In The News

Driving Campaign for Saudi Women Challenges Custom

Mohammed Jamjoom June 21, 2011
An Arab Spring may be coming to Saudi Arabia on wheels. Saudi women take to the streets, not for political protests but the right to drive. “Though there are no traffic laws that make it illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia, religious edicts are often interpreted as a ban against female drivers,” reports Mohammed Jamjoom for CNN. In May, one female driver was detained for a week and had to...

Why Syria Will Get Away With It

Gideon Rachman June 14, 2011
Deep in debt, the US struggles to end three wars. At the same time, the departing US secretary of defense criticized European NATO allies for a lack of commitment and poor military preparation. The combination of a lack of funds and fortitude has complicated Libyan intervention, which could allow the Syrian regime to get away with its brutal repression of its own citizens. Gideon Rachman of the...

Private Prayers for Assad's Survival

Dilip Hiro June 7, 2011
Street protests, along with a nod from the US, quickly led to the fall of Egypt's long-time ruler. Syrian streets have been the stage for protests and violent clashes since late January, too, but desire for stability from both friends and foes could ensure that Assad stays in power, warns author Dilip Hiro. Russia, a longtime ally of Syria, has supplied the regime with advanced weaponry...

Yemen Truce Ends With Blasts, Stokes Civil War Worries

Mohamed Sudam June 1, 2011
As citizens protest poverty and autocratic rule throughout the Middle East, global powers urge leaders to arrange transfer of power quickly, avoiding instability that allows terrorist groups to thrive. Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been in office for more than three decades, and analysts question whether a strategy is in play to allow Al Qaeda and extremists some gain in rural areas...

Why Israel Should Welcome Palestine

David Avital May 19, 2011
More than 140 nations are ready to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly meeting in September. UN approval could put Israel and the US on the defensive. With the Israeli-Palestinian peace process at a stalemate, the US could break that deadlock by pursuing agreement on borders, suggests David Avital of the Israeli Policy Forum in an opinion essay for Politico. Establishing the...

Post-bin Laden: Pakistan’s Hour of Choice

Sadanand Dhume May 17, 2011
The Pakistani military at times has condoned extremism, specifically to needle India or squeeze US military aid. But terrorism is not a precision tool. Pakistan’s reputation as a trustworthy partner could be at an all-time low after the US discovered and killed bin Laden hiding near a Pakistani military academy. The international community is wary of Pakistan’s many links to global terrorism....

Nakba Protests Bring Arab Spring to Israel's Doorstep

Ariel Zirulnick May 17, 2011
Israel serves as a flashpoint for Arab anger, with tens of thousands of Palestinians and supporters gathering along its borders in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt to protest the nation’s 63rd anniversary. Lebanese and Israeli security forces used firepower and tear gas to control crowds, with 15 deaths reported. Protests against Israel are convenient for Arab leaders struggling with democracy movements...