The formal end of the U.S. war in Iraq on Dec. 15 enhances neighboring Iran as a major, unpredictable factor in the U.S. presidential election of 2012. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama could share an Iranian challenge to their
Cyprus, an island of roughly 1.3 million inhabitants near Turkey and Syria, finds itself on the cusp of momentous change, with great opportunities and dangers. It belatedly makes a grand debut on the world stage after domestic Greek-Turkish communal issues
On September 1, Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhafi (the proper transliteration of his name) would have been ruler of Libya for exactly 42 years, making him the world’s longest ruling head of state. As he leaves the scene, his wretched reign deserves an
The White House engaged in two puerile and quickly-exposed gambits last week that exposed the Obama administration’s amateurish and deceitful Middle East-Islamic policies in a painfully obvious manner. The first case concerned the thorny issue of Jerusalem’s legal status in
U.S. Army Private First Class Nasser Jason Abdo, 21, first made the news last August when, arguing that his Islamic faith contradicts serving in the American military, he filed for conscientious objector (C.O.) status. Referring to current American wars in
The troubled academic study of the Middle East and Islam by Americans is changing in fundamental ways. I offer some thoughts based on 42 years of personal observation: From Western offence to Islamic offence: Muslim relations with Christians divide into
For the first time in its exceedingly long history, Yemen now threatens the outside world. It does so in two principal ways. First, even before the current political upheaval began there on January 15, violence out of Yemen already impinged
After American forces leave Iraq at the end of 2011, Tehran will try to turn its neighbor into a satrapy (i.e., a province, a satellite state) to the great detriment of Western, moderate Arab, and Israeli interests. Intense Iranian efforts
Osama Bin Laden was just a part of Al-Qaeda which is just a part of the Islamic terrorist effort which is just a part of the Islamist movement, so the announcement of his death tonight by the U.S. government makes
As Egypt lurches into a new era, a look at its complexities and subtleties helps to understand the country’s likely course. Some thoughts on key issues: The spirit of Tahrir Square is real and alive but exceedingly remote from the
The self-immolation on Dec. 17, 2010 of an obscure Tunisian, Mohammed Bouazizi, set off a political firestorm across the Middle East that has yet to subside. His story as first told contained some inaccuracies; so now, with facts and his
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu grandiloquently proclaimed a few days ago that, “If the world is on fire, Turkey is the firefighter. Turkey is assuming the leading role for stability in the Middle East.” Turkey’s President Gül warmly greets Ahmadinejad.
When Pastor Terry Jones, 59, announced an intent to burn a Koran on the anniversary of 9/11 in 2010, the U.S. government, fearing attacks on American troops abroad, put intense pressure on him to desist and eventually he called off
After decades of stasis, the Middle East is in uproar. With too much going on to focus on a single place, here’s a review of developments in four key countries. Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi in full military splendor. Libya: With most Americans
The official hymn of the U.S. Marine Corps famously begins with “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land, and sea.” The reference to Tripoli alludes to the
Unprecedented convulsions across the Middle East, from Morocco to Iran, prompt three reflections: First, these rebellions fit into the context of a regional chessboard, what I call the Middle East cold war. On one side stands the “resistance” bloc led
If developments in Egypt have gone as well as one could hope for, future prospects remain unclear. The exciting part is over, now come the worries. Let’s start with three pieces of good news: Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s strongman who appeared
As Egypt’s much-anticipated moment of crisis arrived and popular rebellions shook governments across the Middle East, Iran stands as never before at the center of the region. Its Islamist rulers are within sight of dominating the region. But revolutions are
The sudden and yet-unexplained exit of Tunisia’s strongman, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, 74, after 23 years in power has potential implications for the Middle East and for Muslims worldwide. As an Egyptian commentator noted, “Every Arab leader is watching
Fifteen years ago this week, on Jan. 1, 1996, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz became regent and effective ruler of Saudi Arabia. His anniversary offers an opportunity to review the kingdom’s changes under his leadership and whither it now heads. The Saudi
Of all the Wikileaks revelations, the most captivating may be learning that several Arab leaders have urged the U.S. government to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. Most notoriously, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called on Washington to “cut off the head
Early in the sixteenth century, as the Ottoman and Safavid empires fought for control of the Middle East, Selim the Grim ruling from Istanbul indulged his artistic side by composing distinguished poetry in Persian, then the Middle East’s language of
As Americans learn more about Islam, the aspect they find most objectionable is not its theology (such as whether Allah is God or not) nor its symbolism (such as an Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan) but its law code,
A new German political party, Die Freiheit (The Freedom), had its inaugural meeting on October 28 in Berlin. I was in town, so its leadership invited me to be the only non-member of the nascent party to witness and report
How should American voters concerned with Israel’s welfare and security vote in the U.S. Congressional elections on Nov. 2? This much is clear after almost two years of Democratic control over the executive and legislative branches of government: Democrats consistently
Reciprocal death sentences raging between Yemen and the United States offer a glimpse of warfare in the internet age. The topic opens with South Park, an iconoclastic adult cartoon program on Comedy Central, which in April mocked the prohibition on
As someone who deeply appreciates what Western civilization, for all its faults, has achieved, I puzzle over the hostility many Westerners harbor toward their way of life. If democracy, free markets, and the rule of law have created an unprecedented
Britain’s largest and longest-running terrorist investigation ended last month with the conviction of three British Muslims. Their 2006 plot involved blowing up trans-Atlantic airliners with the hope of killing up to 10,000 people. That near-disaster offers a pungent reminder of
Louis Farrakhan recently sent a three-page letter along with two books to the heads of sixteen Jewish organizations. Dated June 24, 2010, the letter is resplendent with a crescent-and-moon flag and Farrakhan’s impressive-sounding title (“National Representative of the Honorable Elijah
Under Yasir Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization notoriously said one thing to Arab/Muslim audiences and the opposite to Israeli/Western ones, speaking venomously to the former and in dulcet tones to the latter. What about Arafat’s mild-mannered successor, Mahmoud Abbas? Did
Jaw-dropping court testimony by Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square bomber, singlehandedly undermines Obama administration efforts to ignore the dangers of Islamism and jihad. Shahzad’s forthright statement of purpose stands out because jihadis, when facing legal charges, typically save their
