq but it is decreasing as the focus switches to Afghanistan. Barack Obama is faced with a request from the American and NATO commander in the country, General Stanley McChrystal, for large numbers of extra soldiers.

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Iraq and its oil: Deterring foreign investors

Iraq’s ramshackle oil ministry is not encouraging foreign investment

SUITORS keep knocking on the door of Iraq’s oil ministry but the people inside are still coyly loth to say “come in”. Licences to develop oil fields are being awarded at tortoise speed. The ministry has been telling companies looking for exploration and drilling contracts to give unusually large upfront loans before they can be considered for long-term deals. Iraq’s parliament, still full of MPs who are wary of foreigners coming to “steal Iraq’s oil”, have obstructed progress by failing to pass the required laws. Still, Iraq has the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world behind Saudi Arabia, Canada and Iran. With MPs in recess for the summer, technocrats in the ministry have quietly been taking some cautious steps towards turning Iraq into the global hydrocarbon giant it says it wants to be.

Oil-ministry officials have recently tweaked plans for a long-awaited licence auction in December, to make it more attractive. International bidders will be able to take part in several—rather than just one—of the ten greenfield projects on offer, including Majnoon in the south-east, one of the country’s two largest fields. Officials met an array of oil bigwigs from around the world last month in Istanbul to discuss terms. Most of the prospective buyers were persuaded that they have a chance of winning contracts, with more than one-third of Iraq’s reserves up for grabs. The United States Energy Information Administration, a statistical agency in the US Department of Energy, reckons that oil in those ten undeveloped Iraqi fields would fill about 41 billion barrels, worth nearly $3 trillion at today’s price. ...

Iraq's freedoms under threat: Could a police state return?

Iraqis are increasingly worried that their new freedoms are under threat

THE main book market, in Baghdad’s Mutanabi Street, was a hive of angry chatter this week. Bespectacled traders, complaining about new censorship laws, shouted, “This is not freedom of expression,” and talked of holding a demonstration like one last month, when journalists protested against new restrictions.

But would the booksellers dare? They said they were already worried that plainclothes policemen had been taking their names. Perhaps they should go instead to court and fight censorship with the help of lawyers. “Not a chance,” said one book-dealer. “This is the new Iraq.” Legal protections, he noted, count for little. “Power”, he added, “is held by the men with the guns.” ...

The reshaping of Iraqi politics: Blowing a hole in the political landscape

The prime minister's political career is the latest casualty of the upsurge in violence

LIKE a hormonal teenager, Iraqi politics evolves in spurts. Just take these past weeks. The insurgency has revived, culminating in a series of audacious and bloody attacks in the heart of Baghdad. And that has turned the fortunes of the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, on their head. From being a shoo-in at the next election, the man who was supposed to have tamed the terrorists is now looking more like a has-been. Rivals are lining up to take him on and old alliances are unravelling. All that Iraqis know for sure is that they have reached another turning-point in their turbulent post-invasion history.

The biggest surprise is the fracturing of the Shia political establishment. Oppressed under Saddam Hussein, the majority Shias grabbed power in the first free elections and held on despite endless crises. Their governments benefited from sectarian unity, which they maintained through bullying and haggling. But on August 24th the leading Shia party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, and some of its allies dumped Mr Maliki, another Shia. They formed a new slate, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), that will oppose his Dawa party in national elections due to be held in January. ...

More bombings in Iraq: Lethal and relentless

Militants strike at the heart of the capital

AT 10am on August 19th simultaneous car bombs and rocket attacks targeted half-a-dozen government offices. The foreign ministry was destroyed by an explosives-filled lorry that also set ablaze the surrounding buildings. A bomb smuggled into the education ministry narrowly missed killing the minister in his office, and a mortar landed near the home of the environment minister. Rockets fell across the heavily fortified Green Zone, destroying parts of the parliament building and damaging a neighbouring luxury hotel minutes before the prime minister was due to visit. At least 95 people were killed and over 500 more injured, among them many officials from the foreign ministry.

