Washington Watch Articles From 2003
MANAGING THE NEWS
Lest anyone forget the power of incumbency, President George W. Bush delivered a few reminders in the past few weeks.
A CRITICAL WEEK
The events of last week: the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a controversial speech by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and key decisions by U.S. Courts of Appeal have set the stage for developments that will shape the politics of 2004.
THE GORE ENDORSEMENT
Former Vice President Al Gore’s endorsement of Howard Dean for president dominated U.S. political news coverage for three days.
THE GENEVA STORM
The Geneva crowd hit Washington like a storm last week. After publicly launching their peace initiative in Switzerland, the group of 10 Israeli and Palestinian activists and leaders came to Washington and New York to promote their effort.
THE BOYKIN AFFAIR STILL SIMMERS
It was over one month ago that it came to light that one of the Pentagon’s top officials in the war on terror, Lt. Gen. William Boykin, had repeatedly made statements, in uniform, displaying an anti-Muslim bias.
PENDULUM SWINGS ON CIVIL LIBERTIES
There is growing concern that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has over-reached in the post 9/11 period, implementing several programs that have caused harm to Arab and Muslim immigrants and visitors to the United States.
THE DISCONNECT
Having just returned from a short visit to the Arab world, I find that the disconnect between the United States’ Middle East policy debate and realities in the region, has never been greater than it is today.
IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE THE FIRST CONTESTS
I have just completed a three-day visit to New Hampshire and Iowa, the states that feature the first Democratic presidential contests of the 2004 election. They are both relatively small states.
L’AFFAIRE BOYKIN
The bizarre comments of Lt. General William Boykin have ignited a firestorm.
ARAB AMERICANS IN THE POLITICAL MAINSTREAM
When in 1948, then President Harry S. Truman met with his advisor to discuss whether or not the U.S. would recognize the soon to be declared Jewish State of Israel, he was reminded by State Department officials of Arab concerns and of U.S. interests in the Middle East.
THE MISUSE OF POLLING: IRAQ
Early in President Bush’s recent public relations campaign to rebuild support for the U.S. war effort in Iraq, Vice-President Cheney appeared on “Meet the Press.”
THE MIDDLE EAST POLICY DEBATE:US PUBLIC OPINION
Presidential candidates supporting multilateralism over preemptive unilateralism and favoring a balanced approach to Middle East peace making will find strong support among U.S. voters.
A NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE THAT COUNTS
The eyes of the United States will be on Arab Americans later this month when community leaders from twenty-five states gather in Michigan for the Arab American Institute’s (AAI) National Leadership Conference (NLC).
THE MIDEAST POLICY DEBATE: THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
Since the end of the Vietnam War, just over 30 years ago, conflict in the Middle East has been a preoccupation of every U.S. president.
DEAN VS. UN-DEAN
With the entry of General Wesley Clark into the race for the Democratic nomination to challenge President George W. Bush, the field appears to be complete.
TEN YEARS LATER:THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN
I know I have said it before but the times bear repeating it, sometimes it feels like we’ve all become Alice, the character in the Lewis Carroll classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
TWO YEARS AFTER 9/11:BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
This week we commemorate the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
TRAGIC CONTRADICTIONS IN THE DEATHOF DARRYL DENT
Two headlines, appearing next to each other on the front page of the August 28th edition of the Washington Post prompted me to write this article.
STUPIDAND CRUEL
followed by the assassination of Ismail Abu Shanab can only be defined as astonishingly cruel and stupid.
A COORDINATED AND BIGOTED ASSAULT
The anti-Arab campaign being waged today in the United States is an organized multi-pronged effort targeting a variety of Arab leaders, institutions and the religion of Islam.