Washington Watch Articles From 2007
The Gulf’s Middle Class: A Closer Look
In my last column, I presented a snapshot of the middle class in the Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain.
What Secretary Rice’s Agenda Should Be
If US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had wanted to make a real contribution to enhancing future prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace, she would not be spending her time in the region “sketching out broader political issues” with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Glenn Beck: A Cause for Concern
Glenn Beck represents a truly troubling trend in television journalism. Since May 2006, the radio talk show host has had his own one hour nightly program on CNN’s Headline News channel. While the network may have hoped that Beck’s flamboyant style would increase ratings, the cost to their integrity has been staggering.
Lebanon On The Edge
Lebanon is once again headlining the news as a result of two distinct developments. In Lebanon, a Hezbollah-called general strike spilled over into violence. Meanwhile, in Paris, Western and Arab nations met with Lebanon’s Prime Minister to pledge $7.6 billion in reconstruction assistance.
Carter’s Critics Warp the Debate He Hoped to Create
In describing his effort, Carter noted that he set out to accomplish two major objectives: to collect his personal reminiscences and observations based on his early years as a peace negotiator and later as an observer of three Palestinian elections and also to provoke a debate within the US about the issues that must be addressed for there to be a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
A Dangerous Speech that Ignores Reality
There are two Iraq-related time bombs ticking downward, each of which will determine the fate of millions caught in the war’s cross-hairs. The first is the U.S. public’s growing dissatisfaction not only with the war, but with the president himself. The second involves the internal Iraqi dynamic, which all signs suggest is moving in the direction of an expanded civil war. If either of the two, or both, reach their zero point, the U.S. adventure in Iraq is all but doomed.
Ellison and the Qur’an: A Great American Story
On January 4, 2000, when Representative-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) put his hand on the Qur’an and took the oath of office, he made US history. As the first American Muslim elected to federal office, and the first African American elected to Congress from Minnesota, Ellison sends a clear message to the world about American diversity and our values of acceptance and inclusion that have made us strong.