In The News

Holy Smokes! The Saudis are in Bahrain

Rami G. Khouri March 18, 2011
Protests for reform toppled governments in Egypt and Tunisia, and continue to pressure governments throughout the region. But regimes in Libya, Iran and Bahrain are fighting back. Writing for the Daily Star, Rami G. Khouri notes that entry of Saudi and Emirati troops into Bahrain to assist a Sunni regime in subduing Shiite protests raises many concerns: The intervention could heighten Shiite-...

How to Get Gaddafi

Niall Ferguson March 18, 2011
“The reality is that very few revolutions, good or bad, succeed without some foreign assistance,” argues historian Niall Ferguson in an essay for Newsweek. The French aided George Washington with the US revolution; the Soviets armed Mao – and since this essay was published, the UN Security Council voted to authorize military action against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. Without foreign support,...

The World’s Responsibility to Protect Libyans

Ramesh Thakur March 14, 2011
The Gaddafi family unleashes fierce firepower on citizens who could no longer endure a corrupt, brutal reign. The international community is obligated to act swiftly under the responsibility to protect principle, argues Ramesh Thakur, professor of political science and a member of the R2P commission. In 2005, world leaders reached unanimous agreement that the United Nations would honor the...

Religion May Not Dominate Post-Revolutionary Middle East

Endy M. Bayuni March 11, 2011
Arabs throughout the Middle East and North Africa long for the basic freedoms taken for granted in the West. With governments overthrown in Tunisia and Egypt and unrest raging elsewhere in the region, analysts worry about religious motivations and how these might influence governance. Such a narrow focus is misdirected, explains Endy M. Bayuni, visiting fellow with the East-West Center. The...

Painful Price of Forging a Democratic Era

Roula Khalaf March 11, 2011
Libyans protesters want to remove a leader in place for more than 40 years, yet unlike Egypt or Tunisia, Libya confronts civil war rather than a peaceful transition, explains Roula Khalaf, Middle East editor for the Financial Times. Muammar Gaddafi unleashes military attacks on his own people, seeking to retain his grip over Libya’s oil and economy. In Tunisia and Egypt, leaders had relatively...

Confucius on the Campus

Glenn Anthony May March 4, 2011
Since 2001, China has funded nonprofit Chinese language institutes in nearly100 countries. The institutes have since branched out into business and other areas while also funding scholarships and study in China. In an article for the Asia Sentinel, Glenn Anthony May of the University of Oregon points out that the centers of study come with conditions, including support for a one-China policy that...

Europe Confronts Mediterranean Mayhem – Part II

Shada Islam March 2, 2011
In October, Angela Merkel pronounced that Germany’s multiculturalism has failed. Months later – amid massive protests against autocratic North African leaders whose policies long provided a bulwark for Europe – UK’s David Cameron and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy echoed her assessment. This YaleGlobal series suggests that Europe cannot bury its head in the sand, and instead must work with Muslim...