Democracy vs. Engagement!

In the aftermath of 9/11, democracy became a catch-word that was repeatedly enunciated by various American officials and commentators, from the President down, and brandished as some kind of magic weapon that can help make the differenced in the Global War on Terror. In the process though, Democracy was reduced to a single aspect of it, namely elections that, more often than not, produced undesirable results by empowering inherently non-democratic actors thus complicating the Administration’s push for greater political openness and reforms in the region. Continue reading →

Of Grand Visions & Miniscule Leaders!

Many Israelis seem to be interested in advocating talks with Syria these days, including my former colleague at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, Avi Dichter, not to mention my other former colleague, but always the friend, Flynt Leverett, who wrote quite an analysis of US foreign policy in the latest issue of the American Prospect calling for the adoption of a new vision and a new approach, especially to the Middle East. Continue reading →

Countdown to Armageddon!

The arguments I made in this article on the BitterLemons-International news service, have been bolstered by the speech recently delivered by our national imbecile. Moreover, the bellicose tones of Bashar’s speech have themselves been bolstered and taken to their logical conclusion by an editorial in the official newspaper, al-Thawrah, that appeared on the following day. The editorial issued a very straightforward threat against Israel. Indeed, the threat/call for launching a Hezbollah-style campaign in the Golan was indeed the main theme. Continue reading →

Interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Broadcast Date: August 1, 2006

The New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman and Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid on this edition of Fresh Air. Friedman’s just returned from Syria. He is a three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. In 2002 he won for his “clarity of vision, based on extensive reporting, in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat”. Friedman was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for his international reporting from Lebanon and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting from Isreal. His most recent book is The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century. He’s also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. Ammar Abdulhamid is a visiting fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.