Facts, News, Trends, Analysis
A few days ago, I mentioned Robert Kaplan’s piece in the NYT on his idea that the Middle East needed redefining. It got me thinking about other authors’ definitions. Here are a few:
In The Foreign Policies of Middle East States (2002), Hinnebusch and Ehteshami have a map labeled “The Middle East (the Arab League plus [...]
Robert Kaplan, writing in the NYT today, proposes that what is understood by the term “Middle East” needs revision. What recently happened in the terrorist attack on Mumbai requires recognition that South Asia cannot be left out of the ME definition. Students of the region know that it often also includes North Africa, due no [...]
Though Syria has withdrawn its bid to represent the Middle East on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has said that it will allow nuclear inspectors to continue investigating within its borders–with caveats. Syria claims that it will not allow inspectors into its military sites, claiming this will hurt its ‘national security’ interests.
The IAEA [...]
For what may be the last time, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert are meeting to discuss prospects for a peace settlement. The BBC notes that “Mr Olmert, facing corruption claims, said he will step down after his Kadima party chooses his successor.” The handover of power is expected to come on Wednesday. The Jerusalem Post [...]
Much talk about Iran in the West revolves around their potential development of nuclear weapons. The article “Iran Offers to Launch Satellites for Muslim Countries,” published by the New York Times, also raises this issue. While the United States seems to distrust Iran’s claim that their nuclear program is for “purely peaceful purposes,” some may [...]
The New York Times published yesterday that the President of Syria announced that the year long series of indirect peace talks led by Turkish mediators and between Syria and Israel will need to be postponed due to Israel’s internal political upheaval. The only way peace talks will sustain is dependent on who Israel’s Prime Minister elect [...]