In The News

The Poisonous Legacy of the Iraq War – Part II

Husain Haqqani March 19, 2007
The term "jihad" is often used to describe the violent struggle against those outside the community of Islamic believers. Yet jihad is also the struggle within each Muslim's heart, an attempt to abide by the teachings of the Koran. This article is the second of a two-part series that reflects on the impact of the Iraq war and attitudes in the Muslim world. Author and former...

The Poisonous Legacy of the Iraq War – Part I

Fawaz A. Gerges March 15, 2007
Four years ago, the US invaded Iraq and expected to install a democratic government. This two-part series examines how US military invention has influenced Muslim hearts and minds around the globe. In the first article, author and Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges describes how the goals of jihadist fighters have evolved. Before the 1990s, such radical groups targeted Middle Eastern governments...

The Price of Progress: Transforming Islam’s Holiest Site

Hassan M. Fattah March 12, 2007
Mecca, birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed and Islam, is the destination for millions who arrive from every corner of the world for the religion’s annual pilgrimage, the hajj, required once of every fit worshipper. Steeped in history, the city has now become a target for tourism development, including malls, hotels with speakers that broadcast public prayers, fast-food restaurants and amusement...

The Opening of Libya

Stanley Reed March 9, 2007
As Libya gradually emerges from 20 years of economic isolation, international energy firms rush to grab a piece of the North African nation’s extensive untapped oil reserves. Libya has organized an intensely competitive bidding process for exploration rights, pitting companies from the US, Europe and Asia against one another in a race to secure new sources of energy. Such investment will have...

Iran-Saudi Arabian Embrace: A New Beginning?

Dilip Hiro March 9, 2007
The US, struggling to control violence in Iraq, has ratcheted up its threat against neighboring Iran as a primary culprit. Longstanding US concerns about Iran defying the international community by developing nuclear weapons have recently been heightened by its accusation that the Islamic state has been supporting Shiite militias against Sunnis in Iraq’s ongoing civil war. Conservative US...

Pakistan: The Eye of a Coming Storm?

Paula R. Newberg February 28, 2007
Pakistan's foreign policy, constructed for short-term survival, is as fragile as a deck of cards. Bordering China, India, Afghanistan and Iran, the nation with nuclear weapons and a literacy rate that approaches 50 percent, has been led by General Pervez Musharraf since 1999 when he assumed power in a coup d'état. After the 9/11 attacks, Musharraf became both strategic partner in the...

US to Join Iran, Syria in Iraq Talks

Paul Richter February 28, 2007
The US will join a meeting of neighboring nations to Iraq, including Iran and Syria, to discuss ways to stem violence. The Iraq government initiated the meetings for March and also invited other world powers, including permanent members of the UN Security Council, to a second meeting in April. In announcing US participation, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pointed out that the Bush...