This was the worst act of violence in Iraq since American troops started withdrawing in June. For a few hours it took the capital back to the chaos and fear that reigned three or more years ago. Clouds of black smoke hung over the airless city. The Iraqi government says Sunni extremist groups including al-Qaeda are responsible, and they are indeed the most likely suspects. ...

Bombs in Baghdad: Blasted, again

A series of bomb attacks on government buildings in Baghdad leaves at least 95 dead

BAGHDAD has not seen a day as violent as Wednesday August 19th for a long while. At ten in the morning, simultaneous car bombs and rocket attacks struck half a dozen ministries and the cabinet office. A lorry exploded beside the foreign ministry, destroying it and leaving a large crater outside. Nearby high-rise apartment buildings were also set ablaze. A bomb smuggled into the education ministry narrowly failed to kill the minister in his office, according to Iraqi television reports, and a mortar just missed the home of the environment minister. Rockets fell across the heavily fortified green zone, destroying parts of the parliament building and damaging a neighbouring hotel a few minutes before the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, was expected to visit.

At least 95 people were killed and more than 300 more were injured in the attacks. Many of the victims were officials in the foreign ministry. It was the worst act of violence in Iraq since American soldiers started withdrawing last year. For many in the city, the chaos and fear caused by the bombs is a painful reminder of the horror the city endured between two and three years ago. Roads were closed, hospitals overflowed with the injured, shopkeepers shut their doors for fear of more violence and black clouds of smoke hung over the city. ...

The Economist: Iraq's troubles
Iraq's troubles

 

Israeli settlement plan denounced
The US and UN criticise Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

Israel rejects Palestinian move
Israel rejects a Palestinian plan to seek recognition for an independent state, saying talks are the only solution.

Palestinians 'should delay polls'
Elections due in January 2010 should be postponed, the Palestinian Authority's electoral commission recommends.

West Bank deportation challenged
Israel's Supreme Court says a Palestinian student whom the army deported to Gaza should be able to challenge the process.

Palestinians mark Arafat's death
Palestinians mark five years since the death of Yasser Arafat, as his successor repeats calls for an end to Israeli settlement building.

Israel allows Eid cows into Gaza
Israel eases its blockade of Gaza to allow in thousands of cattle ahead of the Muslim festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha.

US and Israeli leaders hold talks
President Barack Obama meets Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as the US struggles to revive the Middle East peace process.

Ex-Israel minister in peace push
A former Israeli minister unveils a peace plan offering a Palestinian state with temporary borders and talks with Hamas.

Hamas 'tests long-range rocket'
Hamas has test-fired a rocket capable of reaching Tel Aviv from Gaza, Israel's head of military intelligence says.

US view on settlement 'unchanged'
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the US has not changed its opposition to continued Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

Six Hamas MPs released by Israel
Israel releases six Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament from jail after holding them for up to three years.

Israeli settler held over attacks
Israeli police arrest a Jewish settler who they say confessed to a string of high-profile hate attacks over the past 12 years.

Israel endorses Iran nuclear plan
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu praises a UN proposal on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme as a "positive first step".

Report: Palestinians denied water
Israel is denying Palestinians access to the basic minimum of clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.

Israel mulls Gaza probes review
Israel considers a review of internal military inquiries clearing troops of alleged war crimes during the Gaza offensive.

Aid worker diary: Part 25
Hatem Shurrab, an aid worker in Gaza for the UK-based charity Islamic Relief Worldwide, keeps a diary of his work amid the conflict.

Gaza voices: Hamas and the truce
Palestinians in Gaza assess the ceasefire "victory" for Hamas, and describe the aftermath of the conflict.

Israeli and Palestinian views
In pictures: Reaction to ceasefire

Broken town shows Gaza destruction
The BBC's Paul Wood reports from Gaza City on his impressions as he entered northern Gaza at the beginning of the ceasefire.

Gaza City voices: Pressure eases
Palestinians across Gaza City describe a welcome easing in conditions after Israeli tanks pull back.

