International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 12/28/2006 By Michael Shank Israeli government officials in charge of conducting an end-of-year review cannot be happy. While their mid-year review was equally disappointing, with the loss in Lebanon and lack of international support for Israel’s role in Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, the end-of-year review is […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 12/14/2006 By Michael Shank With the United States Congress stamp of approval this month on India’s nuclear pursuits, it may behoove world’s leaders to retire the near-defunct Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and start configuring a new regulatory framework. The NPT is on its last breath […]
Arab News 12/04/2006 By Michael Shank & Patricia Karam With midterm elections ushering in a new Democrat-dominated Congress, US policy on Iraq is likely to change. So far, a number of approaches have been put forth, ranging from increased securitization of Iraq and a concomitant surge in troop levels, to […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 11/17/2006 By Michael Shank As the United States veers from its modus operandi in Iraq and contemplates alliances with Syria and Iran to remedy Iraq’s catastrophic reality, the question of dialogue remains at the fore. Does the US engage, or not engage, in talks with […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 11/07/2006 By Michael Shank Last April, in the delegate’s lounge of the United Nations’ headquarters in New York, this columnist met with the Organization of Islamic Conference’s (OIC) permanent observer to the UN, Ambassador Abdul Wahab, to discuss ways in which Arab, Islamic, or African […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 11/05/2006 By Michael Shank and Khadija Ali Unlike the Middle East, which is frequented by senior officials from the United States government, when it comes to Africa, the US prefers to send its second-in-command. This is not new State Department protocol, however, as Congo’s 4 […]
Arab News 10/20/2006 By Michael Shank Jack Straw’s recent commentary on niqab, or full veil, as a “visible statement of separation and of difference” that “makes it more difficult” for people “to acknowledge each other” signifies the latest in Europe’s embarrassing blunders. Following the pope’s political impropriety, former British foreign […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 10/20/2006 By Michael Shank Britain’s ex-foreign secretary’s recent commentary on the Muslim niqab, or full veil, as a “visible statement of separation and of difference” that “makes it more difficult” for people “to acknowledge each other” signifies the latest in Europe’s embarrassing blunders. Following the […]
International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt 10/18/2006 By Michael Shank With the United States Congress appealing to Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa for intervention in Darfur, and with Moussa’s offer to provide peacekeeping troops, one gets the impression that the League is finally taking itself seriously. Historically, the Arab League […]
The Daily Times (Pakistan) 10/08/2006 By Michael Shank and Saira Yamin President Pervez Musharraf’s claim that former United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage threatened to “bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age” is sadly ironic: Musharraf is already doing it. This year, Musharraf diligently assisted the US in […]