In The News

The “Secret Plan” Ploy

Walter Wells October 20, 2006
News of violent deaths and chaos continues to pour out of Iraq, and analysts increasingly compare the struggle and politics to Vietnam. The wars in Vietnam and Iraq have many obvious differences, but both wars diminished global respect for the US and hampered its ability to resolve more pressing crises. With no sign of improvement or stability in Iraq, it’s no secret that the Bush administration...

Sensible Ideas on Why to Engage Tehran

Rami G. Khouri October 17, 2006
Since the end of the Cold War, the US has led the international effort to encourage global security and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. The US unabashedly has used regime change and an array of diplomacy to promote arms control and democracy. But the tools have failed when it comes to Iran and North Korea and their nuclear programs. Even the most hawkish voter in Texas understands the US...

Time for the N word

Amira Howeidy October 9, 2006
Two decades ago, after the Chernobyl disaster, Egypt abandoned its nuclear program. But oil prices are on the rise and the government offers generous subsidies for its citizens. So, the government explores options and reports the country could have a nuclear power plant online in 10 years. Some analysts suggest that the government is in a hurry to proceed with nuclear development and does not...

Ottoman Ghosts: Turkey in the Middle East

Matein Khalid October 5, 2006
The Turkish Parliament’s decision to send troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is a milestone event, according to banker Matein Khalid. Since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Turkey’s policies and politics have largely distanced the secularized country from the Arab world. On one hand, the Turkish prime minister refused to let the US use Turkish bases to invade...

Tools of Engagement

R. S. Zaharna October 4, 2006
A report from the US Government Accountability Office admits that the US confronts significant anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world. However, the report’s recommendation that the US must combine public relations and diplomacy “ignores the decline in US credibility,” argues R.S. Zaharna, communications professor, in “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The US report urges repeating...

US Spy Agencies Outsourcing Work

Greg Miller October 3, 2006
Since the 9/11 attacks, the US boosted budgets for intelligence work by $10 billion annually. As a result, government programs like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center increasingly rely on contract workers. For example, two thirds of the contractors at the counterterrorism center manage computer systems. Some analysts express alarm at the trends toward...

Industrialization in Saudi Arabia: A New Paradigm

Jean-Francois Seznec October 2, 2006
In the 20th century, Saudi Arabia embraced crude oil and the Western powers demanding it. For the 21st century, Riyadh is turning away from both, as the government hopes to translate its wealth of raw resources into lasting industrial development. The plan is for the Saudis to use their cheap energy and become the world’s leading producer of petrochemicals. The emphasis on manufacturing over...