In The News

Oil Supply I: The Arabs Look to the East

Michael Vatikiotis November 18, 2004
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and its allies in the West may never be as warm as it once was in the pre-9/11 era. Luckily for the kingdom, it sits on one-quarter of the world’s reserves of crude oil, and East Asia desperately needs oil to fuel its staggering economic growth. China’s efforts to satiate its unquenchable thirst for oil have spawned greater economic and political ties to the...

Bridging the Mediterranean

Ayman El-Amir November 15, 2004
The Euro-Mediterranean region has historically been a culturally diverse area with European, African, and Middle Eastern influences. The Byzantine, Roman, and Prussian empires have all taken foot-hold in this region, creating a cycle of "conquest, counter-conquest, competition, and colonialism," according to the Al-Ahram Weekly. When the Arabs extended their regional influence, they...

Can Arab Financial Institutions Rise to the Challenge?

Dr. Bassam Fattouh November 11, 2004
Several Middle Eastern governments face large public deficits and mounting public debts. In the midst of this mounting crisis, a logical solution might be to involve Arab banks in energy and infrastructure investments. The Arab financial sector is currently dominated by banking. However, warns this Daily Star news analysis, Arab banks are highly localized, with a stiff structure that limits their...

US Election and the World – Part II

Rami G. Khouri November 10, 2004
In the aftermath of the greatly anticipated US elections, observers worldwide are assessing the consequences of George W. Bush's re-election. In a multi-part series, YaleGlobal checks in with different regions, gauging the reaction to the landmark political event. Rami Khouri, executive editor of Lebanon's Daily Star, writes that the immediate reaction in the Middle East has been one of...

Saving Iraq

Dina Ezzat November 3, 2004
As violence continues in Iraq, Egypt is organizing an international conference with the hope of uniting the world behind a plan to bring the country peace. Nations participating in the conference will affirm their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq. They will also express their support for the interim government and discuss measures to end violence...

An Arab "Martyr" Thwarted

Neil MacFarquhar November 2, 2004
Militants and insurgents in Iraq have continuously attracted the world's attention as they carried out their beheadings and suicide bombings. Not all of the fighters, however, are Iraqis. According to this New York Times article, many of the suicide bombers are, in fact, Saudis, Lebanese, and Kuwaitis who are recruited through "an underground railroad funneling fighters to Iraq."...

Bin Laden Lauds Costs Of War to US

John Mintz November 2, 2004
In a full version of Osama bin Laden’s recent videotaped address, the al-Qaeda leader thanked current US president George W. Bush for helping him bankrupt America. “It has appeared to some analysts and diplomats that the White House and we are playing as one team toward the economic goals of the United States, even if the intentions differ," he said. According to bin Laden, the US invasion...