Afghan peace talks widen U.S.-U.K. rift on war policy
WASHINGTON (IPS) — The beginning of political talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban revealed by press accounts this week is likely to deepen the rift that has just erupted in public between the United States and its British ally over the U.S. commitment to an escalation of the war in Afghanistan. According to a French...Rare Islamic artifact sells for $5.5 million
A rare Islamic crystal jug that was mistaken earlier this year for a cheap French claret pitcher has sold at auction for almost $5.6 million. The jug was mistaken earlier this year for a French wine pitcher. Christie's said it has now been identified as "one of the rarest and most desirable works of art from the Islamic world."...Israel: Wedded to war?
For Israel, the aftermath of the 2006 Lebanon war was all about questions. What mistakes were made, and who made them? What could be done to restore the Israeli military's "deterrence" after a widely perceived defeat? In general, what lessons could be learned from the confrontation with Hizbullah in order that next time, there would be...Hummus war looms between Lebanon and Israel
BEIRUT — The latest conflict cooking between Lebanon and Israel is all about food: Lebanese businessmen are accusing Israel of stealing traditionally Middle Eastern dishes like hummus. Fadi Abboud, president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, said Tuesday his group was planning to raise a lawsuit to stop Israel from...Bush had no plan to catch Bin Laden after 9/11
U.S. President George W. Bush and the Commander for NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan U.S. Army General David McKiernan meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Larry DowningWashington (IPS) — New evidence from former U.S. officials reveals that the George W....Russia eyes new Mideast role
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is heading to Russia for a two-day visit. He was invited by President Dmitry Medvedev. They will discuss Russia's support for a peace process and Russian-Israeli relations, which were strained by Israel's close relations to Georgia. This visit signifies Russia's growing...Sunni-Shi’a row develops over scholar’s interview
Editor calls battle "a ball of sectarian and political fire" Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi is no stranger to public scrutiny. The Sunni Muslim preacher is the star of his own highly popular show on al-Jazeera TV, which is watched by millions for his advice on sharia law. But he may have miscalculated when he warned recently that...Iran resolution shelved in rare defeat for “Israel lobby”
A military truck carries a Zoobin smart bomb in front of a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a military parade commemorating the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, in Tehran September 21, 2008. REUTERS/Morteza NikoubazlWASHINGTON (IPS) — In a significant and highly unusual defeat...Bipartisan group urges deeper diplomacy with Muslim world
WASHINGTON (IPS) — In an implicit indictment of President George W. Bush's "global war on terror" and the hawkish pronouncements by Republican candidate John McCain, a bipartisan group of nearly three dozen U.S. leaders called here Wednesday for Bush's successor to place much greater emphasis on high-level diplomacy — including...Bush’s war widens to Pakistan
The decision to make public a presidential order of last July authorizing American strikes inside Pakistan without seeking the approval of the Pakistani government ends a long debate within, and on the periphery of, the Bush administration. Senator Barack Obama, aware of this ongoing debate during his own long battle with Hillary...It’s the oil, stupid
American policy toward the Middle East has always been determined by the politics of oil and the politics of oil are determined by the oil companies. It would be difficult to find many who would argue that the invasion of Iraq was premised, not on seizing Iraq's oil, but rather to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons held by...Israel of the Caucasus
WASHINGTON (UPI) — NATO guarantees that an attack against one member country is an attack against all are no longer what they used to be. Had Georgia been inside NATO, a number of European countries would no longer be willing to consider it an attack against their own soil. For Russia, the geopolitical stars were in perfect...The Saudi Arabia of solar energy
In the wake of the first Gulf War, the U.S. Army assessed Saudi Arabia's solar energy resource potential in a classified effort to determine how oil fires had affected the region. The results were clear and surprising. In addition to being a vast petroleum repository, the desert nation was also the heart of the most potentially...Georgia and the push for Cold War
John McCain said it first: "In the 21st century nations don't invade other nations." George W. Bush said it, too: Russia's way is not the "way to conduct foreign policy in the 21st Century". And Condoleezza Rice on August 19 said it: "Russia is a state that is unfortunately using the one tool that it has always used whenever it...Arab countries take six medals
After winning three medals in their first week at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics last week, Arab countries upped the ante and won three more medals this past week, including their first two gold medals. Both gold medals represented landmark achievements for their countries, as Oussama Mellouli won the first swimming medal for......
Big three block Iran attack
The United States is in a huge foreign policy muddle in the Middle East. It wants to dominate and control Iran but requires the support of the world community to accomplish its aims. Diplomacy and sanctions require only a low level of support. On the other hand, to launch a military attack or green-light one by Israel, the United...The race for renewable energy sources
DUBAI (IPS) — As the world scrambles to develop renewable energy sources (RES), the oil-rich Gulf countries that benefit from high prices on fossil fuels are making sure that they are not left behind. According to "REN 21: Renewables Global Status Report 2007," though the share of fossil fuels in the global final energy......
The startling truth about Gitmo
Three firefighters raise an American flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center at Ground Zero in New York — a moment in time captured for the records of history by a newspaper photographer, forever symbolizing the tragic events of the September 11, 2001 attack, and the American resolve to overcome any challenge. It's an image in...Israeli arms sales to Georgia raise new concerns
JERUSALEM (IPS) — With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself in an awkward position as a result of its arms sales to Georgia, caught between its friendly relations with Georgia and its fear that the continued sale of weaponry will spark Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to...Queen Rania uses Web to break stereotypes of Arabs
AMMAN — Queen Rania Al Abdullah already had something of an Internet following for her dashing beauty. Now her majesty is leveraging her relative celebrity to shatter stereotypes about the Arab world. With personal videos, slide shows, and documentaries, Jordan's first lady has created her own YouTube page in a virtual experiment...The 2008 Summer Olympic Games
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games will begin today in Beijing, China, and Arab nations will be well-represented. Participating countries from the Arab World include Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen,......
Sadam Ali: First ever Arab American boxer to compete in Olympics
When Mohammed Ali's boxing career took off in the United States, he became an athletic pioneer who used his status as a platform for social change. Now, another boxer with the same last name is poised to blaze a new path for the Arab American community to follow. The 2008 Summer Olympics will kick off in Beijing, China with the...U.S. convicts bin Laden’s driver at Guantanamo
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A military court on Wednesday convicted Osama bin Laden's driver of supporting terrorism but acquitted him on the more serious charge of conspiring with al Qaeda in the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War Two. On Thursday, he was sentenced to five and a half years. He is eligible for......
Top ten intellectuals all Muslim
Two prestigious Western magazines — Foreign Policy in the United States and Prospect in Britain — asked their readers to choose which among the world's 100 public intellectuals deserved the top honours. Over 500,000 people cast their votes via the internet. The results published this July were surprising. The first ten names on the...Yale University hosts first session between prominent Muslims, Christians
Quest for understanding, commonality Top-tier religious leaders in the Muslim world are emerging as major proponents of dialogue with Christians and other world faiths. With two distinct initiatives this month, they are breaking new ground and sending signals to Muslims and others globally that interreligious understanding and joint......