ABU DHABI, UAE: I've just finished teaching a three week January term course at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus (NYUAD). I've had the great fortune to teach before at some wonderful schools across the U.S. But this, for me, was a special experience, the result of the unique mix of students who had been brought together in this one place. Read More »
I am writing this from Dubai one day before South Carolina voters go to the polls. While it might have been nice had I been able to wait until late Saturday night when the votes were counted, with deadlines being deadlines, I must write now. In a way, though, it doesn't matter, since the particular observations I want to make aren't dependent on the outcome. Read More »
I listened attentively to Syrian President Bashar al Assad's most recent speech in which he berated the Arab League's intervention to help stem the violence currently racking his country. Claiming that he was listening to his countrymen and speaking for them and that his regime was the standard-bearer of "Arabism,” al Assad denounced the League as not representing true Arab sentiment. For obvious reasons, we can't poll in Syria right now, but as the past ten months of mass protests and the unremitting and largely regime-sponsored violence have made clear, al Assad may speak for some, but certainly not all Syrians. Read More »
Amidst all the fuss about President Obama's sagging poll numbers, the struggling U.S. economy, and "who's up and who's down" in the Republican presidential primary contest, American University Professor Allan Lichtman has issued his "sure fire" prediction for the outcome of the November, 2012 election. Read More »
Watching Tea Party radicals triumph over reasoned compromise in the Congress and Republican party candidates drive themselves rightward off the road in an effort to appeal to their increasingly hardline base reminds me of the adage we learned as children: it is dangerous to play with fire, not only because you run the risk of the blaze burning out of control, but also because you, yourself, can become the flame's first victim. Read More »
Air Date: 12/29/2011
Rob Malley, Middle East and North Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group; Amb. Hussein Hassouna, Chief Representative of the League of Arab States to the United States; Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Americans for Peace Now. Read More »
Air Date: 12/22/2011
Andrew Parasiliti, Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; Edward Gnehm, Former U.S. Ambassador to Jordan and Kuwait; Ann Selzer, Iowa Pollster and Director of the Des Moines Register Iowa Poll. Read More »
The dust left in the wake of U.S. forces departing from Iraq had barely settled when Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki intensified his crackdown against Sunni Arab leaders, deepening the country’s sectarian divide. While American leaders may speak glowingly of Iraq's new democracy, all evidence points to serious problems on the road ahead. This can be discerned both from events on the ground and also from the results of our most recent poll of Iraqi public opinion. Read More »
Air Date: 12/15/2011
John Zogby, Founder of the polling firm Zogby International; Allan Lichtman, political historian, presidential scholar and author of the book The Keys to the White House: A Surefire Guide to Predicting the next President; Fuad Hussein, Chief of Staff to President of the Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani Read More »
Nine months into the “Arab Spring,” we surveyed public opinion in seven Arab countries and Iran, asking over 6,000 respondents about their primary political concerns and their degree of satisfaction with the pace of change taking place in their countries. What we found was that an "Arab Spring" effect had occurred, with reform and rights issues now being perceived as political priorities in most countries. Read More »
Air Date: 12/8/2011
Leila Hilal, co-director of Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation; M.J. Rosenberg, Senior Foreign Policy Fellow at Media Matters Action Network; Moeed Yusuf, South Asia adviser at the United States Institute of Peace in the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention Read More »
On December 7, 2012, six Republican candidates for President (Rep. Ron Paul was not invited) appeared before the Republican Jewish Coalition (NRC) to campaign for Christian votes. There are Jewish Republicans, to be sure, but not enough to make a difference in this primary contest. No, the real prize that drew the candidates to the NRC event were the 40% of GOP primary voters who are declared "born-again" Christians who fervently believe that Israel can do no wrong and that it is their religious duty to support any and all Israeli policies as a prerequisite to hasten the "Day of Judgment". Read More »
In just one year, relations between the United States and Turkey have moved from tension to cooperation. This was the focus of remarks by a Turkish journalist speaking at the opening session at the second convention of the Turkic American Alliance. After reviewing the differences in the bilateral relationship, then and now, he asked rather pointedly, "What happened to account for this change and where will it lead us?" Read More »
With the date for US forces to be fully withdrawn from Iraq fast approaching, it is important to remind ourselves how we got into that long and deadly war in the first place, to recognize that this conflict is far from over, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for the horrors they created during the past eight years. Read More »
Shortly after Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, I was invited to a dinner at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. in honor of Ray Lahoud. Lahoud had just been named as Secretary of Transportation, and the Embassy was proud that the grandson of Lebanese immigrants had been named to serve in the new President's cabinet. It was, in many ways, a special night that captured the mood of Washington in early 2009. Read More »
Air Date: 11/17/2011
Samih Al-Abed, Former Palestinian Authority Minister; Yossi Beilin, Former Knesset Member and Minister; Murhaf Jouejati, Professor of Middle East Studies at the National Defense University; Zaid Jilani, Senior Reporter/Blogger for ThinkProgress.org Read More »
This presidential election couldn't have come at a worse time for America and the Arab World. Since candidates are more focused on politics than on sound policy, critical issues will not receive the thoughtfulness they require. Read More »
Air Date: 11/20/2011
Trita Parsi, Co-Founder and President of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC); Ellen Laipson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Henry L. Stimson Center; Alex Roarty, Politics Writer for the National Journal. Read More »
The hysteria on display in Washington over UNESCO's vote to include Palestine as a member of the world body, though largely a manufactured effort, was, nevertheless, irritating and a sad commentary on the dysfunctional nature of U.S. politics. Read More »
Air Date: 11/3/2011
Colin Kahl, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East; Nabil Shaath, Senior Palestinian Negotiator discusses the admission of Palestine to UNESCO; Glenn Kessler, Author,” Fact Checker” Column at The Washington Post Read More »
RT @jensalan: #Egypt sends 43 NGO workers to trial over funds – bans them from travel @aaiusa http://t.co/NcJxQlfO
about 17 hours, 46 minutes ago.
RT @jensalan: #Egypt Will Try 19 Americans on Criminal Charges http://t.co/cPlVIRlr including #SamLahood @aaiusa @ajstream
about 18 hours, 9 minutes ago.
#Egypt sends 43 NGO workers to trial over funds – bans them from travel @aaiusa http://t.co/NcJxQlfO
about 18 hours, 10 minutes ago.
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 18
Be Part of the Change!ABU DHABI, UAE: I've just finished teaching a three week January term course at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus (NYUAD). I've had the great fortune to teach before at some wonderful schools across the U.S. But this, for me, was a special experience, the result of the unique mix of students who had been brought together in this one place. Read More »
Air Date: 12/29/2011
Rob Malley, Middle East and North Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group; Amb. Hussein Hassouna, Chief Representative of the League of Arab States to the United States; Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Americans for Peace Now. Read More »
The subcommittee's meeting today to explore whether there are risk factors or preincident indicators of terrorist activity identified by intelligence and law enforcement organizations to enable them in thwarting attacks while preserving -- let me repeat that -- preserving individuals' right to privacy and civil liberties. Read More »
