Steve Royston

Kingmakers, Invention of the Modern Middle East

Kingmakers, Invention of the Modern Middle East

STEVE ROYSTON: Book Review: Here you’ll find the Britons and Americans – proconsuls, agents provocateurs, spies, politicians – that shaped the Middle East.

 Michael J. Totten

Life Imitates ‘The Onion’: Al Qaeda and U.S. Agree

Life Imitates ‘The Onion’: Al Qaeda and U.S. Agree

MICHAEL TOTTEN: You couldn’t make it up but conspiracy theories have a way of making odd bedfellows. Take Al Qaeda and the U.S in opposition to Iran. It’s true.

 James M. Dorsey

Qaddafi Sons: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Qaddafi Sons: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

JAMES M. DORSEY: At face value, Saadi and Saif’s different positions appear to be at best a surprising reversal of roles with Saadi, described as “notoriously ill-behaved”.

 Mondoweiss

An Inconvenient Truth: Ehud Barak Off Message

An Inconvenient Truth: Ehud Barak Off Message

MONDOWEISS: If Iran ever acquired nuclear weapons would it launch an attack on Israel? “Not on us and not on any neighbor.” The speaker? Ehud Barak…

 Ramzy Baroud

Egypt’s Back, Palestinians Unified. Israel Worried

Egypt’s Back, Palestinians Unified. Israel Worried

RAMZY BAROUD: With Egypt reaching out to Israeli foes and the Palestinian agreement to work together Israel’s policy of division is in tatters.

 David Roberts

Iran: Problems on the Horizon for Gulf States

Iran: Problems on the Horizon for Gulf States

DAVID ROBERTS: These events take place in the context of growing Shia power, encapsulated by the notion of a Shia crescent ‘enveloping’ the region…

 Mishaal Al Gergawi

How the GCC Should Go About ‘Containing’ Iran

How the GCC Should Go About ‘Containing’ Iran

MISHAAL AL GERGAWI: Bahrain was clearly a red line for the GCC, but the challenges now facing the organisation require deft political skill.

 James M. Dorsey

Soccer vs. Islam: The Battle for Egypt’s Future

Soccer vs. Islam: The Battle for Egypt’s Future

JAMES M. DORSEY: The calm with which Egyptians accepted defeat, contrasts starkly with riots that erupted on two continents in late 2009 when Algeria stopped Egypt making it to the 2010 World Cup.

 Common Ground News Service

Women With Men Directing Winds of Change

Women With Men Directing Winds of Change

CARLA KOPPELL: Women’s role must be honoured in the struggle and protect against the fundamentalist push. Most importantly, their involvement will be key to enabling thriving societies

 Juan Cole

Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran

Why What Worked in Egypt, Will Not Trip Up Iran

KUSHA SEFAT, INFORMED COMMENT: The international conditions for revolution were ripe in Tunisia and Egypt. This is simply not the case in Iran.

 James M. Dorsey

Iran Postpones Tehran Football Matches

Iran Postpones Tehran Football Matches

JAMES DORSEY: Iran’s Football Federation has postponed league matches in Tehran to prevent celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution turning into anti-government protests.

 James M. Dorsey

Iran Bans Women from Cinemas Showing Cup

Iran Bans Women from Cinemas Showing Cup

JAMES M. DORSEY: Khamenei and other hard-line government officials and clerics argue that the presence of women at men’s sporting events violates Islamic law.

 Juan Cole

Oil Price Rise means a Happy 2011 in Tehran

Oil Price Rise means a Happy 2011 in Tehran

JUAN COLE: While U.S consumers bemoan oil price rises it’s smiles all round in Iran. The OPEC chair is in no hurry to do anything about spiraling costs.

 Juan Cole

Top 10 Middle East Challenges for U.S. Policy, 2011

Top 10 Middle East Challenges for U.S. Policy, 2011

JUAN COLE: The Obama administration has been successful in tightening the financial noose on Iran during 2010, but Iran could fight back like a cornered rat…

 Osama Al Sharif

Urgent: Fresh Arab Approach towards Iran, Palestine

Urgent: Fresh Arab Approach towards Iran, Palestine

OSAMA AL SHARIF: Focus on Iran or Afghanistan should not be at the expense of the Palestine Question, which remains crucial to peoples of the region.

 Crossroads Arabia

How Saudi Arabia’s Media is tacking Wikileaks

How Saudi Arabia’s Media is tacking Wikileaks

CROSSROADS ARABIA: Saudi media is taking note of the WikiLeaks phenomenon. This piece from Arab News reflects the best and smartest policy that the Saudi government could follow: refuse comment.

 Michael J. Totten

What the Wikileaks reveal about the Arab League

What the Wikileaks reveal about the Arab League

MICHAEL J. TOTTEN: The publication of these leaks is eerily reminiscent of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed a decade-long attempt by U.S. officials to distort and conceal unpalatable truths about Vietnam.