Washington Watch Articles From 2006
Oh! Little Town of Bethlehem…Where Art Thou?
This time of year, hundreds of millions of Christians in the West turn their attention to Bethlehem. But what they think about is not the living, breathing and suffering Palestinian city that is real, but a Bethlehem that exists in their imagination.
NEO-CONS OR JUST PLAIN “CONS”
In a series of articles and interviews, architects of the neo-conservative movement have been trying desperately to absolve themselves of responsibility for the mess they helped to create in the Middle East. Like confidence men (“cons”) everywhere, having sold the “snake oil” and been caught, they are now feigning sadness and innocence, pointing the finger of blame elsewhere.
LESSONS LEARNED
With the Middle East in turmoil, the State Department convened a two day meeting for Arab American leadership earlier this week.
“WAITING FOR GODOT BAKER-HAMILTON”
Democrats are in, Rumsfeld is out, and those who care about the Middle East are awaiting the release of the report by the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group (ISG).
ELECTIONS 2006: THE DEADLY SILENCE
In not a single House or Senate race being contested this year will the candidates engage in a serious debate about the failed US policy in the Middle East. There are a number of races where the Iraq war is an issue, but in these instances the debate has more to do with how we got into the war, the mistakes we’ve made and how we should leave. There are, to be sure, supporters of the President’s vision (or fantasy) of the Iraq war; i.e., that we are producing a democracy that will transform the region. But in no case is there a serious discussion about Iraq, itself, or the consequences of our broader Middle East policy.
OUR AMERICAN STORY
My father’s last remaining sibling, Wadih, passed away this summer at the age of 98. It was, for my family, a transformative event. Ammi Wadih was the youngest of the 5 brothers and two sisters who had come to America to begin a new life in the early part of the 20th century.
IF WE WERE SMART
The violence and chaos, the shattered dreams, and the anger that has come to characterize much of the Middle East should, one might think, cause our leaders to pause and reassess the failure of their current policies.
A FEW HOPEFUL SIGNS
Small but still significant signs of change are occurring in the US discussion of the war on Lebanon.
WILLFUL FANTASIES AND REALITY
Reading US, Israeli and Arab commentaries and analyses of the current conflicts raging in the Middle East is a disturbing exercise.
US MUST ACT TO STOP MIDEAST ESCALATION
Escalating violence and expanding conflict in the Middle East threatens to spin out of control into the broader region. It is a worrisome situation fraught with grave danger, a clear example of competing and unchecked pathologies.
GULF BUSINESS LEADERS: OPTIMISTIC BUT CONCERNED
Despite conflicts and political developments brewing just beyond their borders, Arab business leaders in the Gulf are confident that their current economic boom is sustainable and will help accelerate progressive changes taking place within their countries.
THE STATE OF THE UNION: A CLOSER LOOK
President Bush delivered his fifth State of the Union address last week against the backdrop of low approval ratings, new setbacks for US policy in the Middle East and a series of scandals that have damaged public trust in his party and Administration.