In The News

Spies Are Us: Interest in Arabic Soars

Benjamin Sutherland January 19, 2005
The skyrocketing number of American and Europeans studying the Arabic language is a trend affecting relations between Arabic-speaking lands and the rest of the world. While some Arabic students seek business opportunities, the majority aim for language proficiency to obtain work in some political or governmental capacity. The students recognize the need for advanced speakers by US and European...

What Place for Women?

Mona Makram Ebeid January 14, 2005
Women's participation in politics has increased greatly in the past few decades, as governments, interest groups, and United Nations agencies pushed for various national measures. Even some Arab countries, which generally bear the world's lowest percentages of female representation, have achieved impressive numerical leaps. Behind these improvements are measures such as quotas for women...

Arab Internet Users Are Caught in a Terrible Web

William Fisher December 7, 2004
In many Arab countries, internet users today are facing tight restrictions on free speech. A human rights group recently charged that certain Arab governments, such as Iran, Syria, and Tunisia, employ not just traditional methods of limiting freedom of expression - censorship and confiscation - but also technologies such as electronic filtering programs to control access to what they consider...

Re-Popularizing Peace

December 3, 2004
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss recent developments in Palestine and Syria – a sign that Egypt is determined once again to play an important role in facilitating Middle East peace. While Syria has reportedly expressed a desire to re-open peace talks, Israel may not want to negotiate at a time when Syria faces strong...

Walking on Eggshells in Tehran

George Perkovich November 22, 2004
Iran's nuclear ambitions have once again returned to the headlines. Just days after the Mideast nation entered an agreement with the European trio – France, Germany, and the UK – US officials made allegations about Iran's continued weapons development. As those accusations remain unsubstantiated, writes nonproliferation expert George Perkovich, the focus of international attention...

Nuclear Disclosures on Iran Unverified

Dafna Linzer November 19, 2004
Just days after Iran and the so-called E3 – the UK, France, and Germany – entered an agreement effectively saving Iran from UN sanctions, questions have arisen as to whether the Mideast country may be developing nuclear warhead technology. US Secretary of State Colin Powell this week referred to recent intelligence that may implicate Iran. However, the validity of the source is still being...

UN Remains Critical In Post-War Iraq

Shashi Tharoor November 19, 2004
The United Nations is seen by many as having suffered collateral damage from the Iraq War. Opinion polls have shown the extent of the loss of faith in the UN, both from countries that supported and opposed the war in Iraq. But as UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications, Shashi Tharoor states, the talk about the irrelevance of the UN is dead wrong. Indeed, from the beginning, Tharoor...