In The News

The Web as Weapon

Susan B. Glasser August 9, 2005
Islamic militants are often perceived as having an "anti-modernity" platform. Yet certain terrorist leaders are placing an increasing importance on the control and dissemination of information related to their activities. As a result, the internet has emerged as a vital tool of terrorism, creating a union between technology and fundamentalism. More than anyone, Abu Musab Zarqawi, the...

Is Nuclear Diplomacy with the Mullahs Possible?

August 8, 2005
After calling an agreement drafted by European officials "unacceptable," Iran has announced its plans to resume uranium enrichment activities. Despite Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, the general consensus is that Iran is building a bomb. If the nation succeeds in developing nuclear arms, the power structure in the Middle East would be...

Mixed Signals

Rehab Saad August 1, 2005
In response to the recent Sharm El-Sheikh bombings, which have the potential to devastate Egypt's lucrative tourist industry, authorities are encouraging people to view the attacks in a global perspective. Egyptian tourism officials suggest that due to the globalization of terrorism, no single place is more dangerous than any other. But is this truly the case? And with the inability to...

Searching For Justice

Khaled Fahmy July 29, 2005
The American-led war in Iraq has led to the trial of Saddam Hussein, currently under way. But many academics who see the war in Iraq as an egregious violation of international law have convened a tribunal of their own – the World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) – which just held its final session in Istanbul. While critics believe that the WTI is merely an opportunity for anti-Americans to vent their...

Iraq: This Is Now an Unwinnable Conflict

Patrick Cockburn July 25, 2005
The Iraq war, predicted to be an easy victory, has instead become further confirmation of the Duke of Wellington’s sage warning nearly two centuries ago against getting involved in guerilla war, “Great nations do not have small wars.” As the fighting drags on with no end in sight, reporter Patrick Cockburn argues that it has become a “demonstration of weakness” and stoked the flames of terrorism...

Why Do They Hate Us? Not Because of Iraq

Olivier Roy July 22, 2005
In response to the recent bombings in London and Madrid, many have speculated that Al-Qaida is punishing the supporters of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This theory seems reasonable, based on the assumption that the roots of Islamic terrorism lie in Middle Eastern conflicts. Scholar Olivier Roy, however, argues that Al-Qaida's references to Iraq are merely a bid for legitimacy among...

Muslim Problem Needs a Muslim Solution

Thomas L. Friedman July 8, 2005
After the terrorist attacks in London yesterday, politicians, journalists, and the public at large began searching for answers, and started thinking about how to prevent future atrocities. Columnist Thomas L. Friedman posits that the best way to counter Islamic terrorism is for the Muslim community to publicly speak out against extremists. One of the greatest potential dangers of extremist...