Archive for the ‘Democracy’ Category
Rahm Emanuel: Truth and Falsehoods
By CLAUDE SALHANI
Editor, Middle East Times
Many people in the Arab world wasted little time before criticizing President-elect Barack Obama for choosing Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff. Before those who find fault with the president-elect’s new appointment, let me offer the following advice: take a deep breath and give the next American president and his team the benefit of the doubt.
Politics & Policies: Can there be a victor?
Filed under: Democracy, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Peace Talks, military intervention, politics |
Leave a Comment by CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
Replying to a column published yesterday on the precarious situation in “Middle East Democracy and Mideast headcount,” one reader made the following comment: “I would suggest that any war artificially ended before a clear victor and a clear loser emerge will reignite…. What did people think was going to happen when they forced Israel to halt its drubbing of Hezbollah two summers ago before they were done? Germany waited a couple of decades…doubtful Iran will.” In theory the writer is correct in her analysis; but as anyone who has studied theory quickly realizes, applying theory to practice is not always realistic, or necessarily the most intelligent approach.
Rice: ‘Iraq was harder than I thought’
Filed under: Democracy, Iraq, Islam, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, War, religion |
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By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday said the United States remained “concerned” about (nuclear) proliferation in the Middle East and singled out Syria in particular. Washington has been “concerned by proliferation in Syria for some time,” she told a group of editors and reporters from the Middle East Times and The Washington Times during an hour-long meeting on Thursday.
America’s top diplomat also reflected on “two tough decisions taken: to overthrow the Taliban and to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein.”"Both right and both necessary. Both very difficult pathways for these young democracies,” said Rice.
Looking back on the last five years and the war in Iraq, Rice admitted: “I thought it would be tough, but I didn’t think it would be this tough.” She added, “It’s a society that’s only now beginning to emerge.”
Commenting on the Islamists’ loss of ground in Iraq Rice said, “In showing their brutality al-Qaida has reunited the Iraqi people again.”
“This is not a war with or about or against Islam. This is about a group of people who have a particularly converted view of religion and will kill in its name.”
Politics & Policies: Mideast forecast
Filed under: Democracy, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Peace Talks, Syria, WMD |
Leave a Comment By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
The political situation in the Middle East is reaching a dangerous crescendo. The status quo cannot continue; either the comatose peace process shifts into high gear, and all parties concerned become serious about moving toward a peaceful solution – without reservation – or the region faces a serious risk of slipping into greater violence.
As things currently stand, it could go either way in any of the four theaters of conflict: Israel-Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon-Syria.
US ‘guarantees’ Lebanon independence 100%
By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty is guaranteed “100 percent” by the Bush administration, according to the leader of the Lebanese Forces who met with top U.S. government officials in Washington last week.
After a series of meetings with representatives from the House and Senate, top officials from the Bush administration which included U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Steven Hadley, President George W. Bush’s national security adviser and Elliott Abrams, deputy national security adviser, Samir Geagea told the Middle East Times in an exclusive interview last Saturday that he felt more confident regarding the future of Lebanon.
Bush tries to ’sell’ democracy
By CLAUDE SALHANI (UPI Contributing editor)
After spending the last few days trying to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli dispute, President Bush continued his tour of the Middle East, this time flaunting democracy to the oil-rich Gulf countries the way traders in this business-minded society flaunt their wares along the Dubai waterfront or in the old market place in Abu Dhabi.
Bush’s Gordian knot
Filed under: Democracy, Iraq, Middle East, War, military intervention, terrorism |
Leave a Comment President George W. Bush is about to embark on a tour of several Middle Eastern countries starting next week as his presidency rounds the corner heading for the final stretch of its second and final term at the White House. Bush, who started out his presidency wanting largely to ignore the Middle East and its perpetual conflicts, found himself dragged into the crux of the Arab-Israeli dispute despite his initial intention of staying well away from a problem of Gordian proportion. If Alexander the Great is said to have circumvented the dilemma of the Gordian knot by using his sword to slice through the rope, thus eliminating the knot, Bush (wrongly) believed he could cut through the Gordian knot of Islamist-driven terrorism by invading Afghanistan and Iraq.
Political predictions for 2008
Filed under: Democracy, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Mercenaries, military intervention |
Leave a Comment There are multiple areas of conflict or potential conflict in the world today with several of those conflicted areas having real potential to erupt into full-scale war, civil war, or a combination of both.
A grim year 2007 for Pakistan
By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
It has been a grim year for Pakistan. Since the start of 2007 the country has experienced 54 suicide terrorist attacks, including two Thursday, one of which killed Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party. Bhutto was a leading contender in January elections.
Allies recommit to Afghanistan
Filed under: Democracy, Islam, Middle East, military intervention |
Leave a Comment By CLAUDE SALHANI
UPI Contributing Editor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (UPI) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Australia’s new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made unannounced visits to Afghanistan this weekend. They came to pledge their support in the war on terror and to reiterate their commitment to the NATO military initiative spearheaded by U.S. forces battling the Taliban.
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