In The News

Talk to Foreigners and We Will View You as a Spy, Iran Warns Academics

Robert Tait June 4, 2007
Iran recently claimed to have cracked a spy ring backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency – and amid growing tensions with the West, the government has warned academics not to travel to conferences abroad. Contacts with foreigners may seem innocuous at first, Iranian officials warn, but the relationship could quickly transform into an intelligence-gathering mission. Academics who resist the...

Exit From Iraq Should Be Through Iran

William E. Odom May 29, 2007
The US Congress and the White House have been at odds over the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq for months, but brief historical reflection suggests that the only option left for Washington is to link forces with Iran. Starting in the mid-1950s, the US maintained stability in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf by establishing bilateral relationships with Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and...

Pakistan: Nuclear Power with Feet of Clay?

Husain Haqqani May 22, 2007
A nuclear-armed Pakistan may have the military capability worthy of an emerging global power, but its external power is belied by an increasingly precarious domestic situation. While the spread of anti-American and pro-Islamist sentiments in the past six years has empowered armed extremists and other non-state actors across the country, the educated middle class is increasingly disenchanted with...

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...

Middle East Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone: A Serious Start?

René Wadlow May 16, 2007
The Middle East could achieve greater security if none of its nations possessed nuclear weapons. A military strike against Iran by the US or Israel would only spur quests by small nations to secure their own nuclear bombs, suggests René Wadlow for “Newropeans Magazine.” Security analysts who argue that nuclear weapons deter bad behavior overlook the consequences should dangerous weapons fall into...

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...