Following much anticipation, Yemenis this Tuesday headed towards the polling stations in the tens of thousands, with lines extending endlessly in the streets of the capital, Sana’a. And if so far the mood is festive, with men and women congratulating one another on what they hope …
On behalf of all Middle East writers at Foreign Policy Association, I am writing to extend our heart-felt condolences on the passing of Anthony Shadid, a true Middle East expert and a great source of inspiration for many of us here at FPA Blogs.
As we mourn Anthony’s loss, we hope …
Last week Palestinian officials from Gaza and the West Bank met in Qatar to form a unity government. Since 2007, Hamas has ruled Gaza and Fatah the West Bank. While there have been several attempts in the past to form a unity government, none have been succssful.
In this episode of …
A couple of weeks shy of the scheduled presidential elections, Vice-President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced in an official ceremony that he would run for president, adding that he hoped Yemenis would entrust him with the responsibility of running the affairs of the state.
On Tuesday, Yemenis …
This is the first episode of a new video blog that I am starting, “Understanding Israel.”
Over the last month and a half Israel has found itself in an emerging cyber war with individuals from its neighboring countries. In this video, I speak with Jerusalem Post reporter Yaakov Lappin about the …
With sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran gaining greater momentum and the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran looming large in the global economy, a key question remains whether or not the Islamic Republic will ink a deal to extricate …
This week I met with an Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, about Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s leadership. While he lauded his economic acumen and abilities as a politician, the official continually said that Bibi is insincere about peace with the Palestinians and unable to …
Until the Arab spring movement and its legion of revolutionaries came to clash with President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime, demanding an end to decades of autocracy and repression, the Americans considered Yemen’s autocrat a “bulwark” against terrorism, a strategic ally in the region in the fight …
Amal Hassan, a young mother of three, began fighting to promote women’s rights in Yemen based on her own experiences of injustice. Amal always aspired to better herself academically as she felt she truly came alive when she was learning new things, her mind opening up …
Guest Contribution by Reza Marashi
The following piece was written by Reza Marashi in Foreign Policy Magazine on January 19, 2012. Mr. Marashi is Director of Research at National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and a former Iran Desk Officer at the U.S. Department of State. The image in this piece, however, …
In his NYT op-ed today entitled ‘Don’t Do It, Bibi,’ Roger Cohen issued another stern warning to his favorite target, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In his piece, he warns about the grave repercussions if Israel were to attack Iran without political support …
Asghar Farhadi’s thrilling drama from Iran won the best foreign language film at the 69th Golden Globes on Sunday. In accepting the award, Mr. Asghar Farhadi, the director of the movie, dedicated the award to the people of Iran, whom he described as a “truly peace-loving …
The following story (part 2, the 1st instalment as it were, was published at http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/11/16/a-window-into-womens-world-in-yemen/) is that of Amal Hassan, a young Yemeni woman who from the time she drew her first breath has had to fight for what many in the West take for granted: …
The past year in Israel has been anything but boring. The Palestinians were rejected for full-membership in the United Nations, Israeli Corporal Gilad Schalit was returned alive to Israel, Turkey downgraded its diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, the Israeli population took to the streets for social change, …
Guest Contributor:
The following piece was written by Jubeen Sharbaf. Based in Toronto, Canada, Mr. Sharbaf is an organizational development advisor in the non-profit sector. Mr. Sharbaf is involved in grassroots organization work focusing on leardership issues in civil society. He is a native of Tehran, Iran.
1. Negotiate:
