The Middle East Blog - TIME.com

The Meaning of Neda's Martyrdom

Scott MacLeod — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:32:56 +0000

How ironic that a regime that so insistently perpetuated the cult of martyrdom may itself become undone with the aid of an Iranian martyr: a 26-year-old woman named Neda Agha-Solton. With images of fatally wounded Neda's bloodied face ricocheting around Iran and the world via the Internet, her tragic death exactly a week ago instantly made [...]

Iran: Careful What You Wish For

zg2nr9 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:05:36 +0000

A few readers raised the very reasonable complaint that none of us has blogged about the events in Iran. You're right. A few feeble excuses: Andrew was in Saudi, Scott back in the U.S. and I was traveling through Lebanon and Syria. This may come as something of a shock to a few of the [...]

What Should Obama Do About Iran?

abutters — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:43:31 +0000

Republican critics of the Obama Administration are having a field day with the crisis in Iran. To them, Obama's less than forceful criticism of the Iranian government's crackdown on protesters in Tehran smacks of the lack of resolve typical of Democrats. Some have compared Obama to Jimmy Carter, whose bungled handling of the hostage crisis at [...]

A Very Dry Town

abutters — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:17:09 +0000

Arriving in Saudi Arabia for the first time is initially anti-climactic. I guess I was expecting Riyadh, the capital of this fabulously wealthy desert kingdom, to have a little more bling. In reality, Riyadh has just two tall buildings, including the iconic Kingdom Center (pictured left.) Not much to compare with with Dubai's skyscraper alley [...]

Are Arab Leaders Really So Unhappy to See Ahmadinejad Re-elected?

abutters — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:38:27 +0000

So far most Arab leaders have reacted to the Iranian electoral crisis in typical Middle Eastern fashion: they haven't. Amir Moussa, the head of the Arab League, took one for the team and made this non-statement statement: "We hope that the next term will witness progress on the relations between Iran and the Arab world [...]

Iran Election: The Regime Cracks

Scott MacLeod — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:22:35 +0000

“I am the absolute winner of the election by a very large margin. It is our duty to defend people's votes. There is no turning back.” Challenger Mir Hossein Moussavi spoke those words before the Iranian regime announced that he had been roundly defeated in Iran's presidential election by the controversial, hard-line incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A [...]

Lebanon's American-Backed Government Holds on to Power

abutters — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:10:50 +0000

In a surprising boost for the Obama Administration Middle East agenda, Lebanon's American-backed ruling coalition maintained its majority in parliament after the country voted in record numbers yesterday. Over half of the country's eligible voters turned out for a contest between a government that came to power in 2005 after a popular uprising against the Syrian [...]

Lebanon Votes: Will Hizballah Win?

abutters — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:57:49 +0000

Today's election in Lebanon has been billed as one of the most important in the country's history, and it certainly feels that way. Polling stations have been packed this morning, and the country is on a military semi-lockdown. Nightclubs and bars closed early last night, and almost everything else has been shut since. The electoral battle [...]

Will There Be Blood?

abutters — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:02:17 +0000

Politician's wives at a rally for the Lebanese Forces and other Christian parties on Wednesday night in East Beirut. Though Election Day isn't until Sunday, Lebanon has already gone on holiday to get ready. Many Lebanese are worried that the contest -- billed as one of the most important in this country's history -- could turn [...]

Obama and the Lessons of "Roosevelt's Erection"

Scott MacLeod — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:43:38 +0000

In referring to conflict and religious wars that have marred relations between Islam and the West over the centuries, President Obama's Cairo speech mentioned the problems of colonialism and great power rivalries in more recent times. “Tension,” Obama said, “has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold [...]