Middle East Transparent

The Emperor has no clothes- World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, with holes on his socks

Iqbal latif — 2007-02-01T11:45:16Z

“ World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, with holes on his socks, is seen as he leaves from the Ottoman era Selimiye mosque in Edirne, western Turkey, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007. Wolfowitz was in turkey for a-two-day official visit. The Emperor's new clothes and The Emperor has no clothes are often used with allusion to Andersen's tale. Most frequently, the metaphor involves a situation wherein the overwhelming (usually unempowered) majority of observers willingly share in a collective ignorance of (...) - سياسة

Advocates Want Stronger U.S. Effort to Free Democracy Activist

2007-02-02T07:31:06Z

Support Builds for Libyan Dissident Human rights activists and Western diplomats are increasingly concerned about the welfare of Fathi al-Jahmi, a leading Libyan dissident awaiting a possible death sentence while being held in solitary confinement in Libya, and who is known to have several life-threatening health conditions for which he is receiving little or no medical care. He is charged with having an unauthorized meeting two years ago with a foreign official — believed to be a U.S. (...) - قضايا وآراء

Vision of Rebuilding Lebanon Wanes

2007-02-02T08:45:43Z

BINT JBAIL, Lebanon, Jan. 16 — In August, Mohammed al-Seyed watched with some pride as tractors driven by Hezbollah men rolled in to begin scooping away the rubble and debris of a month of war with Israel, while engineers and others set to work. This Hezbollah stronghold would soon rise again, the leaders of both the town and the militant group's building arm, Construction Jihad, said defiantly. More than five months later, however, with winter here and Lebanon's government enmeshed in (...) - سياسة

When Don Quixote takes to the streets

Michael Young — 2007-02-02T08:48:32Z

So today is a "day of change," to quote Suleiman Franjieh. He could be right. That's because, as of tomorrow, Hizbullah may have much greater latitude to maneuver without considering the interests of its Christian allies - Michel Aoun and Franjieh himself. Both men are eager to be the opposition's cannon fodder, and will emerge from the fracas with their reputation tarnished further. Not for the first time, Aoun is helping ensure that Christians will end up marginalized. The Saudis and the (...) - سياسة

Playing by Islamofascist rules

2007-02-02T08:51:02Z

Some two years ago Saudi clerics issued fatwas forbidding Muslims to play soccer unless its rules were replaced by "Islamic rules," or it was used as physical training for jihad. To the extent that anybody noticed that in the West, they were promptly dismissed as the inconsequential ravings of misguided fanatics. This is not likely to be the fate of recent promises by British chancellor and prime minister in waiting, Gordon Brown, to make Britain "a key hub for facilitating Islamic (...) - سياسة

With Iran Ascendant, U.S. Is Seen at Fault

2007-02-02T08:54:53Z

Arab Allies in Region Feeling Pressure DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait rarely rebuffs its ally, the United States, partly out of gratitude for the 1991 Persian Gulf War. But in October it reneged on a pledge to send three military observers to an American-led naval exercise in the Gulf, according to U.S. officials and Kuwaiti analysts. "We understood," a State Department official said. "The Kuwaitis were being careful not to antagonize the Iranians." Four years after the United (...) - سياسة

Vigil for Freedom of the Longest-Held Prisoner in Saudi Arabia-15 years

2007-02-02T08:56:57Z

January 25, 2007 After being held in prisoner for 15 years for a remark he made as a young boy, Saudi religious prisoner, Hadi Al-Mutaif has begun his second hunger strike. His first hunger strike started September of last year, 2006, which prompted prison authority to move him into solitary confinement. The unbearable conditions of this punishment led to Al-Mutaif's suicide attempt by swallowing a nail. Recently, he has been let out of the hospital after recovering from this attempt, but (...) - سياسة

Maulana Fazlur Rehman operated upon by Dr Mubashirformer personal physician of US President George W Bush.

Iqbal latif — 2007-02-02T09:00:01Z

The other day I wrote---- ''The role of religion and priest in society has a direct bearing on the rate of GDP development. There can be no economic progress if priests and religion are going to dictate the future of nations. When one is so dependent on the research made by the "infidels" the hypocrisy in this part of the world becomes startling. To cure cancer, even the most hardcore extremist ends up in the finest medical centers in Houston, whereas, standing on a pulpit to "destroy these (...) - سياسة

Beirut and the sad autumn of the Arabs

Michael Young — 2007-02-02T09:18:12Z

In March 2005, Samir Kassir wrote a column titled, "Beirut, the springtime of the Arabs." Martyrs Square was then awash with people protesting Rafik Hariri's murder, and Samir felt confident enough to affirm: "Today, Beirut declares that death is not the only path open to the Arabs." Of the grim outfit ruling in Damascus, he noted, "Beirut's renaissance is by far more important than maintaining a regime that leaves only desolation in its wake." Yet in the space of only two months, since (...) - سياسة

Assessing the Bush Administration's Policy of 'Constructive Instability' (Part I): Lebanon and Syria*

2007-02-02T09:12:23Z

March 15, 2005 The Bush Administration's policy of “constructive instability” in the Middle East is facing a critical juncture in Lebanon. Taking advantage of a rare confluence of events and international interests, President George W. Bush has focused U.S. efforts on one plank of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559—the withdrawal of Syrian forces—as the first order of business. Defining the next steps requires a policy mix of persistence and incrementalism, identifying and pursuing (...) - كتب واصدارات

Tehran to Decide Who Can Run for President

Mehdi khalaji — 2013-05-21T20:25:38Z

As the regime narrows the list of approved candidates for the upcoming presidential election, Washington should criticize Tehran for limiting who is permitted to run. On May 12, Iran's Guardian Council will begin deliberations on which candidates can participate in the June presidential election, perhaps the most important step in selecting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's successor. The uncertainty regarding the outcome, coupled with the regime's repeated claims that nuclear sanctions are intended to (...) - سياسة

No help on Syria will come from Russia

David J. Kramer — 2013-05-21T21:40:54Z

David J. Kramer is president of Freedom House. Can everyone please stop pretending that Russia can be a partner with the United States and others in solving the crisis in Syria? Recently, there has been a flurry of visits to Moscow by senior Western and U.N. officials: U.S. national security adviser Tom Donilon was there in mid-April, followed by Secretary of State John F. Kerry in early May, then British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.N. (...) - قضايا وآراء

German Intelligence Sees Assad Regaining Hold

Spiegel Online — 2013-05-22T17:06:13Z

By Matthias Gebauer Not even a year ago, German intelligence predicted Syrian autocrat Bashar Assad's regime would soon collapse. Now, the agency instead believes the rebels are in trouble. Government troops are set to make significant advances, it predicts. Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), has fundamentally changed its view of the ongoing civil war in Syria. SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that the BND now believes the Syrian military of autocrat Bashar (...) - سياسة

Algeria: Middle East's next revolt if soccer is a barometer

James M. Dorsey — 2013-05-23T17:34:45Z

Algeria is competing to be the next Arab nation to witness a popular revolt. That is assuming soccer is a barometer of rising discontent in a region experiencing a wave of mass protests that have already toppled the leaders of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen and sparked civil war in Syria. In fact, there is increasingly little doubt that soccer, a historic nucleus of protest in Algeria, is signaling that popular discontent could again spill into the streets of Algiers and other major (...) - سياسة