Amidst ongoing pro- and anti-Syria protests in Lebanon, Damascus is beginning to call home some units stationed in the country—starting with the intelligence agents in Beirut and Bekaa Valley. Faced with this partial success, Bush has adopted a somewhat softer… Read moreAnti-Syria violence in Lebanon
Following days of protests by predominantly Christians and Druze for Syria to pull out of Lebanon (their demands backed by the US and Israel), thousands of mostly Shi’ite demonstrators led by Hezbollah rallied in Beirut March 8 in support of… Read moreLebanon crisis could mean civil war for Syria: Uri Avnery
A friend writes, translating from the Feb. 27 edition of the Turkish journal Aksam: At the moment Turkey wishes to enter into Europe, the ideological book of AdolfHitler entitled "Mein Kampf," forbidden in Germany, is a success in Turkey. One… Read moreMein Kampf best-seller in Turkey
Thomas Friedman in his March 3 New York Times column, "Brave, Young and Muslim," hails restive and modern-minded reformers in the Islamic world, and especially singles out Irshad Manji, Canadian Muslim feminist author of The Trouble with Islam Today. Friedman… Read more“Muslim Refuseniks” make op-ed page
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Omar Karami has resigned follwing a wave of angry protests in Beirut. "I declare the resignation of the government that I had the honour to head. May God preserve Lebanon," Karami said. Lahoud was a close ally… Read moreLebanon’s government resigns
“Peak oil” theorists will be vindicated by a Feb. 20 report on al-Jazeera that Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil producer, has past its peak of production and may have in fact damaged its own extractable reserves through over-production. Writes al-Jazeera: As… Read moreSaudi Arabia at “peak oil”?
With Lebanon possibly next in the US crosshairs following the Valentine’s Day car-bomb assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, the Hezbollah militia movement marked the Shi’ite holy day of Ashura with a massive rally in Beirut. Amid requisite chants… Read moreHezbollah next US target?
The US has called home its ambassador to Syria in protest of Damascus’ supposed links to the Hariri assassination before the facts are even in. In response, Syria and Iran—traditional rivals, but both fearing they could be next for US… Read moreHariri fallout: Iran-Syria “united front”
Former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri (and 11 others) were killed in a Beirut car bomb attack Feb. 14. Because he had been an outspoken opponent of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, suspicion immediately fell on Damascus and Damascus-backed… Read moreWho killed Rafik Hariri?
In the men-only elections for half the seats on Saudi Arabia‘s municipal councils–a landmark step towards democracy by Saudi standards–results are in from the capital, Riyadh, and over 30 losing candidates are claiming the seven winners violated campaign guidelines. The… Read moreOpposition: Islamists cheat in Saudi elections
A front-page story in the Feb. 10 NY Times notes that Saudi Arabia is holding its first national election that day–albeit with an "asterisk": women are barred from the vote, and even men only get to elect half the members… Read moreSaudi dissidents freed on eve of election
