Yemen Observer

Lessons from Taliban-Northern Alliance Agreement

Tue, 13 May 2008 03:27:55 PST

Pakistan has started talks with the Taliban in the northwestern province of the country bordering on Afghanistan. Kabul authorities fear that Islamabad will stop military operations, thus giving the Taliban a chance to become more active in Afghanistan.

President Obama

Tue, 13 May 2008 03:13:42 PST

On the assumption that President Barack Obama survives for a full four-year term -- for it is generally assumed that, as the first African-American president, he will face a higher than average risk of assassination -- what changes will he bring to the United States and the world?

Letter to the Editor..

Sun, 11 May 2008 23:49:51 PST

It is one thing to be on the ground in Yemen and is another to be in Washington DC creating theories and spreading lies from behind the desk. Such a practice is rewarding and profitable for some people. Such as Muneeer al-Mawri the so-called political analysts.

Living conflict, writing peace

Sat, 10 May 2008 07:01:18 PST

My story with art started when I met Alef, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. That was in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. I was at a school-turned-shelter, and there was a chalkboard.

Why did the (Zimbabwean) chicken cross the road?

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:52:58 PST

As the delay in announcing the results of Zimbabwe’s presidential election stretched out endlessly, the political jokes proliferated across southern Africa. The best ones were based on the old “Why did the chicken cross the road?” joke.

Iran dictates its terms to the Six

Sat, 10 May 2008 01:03:56 PST

It is not Iran that should return to the negotiating table and impose a moratorium on uranium enrichment, as the U.N. Security Council resolutions require. It is the five permanent members of the U.N.

U.S. Backed Political Islamic Activists in Cold War

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:24:31 PST

Georges Corm is convinced that as long as the West pursues double moral standards and applies international law unequally, its attempts to establish dialogue with the Muslim world cannot be taken seriously. Mona Sarkis, a freelance journalist, spoke to the social scientist and former Lebanese finance minister:

Two Takes on Terrorism

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:16:51 PST

“Terrorism,” like “fascism,” is one of those words that people routinely apply to almost any behaviour they disapprove of. We had a particularly impressive spread of meanings on display last week.

Oil Prices: Another Prediction

Sat, 03 May 2008 07:22:59 PST

Last week Hamish McRae, one of the world’s best economic journalists, declared in “The Independent” that “Hardly anyone a year ago successfully predicted the rise in the oil price to $120 a barrel --in fact I have not found a single forecast of that.”

Without a Priesthood Every Muslim Makes up Their Own Mind

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:55:02 PST

We should not wait for Turkey to lead us in understanding the diversity of Islamic thought on different matters. It is essential for Muslims to be aware of the many opinions that are out there and not assume that what they have been told by imams, scholars or their elders is the only option.

Tunisia Vows to Preserve Religious Moderation

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:47:28 PST

TUNIS -- In Tunisia, synagogues and churches stand side by side with mosques. Jewish and Christian minorities freely practice their religious rituals. This tolerant climate is ensured by the constitution which provides for habeas corpus, guarantees freedom of conscience and protects freedom of religious practice.

No one Knows the Price Yet to be Paid

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:50:21 PST

MOSCOW -- U.S. President George W. Bush said that “significant progress” has been achieved in stabilization in Iraq in the past year.

Kuwait Dithers at Spring Election Crossroads

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:41:23 PST

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait -- The recent resignation of members of the Kuwaiti government and subsequent dissolution of the parliament reflects severe structural imbalances and an ongoing conflict between a government lacking in strategy and a parliament lacking in vision.

Berlusconi: “A Wise Country’s Choice”

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:27:22 PST

“This is a wise country, a country that knows when a person is tired and has turned vicious, when it is time to turn over a new leaf.” That was the upbeat assessment of Walter Veltroni, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, just before Italy’s national election last weekend.

I Want the Palestinians to Win

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:17:10 PST

JERUSALEM -- “I and the majority of the Palestinian people are ready for a historic agreement based on international decisions that will allow a Palestinian and Israeli state to coexist, side by side, in peace and stability.”

The Underpants of the Olympic Flame

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:11:30 PST

If I were the Chinese bureaucrat responsible for guarding the sacred Olympic Flame, the place I’d worry about most is Australia. It was there, just before the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, that a student pretending to be an Olympic athlete ran up to the mayor of Sydney and presented him with an “Olympic torch”...

The Underpants of the Olympic Flame

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:18:42 PST

Zimbabwe: The Nature of Power

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:39:17 PST

It has been a vivid demonstration of how power really works. A week ago, Robert Mugabe was still the undisputed ruler of Zimbabwe. He was 84, and he had reduced the country to ruin: four out of five adults are unemployed, inflation is running (officially) at over 100,000 percent, and one-third of the population has fled abroad in search of work

Pakistan - New Coalition, Old Collisions

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:46:56 PST

A new government coalition has been set up in Pakistan, but it does not eliminate old collisions – both in domestic or foreign policy.

Open letter from the son of the late shah of Iran:

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:38:38 PST

The recent parliamentary election in Iran, and, for that matter, all previous elections, have been a travesty, a sad farce, with the ruling government again making promises it cannot fulfill. During 28 years of involvement as a secular democrat...

Iran Wants Full Shanghai Organization Membership

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:41:19 PST

Iran is no longer satisfied with its observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). It hopes that becoming a full member will help it avoid international isolation.

Transformation Project is a Leading Factor in the Democratization of Turkey

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:12:50 PST

For more than 40 years Turkey has been taking certain measures to reach the European Union criteria of a member state. As part of a drive to increase innovation in and access to technology, the EU has allocated more than 100 billion euros for the i2010 Program to create a "Single European Information Space,"...

Iraq: Maliki’s Gamble

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:12:36 PST

The rhetoric is triumphalist, and the story-line is simple and consistent. “We have made up our minds to enter this battle and we will continue till the end. No retreat,” said Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday.

Lavrov’s Visit to the Middle East - More Riddles?

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:05:35 PST

Was the visit by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Middle East a success? What can be considered a success in this region in the given situation? Now, right after the trip many of his statements seem more like riddles.

Creating a U.S.-Iran Bridge

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:41:08 PST

The upcoming second round of talks with the United States on Iraq security offers another opportunity for U.S.-Iranian dialogue and negotiations. However, an atmosphere of mistrust between the United States and Iran persists, leaving open the potential for yet another disastrous conflict in the Middle East.