In The News

Written Again in British Blood

Ben Macintyre July 17, 2006
The UK has 3,300 troops in the Afghan province of Helmand, with increasing casualties, and thus author Ben Macintyre suggests that the British engagement in Afghanistan is settling into the pattern of what he calls a fourth Anglo-Afghan war. The deep history of conflict between the two countries, combined with the ongoing, organic nature of historical storylines in Afghan culture, combine to...

Militia Rebuked by Some Arab Countries

Hassan M. Fattah July 17, 2006
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan publicly denounced Hezbollah’s escalating violence against Israel, despite the popular anti-Israeli sentiment in their respective countries. While many countries from the Group of 8 Conference, or G-8, in St. Petersburg urge Israel to exercise restraint in carrying out surmounting air strikes on Lebanon and Gaza, Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia calls...

Only a UN-Led Peace Process Can Halt the Iraq Catastrophe

Menzies Campbell July 17, 2006
Continued violence and instability in Iraq have undermined the ability of coalition forces to play a positive role in the reconstruction, writes Menzies Campbell, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in the UK. To move forward, he explains, the task must be internationalized and carefully planned. Urging that the United Nations should be given more control of the peace process, Campbell writes...

Nasrallah Has Dismissed International Law

Chibli Mallat July 14, 2006
By conducting operations over the Lebanese-Israeli border, Hezbollah has violated international law, transforming domestic division into international conflict. To prevent violence in the Middle East from escalating to another level, strong and steady leadership is needed from several parties: The Lebanese government must insist on going through the channels of the United Nations to bring about...

Can Nouri al-Maliki Deliver Peace?

Bernhard Zand July 6, 2006
With a background beyond reproof and mastery of the rhetoric that has been most effective in post-Saddam Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki bears the weight of his country’s hopes, along with those of the US, on his shoulders. His plans for a peaceful and united Iraq, described by some analysts as courageous, have even enticed some insurgent groups into the political process. But his...

Democracy in the Arab World: Not Yet, Thanks

July 4, 2006
When internal and external forces both pressured for political liberalization in the Middle East, many of the region’s autocratic rulers at least paid lip service to democracy. Recently, though, the trend has reversed as more citizens expect their governments to strive for stability and preserve the status quo. With soaring oil prices, entrenched leaders have plenty of cash to eliminate dissent...

The Perils of Underestimating Ahmadinejad

Simon Tisdall July 3, 2006
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not an easy foe for the US, and it would be a mistake to underestimate him as a “wildman” or “loose cannon.” Even as Ahmadinejad has let loose with extremist statements that are alarming, his political power is based on real concerns of the Iranian people. Despite the widespread perception that he is a mouthpiece for religious clerics, Ahmadinejad’s...