Israeli voices: When to stop
Four Israelis discuss the conflict with Hamas.

Jerusalem
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues which divide Palestinians and Israelis.

Borders and settlements
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at the four main obstacles on the road to peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

Water
The BBC's Martin Asser looks at issues still dividing Arabs and Israelis.

Refugees
The BBC News website's Martin Asser looks at the issue of Palestinian refugees, one of the main obstacles to peace.

History of failed peace talks
In the 40 years since the Middle East war of June 1967, there have been many peace plans and many negotiations.

Profile: Fatah movement
After decades as the ruling party and heart of the Palestinian cause, Fatah seems to have slipped in Palestinians' affections.

Who is a civilian?
What can be defined as military target?

Guide: Gaza under blockade
The BBC News Website examines the Israeli restrictions on Gaza that aid agencies say have brought conditions in the Strip to their worst in decades.

Profile: Gaza Strip
Profile of the strip, including population centres, refugee camps and border crossings.

Who are Hamas?
Hamas, the main Islamist movement in the Palestinian territories, was born soon after the previous intifada erupted in 1987.

Q&A: Israeli Arabs
The BBC News website looks at the complex position of the 20% of Israeli's population that are of Palestinian Arab descent.

Gaza industry rebuilding struggle
Gaza's industries, already hit hard by Israel's two-year blockade, are struggling to recover from war damage six months on from the January conflict, reports the BBC's Heather Sharp in Gaza City.

Breaking silence on Gaza abuses
A report by a group of Israeli ex-military activists lends credibility to widespread claims that the laws of war were breached in Gaza.

Working West Bank checkpoints
You may be able to see Jerusalem from the West Bank but it doesn't mean it is an easy job delivering goods across the border.

Agencies rush aid to Gaza Strip
The UN says border crossings must be opened quickly to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to the Gaza Strip.

Sharing the land
Why Mid-East peace has remained elusive

Gaza scrutiny
The UN looks closely, but will report bring action?

US pressure on Arabs grows
Obama presses Arab states on peace process

PM concedes a little in key speech
Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu may have mentioned the words "Palestinian state", but his speech gave little else to encourage those who dream of peace, the BBC's Jeremy Bowen says.

Can Obama deliver on the ME?
Barack Obama's aim of improving Arab-Israeli relations is being put to the test just as Israel turns its attention to Iran, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus writes.

Cinematic tension
Jewish-Arab film breaks new ground for Israeli audience

Goldstone fall-out plagues Abbas
Palestinian leaders face anger over UN report on Gaza

Cancer trauma inspires film
Palestinian film of woman's fight for cancer treatment

Israeli Arabs struggle for land
Israeli Arabs say discrimination chokes their towns

Israeli troops 'ill-treat kids'
A former Israeli military commander has told the BBC that Palestinian youngsters are routinely ill-treated by Israeli soldiers while in custody, Katya Adler reports.

After Arafat
Palestinian dream of independence is remote as ever

Secret Jerusalem
Palestinian artists go underground to dodge Israeli curbs

Just playing?
Iran casts long shadow over US-Israeli war games

Future imperfect
Jeremy Bowen on President Obama's Mid-East efforts

Hamas rule
Gaza residents suffer as Hamas sticks to its guns

Jerusalem diary
Pornographer wants Israelis to have sex, not wars

BBC News | In Depth | Middle East crisis | World Edition
BBC News Special Reports: Middle East Crisis, in-depth coverage and analysis on the struggle between Israel and the Palestinians plus audio and video.

 

Is Prime Minister Fayad Plotting to Replace Abbas?
In the shadow of Yassar Arafat, the Palestinian Authority has not been able to find the kind of leadership to bring its people together, as demonstrated by recent polls.

J Street: Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, Pro-Peace
A U.S. nonprofit advocacy group is pressuring Washington for a more progressive approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict, recognizing the validity of both sides and pushing for negotiations.

