In The News

Stopping the Iranian Bomb – Part I

Gary Samore January 24, 2006
In early January, Iran resumed its uranium enrichment program, claiming civilian purposes. Iran’s long record of clandestine activity in this regard, however, leaves only one conclusion – it is the first step toward weapons capability. The challenge that the world now faces is how to stop an oil-rich Iran from exploiting the current nervousness about oil price rise from going ahead. In a series...

A Firebrand in a House of Cards

Dariush Zahedi January 19, 2006
While under the crosshairs of international scrutiny, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly moved to break the seals of his nation’s nuclear facilities, raising the ire of governments from Moscow to Washington and increasing the possibility of large-scale UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic. But an op-ed in the New York Times insists that, despite the longstanding tensions and enmity between Iran...

With Assurances, Iran Might Accept a Nuclear Deal

Sadegh Zibakalam January 11, 2006
While the US prepares to propose UN Security Council sanctions against Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, other Western powers seek a less harsh approach to the issue. On December 21, Britain, France and Germany met a high-level Iranian team to discuss options for defusing international tensions. The main European proposal encourages Iran to allow their nuclear fuel to be manufactured in...

Ahmadinejad’s Challenge to the World

Dieter Bednarz December 19, 2005
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed more religious fanaticism than any Iranian president since Khomeini’s revolution. His campaign promises included a pledge to close the stock exchange (it violates the Islamic prohibition of gambling) and during a speech before the UN, he claimed enlightenment. While his behavior may seem absurd, his increasingly inflammatory rhetoric worries Western politicians...

Watchword of the Day – Beware the Caliphate

Elisabeth Bumiller December 16, 2005
In describing terrorism’s threat, US government and military officials evoke the specter of the seventh-century Islamic empire that stretched throughout the Middle East and included areas of Southwest Asia, North Africa and Spain. Historically, the empire was known as the “caliphate,” and US leaders warn that the ultimate goal of Islamic militants is to reestablish it. The word “caliphate”...

Is Strategy For Victory in Iraq an Empty Package?

Joan Johnson-Freese December 6, 2005
Nearly three years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the White House has released its plan to bring stability and democracy to Iraq. Yet, while that plan adequately addresses the role that Iraqis are to play in securing their country, it must now be followed by a strategy that addresses the roles that the American public and army will play in that same long fight. At the moment, the American...

Many Wary of Faith-Based TV

Reem Nafie November 18, 2005
Agaphy TV is funded by donations from Copts living around the world, with most of the money coming from the US. Station supervisor, Bishop Boutros hopes it will provide a link to the church for Copts living abroad or far from places of worship. Yet Agaphy TV must tread carefully; Christian satellite channels based outside the country have offended Egyptian Muslims by broadcasting programs...