In The News

Continued Decline Is Not Inevitable

Marina Ottaway July 31, 2007
Multi-party elections throughout the Middle East may be manipulated, but voters do get a voice. Voters increasingly turn to Islamist parties in seeking reform and satisfying public needs. “Secular parties – that is parties that do not explicitly derive their ideology from Islam, but are not necessarily anti-Islamic or anti-religion – played a central role in Arab politics in the past, writes...

Deconstructing Islamist Participation

Amr Hamzawy July 31, 2007
The participation of Islamic parties in political processes throughout the Arab world has raised concerns about their ability to rule. Amr Hamzawy, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, analyzes three forms of Islamist political parties of the Middle East: Some Islamic regimes possess the means to exercise violence, some support cooperation, while others have fragile...

Does the UN Still Matter?

Joseph S. Nye July 27, 2007
The United Nations, with 192 member nations, has global authority to take action on problems ranging from climate change and famine to security matters. However, when corruption or problems emerge, such as former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein removing funds from the UN oil-for-food program, designed to protect ordinary Iraqis against international economic sanctions, many nations quickly blame the...

Interrupting a History of Tolerance – Part II

Riaz Hassan July 24, 2007
The roots of anti-Semitism in the Middle East are based not in Islamic traditions, but in practical opposition to external intervention, argues Riaz Hassan, professor of sociology in Australia. The first two articles of this three-part series analyze historical events that allowed anti-Semitism to permeate the Middle East. In the early 20th century, Palestinians fiercely resisted Jewish settlers...

Japan's Nuclear Accident Should Prompt Review

July 21, 2007
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear power plant, and reports of leaks could slow the rush to develop nuclear-power sources around the world. Many governments plan some nuclear capability as a substitute for declining oil supplies. “Accidents of the kind that occurred in Japan are all too likely to take place in Iran, which has seen seven major earthquakes in as many years and is...

Free Rider Not Free Market

July 18, 2007
France argues that the euro’s increasing value undermines French exports. But finance ministers from other nations disagree, arguing that French labor policies, offering lavish benefits for workers, discourage interest in French exports. At a meeting with eurozone finance ministers, French President Nicolas Sarkozy demanded a two-year extension on an agreement that requires France to balance its...

China Shutters Nonprofit Newsletter

Nicholas Zamiska July 17, 2007
Chinese government officials recently ordered a stop to publication of “The China Development Brief.” This newsletter, read by many NGO representatives around the country, covers a range of human-rights topics, from AIDS to environmental issues. Founding editor, Nicholas Young, reports that his organization was under scrutiny in recent ears and suspects the closure is part of a broader political...