President Obama’s first budget proposal reveals the possibility for increased non-military involvement in the Middle East and potential for additional aid to the Palestinian territories, with the State Department and other international programs receiving $51.7 billion, $4.5 billion more than 2009 estimates and nearly $10 billion more than 2008. The 142-page document briefly mentions the […]
Wedad Lootah, an Emirati social worker, has published a book about sex, marriage and Islam that is now for sale in the UAE. The title is “Secrets of Sexual Congress Between Married Couples”. She paid for the publication out of her own pocket, and had the mufti of Dubai review her manuscript beforehand.
Haaretz reports that Hizballah has a tough time finding another Imad Mugnyeh. The guy was a genius. There is no point to negate that Hizballah is a strong local and regional non state player, and in this context, it is better to have Lebanese instead of Iranians for whatever it is they want to do […]
Kadima is likely to lead the opposition against a Likud dominated government, according to recent reports. The main sticking point in coalition building discussions focused on Palestinian statehood, with Kadima Chairman Tzipi Livni mandating a two state solution and Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu insisting limited sovereignty in the territories. Some analysts are at odds over […]
This article from one of the leading English-language Egyptian papers highlights Egyptian forensic reports of the Hussein bomb. The reports indicate that the bomb which detonated had been left under a bench in Al-Hussein Square, and was not thrown from a overlooking window or rooftop. In addition, details are provided of the composition of the […]
Iraqi elections have left many feeling the healing effects of a working democracy, but left others feeling cheated.
“Detlev Mehlis, former head of the U.N. commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination, said that he has a “very clear picture” of the murder, stressing he has evidence of Lebanese and Syrian involvement in the bombing attack.” Read more here. “An administrative committee has been formed to “ward off” any pressure on the Special Tribunal […]
U.S. officials intend on continuing pressuring Israel to improve aid shipments and living conditions in the Gaza Strip. Along with the type of aid permitted into Gaza, U.S. officials criticized the number of aid trucks allowed daily into the Strip, urging 500 shipments instead of the current 200 daily. Moreover, the proposed $900 million aid […]
Yesterday the acting spokesperson for the State Department emphatically stated what Dennis Ross will not be doing: Let me be clear, he’s not an envoy. He will not be negotiating. He’ll be working on regional issues. He will not be – in terms of negotiating, will not be involved in the peace process. But again, […]
Kadima number two Shaul Mofaz harshly criticized party Chairman Tzipi Livni yesterday for refusing Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu’s initial call for a unity government. Netanyahu offered Kadima prime ministerial portfolios and Kadima officials desire these positions as opposed to being relegated to the opposition. Netanyahu may tap Nathan Sharansky for Foreign Minister if Kadima and […]
The Egyptian Stock Exchange’s main index rose a bit over 1% today, one day after a terrorist attack targeted tourists in Cairo. Perhaps investors judge the attack an aberration and are confident that the government will stabilize the situation and reassure tourists. On the other hand, investors could be responding to a $10B bond purchase […]
Toby Jones, history professor at Rutgers and expert on Saudi Arabia, assesses King Abdullah’s cabinet shakeup of last week in Foreign Policy. Jones argues that the King’s sacking of the head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice – i.e. the morality police, or mutawa’een – and his appointment […]
(By Matthew Axelrod and Joseph Simons) Here’s a first-blush report on yesterday evening’s bombing in Cairo: The attack targeted a café in a tourist area and was clearly aimed at foreigners. The bombs were rudimentary, which means they were either manufactured by amateurs or perpetrators posing as amateurs. Mainstream Egyptian media and a number of […]
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ousted the lead negotiator for an Egypt-brokered truce deal with Hamas. Negotiator Amos Gilad criticized the government’s strategy last week, stating that preconditioning the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is an insult towards the Egyptians. Conversely, Olmert continues to assert the need for Shalit’s release before any truce could […]
A bomb went off about an hour ago in downtown Cairo near the Hussein Mosque in the popular tourist area near the open air market Khan Al-Khalili. Major news sources have reported that at least one person, a French tourist, has been killed. The Egyptian Ministry of Health has only reported up to 15 injured, […]