Poppy Fields in Afghanistan
At the heart of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, a concerted effort by international organizations is needed to staunch the Taliban's control over the opium trade.

The Taliban's War on Pakistan
This network of Islamist extremists has been growing for decades, and they believe that now is their time to take out Pakistan's secular government.

Nobel Committee Pulls Oil Plug on Intervention
Beyond the initial media circus surrounding his Peace Prize, the recognition of President Obama's change in foreign policy may say more about U.S.-Middle East relations than upon first look.

A Love Affair with Israel
After visiting Israel from his native Sweden, Daniel Strumberg spent the next six years volunteering for the Israeli army in hopes of becoming a soldier.

The Non-Aligned Movement: A Chance for a Multipolar World
After playing a part in the Cold War, the N.A.M. now has a new calling in countering unipolar dominance in international affairs.

Where Iranians Stand
Two-thirds of Iranians are ready to preclude developing nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting sanctions, but, despite sanctions, most are unwilling to give up enrichment.

Bin Laden to U.S.: "Drop Israel, Let's Talk"
The tape released by Osama bin Laden marks a new approach for al Qaeda, singling out the United States support for Israel in his message to the American people and government.

Stitching up the Enemy
Dr. Oren Ben Lulu, an Israeli soldier turned doctor, often treats Palestinian terrorists, hoping that giving his best medical care can help reduce hatred.

America's Afghan Mess

Is Mubarak Really a Force of Stability?
If Egypt is to contain extremism and improve stability in the long-term, it needs to allow more legitimate access to power in its government.

Surging Ahead in Afghanistan
After losing his friend to a Taliban assault, a sergeant reasserts his cause in Afghanistan.

Gaza: Big Jihad vs. Little Jihad
The difference between Hamas and the J.A.A. is not about good or bad jihad, as some Westerners are claiming. The difference is merely in their strategies.

Hope for Change in Afghanistan
Many Afghans have high hopes for the upcoming presidential elections, but whether the elections will be the spark that dismantles insurgency and corruption hinges on several factors.

Chomsky on Iran
Professor Noam Chomsky, in an interview, applauds the recent protests in Iran and talks about how he sees repressive features not only in Iran, but in every society, that should be protested.

Syria: The Key for Peace in the Middle East
Over the past several years, Syria has turned its country around, and the attention it is now receiving from the United States may prove to bolster that development.

Aid Won't Fix The Crisis in Yemen
U.S. funding to Yemen-at its highest level in years-is a questionable strategy that may do more harm than good, ultimately exacerbating the country's instability.

Power Struggles in Pakistan
Although relief has come to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistani chief justices, the destabilizing tug for power in Pakistan continues to come from several directions.

Iraqi Success Will Depend on Next U.S. Strategy
As Iraq battles threats both domestic and regional, the United States will play an important role in how well Iraqi armed forces are able to secure the country.

Egypt: Power Has Already Been Transferred
Regardless of President Mubarak's title, his son has already effectively taken over the reins of power in Egypt, steering the country toward social and economic modernity.

Iran's Election
The people of Iran have their own leaders yet to come in front of our mission to get our freedom back.

Aftermath of Iran's Election
The blogosphere is one of the Iranian people's only outlets of expression. Worldpress.org reviews a collection of blogs from Iranians reacting to the election and the ensuing protests and brutality.

Iran's Elections: A Show Designed to Delay Democracy
Iran's fraudulent elections were designed to deceive the world, and now the backlash is coming from masses opposed not only to Ahmadinejad but to the regime as a whole.

Lebanese Vote for the Status Quo
The Lebanese overwhelmingly voted to retain the status quo, reinforcing the country's sectarianism, corruption, cronyism and dynastic rule.

Oslo Redux: Fool's Gold in Israel/Palestine
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is deeper and more complex than many conventional arguments convey.

Obama in the Middle East
U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the Muslim world during his recent trip to the Middle East. Worldpress.org reviews comment and analysis from Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Middle Eastern News from World Press Review
World News Review