New Book Portends Crisis, Possible Revolt in Saudi Arabia Though the Hapsburgs, Romanovs and Pahlavis are gone, the House of Saud survives. But for how long? Bruce Riedel reviews a new book by Karen Elliot House, who presents an ominous picture of a country seething with internal tensions and anger. Saudi Arabia
Syrian Minister Says US Ignores 'Lessons of Afghanistan' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, who rarely speaks to the Western press, cast violence in Syria as a war against Salafi terrorists backed by predominantly Sunni Arab nations. "If ending the violence was in the hands of the Syrian government, then I assure you we would have ended it yesterday," Moallem said. Syria
Israel's Netanyahu Warns of Iran Threat, Eases Up on US Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toned down his ultimatums to President Barack Obama Thursday and focused on Iran, displaying a crude drawing of a bomb to dramatize his concerns about Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium. Israel
Lieberman: US Should 'Stick With' Mideast Peace Process US Sen. Joseph Lieberman, in a wide ranging discussion of US policy in the Middle East, said the US should “stick with” the peace process and seek at least “a partial agreement” between Israel and Palestinians, adding he is “not seeking any position in whatever administration is elected,” although he would give any offer “serious consideration.” Palestine
Protests Planned for Tunisian Rape Victim A Tunisian woman who alleges she was raped earlier this month by two policemen now stands accused of indecency, says her lawyer. Women's groups and human rights associations are planning to stage a large protest, reports Sophie Claudet for Al-Monitor. Tunisia
A Familiar and Painful Story Is Playing Out in Sudan Fighting between the Sudanese government and the rebel SPLM-North grinds on, displacing communities and producing a humanitarian crisis. The international community needs to act with resolve and force Sudan to end its cynical use of human suffering as a bargaining chip, EJ Hogendoorn writes for Al-Monitor. Sudan
Pundits, Experts Across Globe Weigh In on Video Protests Experts and pundits struggled to make sense of this month's violent protests across the Middle East after the anti-Muslim video went viral. In this round-up of some of the smartest and most provocative reactions, experts were torn between dismay and hope for better engagement between the US and the Muslim world. Pan Arab
Palestinian Artist Shows Human Side of Struggle Renowned Palestinian artist Monther Jawabreh exhibited his latest paintings in Al-Mahatta art gallery in Ramallah. He presented a series portraying a Palestinian man whose face is covered with the traditional checkered keffieh, but tweaked to show his human side: the masked Palestinian man is holding a flower pot, smoking or playing cards. Palestine
Is Iranian Response to Israel Rational, Reasonable? Many Israeli officials and commentators interpret an Iranian general's statements about a "pre-emptive strike" as an escalation of the threat against the Jewish state. Al-Monitor's Yossi Melman attributies the warning to psychological warfare, writing that Iran's leaders have so far behaved rationally and know their limitations. Iran
Turkey's 'Sledgehammer' Verdicts Take Military Down a Peg Turkish courts have convicted a large number of Turkish officers accused of trying to foment a coup d'état against the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Though a major step toward ending the military tutelage system in Turkey, the verdicts don't mean that Turkey has completed its transition to democracy, warns Henri J. Barkey for Al-Monitor. Turkey
Ahmadinejad's Swan Song: 'Wherever I Am, Politics Will Follow Me' Al-Monitor's Barbara Slavin has these questions for the Iranian president, whose term ends next year: Were Iranians better off now than when he took office? And what had he learned in his nearly eight years as president, what were his achievements and what would he do differently? Iran
Sinai Attacks Cast Doubt on Egyptian Military The Sinai Peninsula has witnessed a significant surge in attacks by armed militants targeting military security facilities in El-Arish and elsewhere over the past month, raising concerns over the effectiveness and methods of Egypt's military campaign in the region. Mohannad Sabry reports for Al-Monitor. Egypt
Ayatollah Condemns Video But Iranian Protests Stay Calm Compared to many elsewhere in the Middle East, Iranian demonstrations against the infamous anti-Islam video were as small and peaceful as the government's reaction was harsh. Seyed Hossein Mousavian writes that Washington should prioritize its image in the Islamic world and prohibit the defamation of religious beliefs. Iran
Is Turkey Losing Iraq? Ankara’s missteps in Iraq may cost it another valuable regional ally, writes Denise Natali for Al-Monitor. If Turkey wants to secure its borders and become a regional energy hub, it should re-think its sectarian-based foreign policy, understand the limits of soft-power politics and more clearly reaffirm its commitment to Iraqi sovereignty. Iraq
Ahmadinejad Seeks to End 'Tribal Warfare' in Syria Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is seeking to establish a new diplomatic contact group on Syria in Iran’s latest diplomatic bid to end what he described as “tribal warfare” in Syria. Al-Monitor's Andrew Parasiliti reports. Saudi Arabia
Is Priest Who Inspired Video Worth All The Rage? Nervana Mahmoud argues that a rational, mature, intellectual response — not blind anger — is the way to handle anti-Islam clerics like Zakaria Boutros, who's seen as an inspiration to those who made the infamous video. There's no silencing those who challenge Islam, but one can gracefully stand up to the challenge, she writes. Culture & Society
