In The News

Was Osama Right?

Bernard Lewis May 22, 2007
Wars of ideology extend over the long term, and the patient believer waits and allows, even encourages, his various enemies to destroy one another. Bernard Lewis, professor emeritus of Princeton, analyzes how the former Soviet Union and the US had contrasting responses to attacks throughout the latter part of the 20th century. In general, the Soviets had less trouble interacting in Muslim nations...

Sudan-Chad Deal – Another Saudi Diplomatic Win

Abdulaziz Sager May 21, 2007
A slow response on the part of the international community and the challenge of mediating between the regional combatants has stymied efforts to halt the violence in Darfur. Saudi Arabia may have made some progress on the latter front, after successfully negotiating an agreement between Sudan and Chad to cease fighting along their shared border. Although African Union and United Nations...

Reality Overtakes the Illusion of Unity in Gaza

Steven Erlanger May 18, 2007
No two people could ever agree on every topic, yet government must organize many competing interests into a structure that can create policy for a common good. A Palestinian unity government has failed to find common ground between two parties, Hamas and Fatah, and Gaza has erupted into violence. "The fighting raises the possibility that the Palestinian Authority itself may collapse, leaving...

Running Out of Time in Iraq

David Ignatius May 15, 2007
President Bush has long resisted setting any timetable for progress or troop withdrawal in Iraq. But a group of Republicans, worried about their party’s chances in future elections, warned the president that, unless some signs of progress emerge, they could no longer support his strategy after September. So US military commanders confront that deadline, as Sunni and Shiite factions struggle for...

21 Solutions to Save the World: A Global Magna Carta

Garry Kasparov May 14, 2007
The world must develop a global treaty aimed at protecting political and civil rights, to which all nations should be held accountable, argues Garry Kasparov in “Foreign Policy.” Such a treaty would be similar to the Magna Carta, the foundation of constitutional freedom, signed by an abusive British king after his defeat in 1215. A global institution that harnesses the military and technical...

Against the Wall: The US Faces a United Iraq

Humphrey Hawksley May 1, 2007
The US still has a chance to deliver stability in Iraq, as hinted by widespread Iraqi rejection of a wall dividing Sunni and Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad, argues BBC correspondent Humphrey Hawksley. First and foremost, the US must focus on its fight with Al Qaeda. Also, the US must overcome any distaste for Islamist rule and embrace the Shias as the only viable, cohesive body with state-like...

The World’s Growing Nuclear Club

Humphrey Hawksley April 16, 2007
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), opened for signing in 1968 and in force since 1970, established a nuclear regime intended as temporary until decision could be reached on eliminating nuclear weapons altogether. While the treaty has proven remarkably enduring, its failure to address the ultimate goal and its inability to cope with the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, Iran, Israel,...