Raghida Dergham

New York -- The major developments in both Egypt and Syria last week have proven wrong all those who assume that monopolizing power today is still possible, whether in the form of a regime that has for decades practiced the monopoly of power, or in the form of political parties...

Talk of the "Grand Bargain" is once again finding its way to theories on the relationship between the United States and Iran, in light of their mutual desire to build bridges of trust on the nuclear issue, and of the repercussions of their understanding over regional issues, from Iraq to...

Increasing omens of a civil war erupting in Syria are being accompanied by a combination of "escaping forward," avoiding a "Plan B" and burying heads in the sand -- with regard to what a civil war might result in if it were to occur. The timeframe...

Those in charge of the electoral campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama for a second term will seek to keep away matters of foreign policy, especially those that could implicate the United States in conflicts and wars. They will work to emphasize the killing of the leader of al Qaeda,...

For one of those competing for the presidency of the United States to be the black son of a white American Christian woman and of an African Muslim man, while the other is from the Mormon community, a controversial religious minority, at the very least due to its practice of...

New York -- Iran's leadership has purposely coupled the features of its deal on the nuclear issue with the five permanent Security Council member-states plus Germany with a blow to the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), punishing them for their stance on the Syrian issue and toughening...

New York -- Regardless of the arrogance shown by the leadership of Russia or Syria, they both belong to a coalition of the weak, and in this they are not alone. Indeed, Western countries coalesce in weakness when it comes to the issues of Iran and Syria -- the weakness...

Evidently, disagreement over President Barack Obama's foreign policy has almost become limited to a particular segment of the American popular base, mostly driven by partisan motives, while the majority of Americans seem to have grown weary of getting involved in foreign wars and explicitly wants an isolationist America. Yet, what...

Damascus' approval of the plan of the joint UN-Arab League Envoy Kofi Annan, on the eve of the Arab Summit in Iraq, has come as an attempt to absorb the closing statement of the Baghdad Summit. The reason for this was not rooted in fear in the Syrian...

New York -- The Arab Summit scheduled to be held next week in Baghdad is of the utmost importance for the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), first in terms of Iraq's return to the Arab community, and second in terms of the impact of Iraq's policy towards...

New York -- The most difficult dance has begun between regional and international players, with former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan entering the ring to lead the tango, to the tune of negotiations on the issue of Syria.

European strategies have begun to fragment and branch out, while American strategies have...

New York -- U.S. focus is currently centered on the Iranian issue, including its Israeli military dimension and the Russian-Chinese factor in international diplomacy. The case for undermining Iran through Syria, by mobilizing all efforts to overthrow the regime there, has somewhat receded. Yet, this does not mean that the...

New York -- This week, the U.S. Administration came close to speaking a language similar to that of the Russian government, when describing the dangers of the opposition to the Syrian regime, and the fact that it involves Islamic extremism, which would require reducing support to the opposition. This comes...

Not all outcomes of Friday's "Friends of Syria" conference in Tunis will appear in newspaper headlines, announcements and statements made by its high-ranking participants, not withstanding their fair share as important political messages directed at Damascus, Tehran, Moscow and Beijing. What will surely not be announced is a strategy of...

Much anxiety accompanies the first anniversary of the eruption of the Arab uprisings -- and much wavering between disappointment and hope. There is confusion, uncertainty and vacillation between optimism and pessimism. And there is hope that this Arab autumn will be a fleeting one, yet there is alarm regarding a...

The swarm of initiatives to resolve the situation in Syria does not mean increased chances of warding off civil war, but rather reflects the depth of the rift between West and East, and reduced Arab leadership in deciding the fate of this important country. The prime victim of the return...

New York - The issue of Syria reached a decisive juncture this week, in a scene rarely witnessed at the UN Security Council, when the League of Arab States lodged a complaint against a regime in an Arab country. The issue has become internationalized, even if Russia prevents the Security...

Davos -- Precisely one year ago, during the annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the participants, major intellectual and political leaders and businessmen, were caught by surprise by the developments in Egypt. They followed them from the Alps with both amazement and questions. At the time,...

Beirut - Mistaken are those who demand that power be handed over to the Islamists in the Arab region of change, even on the grounds that they have been brought to power by a democratic process that must be honored, and that there is no choice but to submit to...

New York -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is inaugurating his second term this week with a visit to Lebanon, in which he intends to assert his courage in adhering to his principle, and his refusal to seclude himself as a hostage of fear-mongering and intimidation. He does not do...