In The News

From Cradle to Grave

Galal Nassar August 7, 2008
“Fear is now one of the most pervasive factors in perpetuating political regimes,” writes Galal Nassar in an opinion essay for Al-Ahram Weekly. Leaders who maintain control by increasing apprehension over imminent dangers benefit by ever keeping danger close at hand. Intimidation leads to corruption in communities, education systems and the workplace, which only reinforces fear and insecurity,...

Palestinians Capture Violence of Israeli Occupation on Video

Peter Beaumont July 31, 2008
People are often uncomfortable about photos or films of themselves – and especially so if caught acting boorish or cruel. Even so, such footage encourages self-reflection. Relying on such principles, the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem distributed 100 video cameras to Palestinians in Hebron, the northern West Bank and elsewhere, to document abuses. The amateurs film Israeli...

Revisiting the “Axis of Evil” – Part I

Dilip Hiro July 29, 2008
In his January 2002 State of the Union address, US President George Bush identified the new enemies of the United States and the world. He pointed to Iraq, Iran and North Korea: “States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger.” Little more...

Maliki Votes for Obama

Charles Krauthammer July 29, 2008
The US underestimated the difficulties of invading Iraq and how long the war would last. Now Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki must prepare to deal with a new US commander in chief. By accepting Obama's campaign goal of removing US troops from Iraq sooner rather than later, Maliki indicates an opinion that the war has been won, with Al Qaeda defeated and Sunni-Shiite conflicts under...

Radicalization of a National Dialogue

Steven A. Cook July 25, 2008
The new millennium ushered in a period of stability for Turkey, and many observers expected the naton to join the European Union. But now the country is in political turmoil, as the Turkish Constitutional Court considers a ban of the ruling party, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to which the president and prime minister both belong. “The old establishment is seeking to regain its...

US Network Falters in Mideast Mission

Craig Whitlock July 23, 2008
The Bush administration’s War on Terror has evolved beyond traditional military operations, and has become a propaganda war in which the hearts and minds of average citizens are at stake. The US primarily uses the radio for communication, but Al Qaeda has become more technologically advanced and imaginative. Therefore, despite the US being a leader in the communications sector, it often finds...

Mediterranean Pomp

Pascal Boniface July 15, 2008
The extraordinary success of the European project inspired French President Nicolas Sarkozy to initiate a cooperative union for the Mediterranean states. As Sarkozy describes it, the union of projects would cooperate on shared goals, from securing energy and water to removing pollution from the Mediterranean Sea. Yet author Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute for International and...