In The News

US Products Help Block Mideast Web

Paul Sonne, Steve Stecklow March 31, 2011
As protests rage in the Middle East, some software companies help the young protesters in circumventing censorship and others assist the dictators in exerting control. Global media reports show forces in Bahrain, Libya, Syria and Yemen arresting and attacking unarmed protesters with teargas, while outspoken bloggers are jailed. This Wall Street Journal article identifes the Western firms that...

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part II

Shashank Joshi March 28, 2011
At the behest of a divided Arab League, NATO forces began enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya. Such unified intervention is rare, not seen since the 1991 coalition that pushed Iraq back after its invasion of Kuwait, explains researcher Shashank Joshi, in the second article of a YaleGlobal series. Support for Libya’s desperate rebels could give the region’s other dictators pause before attacking...

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part I

François Godement March 25, 2011
Europe and the West, enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, anticipate a quick end to the conflict. With the tenacity of the pro-Gaddafi forces, that assumption may prove to be misplaced. The crisis reveals a range of security vulnerabilities affecting the Mediterranean and beyond. In the first article of this YaleGlobal series, China specialist François Godement notes how the need to evacuate...

Different Stories

Dina Ezzat March 22, 2011
The League of Arab States has broad goals – strengthening ties among member states, coordinating policies and promoting common interests. Rarely does the Arab League embrace military action to restrain a member state or intervene directly in uprisings, notes Dina Ezzat for Al-Ahram in an essay that reviews some league responses to historical conflicts or invasions in the region. Libya is an...

Europe's Leaders Fear Libya Could Become Next Afghanistan

March 21, 2011
European nations and the US smoothed relations with Libya and were content to sell weapons to Muammar Gaddafi, who now uses them without restraint against his own people. The West squirms as carnage unfolds. Western officials privately wish for a quick end to the conflict with Gaddafi’s assassination, report Spiegel staff. So far, leaders oppose intervention, even a no-fly zone, worried that a...

Libya: When Bombs Fall and Allies Fall Apart

Dilip Hiro March 21, 2011
Protests in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi, in power for 42 years, began in mid-February. As Gaddafi’s repression turned increasingly brutal, calls emerged within the Middle East, Europe and the US for limited intervention – a no-fly zone to stop his forces from launching aerial attacks against civilians and rebels. Decision-makers were divided: Among the concerns was reinforcing the impression...

Westward Ho: Asians March Into Africa – Part II

Loro Horta March 18, 2011
In terms of natural resources, Africa is one of the richest continents, luring explorers, colonists and investors since the 15th century. Emerging economies, foreign-aid agencies, energy and mining corporations continue that quest today. This two-part YaleGlobal series examines the implications of these engagements for sustainability and sovereignty of the African nations. Mozambique, though not...