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...

Education the Best Counter for Radicalism

Muhammad Wildan July 30, 2007
Radical Islam is on the rise in Southeast Asia. Muhammad Wildan, a fellow with the Asian Research Institute, argues that the radicalism is a result of local peculiarities rather than incorrect interpretations of Islam. Because globalization has marginalized religion throughout the world, Islam and other religions have lost social authority. Many Muslims embrace salafism, which prohibits modern...

US Pledges $20 Billion in Arms to Middle East

Robin Wright July 30, 2007
The US announced plans to sell billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, as well as to renew arms deals with Egypt, Israel and other allies. Goals behind the US plan include strengthening ties with allies and countering Iran’s growing influence in the region. However, some allies express concerns about more weapons flowing into the volatile region. Analysts point out that some...

Globalization Study Moves Past Rhetoric

David Wessel July 27, 2007
Corporations have long insisted that globalization delivers prosperity. But a report commissioned by the Financial Services Forum, an association of CEOs of 20 major financial firms, admits that most benefits have gone to a select few. International operations increasingly account for most sales and business conducted by multinational firms, writes David Wessel for the Wall Street Journal. But...

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...

China Cancels Environmental Report

Mitchell Landsberg July 27, 2007
Governments around the globe continue to prioritize the short-term gains of economic growth over the long-term costs of environmental destruction. But with mounting property damage and increasing reports of illnesses such as asthma, nations can’t help but be embarrassed about the costs associated with environmental neglect. In early July, China convinced the World Bank to alter parts of a report...