In The News

9/11: Historic Turning Point, or Bump in the Road?

Brendan Simms September 11, 2006
For many, 9/11 marked a turning point in history, for both the US and the world. Initially, the world came together in condemning the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But eventually, some analysts suggested the attacks resulted from the US ignoring the plight of marginalized people, and other analysts claimed that the US had appeased Islamic fundamentalism for too long and...

The Basis for Iran's Belligerence

Shlomo Ben-Ami September 8, 2006
Without doubt, Israel has some dangerous foes. Attempts to remove those foes by military means and regime change, without efforts at diplomacy, have only strengthened old enemies and created new ones. Israel has good reason to worry about Iran, as the country develops nuclear capability and the president calls for Israel’s destruction. Israel cannot really depend on the US, which now struggles...

The Spider's Web

Georg Mascolo September 4, 2006
The secretary general of the Arab League once warned that a war in Iraq would open "the door to hell." As hundreds of civilians die in the Middle East each week, the US struggles to control Iraq, Europe waits on the sidelines and Israel remains anxious about its long-term survival. As the world grows weary with conflict, Iran patiently waits. Even without nuclear bombs in hand, Iran,...

Excess Baggage

Claudia Rosett September 1, 2006
Iran stubbornly refuses to give up its nuclear-weapons research. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has calculated that the United Nations and its members are so polarized that they cannot muster the will to enforce sanctions or take military steps against a nation so intent on nuclear development, writes journalist Claudia Rosett. Rich with oil and gas reserves, Iran has plenty of cash to convince...

Will Oil Impose US-Iranian Reconciliation?

Hani Asfour September 1, 2006
After the US invasion of Iraq and then the invasion of Lebanon, speculation abounded about possible war between the West and Iran. Diplomacy experts in Europe and the US urge the Bush administration to open negotiations with Iran about ending the latter’s nuclear research and disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon – as well as ensure world energy supplies. Author Hani Asfour argues that the US has ample...

Pakistan's Awkward Balancing Act on Islamic Militant Groups

Pamela Constable August 30, 2006
Pakistan presents itself as an ally in the US war on terror, but looks the other way when it comes to groups who instigate attacks in Afghanistan and India. But that two-sided approach could become more challenging as more evidence emerges of Pakistani links to recent cases: the July bombing of a commuter train in Bombay and the August arrest of British citizens who planned to bomb airlines over...

A Muslim Militancy Born in Modernity Not Mosques

Faisal Devji August 29, 2006
After the surprise attacks of 9/11, the world has made great strides in the technical aspects of security, but stalled when it comes to the complex politics that lead to radical thinking. British police were successful in foiling a plot to attack planes traveling from the UK to the US. But more frightening is the fact that instigators were citizens of the UK, educated in a democratic society that...