Politics & Policies

csalhani — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:22:39 +0000

ABOUT THE BOOK:

By Claude Salhani

Author, journalist, political analyst and editor of the Middle East Times, Claude Salhani looks back at the eight years of the Bush presidency through a series of analyses and essays. From his base in Washington, DC and through numerous visits to the region to interview those whom Bush labeled “bad guys,” Mr. Salhani chronicled the events of September 11, the three wars launched by the Bush administration in the Middle East and the disastrous foreign policy that ensued, along with its consequences.

Of the three wars America found itself fighting, one was imposed on the nation after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on New York and the Pentagon; the second, the invasion of Afghanistan, was a natural extension of the first. It was the third war, the one in Iraq that was unnecessary. Iraq became a distraction from the main war, the one against Islamist terrorism. Instead of finishing the task at hand, of finding or neutralizing Osama bin Laden and destroying the Taliban, vital logistics and important funds were wasted on a war that should not have been. However, whether the war in Iraq was justified or not will remain a matter of debate for generations to come. History has not said its final word and the last chapter may be a very different one than what we expect.

Will the wars started by President Bush leave a positive impact assuming democracy gets a foothold in the Middle East?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For the last 35 years Claude Salhani has traveled the world – 78 countries at last count, and many of them more than a dozen times. He covered 12 wars and has interviewed most of the key players in the Middle East. He has appeared on more that 40 different television and radio networks; lectured at 15 of the top universities and participated on panels at about 12 of the U.S.’s top think tanks. His reports have been published in major newspapers and magazines around the world, including The Times (London), the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Diego Union Tribune, Foreign Service Journal, Middle East Policy Journal, Salon.com, The American Conservative and many others.

He is the author of “Black September to Desert Storm;” and contributing author of “The Iraq War.”

Mr. Salhani was based in Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Brussels, London, New York and Washington, DC. He was wounded three times while reporting on various Mideast conflicts. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. He is fluent in English, French, Italian, Arabic and has a working knowledge of Spanish. He studied in the Master’s in Conflict Resolution program at Royal Roads University, in Victoria, Canada.

csalhani — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:00:20 +0000

Claude Salhani

While the Arab World Slept:

the impact of the Bush years on the Middle East

Monday Analysis: U.S. Committed to Israel’s Security

csalhani — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:13:17 +0000

by Claude Salhani – Editor, Middle East Times

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that the United States would stand by Israel and protect it from potential Iranian nuclear threats. Israel, along with the United States and several members of the European Union, has accused Iran of wanting to develop nuclear weapons.

(Click here for full story)

How politically flexible is Hamas?

csalhani — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:55:36 +0000

How politically flexible is Hamas?

By Claude Salhani

WASHINGTON - Three primary questions arise when discussing the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, also known by its Arabic acronym, Hamas. First, how politically flexible are they? Second, Will they ever talk to the United States and Israel? Third, are they implicated in trying to expand Islamist influence to Latin America, as is believed to be the case with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite Movement.

A Nuclear Pandora’s Box

csalhani — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:22:10 +0000

OPINION
Khaleej Times

Should what was once referred to as the Arab-Israeli dispute now be called the Arab-Israel-Persian dispute? Indeed, Iran’s entrance into the “traditional” Middle East conflict only serves to expand the reach of the crisis, more than from simply a geographic perspective.
What was once a relatively straightforward conflict over real estate has turned into a complicated war of religion, which comes on top of the other problems afflicting the region; natural resources and of course the issue of real estate which still lies at the core of the conflict. But now, one can add the all explosive ingredient, if you will excuse the pun, nuclear weapons.

(full story)

Chairman of Joint Chiefs: Iran Can Develop Nukes

csalhani — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:23:57 +0000

By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)
Iran is at the point where it can develop nuclear weapons said Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Wednesday in Washington.

Full story

Obama’s Foreign Policy Faces First Real Opposition

csalhani — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:31:35 +0000

By CLAUDE SALHANI

The first real opposition to Barack Obama’s foreign policy surfaced this week after the U.S. president told the New York Times that his administration could engage in dialogue with the moderate element of the Taliban – and it came from his supporters.

Click here

What to do with Iran?

csalhani — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:21:54 +0000

For the last 30 years, ever since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew the shah of Iran and installed a strict theocratic regime in its place, Western nations, as well as Iran’s immediate neighbors, have been asking themselves the same two questions: How serious is the Iranian threat? And what to do with the Islamic Republic of Iran, if that threat is serious?

Click here for full story

Lebanon’s Role in the Middle East Peace Process

csalhani — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:19:55 +0000

Lebanon is the smallest Arab country, after Bahrain. However, it has far more people than Bahrain: 3.97 million versus 718,300. And it has considerably far fewer resources than the tiny oil-rich island kingdom situated in the Gulf. Yet Lebanon, whose role as a major participant in the broader Middle East peace process until recently was not considered essential, now finds itself at the forefront of a final settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute.

click here for full story

The Mouth That Roared

csalhani — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:41:15 +0000

The title of this article is not a typographical error. Rather, this was how an acquaintance, an analyst well familiar with the Middle East, referred to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s latest rant last week.

No sooner had U.S. President Barack Obama declared in front of the world a drastic change in U.S. foreign policy, criticizing past dealings with the Arab and Muslim worlds, and announcing that henceforth the Arabs and Muslims would be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve, Ahmadinejad refuted the hand of friendship extended from Washington.

full article