Even though every death is a moment of sadness, the end of every bloodthirsty dictator -- if it could lead to an expansion of civil rights -- is also a moment of happiness. Gaddafi, as the architect and head of a dictatorial system based on terror, was doubtlessly

The final desperate act of the Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17, 2010 touched off a wave of civil unrest in Arab countries. The self-immolation of the young fruit-and-vegetable peddler sparked the Arab Spring that is roiling the Middle East. Thanks also to the new communication technologies, there has...

The assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani
, the former president of Afghanistan, high-ranking religious scholar and the official in charge of government peace talks with the Taliban, took place a few days after the Taliban's attack on the American Embassy in Kabul, an attack the U.S....

Muammar al-Gaddafi is a blend of Bedouin, coup leader, autocrat, and fake thinker. For decades under the logic of the Cold War he was able to use terrorism to his benefit.

Gaddafi is generally considered responsible for the Lockerbie bombing, the bombing of Berlin night clubs on April 5,...

The Pakistani Army's Game

Bin Laden was living a few kilometers from the Pakistani capital and close to a major military center. Was the military aware of his presence, and were they protecting him? Actually, this is not the real problem. The problem goes deeper, and involves Pakistan's foreign policy....

The cancer of terrorism is the symptom of society's unresolved problems, a monster born in the swamp of "no-rights." As long as the swamp is not drained, the monster continues to live and grow. Yet, as we shall see, various powers would rather use the monster to try and resolve...

President Barack Obama made a live statement shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday from the East Room of the White House:

Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al...

"The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, his account of the war between Sparta and Athens (fifth century BC)

This statement seems to me not only unfair but, at the current stage of development of...

About 1915, as it was becoming clear that the Ottoman Empire would not survive World War I, the British and French targeted the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by the British archaeologist and secret agent T.E. Lawrence, famously known as Lawrence of Arabia,...

The Saudi dynasty and King Abdullah seem to have become more generous recently. King Abdullah bin Abdul bin Abdul Aziz promised the Saudis $36 billion dollars in benefits, including a 15-percent salary increase for public employees and financial aid for students and the unemployed. A further $58 billion was pledged...

Egypt is the leader of Arab countries, if not of the (mainly Sunni) Islamic world. Even though every Arab-Islamic country has its own character, Egypt is the point of reference for all, and is thus in a way a mirror of the Arab world. Any change in...

The war in Afghanistan did not solve any problems. Indeed, it has complicated the situation even more. First of all, the war could not improve internal security as desired by the international community. It has in fact worsened stability and security in a highly sensitive area. For this reason, the...

According to the Washington Post, Afghan and Arab sources recently reported that high-level negotiations took place between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The talks were hosted by Saudi Arabia and came to an end over a year ago. The paper's sources revealed that for the first time...

The sad story of the Florida pastor who wanted to burn copies of the Koran is well known. The minister stirred up protests and disapproval before the fateful day, and after having inflamed the monsters of hatred, abstained from carrying out the final act. It is fair to think that...

It is well known that for years Israel did not respect the UN resolutions including key resolution 242, which calls for the pre-established 1948 borders. Yet boarding a humanitarian ship in international waters, and "reacting" by opening fire thereby provoking casualties defined a new and dangerous situation. The question that...

Historical Background
The Egypt of the Pharaohs continues to be attractive, but the relevance of today's Egypt is determined by its importance in the Arab-Islamic world. If the oriental soul of Islam emerged between Mesopotamia and Transoxania and neighboring areas, the occidental soul of Islam is centered in...

It is evident this week that the Kremlin's consensus was behind the change of power in Kyrgyzstan. This is clearly demonstrated by the loan bestowed on Kyrgyzstan, in favor of the new Kyrgz rulers who had already engaged in talks concerning the "non justifed" US bases. President Medvedev, with no...

The election in Iraq appears to have strengthened the citizens' will and closed some long held divisions. The emerging trend of the Iraqi vote suggests moderation and compromise at all levels. But, in spite of some unexpected results, the big issue remains the ethnic and confessional partitioning of the country....

After several months of reflection characterized by uncertainty, President Obama decided on sending another 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, thus echoing Bush's stance on the matter. He furthermore announced the beginning of a 18 months withdrawal period. The most important aspect of the announced decision was the revelation of a withdrawal...